was the third and final vessel in the of medium-sized minelayers of the Imperial Japanese Navy, which was in service during World War II. She was designed as an improved version of Shirataka netlayer. Due to the critical shortage of patrol ships for convoy escort duties during the Pacific War, she was fitted with depth charge racks and her minelaying rails were removed.
After the surrender of Japan, Wakataka was transferred to the Royal Navy as a prize of war. She was transferred to the Malayan Navy Volunteer Force as HMMS Laburnum and placed in the naval reserve in 1956 before being recommissioned in 1963 as KD Singapura and RSS Singapura in 1967 following Singapore's independence from Malaysia, where she served as a floating headquarters. Singapura was subsequently sold for scrap in December 1967.
Construction
Under the Maru-4 Supplemental Armaments Budget of 1939, the Imperial Japanese Navy authorized an additional vessel in the Hatsutaka-series of minelayers, primarily for coastal duties in the China theater of operations in the Second Sino-Japanese War. Wakataka differed from her sister ships in that her main armament was changed to twin Type 3 80 mm AA Guns.
Wakataka was launched by the Harima Shipyard near Kobe on July 12, 1941, and was commissioned into service on November 30, 1941.
Japanese service
After commissioning, Wakataka was assigned to the Sasebo Naval District, but was soon reassigned to the Second Base Force of the IJN 3rd Fleet, based at Takao in Taiwan.
At the time of the attack on Pearl Harbor in December 1941, Wakataka was assigned to "Operation M", (the invasion of the northern Philippines), escorting several convoys of transports between the Japanese home islands, Palau and landing zones in the Philippines.
In January 1942, Wakataka was assigned to the invasion of Dutch Borneo, covering the invasion of Tarakan by the Kure No.2 SNLF and the Sakaguchi Brigade (the 56th Mixed Infantry Brigade) early at the beginning of the month, and Balikpapan at the end of the month. On March 10, Wakataka was reassigned to the Second Expeditionary Fleet under the Southwest Area Fleet, based at Surabaya and was assigned to patrol and convoy escort duties. During Operation S (the invasion of the Lesser Sunda Islands) in May, Wakataka transported a portion of the Yokosuka No.1 SNLF from Surabaya to Lombok, Sumbawa, Flores, and Kupang on Timor. Following the successful completion of that operation, Wakataka remained on patrol duty in the Netherlands East Indies until December 29, 1942, when she was reassigned to the 25th Base Force of the Southwest Area Fleet, and participated in the capture of Hollandia, Dutch New Guinea in January 1943.
During most of 1943, Wakataka shuttled between Ambon Manokwari and Hollandia, with occasional voyages to Palau and to points around Halmahera. She was reassigned to the Fourth Expeditionary Fleet (still within the Southwest Area Fleet in November), and transported part of the IJA 26th Division to New Guinea by the end of the year.
During early 1944, Wakataka continued to be assigned to convoy escort duties in the eastern Netherland East Indies. In early February, she unsuccessfully attacked with depth charges in the Celebes Sea and in March unsuccessfully attacked . Likewise, while on convoy protection patrol, she unsuccessfully attacked at Staring-baai on July 14. In October, she towed the damaged minelayer from Celebes but was spotted by Royal Dutch Navy submarine HNLMS Zwaardvisch (P322) (ex HMS Talent) while transiting the Java Sea on October 17. Zwaardvisch fired five torpedoes, one of which sank Itsukushima, and another of which struck Wakataka in the bow but did not explode.
Repairs at Surabaya took until early March 1945 to complete, at which time Wakataka was reassigned to the IJN 10th Area Fleet. On March 25, 1945, south of Sumbawa, Wakataka was attacked by and took a direct torpedo hit which significantly damaged her bow, killing around 20 crewmen. Repair crews at Surabaya fashioned a false bow at the break, shortening her length by about 5–6 meters, and she returned to active duty in July with the Southwest Area Fleet; however, repairs were not completed by the time of the surrender of Japan on August 15, 1945 due to shortages of materials.
After the end of World War II, Wakataka was demilitarized and used as a repatriation vessel, evacuating Japanese troops from Labuan and Kuching to Singapore. She was officially removed from the navy list on March 1, 1946.