Yokosuka Naval Arsenal History . In 1866 , the Tokugawa shogunate government established the " Yokosuka Seisakusho " , a military arsenal and naval base , with the help of foreign engineers , including the French naval architect Léonce Verny . The new facility was intended to produce modern , western - style warship s and equipment for the Tokugawa navy . The construction of the arsenal was an important first step for the modernization of Japan ' s industry . Modern buildings , an aqueduct , foundry , brick factories , technical schools to train Japanese technicians were established . After the Boshin War and the Meiji Restoration , the new Meiji government took over control of the facility in 1871 , renaming it the " Yokosuka Zosenjo " ( Yokosuka Shipyards ) . The first dry dock was opened in 1871 , and is still in operation today . Japan ' s first domestically produced warship , " Saiki " , was completed the same year . The Yokosuka Naval District was established at Yokosuka , Kanagawa in 1884 , as the first of the naval districts responsible for the defense of the Japanese home islands , and the Yokosuka Shipyards was renamed the Yokosuka Naval Arsenal in 1903 . Japan had purchased five submarines from the Electric Boat Company [ U . S . ] during the Russo - Japanese War ( 1904 - 1905 ) . These Holland Type VII submarines were built by Arthur Leopold Busch as he traveled to Japan during this time . Mr . Busch was a naval architect and shipbuilder who represented the newly organized company ( Electric Boat Company ) now located at the Quincy Massachusett ' s shipyard known as the Fore River Ship and Engine Company . These first five submarines became Japan ' s ( IJN ) initial entry into the theater of underwater warfare that began nearly the same time as the outbreak of the Russo - Japanese conflict . Another representative of Electric Boat , Frank Cable , an electrician working for Isaac L . Rice ' s company trained two Japanese crews in the operation of such craft . Arthur Busch was also the man responsible for building the United States Navy ' s first submarine some five or so years before this time for the Holland Torpedo Boat Company . This ( particular craft ) was named the USS Holland ( SS - 1 ) and was America ' s first commissioned craft ( of this ) type . Two additional Holland designed submarines were built for Japan by 1906 " under contract " and a licencing " agreement " with Holland ' s company back in 1905 . These pioneering submarines progressively got larger and larger as time went on , climaxing ( in size ) by the end of the " Cold War " . In 1909 , Japan ' s first domestically designed and produced battleship , " Satsuma " was launched . Yokosuka became one of the main shipyards of the Imperial Japanese Navy in the 20th century , building numerous battleships such as " Yamashiro " , and aircraft carrier s such as " Hiryu " and " Shokaku " . Naval aircraft were designed at the nearby Yokosuka Naval Air Technical Arsenal . During the Pacific War the Yokosuka Naval Arsenal was attacked by one bomber during the Doolittle Raid on 18 April 1942 and by a large force of carrier aircraft during the Attack on Yokosuka on 18 July 1945 . The facilities were seized by the Allied forces at the end of World War II , and on 15 October 1945 the Yokosuka Naval Arsenal was officially abolished . However , the facilities continued to be used in the post - World War II period , by the United States Navy as the " Yokosuka Ship Repair Facility " and its former property is now under the control of the United States Fleet Activities Yokosuka . A steam hammer from the former Yokosuka Naval Arsenal is on display at the " Verny Commemorative Museum " in Yokosuka .