Hōkoku Maru class ocean liner
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| File:Hokoku Maru-1940.jpg O.S.K. Lines Hōkoku Maru in 1940 | |
| Class overview | |
|---|---|
| Name: | Hōkoku Maru class ocean liner |
| Builders: | Mitsui Engineering & Shipbuilding Tama Shipyards |
| Operators: |  O.S.K. Lines20px Imperial Japanese Navy |
| Built: | 1938 – 1942 |
| In commission: | 1940 – 1944 |
| Planned: | 3 |
| Completed: | 3 |
| Lost: | 3 |
| General characteristics [1] | |
| Type: | Ocean liner |
| Displacement: | 10,438 long tons (10,605 t) gross |
| Length: | 160.8 m (527 ft 7 in) overall |
| Beam: | 20.1 m (65 ft 11 in) |
| Draught: | 12.5 m (41 ft 0 in) |
| Propulsion: |
2 × Mitsui-B&W Model 12-62 VF-115 diesels, 2 shafts cruising: 13,000 bhp full boost: 19,427 bhp |
| Speed: |
Hōkoku Maru 21.1 knots (24.3 mph; 39.1 km/h) Aikoku Maru 20.9 knots (24.1 mph; 38.7 km/h) Gokoku Maru 20.6 knots (23.7 mph; 38.2 km/h) |
| Capacity: |
400 passengers (48 first class, 48 special-third class, 304 third class) 12,000 cubic meters freight |
| Crew: | 133 |
| Armament: |
Hōkoku Maru, 1941 • 8 × 150 mm (5.9 in) L/40 naval guns • 2 × 76.2 mm (3.00 in) L/40 AA guns • 4 × 533 mm (21.0 in) torpedo tubes Aikoku Maru, 1942 • 8 × 140 mm L/50 naval guns • 4 × 25 mm AA guns • 4 × 533 mm torpedo tubes Gokoku Maru, 1942 • 2 × 120 mm (4.7 in) L/40 AA guns • 6 × 25 mm AA guns • 2 × 13 mm AA guns • 2 × 7.7 mm machine guns • 4 × 533 mm torpedo tubes |
| Aircraft carried: |
Hōkoku Maru and Aikoku Maru, 1941 2 × Kawanishi E7K Hōkoku Maru and Aikoku Maru, 1942 2 × Aichi E13A |
The Hōkoku Maru-class ocean liner (報國丸型貨客船, Hōkoku Maru-gata Kakyakusen) was a class of ocean liners of Japan, serving during 1940 and World War II.
Contents
Background
- 17 May 1937, the Ōsaka Mercantile Steamship Co.Ltd. (大阪商船, Ōsaka Shōsen Kaisha, O.S.K. Lines) placed an order for three ocean liners to reinforce the Japan-Africa route. They were named Hōkoku Maru, Aikoku Maru and Kōkoku Maru (later renamed Gokoku Maru).
- They were beautiful, and the equipments were luxurious, too.[2] Their suite room which named the Japanese ancient cities.[3]
Service
- Hōkoku Maru was completed on 15 June 1940. Her maiden voyage was 2-12 July 1940, Yokohama-Dalian. On 17 July 1940, she departed to South America.
- Her overseas travel was only this. She acted only at the Japanese mainland outskirts, because the Japanese Navy (IJN) thought about possibility to lose her.
- Aikoku Maru was completed on 31 August 1941. In September 1941, they were enlisted by the IJN.
Ships in class as ocean liner
| Name | Builder | Laid down | Launched | Completed | Note |
| Hōkoku Maru (報國丸) | Tama Shipyards | 18 August 1938 | 5 July 1939 | 15 June 1940 | She was enlisted by the Navy on 20 September 1941. |
| Aikoku Maru (愛國丸) | Tama Shipyards | 28 December 1938 | 25 April 1940 | 31 August 1941 | She was enlisted by the Navy on 1 September 1941. |
| Kōkoku Maru (興國丸), Gokoku Maru (護國丸) |
Mitsui, Tamano Shipyard | 31 July 1939 | 2 April 1942 | (4 August 1942) | Renamed Gokoku Maru in early 1942. She was enlisted by the Navy on 27 July 1942. |
Service in WWII
- Hōkoku Maru and Aikoku Maru became auxiliary cruiser, and they assigned to the 24th Division, Combined Fleet. They knew the outbreak of war at north of Tuamotus.
- 27 April 1942, Aikoku Maru supported submarine I-30 which departed to Germany.
- 4 August 1942, Gokoku Maru was completed. She acted in the Indian Ocean until 30 November 1942.
- 11 November 1942, Hōkoku Maru was sunk by HMIS Bengal at Indian Ocean. Aikoku Maru returned to Singapore.
- January 1943, Aikoku Maru and Gokoku Maru were dispatched to New Guinea. They engaged in troop transportation duties afterward.
- 1 October 1943, they were classified to Auxiliary transport, and removed some armaments.
- 17 February 1944, Aikoku Maru was sunk by air raid at Chuuk.
- 10 November 1944, Gokoku Maru was sunk by USN submarine.
| Name | Career | Fate |
| Hōkoku Maru | Classified to auxiliary cruiser on 20 September 1941 | Sunk by HMIS Bengal at southwest of Cocos 20°00′S 93°00′E / 20°S 93°E on 11 November 1942. |
| Aikoku Maru | Classified to auxiliary cruiser on 5 September 1941 Classified to auxiliary transport on 1 October 1943 |
Sunk during the Operation Hailstone on 17 February 1944. |
| Gokoku Maru | Classified to auxiliary cruiser on 4 August 1942 Classified to auxiliary transport on 1 October 1943 |
Sunk by USS Barb off Gotō Islands 33°31′N 129°19′E / 33.517°N 129.317°E on 10 November 1944 |
Photos
- Hokoku Maru.jpg
O.S.K. Lines Hōkoku Maru
- Aikoku Maru-1941.jpg
O.S.K. Lines Aikoku Maru in 1941
- Gokoku Maru-1942.jpg
O.S.K. Lines Gokoku Maru on 2 April 1942
- Hokoku Maru-1942a.jpg
IJN Hōkoku Maru in May 1942 at Penang
- Hokoku Maru-1942.jpg
IJN Hōkoku Maru on 29 July 1942 at Seletar
- Hokoku maru-1942b.jpg
IJN Hōkoku Maru on 18 September 1942 at Seletar
- Aikoku Maru-1942.jpg
IJN Aikoku Maru on 22 August 1942 at Seletar
Footnotes
- ↑ If there is not an explanatory note, it is Hōkoku Maru data, because the Aikoku Maru and Gokoku Maru do not have a career as merchant ship.
- ↑ They were named the best masterpiece of Dr. Haruki Watsuji. (by Hisashi Noma)
- ↑ The Hōkoku Maru was equipped suite room Nara. The Aikoku Maru was equipped suite room Kyōto. Nara and Kyōto are Japanese ancient cities. The Gokoku Maru was a plan to be equipped with suite room Hakone.
Bibliography
- Tashirō Iwashige, The visual guide of Japanese wartime merchant marine, "Dainippon Kaiga". http://www.kaiga.co.jp/emp-bin/pro1.cgi/kaiga/NN/f_tobira.htm. (Japan), May 2009
- Hisashi Noma (private publication), The Story of Mitsui and O.S.K. Liners lost during the Pacific War, May 2002
- Monthly Ships of the World No.535, "Kaijinsha". http://www.ships-net.co.jp/., (Japan), February 1998
- The Maru Special, Japanese Naval Vessels No.53, "Japanese support vessels", "Ushio Shobō". http://www.kojinsha.co.jp/. (Japan), July 1981
