Kamikawa Maru-class seaplane tender

Kamikawa Maru

Class overview
Name| Kamikawa Maru-class Cargo ship
Builders| Kawasaki Shipbuilding Corporation
Operators|

* Kawasaki Line
* Imperial Japanese Navy
* Imperial Japanese Army
* Kōbe Line

Built| 1936-1940
In commission| 1937-1969
Planned| 5
Completed| 5
Lost| 4
Retired| 1 (Kiyokawa Maru)
General characteristics
Type| Cargo ship/Seaplane tender
Displacement| 6,853 to 6,872 long tons (6,963 to 6,982 t) gross
Length|

* 145.0 m (475 ft 9 in) Lpp
* 146.15 m (479 ft 6 in) waterline

Beam| 19.0 m (62 ft 4 in)
Draught| 8.23 m (27 ft 0 in)
Propulsion|

* Kamikawa Maru
* 1 × MAN-Kawasaki D7Z-70/120T diesel
* single shaft, 9,137 bhp
* Kiyokawa Maru
* 1 × MAN-Kawasaki D7Z-70/120T diesel
* single shaft, 8,810 bhp
* Kimikawa Maru
* 1 × MAN-Kawasaki D7Z-70/120T diesel
* single shaft, 8,867 bhp
* Kunikawa Maru
* 1 × MAN-Kawasaki D7Z-70/120T diesel
* single shaft, 8,880 bhp
* Hirokawa Maru
* 1 × MAN-Kawasaki D8Z-70/120T diesel, single shaft, 9,980 bhp

Speed|

* Kamikawa Maru and Kiyokawa Maru
* 19.5 knots (22.4 mph; 36.1 km/h)
* Kimikawa Maru and Kunikawa Maru
* 19.4 knots (22.3 mph; 35.9 km/h)
* Hirokawa Maru
* 19.2 knots (22.1 mph; 35.6 km/h)

Capacity| 650,000 cu ft (18,000 m3) freight as cargo ship
Crew| 65 as cargo ship
Armament|

* Kamikawa Maru, 1937
* 2 × 4.7 in (120 mm)/45 AA guns
* 2 × 7.7 mm machine guns
* Kiyokawa Maru, Kimikawa Maru and Kunikawa Maru, 1941
* 2 × 150 mm (5.9 in) L/40 naval guns
* 2 × 76.2 mm (3.00 in) L/23.5 AA guns
* 4 × Type 96 25 mm AA guns
* 2 × 7.7 mm machine guns
* Hirokawa Maru, 1941
* 6 × Type 88 75 mm AA guns
* 4 × Type 98 20 mm AA guns

Aircraft carried|

* Kamikawa Maru, Kiyokawa Maru, Kimikawa Maru and Kunikawa Maru
* up to 12 float plane

Aviation facilities|

* Kamikawa Maru, Kiyokawa Maru, Kimikawa Maru and Kunikawa Maru
* catapult and deck

The Kamikawa Maru-class cargo ship (神川丸型貨物船, Kamikawa Maru-gata Kamotsusen) was a type of cargo ship of Japan, serving during the 1930s and World War II. Four of the five ships of the class were converted to seaplane tenders during the war.

## History[edit]

In 1930, the Ōsaka Mercantile Steamship Co.Ltd. (O.S.K. Lines) put into service the Kinai Maru-class cargo ship[1] on the Japan-New York route. Competing Japanese steamship companies produced and placed their own cargo ships on the North America route.

In 1936, the Kawasaki Line built four Kamikawa Maru-class ships. They had much higher cruising speeds and capacity than their competitors. However, they were commandeered in sequence and did not survive to the end of the war.

## Ships in class[edit]

Construction data  Name  | Kanji  | Builder  | Laid down  | Launched  | Completed  | Owner

|
|
|
|
|
|

Kamikawa Maru | 神川丸 | Kawasaki, Kōbe Shipyard  | 5 August 1936  | 13 December 1936  | 15 March 1937  | Kawasaki Line
Kiyokawa Maru | 聖川丸 | 21 October 1936  | 16 February 1937  | 15 May 1937  | Kawasaki Line; Kōbe Line (and after 15 August 1963)
Kimikawa Maru | 君川丸 | 2 November 1936  | 11 March 1937  | 15 July 1937  | Kawasaki Line
Kunikawa Maru | 國川丸 | 11 March 1937  | 12 June 1937  | 1 November 1937  | Kawasaki Line
Hirokawa Maru | 宏川丸 | 6 April 1939  | 10 May 1940  | 12 October 1940  | Kawasaki Line

## Service[edit]

Kamikawa Maru Date  | Event

|

18 September 1937  | Enlisted by the Navy
19 September 1937  | classified to Auxiliary seaplane tender
1 October 1937  | Assigned to the 3rd Fleet
1 December 1937  | Assigned to the 3rd Carrier Division, 3rd Fleet
1 February 1938  | 3rd Carrier Division was transferred to the 5th Fleet
1 July 1938  | Assigned to the 3rd Fleet
15 December 1938  | Classified to Auxiliary aircraft transport
15 November 1939  | Classified to Auxiliary seaplane tender, assigned to the China Area Fleet
1 April 1940  | Assigned to the 2nd China Expeditionary Fleet
15 November 1940  | Assigned to the 6th Carrier Division, Combined Fleet
10 April 1941  | Assigned to the 12th Carrier Division, 3rd Fleet
7 December 1941  | Sortie for the Battle of Malaya
10 March 1942  | Assigned to the 4th Fleet
18 April 1942  | Sortie for Operation MO
20 May 1942  | Assigned to the 11th Carrier Division, Southeast Area Fleet
28 May 1942  | Sortie for Operation MI
15 June 1942  | Sortie for Operation AL
14 July 1942  | 11th Carrier Division was moved to the 2nd Fleet
23 August 1942  | Sortie for the Guadalcanal Campaign
1 April 1943  | 11th Carrier Division was moved to the Southeast Area Fleet
15 April 1943  | 11th Carrier Division was disbanded
29 May 1943  | Sunk by USS Scamp at northwest of Kavieng 01°36′S 150°24′E﻿ / ﻿1.600°S 150.400°E﻿ / -1.600; 150.400﻿ (Kamikawa Maru sunk by USS Scamp, 28 May 1943)
15 July 1943  | Removed from naval ship list and discharged
Kayokawa Maru Date  | Event

|

28 September 1941  | Enlisted by the Navy
5 October 1941  | Classified to Auxiliary seaplane tender
10 November 1941  | Assigned to the 4th Fleet
6 December 1941  | Sortie for the Battle of Guam
23 December 1941  | Sortie for the Battle of Wake Island
6 January 1942  | Sortie for the Battle of Rabaul
1 December 1942  | Classified to Auxiliary transport, and assigned to the Yokosuka Naval District
1 April 1943  | Classified to Auxiliary seaplane tender, and assigned to the 2nd Southern Expeditionary Fleet, Southwest Area Fleet
1 July 1943  | Assigned to the Southwest Area Fleet
1 October 1943  | Classified to Auxiliary transport
1 June 1944  | Assigned to the Yokosuka Naval District
14 July 1944  | Entry to the Hi-68 Convoy
20 August 1944  | Entry to the TaMo-26 Convoy
14 November 1944  | Entry to the Convoy Hi-81
8 December 1944  | Entry to the MaMo-25 Convoy
29 January 1945  | Entry to the Hi-93 Convoy
11 February 1945  | Entry to the Hi-88C Convoy
25 February 1945  | Entry to the TaMo-44 Convoy
16 March 1945  | Entry to the MoTa-43 Convoy
1 April 1945  | Entry to the TaMo-53 Convoy
20 July 1945  | Sunk by air raid at Kaminoseki
30 November 1945  | Discharged
9 December 1947  | Refloated
20 October 1949  | Repairs were completed
15 August 1963  | Sold to Kōbe Line
14 December 1969  | Scrapped
Kimikawa Maru Date  | Event

|

6 July 1941  | Enlisted by the Navy
25 July 1941  | Classified to Auxiliary seaplane tender
1 September 1941  | Assigned to the 5th Fleet
10 December 1941  | Assigned to the 21st Division, 5th Fleet
1 September 1941  | Removed from 21st Division
8 June 1942  | Sortie for the Operation AL
1 October 1943  | Classified to Auxiliary transport and assigned to the Northeast Area Fleet
20 November 1943  | Assigned to the Combined Fleet
13 July 1944  | Entry to the Hi-69 Convoy
2 October 1944  | Entry to the Hi-76 Convoy
21 October 1944  | Entry to the Mata-30 Convoy
23 October 1944  | Sunk by submarine USS Sawfish at WNW of Cape Bojeador 18°58′S 118°40′E﻿ / ﻿18.967°S 118.667°E﻿ / -18.967; 118.667﻿ (Kimikawa Maru sunk by USS Sawfish, 23 October 1944)
10 December 1944  | Removed from naval ship list and discharged
Kunikawa Maru Date  | Event

|

31 October 1941  | Enlisted by the Navy
10 November 1941  | Classified to Auxiliary transport
10 December 1941  | Assigned to the Combined Fleet
14 July 1942  | Classified to Auxiliary seaplane tender, and assigned to the 4th Fleet
24 August 1942  | Sortie for the Solomon Islands campaign
1 April 1943  | Assigned to the 11th Carrier Division, Southeast Area Fleet
15 April 1943  | Removed from 11th Carrier Division
3 May 1943  | Entry to the No. 2023 Convoy
8 May 1943  | Entry to the No. 4508 Convoy
1 June 1943  | Entry to the No. 3601A Convoy
5 August 1943  | Entry to the No. 4805 Convoy
15 September 1943  | Entry to the No. 3914 Convoy
28 September 1943  | Entry to the No. 1292 Convoy
1 October 1943  | Classified to Auxiliary transport, and assigned to the Kure Naval District
16 October 1943  | Entry to the O-602B Convoy
1 November 1943  | Entry to the No. 7101 Convoy
21 December 1943  | Entry to the Hi-27 Convoy
20 March 1944  | Entry to the H-22 Convoy
29 March 1944  | Struck a naval mine at Balikpapan
8 May 1944  | Temporary repairs were completed, however struck a naval mine once again; Later sank in shallow water
26 September 1944  | Refloated and temporary repairs were completed
21 May 1945  | Sunk by air raid
30 November 1945  | Discharged
3 May 1947  | Removed from naval ship list
Hirokawa Maru Date  | Event

|

8 February 1941  | Enlisted by the Army; Classified to Nucleus Anti-Aircraft vessel
8 December 1941  | Sortie for the Battle of Malaya; Landed the Andō Detachment, 5th Infantry Division at Pattani
20 February 1942  | Sortie for the Dutch East Indies campaign; Landed the 16th Army at Palembang
23 March 1942  | Sortie for the Invasion of the Andaman Islands; Landed the one battalion of the 18th Division at Ross Island
14 October 1942  | Sortie for the Guadalcanal Campaign
15 October 1942  | Landed the one battalion of the 38th Division at Guadalcanal; Damaged by U.S. aircraft and artillery, sunk by destroyer USS Meade at Tassafaronga Point

## Photos[edit]

* Kawasaki Line Kiyokawa Maru

* Kawasaki Line Kimikawa Maru

* Kawasaki Line Kunikawa Maru

* Kawasaki Line Hirokawa Maru

* IJN Kamikawa Maru circa 1939 at Xiamen

* IJN Kamikawa Maru in June 1942 at Kiska

* IJN Kimikawa Maru in Autumn 1942 at Ōminato Naval Base

* IJN Kimikawa Maru in April 1943 at Ōminato Naval Base

* IJN Kamikawa Maru-class in 1943

* IJN Kimikawa Maru in Summer 1943

* IJN Kiyokawa Maru (above) on 10 March 1942

## Footnotes[edit]

1. ^ 8300 tons, 18.5 kt. Kinai Maru (畿内丸), Hokuriku Maru (北陸丸), Tōkai Maru (東海丸), San'yō Maru (山陽丸), Nankai Maru (南海丸), Hokkai Maru (北海丸), Kantō Maru (関東丸), and Kansai Maru (関西丸).

## Bibliography[edit]

* Tashirō Iwashige, The visual guide of Japanese wartime merchant marine, "Dainippon Kaiga". Archived from the original on 2002-12-07. (Japan), May 2009
* Shinshichirō Komamiya, The Wartime Convoy Histories, "Shuppan Kyōdōsha". Archived from the original on 2011-07-22. Retrieved 2010-09-11. (Japan), October 1987
* Monthly Ships of the World, "Kaijinsha". (Japan)
* No. 481, Special issue Vol. 40, History of Japanese aircraft carriers, May 1994
* No. 525, June 1997
* No. 600, September 2002
* Science of the Ships No. 403, Ministry of Transport, May 1982
* The Maru Special, Japanese Naval Vessels No. 25, Japanese seaplane tenders w/ auxiliary seaplane tenders, "Ushio Shobō". (Japan), March 1979

* v
* t
* e

Kamikawa Maru-class seaplane tenders

Seaplane tenders|

* Kamikawa Maru
* Kimikawa Maru
* Kiyokawa Maru
* Kunikawa Maru

Cargo ships|

* Hirokawa Maru

List of ships of the Japanese Navy

* v
* t
* e

Japanese auxiliary ship classes of World War II

Colliers and oilers|

* Notoro
* Ondo
* Sunosaki
* Ashizuri
* KazahayaS
* HayasuiS
* HarioS
* Muroto
* Teiyō MaruS
* Ōse (ex-SS Genota)SC

Food supply ships|

* MamiyaS
* NosakiS
* Kinesaki
* IrakoS
* KurasakiSC

Landing ships|

* No.1
* No.101
* Shinshū MaruS (Army)
* SS (Army)

Armed merchant cruisers|

* Aikoku MaruS
* Hōkoku MaruS
* Kongō MaruS
* Noshiro MaruS

Minelayers
and cable layer|

* TokiwaSC
* ItsukushimaS
* YaeyamaS
* OkinoshimaS
* TsugaruS
* MinooSC
* ShiratakaS
* Hatsutaka
* Tsubame
* Natsushima (1933)
* Sokuten (1938)
* Hirashima
* AjiroS
* Kamishima
* Hashima
* Sokuten (1913)
* Aux. No.1
* Aux. No.101 (ex-HMS Barlight)SC

Minesweepers|

* No.1 (1923)
* No.5 (1928)
* No.13
* No.17
* No.7 (1938)
* No.19
* No.101 (ex-HMS Taitam and HMS Waglan)C
* Aux. No.1
* Aux. No.101 (ex-HNLMS DEFG-class)
* Aux. No.104 (ex-HNLMS DEFG-class)

Patrol boats|

* No.1C
* No.31C
* No.46SC
* No.101 (ex-HMS Thracian)SC
* No.102 (ex-USS Stewart)SC
* No.103 (ex-USS Finch)SC
* No.104 (ex-Dutch East Indies Valk and Arend)C
* No.105 (ex-Philippine customs Arayat)SC
* No.106 (ex-HNLMS Banckert (1929))SCI
* No.107 (ex-USS Genesee)SC
* No.109 (ex-Dutch East Indies Fazant)SC
* Aux. No.1

Repair ships|

* AsahiSC
* AkashiS
* Hayase (ex-Chinese passenger Chin Kiang)SC
* Hitonose (ex-ROCN Min Sheng)SC

Seaplane tenders|

* NotoroSC
* KamoiSC
* Chitose
* MizuhoS
* NisshinS
* AkitsushimaS
* Kamikawa Maru

Submarine chasers|

* No.1
* No.3S
* No.4
* No.13
* No.28
* No.60
* Aux. No.1
* Aux. No.101 (ex-HNLMS Tjerimai)SC
* Aux. No.102 (ex-HNLMS Ardjoeno class)C
* Aux. No.103 (ex-HNLMS B1 class)C
* Aux. No.111 (ex-HNLMS P13 or P14)SC
* Aux. No.112 (ex-HNLMS A)C
* Aux. No.117 (ex-HNLMS Bantam)C
* Aux. No.251
* Aux. No.253S

Submarine tenders|

* KomahashiSC
* Jingei
* TaigeiS

Survey ships|

* TsukushiS
* KatsurikiSC
* Hakusa (ex-China customs Fu Hsing)SC

Target ships|

* SettsuSC
* YakazeSC
* HakachiS
* ŌhamaS

Training ships|

* FujiSC
* ShikishimaSC
* AsamaSC
* AzumaSC
* KasugaSC
* Atada (ex-ROCN Yat Sen)SC

Others|

* Sōya (freighter)SC
* Kashino (turret transporter)S
* Ōtomari (icebreaker)S
* Tategami (salvage tug)
* Kasashima (salvage tug)
* Miura (salvage tug)
* Kaiyō No.1 (oceanographic research ship)
* Asuka (traffic ship, ex-ROCN Yung Chien)SC

Single ship of class

Converted to ship type

Incomplete until the end of war
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