Kongō Maru was designed for Kokusai Kisen primarily as a freighter, although she had six first-class cabins, and could accommodate twelve passengers. She was completed on 4 March 1935. Kokusai Kisen received subsidies from the Japanese government for her construction, as part of a program to encourage the production of large, high-speed transports and tankers, which could be quickly converted to military use in times of conflict. She made her maiden voyage from Kobe to Penang via the Philippines on 8 March 1935.
From January 1937, Kongō Maru was leased to Nippon Yusen, and operated on trade routes to the eastern coast of North America via the Panama Canal. She set a speed record for crossing the Pacific Ocean in nine days, 10 hours in 1939 and continued to be operated on this route until August 1941.
Military serviceedit
On 6 August 1941, Kongō Maru was requisitioned by the Imperial Japanese Navy and was converted to an armed merchant cruiser at the Harima Shipyards at Aioi. Single mount 14 cm/50 3rd Year Type naval guns were installed at her bow and stern, as were two Type 93 13.2-mm machine guns and two 533 mm (21.0 in) torpedo tubes. Her conversion was completed on 14 October and she was assigned to the IJN 4th Fleet’s "South Seas Force" and deployed to Truk. At the time of the attack on Pearl Harbor, Kongō Maru was at Kwajalein, from which she deployed as part of the Japanese task force in the first attempt to invade Wake Island on 8 December 1941. She was bombed by USMCF4F Wildcat aircraft using depth charges, and caught fire. The fires were brought under control and she returned to Kwajalein. She later participated in the second attack on Wake Island on 21 December 1941, which succeeded in taking the island. After the battle, Kongō Maru was sent via Saipan, Truk and Guam to participate in the battle of Rabaul on 22 January 1942.[2]
^(PDF). plimsollshipdata. Archived from the original (PDF) on 27 July 2011. Retrieved 24 December 2010.
^ abIJN KONGO MARU CombinedFleet.com: Kongo Maru Tabular Record of Movement;
Referencesedit
Brown, David (1990). Warship Losses of World War Two. Naval Institute Press. ISBN1-55750-914-X.
Cressman, Robert (1999). The Official Chronology of the U.S. Navy in World War II. Naval Institute Press. ISBN1557501491.
Devereaux, Colonel James P.S., USMC (1947). The Story of Wake Island. The Battery Press. ISBN0-89839-264-0.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
External linksedit
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Kongō Maru (ship, 1935).
Chronological List of Japanese Merchant Vessel Losses
Pacific War Online Encyclopedia
Parshall, Jon; Bob Hackett; Sander Kingsepp; Allyn Nevitt. "CombinedFleet.com: Kongo Maru class armed merchant cruisers".
Parshall, Jon; Bob Hackett; Sander Kingsepp; Allyn Nevitt. "CombinedFleet.com: Kongo Maru Tabular Record of Movement".
kongō, maru, 1934, confused, with, kongō, maru, 1936, kongō, maru, 金剛丸, gross, register, passenger, cargo, ship, built, harima, shipbuilding, company, japan, kokusai, kisen, kabushiki, kaisha, 1935, requisitioned, imperial, japanese, navy, during, second, worl. Not to be confused with Kongō Maru 1936 Kongō Maru 金剛丸 was an 7 043 gross register ton passenger cargo ship built by Harima Shipbuilding Company in Japan for Kokusai Kisen Kabushiki Kaisha in 1935 She was requisitioned by the Imperial Japanese Navy during the Second World War and converted to an armed merchant cruiser pre war Kongō MaruHistory Empire of Japan NameKongō Maru NamesakeKongō OwnerKokusai Kisen Kabushiki Kaisha 1935 1941 Imperial Japanese Navy 1941 1942 BuilderHarima Shibuilding and Co Japan Laid down22 February 1934 Launched7 December 1934 Commissioned5 March 1935 Stricken20 March 1942 FateSunk by US aircraft 10 March 1942 General characteristics Tonnage7 043 GRT Displacement8 624 long tons 8 762 t Length453 5 feet 138 2 m 1 Beam60 7 feet 18 5 m Draught30 8 feet 9 4 m Propulsion1 Kawasaki MAN diesel engines 9 048 shp 6 747 kW Speed19 63 knots 22 59 mph 36 35 km h Complement50 Armament4 14 cm 50 3rd Year Type naval guns 2 Type 93 13 2 mm machine guns 2 4 533 mm 21 0 in torpedo tubes Aircraft carried1x Kawanishi E7K floatplane Kongō Maru sinking at Lae Contents 1 Civilian service 2 Military service 3 Notes 4 References 5 External links 6 See alsoCivilian service editKongō Maru was designed for Kokusai Kisen primarily as a freighter although she had six first class cabins and could accommodate twelve passengers She was completed on 4 March 1935 Kokusai Kisen received subsidies from the Japanese government for her construction as part of a program to encourage the production of large high speed transports and tankers which could be quickly converted to military use in times of conflict She made her maiden voyage from Kobe to Penang via the Philippines on 8 March 1935 From January 1937 Kongō Maru was leased to Nippon Yusen and operated on trade routes to the eastern coast of North America via the Panama Canal She set a speed record for crossing the Pacific Ocean in nine days 10 hours in 1939 and continued to be operated on this route until August 1941 Military service editOn 6 August 1941 Kongō Maru was requisitioned by the Imperial Japanese Navy and was converted to an armed merchant cruiser at the Harima Shipyards at Aioi Single mount 14 cm 50 3rd Year Type naval guns were installed at her bow and stern as were two Type 93 13 2 mm machine guns and two 533 mm 21 0 in torpedo tubes Her conversion was completed on 14 October and she was assigned to the IJN 4th Fleet s South Seas Force and deployed to Truk At the time of the attack on Pearl Harbor Kongō Maru was at Kwajalein from which she deployed as part of the Japanese task force in the first attempt to invade Wake Island on 8 December 1941 She was bombed by USMC F4F Wildcat aircraft using depth charges and caught fire The fires were brought under control and she returned to Kwajalein She later participated in the second attack on Wake Island on 21 December 1941 which succeeded in taking the island After the battle Kongō Maru was sent via Saipan Truk and Guam to participate in the battle of Rabaul on 22 January 1942 2 During the invasion of Lae Salamaua on 8 March 1942 Kongō Maru transported elements of the Japanese Special Naval Landing Forces to Huon Gulf in what is now eastern Papua New Guinea While still at Huon Gulf of 10 March 1942 Kongō Maru was bombed and sunk by aircraft from the United States Navy aircraft carriers USS Lexington and USS Yorktown at 06 49 S 147 02 E 6 817 S 147 033 E 6 817 147 033 2 She was removed from the navy list on 20 March 1942 Notes edit Lloyd s Register 1942 43 PDF plimsollshipdata Archived from the original PDF on 27 July 2011 Retrieved 24 December 2010 a b IJN KONGO MARU CombinedFleet com Kongo Maru Tabular Record of Movement References editBrown David 1990 Warship Losses of World War Two Naval Institute Press ISBN 1 55750 914 X Cressman Robert 1999 The Official Chronology of the U S Navy in World War II Naval Institute Press ISBN 1557501491 Devereaux Colonel James P S USMC 1947 The Story of Wake Island The Battery Press ISBN 0 89839 264 0 a href Template Cite book html title Template Cite book cite book a CS1 maint multiple names authors list link External links edit nbsp Wikimedia Commons has media related to Kongō Maru ship 1935 Chronological List of Japanese Merchant Vessel Losses Pacific War Online Encyclopedia Parshall Jon Bob Hackett Sander Kingsepp Allyn Nevitt CombinedFleet com Kongo Maru class armed merchant cruisers Parshall Jon Bob Hackett Sander Kingsepp Allyn Nevitt CombinedFleet com Kongo Maru Tabular Record of Movement See also editForeign commerce and shipping of Empire of Japan Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Kongō Maru 1934 amp oldid 1221862760, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
