Ryōyō Maru (1930)

History
NameRyōyō Maru
Owner
BuilderKawasaki Dockyard Company, Kobe
Laid down3 March 1930[1]
Launched25 September 1930[1]
Commissioned15 January 1931[1]
FateSunk 2 May 1944
General characteristics
Tonnage5,974 GRT
Length415 ft (126 m)[2]
Beam56 ft (17 m)
Draught31.8 ft (9.7 m)

Ryōyō Maru (良洋丸) was a 5,974-gross register ton passenger ship that was built by Kawasaki Dockyard Company, Kobe, for Tōyō Kisen Kabushiki Kaisha. The ship was launched in 1930. She was requisitioned by the Imperial Japanese Army and fitted out as a fast troop transport and sunk on 2 May 1945 after being torpedoed.

Military service

Ryoto Maru was requisitioned by the Imperial Japanese Army and fitted out as a fast troop transport. She was part of the invasion fleet that landed troops during the invasion of Ambon on 30 January 1942, and part of the invasion fleet at Buna-Gona.[3]

On 4 March 1944, she was damaged when struck by a large wave and driven aground off Matsuwa Jima, in the Kuril Islands. Ryōyō Maru was anchored in a harbour along the Kuril Islands, when she was struck by a torpedo from USS Tautog on 2 May. She settled in 24 feet (7.3 m) of water, decks awash at 48°04′N 153°16′E / 48.067°N 153.267°E / 48.067; 153.267.[4]

See also

Notes

  1. ^ a b c Nagasawa, Fumio (1998). "Nostalgic Japanese Steamships - Early Showa Period" (in Japanese). Archived from the original on 14 May 2009. Retrieved 13 December 2010.
  2. ^ "Lloyd's Register 1941-42" (PDF). plimsollshipdata. Archived from the original (PDF) on 27 July 2011. Retrieved 9 December 2010.
  3. ^ "Subchaser CH-29". The Combined Fleet. Retrieved 10 December 2010.
  4. ^ Blair, p. 596.

References

  • Blair, Clay, Jr. Silent Victory. Philadelphia: Lippincott, 1975.