This class consists of KYOSEI, TONE, SUMIDA and SAKAE MARUs, completed between Aug ’38 and Feb ‘39 for various shipping companies. SAKAE MARU was renamed SHINTO MARU No. 3 in 1940. KYOSEI MARU was requisitioned by the IJN as a general transport and later converted to a general requisitioned netlayer (B-AN). TONE MARU and SHINTO MARU No. 3 remained under civilian control. SUMIDA MARU was requisitioned by the IJA as Army transport No. 1029. Only SHINTO MARU No. 3 survived the war to be deleted from Lloyds Register in 1979. Kyosei Maru was sunk by surface gunfire in Jan’44 and the other two were bombed by aircraft between May’43 and Jul’45.
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