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HOKAKUMOTEI!

KYOSEI MARU Class - Auxiliary netlayer


(KATSURA MARU, in wartime. No photo has been found yet of a ship of the KYOSEI MARU class. The attached photo of KATSURA MARU is representative of what the ships of this class may have looked like with only dimensions being different.)

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.

Builder and Year Completed: Osaka. Urabe Zosen Tekkosho K.K.
Between 1938 and 1939
Gross tonnage: From 538-tons to 557-tons
Dimensions: 150’(lpp) x 27' or 28’ x 12.9' or 12.5’
Propulsion: One diesel engine, one shaft, 420 shp.
Speed: Cruising: 10 knots
Armament: Unknown.