SUIRAI-BOKAN!

Stories and Battle Histories of the IJN's Destroyer Tenders

5 October 2020

By Bob Hackett, Sander Kingsepp and Peter Cundall

Discussion & Questions


(Passenger-cargo ship by Takeshi Yuki scanned from "Color Paintings of Japanese Warships")

Suirai-bokan were used as mother ships for destroyers and torpedo boats. Pre-war, the IJN requisitioned four passenger /cargo ships and converted them to destroyer and motor torpedo boat tenders. All were lost during the war.

Japanese Destroyer Tenders: Tabular Records of Movement (TROMs)

(Classes link to specifications summaries)

Shuri Maru Class

Shuri Maru(Revised 9/24/2020)

Kamikaze Maru Class

Kamikaze Maru(Revised 10/5/2020)

Shinsho Maru Class

Shinsho Maru(Revised 10/5/2020)

Nipponkai Maru Class

Nipponkai Maru(Revised 8/22/2018)

Bibliography of Sources

About the Authors

Mr. Robert Hackett is a military historian and researcher. Retired from the United States Air Force and later from the aerospace industry, he resides in the United States.

Mr. Peter Cundall is a maritime historian and researcher who specializes in merchant ships. He resides in Australia.

Questions to the authors concerning these TROMs should be posted on the Discussion and Questions board.