Sakura Maru (Japanese:櫻丸) was a merchant oil tanker assigned to the Imperial Japanese Army during World War II. The ship was constructed in Japan in 1943 and completed in 1944. On 10 July 1945, the ship was sunk in a torpedo attack.
 The Sakito Maru , part of the same class as Sakura Maru
| |
| History | |
|---|---|
 Empire of Japan | |
| Name | Sakura Maru (櫻丸) |
| Namesake | Cherry blossom |
| Owner | Petroleum Trading Co., Ltd. |
| Builder | Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. Shimonoseki |
| Yard number | 301[1] |
| Laid down | 9 September 1943 |
| Launched | 30 December 1943 |
| Completed | 15 March 1944 |
| Identification | 51179[2] |
| Fate | Torpedoed and sunk by USS Hammerhead, 10 July 1945 |
| Notes | |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type | tanker |
| Tonnage | 850 GRT[1][3] |
| Length | 58 m (190 ft 3 in)[3] |
| Beam | 10 m (32 ft 10 in)[3] |
| Draught | 4.9 m (16 ft 1 in)[3] |
| Propulsion | 750 hp (560 kW)[3] |
| Speed | 11–12 knots (20–22 km/h; 13–14 mph)[3] |
History
editIt was laid down at yard number 301 on 9 September 1943 at the Shimonoseki shipyard of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd.[2] for the benefit of the Petroleum Trading Co., Ltd. (石油共販株式會社), and given identification number 51179.[3] It was launched on 30 December 1943 and completed 15 March 1944.[3][2] On 29 July 1944, it was chartered by the Imperial Japanese Army to serve as an oil tanker; it was never commissioned and remained in private ownership.[2]
Fate
editOn 10 July 1945, she was torpedoed and sunk by the USS Hammerhead in the Gulf of Thailand (at 09°38′N 101°31′E / 9.633°N 101.517°E).[2][4][5] Fellow tanker Nanmei Maru No. 5 was also sunk.[4][5]
References
edit- ^ a b Toda, Gengoro S. "陸軍徴傭船 (Army charter ship) - 日愛丸 (Sakura Maru - Ship stats)" (PDF). Imperial Japanese Navy (in Japanese).
- ^ a b c d e f Toda, Gengoro S. "櫻丸の船歴 (Sakura Maru - Ship History)". Imperial Japanese Navy (in Japanese).
- ^ a b c d e f g h Nagasawa, Fumio (1998). "櫻丸 Sakura Maru (1944)". Nostalgic Japanese Steamships (in Japanese).
- ^ a b Cressman, Robert J. (2006) [1999]. "Chapter V: 1945". The Official Chronology of the U.S. Navy in World War II. Retrieved 12 February 2023.
- ^ a b Rohwer, Jürgen; Gerhard Hümmelchen. "Seekrieg 1945, Jul". Württembergische Landesbibliothek Stuttgart (in German). Retrieved 31 July 2015.