Sagara Maru

Sagara Maru
Sagara Maru in 1942
History
Japan
NameSagara Maru
BuilderMitsubishi Shipbuilding
Launched23 March 1939
FateTorpedoed and beached 23 July 1943
General characteristics (as seaplane tender)
Displacement7,189 long tons (7,304 t)
Length479 ft 9 in (146.23 m)
Beam62 ft 4 in (19.00 m)
Draught32 ft 3 in (9.83 m)
Propulsion
  • 2 × diesel engines
  • 2 shafts
  • 16,000 bhp (12,000 kW)
Speed18 knots (33 km/h; 21 mph)
Armament
  • 2 × 14 cm (5.5 in) guns
  • 2 × 13.2 mm (0.52 in) machine guns
Aircraft carried
Aviation facilities2 catapults

Sagara Maru was a Japanese Sakito Maru-class cargo liner converted to a seaplane tender that served during World War II. It was hit by torpedoes from two different submarines before being abandoned and sinking.

Construction and career

Sagara Maru was built in 1939 at the Mitsubishi Yokohoma shipyard for the Nippon Yusen company, being completed in 1940. She was the fifth of seven ships of the Sakito Maru class of high speed transports: Sakito Maru (崎戸丸), Sanuki Maru (讃岐丸), Sado Maru (佐渡丸), Sagami Maru (相模丸), Sagara Maru (相良丸), Sasako Maru (笹子丸), and Sakura Maru (佐倉丸).[1]

Shortly before Japan's entry into the war, she was acquired by the Imperial Japanese Navy and converted to an auxiliary seaplane tender.[2] After hostilities commenced she was involved in the escort forces for landings at Sabang, Rangoon[3] and the Andaman Islands, and after that spent the majority of her time patrolling and escorting convoys between Penang and Singapore.[4] In December 1942 she was re-classified as a transport/replenishment ship.[5]

On 23 June 1943 off the coast of Omaezaki, Japan she was spotted by USS Harder,[6] who despite being spotted and fired upon managed to fire four torpedoes one of which hit the bow of Sagara Maru. The destroyer Sawakaze took her in tow but to avoid sinking she was beached. Ten days later, on 4 July, before she could be re-floated, USS Pompano spotted her on radar and managed to gain two torpedo hits. She was subsequently abandoned a few days later.[4][7]

References

  1. ^ Nagasawa, Fumio (1998). "崎戸丸型 SAKITO MARU Class 7隻 (1939-1940)". Nostalgic Japanese Steamships (in Japanese).
  2. ^ "The Pacific War Online Encyclopedia: Sagara Maru Class, Japanese Seaplane Carriers". pwencycl.kgbudge.com. Retrieved 15 March 2019.
  3. ^ Shores, Christopher F.; Cull, Brian; Izawa, Yasuho. Bloody shambles. London. ISBN 094881750X. OCLC 27702724.
  4. ^ a b "Japanese Auxiliary Seaplane Tenders". www.combinedfleet.com. Retrieved 15 March 2019.
  5. ^ Watts, A J (1966). Japanese Warships of World War II. Ian Allan.
  6. ^ Cope, Karig; Harley, Francis Walter (1951). Battle submerged: submarine fighters of World War II. Norton. p. 148.
  7. ^ "Sagara Maru (+1943)".


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