 Hōkoku Maru in wartimecamouflage | |
| History | |
|---|---|
| Japan | |
| Name | Hōkoku Maru |
| Owner | Osaka Syōsen KK |
| Operator |  Imperial Japanese Navy |
| Port of registry |  Osaka |
| Builder | Tama Shipbuilding Co Ltd |
| Laid down | 18 August 1938 |
| Launched | 5 July 1939 |
| Completed | 15 June 1940 |
| Acquired | requisitioned 29 August 1941 |
| Commissioned | into Japanese Navy, 20 September 1941 |
| Maiden voyage | Kobe –Dairen |
| Identification |
|
| Fate | Sunk by enemy action, 7 November 1942 |
| General characteristics | |
| Class & type | Hōkoku Maru-classocean liner |
| Tonnage | 10,439 GRT, 6,159 NRT |
| Length | 499.5 ft (152.2 m) |
| Beam | 66.3 ft (20.2 m) |
| Depth | 40.7 ft (12.4 m) |
| Decks | 3 |
| Installed power | 2,490NHP |
| Propulsion | |
| Speed | 20.9 knots (38.7 km/h) |
| Capacity |
|
| Crew | 150 |
| Sensors & processing systems |
|
| Armament |
|
| Aircraft carried | 2 ×Kawanishi E7Kseaplanes |
Hōkoku Maru (報國丸) was anHōkoku Maru-classocean liner that served as anarmed merchant cruiser in theSecond World War. She was launched in 1939 and completed in 1940 forOsaka Shosen Lines.
In 1941 she was commissioned into theImperial Japanese Navy. She served as acommerce raider andsubmarine tender. TwoAllied naval ships sank her in a naval engagement in 1942.
Hōkoku Maru was designed as acargo liner for Shosen Line's scheduled services toSouth America. She waslaid down at theTama shipyard inOkayama Prefecture on 18 August 1938. She was launched on 5 July 1939 and completed on 22 June 1940.[1]
Designed as a luxuryocean liner, she had a luxury suite of rooms called the Nara Suite afterthe city of that name. However, the Japanese admiralty influenced the design of theHōkoku Maru-class, to make them suitable for use astroop ships. The Japanese government provided large subsidies for such dual-purpose designs from 1936 onwards.[citation needed]
Hōkoku Maru's registered length was 499.5 ft (152.2 m), her beam was 66.3 ft (20.2 m) and her depth was 40.7 ft (12.4 m). Hertonnages were 10,439 GRT and 6,159 NRT. She had twoscrews, each powered by a 12-cylinder, single-acting,two-stroke diesel engine. Between them her two engines were rated at 2,490NHP,[2] and they gave her a speed of 20.9 knots (38.7 km/h).[citation needed]
Hōkoku Maru wasregistered inOsaka. Hercall sign was JCSN.[2]
Instead of running between Japan and South America,Hōkoku Maru mostly operated betweenKobe in Japan andDairen in the Japanesepuppet state ofManchukuo, with some calls atMoji,Yokohama andNagoya. Her only recorded voyage to South America started from Moji on 27 July 1940. She then resumed her route between Dairen and Kobe.[1]
On 29 August 1941 the Japanese Navy requisitionedHōkoku Maru. TheMitsubishi Heavy Industries shipyard at Kobe armed her with four15 cm/50 41st Year Type guns, twoQF 12 pounder 12 cwt naval guns, twoType 93 13.2-mm machine guns and two twin-mount 533-millimetre (21 in)torpedo tubes. In October 1941 she was fitted with 900mm and 1,100mmsearchlights and a boom for handling aKawanishi E7Kfloatplane, with a second aircraft as a spare.
Despite her intended role as a commerce raider, little attempt was made to disguiseHōkoku Maru as a merchant ship. Her guns were fitted with gun-shields and were left in open sight,[3] and she was painted in two-tonenaval camouflage.
Hōkoku Maru wascommissioned into the Japanese Navy on 20 September 1941 under the command ofCaptain Aihara Aritaka.[1]
On 15 November 1941Hōkoku Maru and hersister shipAikoku Maru, sailed forJaluit in preparation for the opening of hostilities against theUnited States. On 7 December 1941 the two ships were in theTuamotu Archipelago at the start of a two-month raiding voyage that sank two Alliedmerchant ships:St Vincent offPitcairn Island andMalama near theCook Islands, before returning to Japan in February 1942.
In Japan,Hōkoku Maru was refitted, and was re-armed with 8 x 140mm (5.5 inch) guns. She was also outfitted as asubmarine tender to support operations by the IJN's 8th Submarine Squadron offEast Africa.
In May 1942,Hōkoku Maru, again withAikoku Maru, sailed forSingapore, thence to theIndian Ocean. There they captured theDutchtankerGenota south ofDiego-Suarez,Madagascar, and sank theBritishcargo shipElysia south of theMozambique Channel, before re-arming the submarines of the 8th Submarine Squadron off the east coast ofAfrica.
In July 1942 the two raiders captured theNew Zealand cargo shipHauraki, which they sent to Singapore under aprize crew. Returning to Singapore,Hōkoku Maru was re-equipped with twoAichi E13A (Allied reporting name "Jake") floatplanes, and an experimental two-tonedazzle camouflage scheme.
In November 1942Hōkoku Maru, again in company withAikoku Maru, left Singapore for the Indian Ocean, on what would be her last raiding voyage.[1]
On 7 November 1942,Hōkoku Maru andAikoku Maru passed through theSunda Strait into the Indian Ocean. Four days later, on 11 November 1942, they encountered the Dutch armed tankerOndina, escorted by theRoyal Indian NavycorvetteHMIS Bengal off theCocos (Keeling) Islands. AsHōkoku Maru engaged,Bengal andOndina returned fire, and ashell, probably fromOndina's single 4-inch (102 mm) gun, hitHōkoku Maru'sstarboard torpedo mount, causing an explosion and uncontrollable fire which spread to the aftmagazine. After a series of explosions,Hōkoku Maru sank just two hours after the action commenced.Aikoku Maru rescued 278 of her crew. BothOndina andBengal escaped.[1][4]
