Landing craft carriers orlanding craft depot ships were an innovative type ofamphibious warfare ship developed by theImperial Japanese Army duringWorld War II, capable of deploying multiplelanding craft for ground invasions. Their official designation was"Army Special Purpose Ship" (陸軍特殊船,Rikugun tokushu-sen). The prototype was developed in secrecy under thepseudonymsRyūjō Maru andFusō Maru[1] using features later adopted by other navies fordock landing ships andamphibious transport docks. Additional ships were built after combat experience validated the concept, but most were completed after theJapanese invasions of the early war, and used primarily astroopships during later operations. Today'samphibious assault ships bear a strong similarity to this concept.
Shinshū Maru was completed in 1935 and modified in 1936 to include a floodablewell dock. She was the world's first ship specifically designed to carry and launchlanding craft.[1] She introducedstern and side gates to launch landing craft for the 2,200 soldiers she carried. She demonstrated the advantages of the concept at the invasions ofShanghai,Malaya andJava.[2]
"Type C Special Purpose Ships" (丙型特殊船,Hei-gata Tokushu-sen), landing craft carriers /escort carriers, included aflight deck with a capacity for 28 aircraft, but nohangar deck, since the deck beneath the flight deck was used to carry 25 landing craft launched through stern doors.[3]Akitsu Maru was completed in time to participate in the invasion of Java; but she and the other Type C were thereafter used primarily as ferries to transport short-range aircraft to distant bases. They were completed from 11,800-ton, 20 kn (37 km/h; 23 mph) Nippon Kaiun, K. K.passenger ships under construction by Harima Shipbuilding, with only Akitsu Maru completed as such. It operated twoKayaba Ka-1autogyros, and severalKokusai Ki-76 STOL liaison aircraft.[2] It were sunk by submarines in 1944.[1]
The others were based onHitachi Shipbuilding Corporation's standard 8,000-ton, 19 kn (35 km/h; 22 mph) "Type M cargo steam ship" modified[1] to carry twelveToku Daihatsu-class landing craft launched through stern doors[2] with funnels installed horizontally on the starboard side to accommodate a flight deck,[1] being designated "M Type C Special Purpose Ship" (M丙型特殊船,M Hei-gata Tokushu-sen) (Type MC or M Type C), and with only Kumano Maru being completed before the war's end, also surviving and being used as a repatriation ship.[1]
"Type A Special Purpose Ships" (甲型特殊船,Kō-gata Tokushu-sen), landing craft carriers, were 11,910-ton, 20.8 kn (38.5 km/h; 23.9 mph) diesel-engined ships fitted with stern ramp gates for launching twentyDaihatsu-class landing craft stored in floodableholds. At the time, this launching method was unprecedented. All three were sunk by submarines with very heavy loss of life.[2] Contrary to the Type C, they did not have any flight deck or plane facility, looking like passenger liners instead.
Later production was Hitachi's standard "Type M cargo steam ship" modified to carry twelve Toku-Daihatsu-class landing craft.[2] The landing craft were launched from rails which ran along the main deck (between port and starboardfunnels for those carried forward of thesuperstructure) down to thewaterline through large hinged doors at the stern. The type was designated "M Type A Special Purpose Ship" (M甲型特殊船,Kō-gata Tokushu-sen) (Type MA or M Type A).Settsu Maru survived for use as a repatriation ship, her sister ships having been sunk in air raids on Japanese ports.[1]
"Type B Special Purpose Ship" (乙型特殊船,Otsu-gata Tokushu-sen) were smaller versions of the Type A (also called "Type A (Small Type)" (甲型（小型）,Kō-gata (Kogata))), being only 5,656-ton, 19 kn (35 km/h; 22 mph) steam ships.[2]OnlyTakatsu Maru was completed, in January 1944, withicebreaker capability,[3] and used conventional cranes rather than gates for handling nineToku Daihatsu-class landing craft.[2] She was sunk by United States aircraft inOrmoc Bay during theinvasion of the Philippines the 10 November 1944.[1]
| Type | Name | Completion date | Tonage range | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prototype | Shinshū Maru | 神州丸 | March 1935 | 7,000 t | |
| Type C | Akitsu Maru | あきつ丸 | January 1942[3] | 10,000 t | Had a flight deck |
| Type A | Nigitsu Maru | にぎつ丸 | March 1943[3] | 10,000 t | Was planned as a Type C |
| Type MC | Kumano Maru | 熊野丸 | March 1945[3] | 10,000 t | Had a flight deck |
| Type MC | Tokitsu Maru | ときつ丸 | incomplete[3] | 10,000 t | Was completed as awhaling ship in 1946 and sank in theAntarctic in 1953.[2] |
| Type A | Mayasan Maru | 摩耶山丸 | December 1942[3] | 10,000 t | |
| Type A | Tamatsu Maru | 玉津丸 | January 1944[3] | 10,000 t | |
| Type MA | Kibitsu Maru | 吉備津丸 | December 1943[3] | 10,000 t | |
| Type MA | Hyūga Maru | 日向丸 | November 1944[3] | 10,000 t | |
| Type MA | Settsu Maru | 摂津丸 | January 1945[3] | 10,000 t | 12 kn (22 km/h; 14 mph) coal-burner[1] |
| Type B | Takatsu Maru | 高津丸 | January 1944 | 5,000 t | Hadicebreaker capability[3] |
| Type B | Unnamed | incomplete | 5,000 t | ||