Kasuga Maru
Encyclopedia
The was a Japan
ese ocean liner
owned by Nippon Yusen Kaisha
. The ship was built in 1938-1940 by Mitsubishi Shipbuilding & Engineering Co.
at Nagasaki, Japan
. The vessel's pre-war design anticipated passenger service; but when work was completed, the onset of war had created somewhat different priorities.
The vessel was created as a sister ship of the Yawata Maru
, and the Nitta Maru
. None of the three survived the Second World War. Each in succession was re-fitted as a troopship; and each was later converted to an aircraft carrier.
In 1941, Kasuga Maru was re-commissioned as the Japanese aircraft carrier Taiyō
. In 1942, the Yawata Maru was recommissioned as the Japanese aircraft carrier Unyō
and the Nitta Maru was recommissioned as the Japanese aircraft carrier Chūyō
.
When first launched, this ship was named after an important Shinto shrine.
The 17,150-ton vessel had a length of 591 feet (180 m), and her beam was 73 feet (22 m). The ship's steam turbines and twin screw propulsion produced an average speed of 18-knots.
. Initially, the ship was assigned for transporting prisoners of war
; and then she was refitted as an aircraft carrier
renamed Unyo
. The warship was sunk by the submarine USS Barb
on September 17, 1944.
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese ocean liner
Ocean liner
An ocean liner is a ship designed to transport people from one seaport to another along regular long-distance maritime routes according to a schedule. Liners may also carry cargo or mail, and may sometimes be used for other purposes .Cargo vessels running to a schedule are sometimes referred to as...
owned by Nippon Yusen Kaisha
Nippon Yusen
Japan-based or NYK Line, is one of the largest shipping companies in the world. It is a core Mitsubishi company. The company has its headquarters in Chiyoda, Tokyo.-1870-1900:...
. The ship was built in 1938-1940 by Mitsubishi Shipbuilding & Engineering Co.
Mitsubishi Heavy Industries
, or MHI, is a Japanese company. It is one of the core companies of Mitsubishi Group.-History:In 1870 Yataro Iwasaki, the founder of Mitsubishi took a lease of Government-owned Nagasaki Shipyard. He named it Nagasaki Shipyard & Machinery Works, and started the shipbuilding business on a full scale...
at Nagasaki, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
. The vessel's pre-war design anticipated passenger service; but when work was completed, the onset of war had created somewhat different priorities.
Yawata Maru
The was a Japanese ocean liner owned by Nippon Yusen Kaisha. The ship was built in 1938-1940 by Mitsubishi Shipbuilding & Engineering Co. at Nagasaki, Japan...
, and the Nitta Maru
Nitta Maru
The was a Japanese ocean liner owned by Nippon Yusen Kaisha. The ship was built in 1938-1940 by Mitsubishi Shipbuilding & Engineering Co. at Nagasaki, Japan...
. None of the three survived the Second World War. Each in succession was re-fitted as a troopship; and each was later converted to an aircraft carrier.
In 1941, Kasuga Maru was re-commissioned as the Japanese aircraft carrier Taiyō
Japanese aircraft carrier Taiyo
Taiyō was the lead ship of Taiyō-class of escort carrier operated by the Imperial Japanese Navy in World War II.-Construction and Conversion:...
. In 1942, the Yawata Maru was recommissioned as the Japanese aircraft carrier Unyō
Japanese aircraft carrier Unyo
Unyō was a Taiyō-class escort carrier operated by the Imperial Japanese Navy in World War II.-Construction and conversion:The liner of the shipping line Nippon Yusen, laid down in the Mitsubishi shipyard in Nagasaki in December 1938, launched in October 1939 and commissioned in July 1940, was...
and the Nitta Maru was recommissioned as the Japanese aircraft carrier Chūyō
Japanese aircraft carrier Chuyo
Chūyō was a Taiyō-class escort carrier operated by the Imperial Japanese Navy in World War II.-Construction and Conversion:The was an ocean liner of the Nippon Yusen shipping line, laid down in the Mitsubishi shipyard in Nagasaki in May 1938, launched in May 1939 and commissioned on 23 March 1940...
.
When first launched, this ship was named after an important Shinto shrine.
History
The ship was built by Mitsubishi at Nagasaki on the southern island of Kyushu. Work on the Kasuga Maru was completed in 1939.The 17,150-ton vessel had a length of 591 feet (180 m), and her beam was 73 feet (22 m). The ship's steam turbines and twin screw propulsion produced an average speed of 18-knots.
Pacific War
After two years of service as a conventional passenger liner, Yawata Maru was requisitioned by the Imperial Japanese NavyImperial Japanese Navy
The Imperial Japanese Navy was the navy of the Empire of Japan from 1869 until 1947, when it was dissolved following Japan's constitutional renunciation of the use of force as a means of settling international disputes...
. Initially, the ship was assigned for transporting prisoners of war
Prisoner of war
A prisoner of war or enemy prisoner of war is a person, whether civilian or combatant, who is held in custody by an enemy power during or immediately after an armed conflict...
; and then she was refitted as an aircraft carrier
Aircraft carrier
An aircraft carrier is a warship designed with a primary mission of deploying and recovering aircraft, acting as a seagoing airbase. Aircraft carriers thus allow a naval force to project air power worldwide without having to depend on local bases for staging aircraft operations...
renamed Unyo
Japanese aircraft carrier Unyo
Unyō was a Taiyō-class escort carrier operated by the Imperial Japanese Navy in World War II.-Construction and conversion:The liner of the shipping line Nippon Yusen, laid down in the Mitsubishi shipyard in Nagasaki in December 1938, launched in October 1939 and commissioned in July 1940, was...
. The warship was sunk by the submarine USS Barb
USS Barb (SS-220)
, a Gato-class submarine, was the first ship of the United States Navy to be named for the barbus.Her keel was laid down on 7 June 1941 by the Electric Boat Company of Groton, Connecticut. She was launched on 2 April 1942 , and commissioned on 8 July 1942, Lieutenant Commander John R...
on September 17, 1944.