Kongō Maru (1935)
Encyclopedia
The was a 8,624 gross ton passenger cargo ship built by Harima Shibuilding and Company, Arima Aioi for Kokusai Kisen Kabushiki Kaisha in 1935, she was requistioned by the Imperial Japanese Navy
, during the Second World War and converted to an armed merchant cruiser.
in 1935 and continued in this trade until the August 1941.
on 8 December 1941. She was bombed by United States aircraft, using depth charges and caught fire. The fires were brought under control and she returned to Roi. She later participated in the second attack on Wake Island on 21 December of 1941 and the battle of Rabaul
on 22 January 1942.
During the invasion of Lae-Salamaua on 10 March 1942, the Kongo Maru was bombed and sunk by aircraft from the United States Navy
aircraft carriers and at 6-49S, 147-02E.
Imperial 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...
, during the Second World War and converted to an armed merchant cruiser.
Kokusai Kisen Kabushiki Kaisha
The Kongō Maru operated in Philippine trade routes and then to the eastern part of North America using the Panama CanalPanama Canal
The Panama Canal is a ship canal in Panama that joins the Atlantic Ocean and the Pacific Ocean and is a key conduit for international maritime trade. Built from 1904 to 1914, the canal has seen annual traffic rise from about 1,000 ships early on to 14,702 vessels measuring a total of 309.6...
in 1935 and continued in this trade until the August 1941.
Imperial Japanese Navy
On 6 August 1941, she was requisitioned by the Imperial Japanese Navy and was converted to an armed merchant cruiser. Her conversion was completed on 14 October and was sent to Truk. She participated in the first attempt to invade Wake IslandWake Island
Wake Island is a coral atoll having a coastline of in the North Pacific Ocean, located about two-thirds of the way from Honolulu west to Guam east. It is an unorganized, unincorporated territory of the United States, administered by the Office of Insular Affairs, U.S. Department of the Interior...
on 8 December 1941. She was bombed by United States aircraft, using depth charges and caught fire. The fires were brought under control and she returned to Roi. She later participated in the second attack on Wake Island on 21 December of 1941 and the battle of Rabaul
Battle of Rabaul
The name Battle of Rabaul may refer to several military actions which occurred in or near Rabaul, on New Britain in the Bismarck Islands during World War I and the Pacific campaign of World War II....
on 22 January 1942.
During the invasion of Lae-Salamaua on 10 March 1942, the Kongo Maru was bombed and sunk by aircraft from the United States Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
aircraft carriers and at 6-49S, 147-02E.
External links
- Chronological List of Japanese Merchant Vessel Losses
- http://www.wrecksite.eu/wreck.aspx?145956
- http://pwencycl.kgbudge.com/K/o/Kongo_Maru_class.htm
- http://www.combinedfleet.com/KongoM_c.htm
- http://www.combinedfleet.com/KongoM_t.htm