was the name of two 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...

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...

s owned by Nippon Yusen Kaisha (NYK), Tokyo.

The name Ōmi Maru derives from Ōmi province

Omi Province

is an old province of Japan, which today comprises Shiga Prefecture. It was one of the provinces that made up the Tōsandō circuit. It is nicknamed as .Lake Biwa, Japan's largest lake, is located at the center of the province...

.

1884-1910 vessel

The first NYK ship named Ōmi Maru was part of the fleet between 1885 and 1910.

1912-1942 vessel

In 1912, Ōmi Maru entered NYK service along with vessels which were known as sister ships in the NYK fleet.

In the early years of what became World War II

World War II

World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

, Ōmi Maru was commandeered by the Imperial Japanese Navy

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...

 for use as a troopship

Troopship

A troopship is a ship used to carry soldiers, either in peacetime or wartime...

. The ship was torpedoed and sunk south of the Caroline Islands

Caroline Islands

The Caroline Islands are a widely scattered archipelago of tiny islands in the western Pacific Ocean, to the north of New Guinea. Politically they are divided between the Federated States of Micronesia in the eastern part of the group, and Palau at the extreme western end...

 by the submarine USS Triton

USS Triton (SS-201)

USS Triton , a Tambor-class submarine, was the first submarine and third ship of the United States Navy to be named for Triton. Her keel was down on 5 July 1939 by the Portsmouth Navy Yard. She was launched on 25 March 1940 sponsored by Mrs. Ernest J. King, wife of Rear Admiral King, and...

on December 28, 1942.

External links

• Ships List: Ships of Nippon Yusen Kaisha K.K
• Wreck Site: SS Omi Maru (+1942)