NYK Line Terukuni Maru
Class overview
Name	Terukuni Maru class ocean liner
Builders	Mitsubishi Heavy Industries
Operators	Nippon Yūsen (NYK Line) Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN)
Cost	6,177,000 JPY
Built	1929 – 1930
In commission	1930 – 1944
Planned	2
Completed	2
Lost	2
General characteristics
Type	Ocean liner
Tonnage	Terukuni Maru 11,931 GRT Yasukuni Maru 11,933 GRT
Length	160.5 m (526 ft 7 in) overall
Beam	19.5 m (64 ft 0 in)
Draught	11.3 m (37 ft 1 in)
Propulsion	2 × Sulzer diesels, 2 shafts 10,000 bhp cruising 14,368 bhp full boost
Speed	Terukuni Maru 17.8 knots (20.5 mph; 33.0 km/h) Yasukuni Maru 18.0 knots (20.7 mph; 33.3 km/h)
Capacity	249 passengers (121 first class, 68 tourist class, 60 third class)
Crew	177
Armament	Yasukuni Maru, 1941 4 × 150 mm (5.9 in) L/40 naval guns 4 × 13.2 mm (0.52 in) AA guns

The Terukuni Maru-class ocean liner (照國丸型貨客船,, Terukuni Maru-gata Kakyakusen) was a class of ocean liners of Japan, serving during the 1930s, and into World War II.

Background

• In 1925, the Swedish American Line constructed the passenger liner MS Kungsholm. The Nippon Yusen Kabushiki Kaisha (日本郵船,, NYK Line) was concerned about the MS Kungsholms construction.
• In 1927–28, the NYK Line placed an order for eight ocean liners to reinforce the Japan–Seattle route (3 × Hikawa Maru class), Japan–San Francisco route (3 × Asama Maru class), and Japan–London route (2 × Terukuni Maru class). The Terukuni Maru class were named the Terukuni Maru (照國丸) and Yasukuni Maru (靖國丸).

Service

Terukuni Maru

• 9 January 1929: Laid Down at Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Nagasaki Shipyard.
• 19 December 1929: Launched.
• 31 May 1930: Completed.
• 30 June 1930: Maiden voyage for Yokohama–London.
• (after): She sailed 24 times until September 1939.
• 24 September 1939: The 25th sailing to London.
• 19 November 1939: Arrived off South Downs. She anchored here till minesweeping of the River Thames by Royal Navy was over.
• 08:30, 21 November 1939: Weigh anchor.
• 12:53: She struck a naval mine at 51°50′N 01°30′E / 51.833°N 1.500°E / 51.833; 1.500.
• 13:35: Sunk.

The wreck lay on its side, partly submerged and visible to wartime shipping in the Thames Estuary area.^[1]

Yasukuni Maru

• 22 April 1929: Laid Down at Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Nagasaki Shipyard.
• 15 February 1930: Launched.
• 31 August 1930: Completed.
• 22 September 1930: Maiden voyage for Yokohama–London.
• (after): She sailed many times until October 1939.
• 25 October 1939: Enlisted by the Navy. Classification to the Auxiliary transport.
• 11 December 1939: Discharged.
• 29 October 1940: Enlisted by the Navy. 30 October, armament fitted in Kure Naval Arsenal.
• 16 December 1940: Classification to the Auxiliary submarine tender.
• 11 January 1941: Fitting out was completed, and assigned to the 1st Submarine Division, 6th Fleet.
• 20 December 1941: Assigned to the 3rd Submarine Division, 6th Fleet.
• 1 February 1942: Bombed by Task Force 8 (USS Enterprise) at Kwajalein.
• 1 March 1942: Arrived at Kure Naval Arsenal and repairs were started.
• 23 April 1942: Repairs were completed. Sailed to Truk and Kwajalein.
• 15 September 1943: Assigned to the 6th Fleet.
• 31 January 1944: Sunk by USS Trigger at northwest off Truk 09°15′N 147°13′E / 9.250°N 147.217°E / 9.250; 147.217.
• 10 March 1944: Removed from naval ship lists, and discharged.

Photos

• 
  NYK Line Yasukuni Maru in 1930
• 
  (left) IJN Aux. submarine tender Yasukuni Maru in 1941
• 
  (center) IJN Aux. submarine tender Yasukuni Maru in 1942