Japanese aircraft carrierKumano Maru
 Aerial view of disarmedKumano Maru,1945
| |
| Class overview | |
|---|---|
| Operators |  Imperial Japanese Army |
| Preceded by | Japanese aircraft carrierAkitsu Maru |
| Succeeded by | None |
| Built | 1944–1947 |
| Planned | 2 |
| Completed | 1 |
| Scrapped | 2 |
| History | |
 Empire of Japan | |
| Name | Kumano Maru |
| Builder | Hitachi Shipbuilding,Innoshima |
| Laid down | 15 August 1944 |
| Launched | 28 January 1945 |
| Completed | 31 March 1945 |
| In service | 1945–1947 |
| Captured | 15 August 1945 |
| Fate | Scrapped,4 November 1947 |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type | Kumano Maru-class aircraft carrier |
| Type | Aircraft carrier/landing craft carrier |
| Displacement | 8,128t(8,000long tons) (standard) |
| Length | 152 m (498 ft 8 in) (o/a) |
| Beam | 19.58 m (64 ft 3 in) |
| Draught | 6.95 m (23 ft) (deep load) |
| Installed power |
|
| Propulsion | 2 shafts; 2 gearedsteam turbines |
| Speed | 19 or 20knots(35 or 37 km/h; 22 or 23 mph) |
| Range | 6,000nmi(11,000 km; 6,900 mi) at 17 knots (31 km/h; 20 mph) |
| Complement |
|
| Armament |
|
| Aircraft carried | 8 |
| Aviation facilities | Arresting gear |
Kumano Maru(Hùng dã hoàn)was alanding craft carrierwith a full-lengthflight deckbuilt for theImperial Japanese Army(IJA) duringWorld War II.Completed in early 1945, fuel shortages meant that the ship never became operational during the war. She was turned over to theAlliesatKurewhenJapan surrenderedlater that year. Before beginning torepatriateJapanese troops home,Kumano Maruwas disarmed and modified to facilitate that mission. The ship continued to do so until she was sold forscrapin 1947.
Background and description
[edit]In March 1944 the IJA and the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) held a conference to decide how to better protect their merchant shipping from the heavy losses suffered at the hands of Americansubmarines.The IJN'sescort carriershad, at best, limited success in doing so thus far and the participants focused on improving the number of carriers available. The IJA proposed convertingoil tankersinto escort carriers and agreed to forgo any further construction ofAkitsu Maru-classlanding craft carrierswith limited aviation facilities. TheImperial Japanese Navy Technical Departmentagreed to design the conversions while theImperial Japanese Navy General Staffrequired that the Army's auxiliary escort carriers would be dedicated to protecting the merchant ships. The services agreed that the IJA would convert two standardType M(military) 9,502-gross register ton(GRT)cargo shipsinto landing-craft carriers with full aviation facilities, beginning withKumano Maru.[1]
TheKumano Maru-class ships had aflush-deckedconfiguration thatdisplaced8,128tonnes(8,000long tons) atstandard load,[2][3][4]although naval historian Hans Lengerer states that they had a standard displacement of 6,314 t (6,214 long tons).[5]The ships had anoverall lengthof 152 metres (498 ft 8 in),[6]abeamof 19.58 metres (64 ft 3 in)[2][3]and adraftof 6.95 metres (22 ft 10 in). Theflight deckwas 110 metres (360 ft 11 in) long, 21.5 metres (70 ft 6 in) wide, and was fitted with a four-wireKayabaarresting gearsystem. They had a singlehangarthat was served by aliftat the rear of the flight deck. A largecranewas fitted on the rearportside of the ship. The intended air group of theKumano Marus was to consist of eightdepth-chargeequippedKokusai Ki-76liaison aircraft.If serving as an aircraft transport, the ships could fit 18Nakajima Ki-84Hayate fighters on the flight deck and 17 more in the hangar.[1]
The carriers had twoKampongearedsteam turbines,each driving onepropeller shaftusing steam provided by three Kamponwater-tube boilers.[7]The fourth boiler cited in many sources[2][4][3]was acylindricaldonkey boilerfor the ship's steam-powered machinery.[8]The turbines were rated at a total of 10,000shaft horsepower(7,500kW) for a speed of 19knots(35 km/h; 22 mph)[2][4][3]or 20 knots (37 km/h; 23 mph). TheKumano Marus had a range of 6,000nautical miles(11,000 km; 6,900 mi) at 17 knots (31 km/h; 20 mph).[7]Theirfunnelswere positioned on thestarboardside and vented horizontally outward to keep the flight deck clear.[4]Theirbridgeswere located under the forward edge of the flight deck. Their crew consisted of 107 men; including embarked troops, the ships' complement numbered 1,664.[1]
TheKumano Maru-class carriers were classified asM Type Clanding ships by the IJA.[5]They could carry up to a dozen 17.1-metre (56 ft)Toku Daihatsu-class landing craftand thirteen 14-metre (46 ft)Daihatsu-class landing craftin theirholdsthat were launched on rails through two large doors in thestern.[4]
Armament
[edit]
Air defencefor the carriers consisted of eight75 mm (3 in) Type 88anti-aircraft (AA) gunson single mounts below the flight deck; three on the starboard side and five on the port side.[9]These fired 6.5 kg (14 lb) projectiles at amuzzle velocityof 720 m/s (2,400 ft/s).[10]These were supplemented by sixautocannonon single mounts; two on platforms in front of the flight deck and the remainder on a platform aft of the flight deck. Sources disagree whether they were Army20 mm (0.8 in) Type 98guns[7]or Navy25 mm (1 in) Type 96guns.[2][4][3]The Type 98 gun fired its 136 g (4.8 oz) shells at a practical rate of 100roundsper minute,[11]while the Type 96 gun had arate of firefor its 250 g (8.8 oz) shells of about 110 rounds per minute.[12]
The ships were also equipped with two single150 mm (5.9 in)anti-submarine mortarson platforms at thebowand stern.[9]They fired 27-kilogram (60 lb) shells to a range of 4,500 metres (4,900 yd).[13]
Construction and career
[edit]
Kumano Maruwaslaid downat theHitachi ShipbuildingshipyardatInnoshima,nearKure,as a standard wartime cargo ship on 15 August 1944 and was converted into her aircraft-carrier configuration while under construction. The ship waslaunchedon 28 January 1945 and was attacked by 13Grumman F6F Hellcatand 14Vought F4U Corsairfighters on 19 March during the Americanair raid on the Kure area.Undamaged during the attack, she was completed on 31 March.[14]Fuel oilshortages caused the Japanese to consider removing her turbines and converting the ship's boilers to burn coal, but nothing was ultimately done.Kumano Marunever became operational during the war.[5]
The ship was turned over to the Allies on 15 August when Japan surrendered and was disarmed. To improve her suitability for the task of repatriating Japanese forces abroad, her horizontal funnel was replaced by a vertical one[14]and four largelifeboatswas added ondavitsthat overhung the flight deck.Kumano Maruremained on repatriation duty until she was sold for scrap toKawasakiin 1947; demolition began at theirKobefacility on 4 November and lasted until 1 September 1948.[15]
Notes
[edit]- ^abcLengerer, pp. 260, 275
- ^abcdeJentschura, Jung & Mickel, p. 61
- ^abcdeChesneau, p. 185
- ^abcdefSturton, p. 214
- ^abcLengerer, p. 260
- ^Lengerer, p. 275
- ^abcLengerer, p. 276
- ^Fukui, p. 100
- ^abLengerer, pp. 261, 276
- ^Campbell, p. 198
- ^Ness, p. 177
- ^Campbell, p. 200
- ^Campbell, p. 213
- ^abHackett & Cundall
- ^Lengerer, pp. 263, 275
Bibliography
[edit]- Campbell, John (1985).Naval Weapons of World War II.Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press.ISBN0-87021-459-4.
- Chesneau, Roger (1995).Aircraft Carriers of the World, 1914 to the Present: An Illustrated Encyclopedia(New, revised ed.). Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press.ISBN0-87021-902-2.
- Fukui, Shizuo (1991).Japanese Naval Vessels at the End of World War II.London: Greenhill Books.ISBN1-85367-125-8.
- Hackett, Bob & Cundall, Peter (May 2016)."IJA Landing Craft Depot ShipKumano Maru:Tabular Record of Movement ".CombinedFleet.com.Retrieved1 April2024.
- Jentschura, Hansgeorg; Jung, Dieter & Mickel, Peter (1977).Warships of the Imperial Japanese Navy, 1869–1945.Annapolis, Maryland: United States Naval Institute.ISBN0-87021-893-X.
- Lengerer, Hans (2023).The Aircraft Carriers of the Imperial Japanese Navy and Army: Technical and Operational History.Vol. II. Katowice, Poland: Model Hobby.ISBN978-83-60041-71-0.
- Ness, Leland (2015).Rikkugun: Guide to Japanese Ground Forces 1937–1945.Vol. 2: Weapons of the Imperial Japanese Army & Navy Ground Forces. Solihull, UK: Helion.ISBN978-1-909982-75-8.
- Sturton, Ian (1980). "Japan". In Chesneau, Roger (ed.).Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1922–1946.Greenwich, UK: Conway Maritime Press. pp. 167–217.ISBN0-85177-146-7.