BYOINSEN
Stories of the IJN's Hospital Ships
18 October 2008
By Bob Hackett, Sander Kingsepp and Peter Cundall
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(Hospital ship by Takeshi Yuki scanned from "Color
Paintings of Japanese Warships")
The Japanese never constructed purpose-built hospital ships, but before and
during the Pacific War, they requisitioned 19 merchant ships and had them
converted. The IJN also captured and subsequently employed a former Dutch
hospital ship.
The Japanese declared these ships as hospital ships in accordance with
the Geneva Convention. As such, they were painted white overall and bore large
red crosses on their decks and funnels that were illuminated at night. They also
bore large red crosses amidships on both their port and starboard sides.
Additionally, a green band was painted around the full length of their hulls.
Four hospital ships survived the war. Later, three of these provided
much-needed transport capability for the Allied Repatriation Service. Today, the
last former IJN hospital ship serves as a restaurant and museum in Yokohama.
The AWA MARU* actually was an Army transport, rather than a hospital
ship, but was unique in that in 1944 the Japanese Government selected her to
carry Red Cross parcels from Japan to Southeast Asia for Allied POWs imprisoned
in Singapore and Java. Although guaranteed safe passage by the U.S. State
Department, she was sunk by an American submarine on her return voyage to Japan
with great loss of life.
Shortcut to Special Features related to Japanese Hospital
Ships
"Last Days of the USS PERCH
(SS-176)" by Bob Hackett and Sander Kingsepp
Japanese Hospital Ships: Tabular Records of Movement
(TROMs)
(Classes link to specifications summaries)
Bibliography of
Sources
About the Authors
Mr. Robert Hackett is a military historian and
researcher. Retired from the United States Air Force and later from the
aerospace industry, he resides in Florida.
Mr. Sander Kingsepp, a native of Estonia, is also a military historian and
researcher. A talented linguist, Sander's translations of Japanese source
materials have greatly enhanced these TROMs.
Mr. Peter Cundall is a historian and researcher. He specializes in merchant
ships and resides in Australia.
Questions to the authors concerning these TROMs should be posted on the
Discussion and Questions board.
