KYUHEIKAN!

Stories of the IJN's Ammunition Ships

(Cargo ship by Takeshi Yuki scanned from "Color Paintings of Japanese Warships")

KASHINO was specifically built to transport the YAMATO-class batttleships' main armament 457mm (18.1-inch) Type 94 guns and turrets from their point of manufacture (Kure Naval Arsenal) to the shipbuilders' yard. After transporting the last of MUSASHI's ordnance KASHINO reverted to an ammunition transport.

SOYA was one of the IJN's auxiliary ammunition ships. She was built with an ice breaker's bow for operation in northern areas, but during the war was based at Rabaul and Truk. SOYA survived the war. After duty with the Allied Repatriation Service, served with the Japanese Martime Safety Agency on expeditions to the South Pole. Today, she is a museum ship in the Tokyo area.

The IJN also requisitioned another 12 merchant vessels during the war for use as ammunition ships. ARATAMA MARU was one of these. She was abandoned off Guam after being torpedoed in Apr' 44. Auxiliary ammunition ship ONOE MARU was torpedoed and sunk in the Bismarcks in November 1943.

HITACHI MARU was bombed and sunk off Buin, Bougainville in Feb '43, TATSUTAKE MARU was torpedoed and sunk in May '43 and NICHIRO MARU was torpedoed and sunk off Palau in Feb '44. TATSUGAMI MARU was sunk by USN destroyers off Balikpapan, Borneo in Jan '42. NICHII MARU was bombed and sunk in Nov '43 enroute to Truk.

NARUTO MARU was torpedoed and sunk off Saipan in Aug '43 while KOGYO MARU was bombed and sunk in Sep' 44 at Coron Bay, P.I. HIDE MARU was torpedoed and sunk off Truk in Jun '43 and KOTOKU MARU was bombed and sunk near Salamaua, New Guinea in Jul '42.

Vessel Dimensions Displacement Machinery Speed Armament Crew
KASHINO 451' x 61'6" x
21'8"
10,360-tons Geared turbines, 4 boilers, 2 shafts. 14 knots 2 x 4.7-in. (2x1), 4-13mm mgs (2x2) Unknown
SOYA 257' x 42' x
20'
3,800-tons VTE steam engine, 2 boilers, 1 shaft. 12.4 knots 1 x 80 mm (3-in.), 2 x 25mm AA, 10 DCs 35
ARATAMA MARU 446.5' x 59.1' x 33.8' 6,873-tons Turbine engines, 398 n.h.p. 15 knots Unknown Unknown
ONOE MARU 461' x 59' x 26' 6,667-tons Steam turbine engine, 1 shaft, 7,400 i.h.p. 18 knots Unknown Unknown
HITACHI MARU 424.2' x 57.4' x 33' 6,540-tons Steam turbine engines. 15.5 knots Unknown Unknown
TATSUTAKE MARU 441.6' x 58.4' x 33' 7,068-tons Steam turbine engine, 1 shaft. 12.5 knots 1 x 20 cm (7.8-in.), 1 x 20mm AA Unknown
NICHIRO MARU 437.5' x 56.8' x ? 6,534-tons Steam turbine engine, 4,112 s.h.p. 15.5 knots Unknown Unknown
TATSUGAMI MARU 420' x 57.8' x ? 7,064-tons Steam turbine engine, 1 shaft. 12.5 knots Unknown Unknown
NICHII MARU 420' x 56.8' x 34.4' 6,543-tons Steam turbine engine, 1 shaft. 15.5 knots Unknown Unknown
KOGYO MARU 419' x 58.5' x 32.8' 6,353-tons Steam turbine engine, 1 shaft. 12 knots Unknown Unknown
NARUTO MARU 425' x 61.7' x 34.4 7,149-tons 1 diesel, 1 shaft. 16 knots Unknown Unknown
HIDE MARU 397' x 52.6' x 30.8' 5,181-tons Steam turbine engine, 1 shaft. 12 knots Unknown Unknown
KOTOKU MARU 454' x 58.6' x 26.3' 6,702-tons 1 diesel, 1 shaft. 13 knots Unknown Unknown