SENSUI-BOKAN!

Stories and Battle Histories of the IJN's Auxiliary Submarine Depot Ship

14 November 2006

By Bob Hackett, Sander Kingsepp and Peter Cundall

Discussion & Questions


(Chogei by Takeshi Yuki scanned from "Color Paintings of Japanese Warships")
In the Fall of 1941, the IJN requistioned five merchant ships from their owners for conversion to submarine depot ships. These were HEIAN, YASUKUNI, NAGOYA, RIO de JANEIRO and SANTOS MARUs. All five were in operation in as submarine tenders in 1942. HIE and TSUKUSHI MARUs were requistioned in 1942 and 1943 respectively.

NAGOYA MARU was rerated a transport in 1942 while HIE and SANTOS MARUs were rerated transports in 1943. TSUKUSHI MARU was rerated a transport in 1945. She was the only Auxiliary Submarine Depot Ship to survive the war. Later, she was used as a repatriation ship by the Allies.

Japanese Auxiliary Submarine Depot Ships: Tabular Records of Movement (TROMs)

(Submarine Depot Ship Classes link to specifications summaries)

Heian Maru Class

Heian Maru (posted 1/14/05)

Hie Maru (posted 7/31/05)


Yasukuni Maru Class

Yasukuni Maru(posted 3/29/05)
Nagoya Maru Class

Nagoya Maru (posted 12/1/05)

Rio de Janeiro Class

Rio de Janeiro (revised 3/3/06)
Santos Maru Class

Santos Maru (posted 10/2/2006)

Tsukushi Maru Class

Tsukushi Maru (posted 11/14/2006)

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 the United States.

Mr. Sander Kingsepp of Estonia is also a military historian and researcher. He is an editor of a construction magazine. A talented linguist, Sander's translations of Japanese source materials have added immeasurably to these TROMs.

Mr. Peter Cundall is a maritime historian and researcher who specializes in merchant ships. He resides in Australia.

Questions to the authors concerning these TROMs should be posted on the Discussion and Questions board.