This class consists of 19 ships, all built by Uraga Dock K.K. between Apr ’17 and Sep ’20 for various shipping companies. The following were sold abroad directly after completion or after a few years in Japanese service: YOSHIDA MARU No. 2 (20 MAYUMBE - 28 TUNISIE), WAR SYREN (20 SYRIA - 27 CALAFATIS), KIRISHIMA MARU No. 6 (18 EASTERN CROSS - 31 OROCHEN), YOSHIDA MARU No. 3 (18 EASTERN CHIEF), EASTERN BREEZE (29 NIAGARA - 31 LUISE LEONHARDT), EASTERN GALE (25 PERRY L.SMITHERS - 34 NORTH HAVEN - 50 GEORGIANA) and EASTERN TEMPEST (26 BERKSHIRE). The following remained under Japanese flag: SHINGO, SHINSEI, KOFUKU (30 SHOGEN), KOYEI (30 SHOJIN), SHINPO (26 SHINYO), TSURUSHIMA, TAMATSU, SUEZ, HIYEIZAN (33 SHINYU), MORIOKA and EHIME MARUs with YOSHIDA MARU No. 3 sold back to Japan. SHINYO MARU was requisitioned in ’41 by the IJA and in May ‘42 by the IJN, and converted in Jun ‘42 to an auxiliary stores ship. SHINSEI MARU was requisitioned in May ‘42 by the IJN and converted in Apr ’43 to an auxiliary stores ship. All the others were requisitioned by the IJA and served as Army transports. All Japanese owned ships of this class were sunk between Mar ’42 and Jan ’45 from various causes.
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