Japanese amphibious assault ship Shinshū Maru
 | |
| History | |
|---|---|
 Empire of Japan | |
| Name: | Shinshū Maru |
| Laid down: | 8 April 1933 |
| Launched: | 14 March 1934 |
| Commissioned: | 15 November 1934 |
| Fate: | Sunk 3 January 1945 |
| General characteristics | |
| Type: | Amphibious assault ship |
| Displacement: | 7,100 tons standard, 8,108 tons full |
| Length: | 144 m (472 ft 5 in) |
| Beam: | 22 m (72 ft 2 in) |
| Draft: | 4.2 m (13 ft 9 in) |
| Speed: | 20.4 kn (37.8 km/h; 23.5 mph) |
| Complement: | 2,000 |
| Armament: |
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| Aircraft carried: |
|
| Aviation facilities: | Hangar and catapult; no flight deck |
Shinshū Maru (神州丸) was a ship of the Japanese Imperial Army during World War II. She was the world's first landing craft carrier ship to be designed as such, and a pioneer of modern-day amphibious assault ships. During some of her operations, she was known to have used at least two cover names, Fuso Maru, and Ryujo Maru.
At least one source claims that Shinshū Maru was one of the ships sunk by friendly fire at the Battle of Sunda Strait and then salvaged and returned to service.
Design features
Shinshū Maru was a significant advance in amphibious warfare, having incorporated numerous innovative features, and as such she was shrouded in a veil of secrecy throughout her existence. She could carry 29 Daihatsu-class landing craft, 25 Shohatsu-class landing craft and four armoured gunboats, to be launched from a floodable well deck.
In addition, Shinshū Maru could carry aircraft in a hangar within her superstructure; these aircraft could be launched by catapult to support amphibious assaults, but could not return to the ship, and must land on captured airfields instead.
These concepts pioneered by Shinshū Maru persist to the current day, in the U.S. Navy's LHA and LHD amphibious assault ships.
Fate
On 3 January 1945, while returning to Takao after a supply mission to Leyte Island, Shinshū Maru was heavily damaged by a US air attack by Task Force 38; after the ship was abandoned she was sunk by the submarine USS Aspro in the Formosa Straits off Takao.[1]
Photos
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Shinshū Maru on 12 October 1938 at Bias Bay
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Shinshū Maru on 3 January 1945 off Kaohsiung
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The crew is preparing to launch some landing crafts.
References
- Murray, Williamson and Millett, Alan R. Military Innovation in the Interwar Period. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1996. ISBN 0-521-55241-9.
External links
- Landing Craft Carrier "Shinshu Maru"
- "A Japanese Warship Question"—Axis History Forum
See also
- Dock landing ship
- 海上機動旅団(Sea Landing Brigades) - Japanese Wikipedia article [Not translated]
- Japanese Special Naval Landing Forces - Part of the Land Forces of the Imperial Japanese Navy