Calling all Japanese pre-war/wartime Merchant Marine fans

[Gilbert]

Beautifully done. Did she really carry a degaussing cable?

@ Burkhardt, I agree

@ Dan, don't know for sure but in Ueda's paintings, many IJN (or IJA) marus are depicted with a degaussing coil, like Nigitsu, Settsu, Kozu, Kamikawa, Hikawa, Awa, Asama,....

Gilbert

[Quincy]

OOOHHHH! I want one when it becomes available!!!





Bob Pink.

[janschu]

Hello everybody,

i have visited a modelling exhibition today (L�beck, Germany) and talked to our caster who was also participating this event. There are some problems
with the platforms and superstructure levels, so we discussed these issues and i took the parts back home in order to do the needed modifications. The
corrected parts will then be send to the caster so that he can cast some test shots then.

He (the caster) informed me that the other parts (vents, life boats, Daihatsu landing craft, latrines) are already in the midst of production. The needed parts
of these will be included in the upcoming kit but we also plan to release them as separate sets. So that one can enhance other ships with these parts as well.

When these parts are ready i will post some more pictures then.

Greetings from the North Sea Coast, Jan

[Gilbert]

Hello everybody,

He (the caster) informed me that the other parts (vents, life boats, Daihatsu landing craft, latrines) are already in the midst of production. The needed parts
of these will be included in the upcoming kit but we also plan to release them as separate sets. So that one can enhance other ships with these parts as well.

Great idea, Jan . Will the kit includes some PE parts as well ?

Gilbert

[Burkhardt]

Hi Gilbert,

I turn the masts and for the PE I talk with WEM.

[Gilbert]

Hi Gilbert,

I turn the masts and for the PE I talk with WEM.

Hi Burkhardt

This sounds really great

Gilbert

[Ron Wolford]

Hello Everybody
Can anybody identify this ship? This photo comes from the Naval Historical Center,
NH 73212, the caption on the back of the photo states Philippine Invasion, 1941-42. Japanese Transports off Cebu during the landings there, 10 April 1942. Copied from the Japanese book "Philippine Expeditionary Force", by Gasei, Published 1943. Released under the Following Credit line only: "Courtesy of Dr. Diosdado M. Yap, Editor-Publisher, Bataan Magazine, Washington, DC" Please give a reason why you think it's a certain ship. Thanks

Ron Wolford

http://i39.tinypic.com/im2zxc.jpg

[Dan K]

Great photo. I'm sure Motoyuki-san would know.

[Freighter]

Ron,
This looks like one of the Sagara/Sado Maru class of ships built in the late 1930s. Sagara and Sanuki Maru were converted to seaplane tenders. The other sisters were used as IJA transports throughout the early part of the war. (See ONI 208-J Revised page 83)

Without specific TROMs it is difficult to identify this particular ship -unless, as already suggested, Motoyuki-san has access to the dazzle paint schemes used on individual ships.

see his website:-
http://ww6.enjoy.ne.jp/~iwashige/modellist.htm

Jim S

[Gilbert]

Ron,
This looks like one of the Sagara/Sado Maru class of ships built in the late 1930s. Sagara and Sanuki Maru were converted to seaplane tenders. The other sisters were used as IJA transports throughout the early part of the war. (See ONI 208-J Revised page 83)

Without specific TROMs it is difficult to identify this particular ship -unless, as already suggested, Motoyuki-san has access to the dazzle paint schemes used on individual ships.

Jim S

Yes, Jim I agree with you. The ship is most likely Sanuki maru. Her TROM says the following:

9-10 April 1942:
Lt (j.g.) Robert B. Kelly's USS PT-34 is bombed, strafed, set afire and forced ashore at Cauit Island, Cebu by four Japanese floatplanes, probably F1M2 Petes from SANUKI MARU.

During the day, a Pete from SANUKI MARU engages a Curtiss P-40E "Warhawk"of the 3rd Pursuit Squadron operating from Del Monte, Mindanao. Neither plane is lost in the ensuing combat.

Cebu, Philippines. SANUKI MARU covers the landings of the Kawaguchi Detachment's 35th Infantry Brigade HQ and the 124th Infantry Regiment with light cruiser KUMA, DesDiv 2's SAMIDARE and MURASAME and KIJI, gun boat BUSHO MARU and two sub-chasers.

12 April 1942:
SANUKI MARU launches four F1M2s to bomb the USAAF airfield at Del Monte. A P-35A "Guardsman", orbiting the air field, engages the Petes, while two P-40Es take off to intercept them. An F1M2 is shot down by one of the P-40s, but the other three F1M2s bomb the airfield. They wreck a B-17E and damage two others. At 1815, entes Cebu Port.

I have asked Erich Muehlthaler about it. His reply: "Must be Sanuki Maru at southern entrance of Cebu harbour"

Cheers
Gilbert

@ Ron : Thanks for this wonderful picture

[Ron Wolford]

Hello Jim and Gilbert
Thanks for the replies, you might be right, but I'm still not sure, it just does not look like a S class to me. Compare that first pic to this one of the Sado Maru, notice how sharp the bow is on the Sado Maru, also when the IJN made the Sagara Maru a Sea Plane Tender they removed the back Kingpost to make room for the Sea Plane deck, they probably would have done that to the Sanuki Maru to. I am starting to lean to the Azuma Maru, another NYK ship very similar to the S class ships, but a little shorter (page 74 in ONI-208J 1944) but in all of them the stack seems to tall. Thanks
Ron Wolford

The Sado Maru
http://i44.tinypic.com/ogmng8.jpg

The Azuma Maru
http://i39.tinypic.com/2q1x5c7.jpg

http://i39.tinypic.com/mugch.jpg

[Motoyuki Iwashige]

Hello everyone,
Sorry, there are too many posts after my previous post to reply my opinion, and thank you very much Dan san for calling email. At once about latest topic;
Ron san,
The ship painted impressive camouflage must be Kansai maru (Kwansai maru). Again thank you very much for beautiful photographs!

Motoyuki Iwashige

[Ron Wolford]

Hello Everybody
Thank You Motoyuki-san! I do not know why I never thought of a OSK ship, probably because I did not see the stack markings. Unlike the NYK ships were the strips were painted on, OSK marking were a metal band that was attached to the stack and stood out very noticeably. When I dove the Tokai Maru in 1983, you could still make out the OSK marking on the stack very well. Here is a picture of the Kwansai Maru from the National Archives, sorry I do not have the photo number. Thanks

Ron Wolford

http://i39.tinypic.com/rtj0va.jpg

[Gilbert]

Hello to All,

This is a reply from Erich M�hlthaler from yesterday

"I have discussed matters with Gengoro-san. He also thinks that the ship is the Kansai Maru but doubts time and location as shown by photo caption. He sent me copy of Kansai Maru�s TROM. According to this TROM Kansai Maru arrived at Saigon on 9 April 1942 and stayed there until 16 April 1942 when departing for Singapore."

Therefore, according to her TROM, if the ship is more than likely "Rikugun Yusosen" Kansai Maru, the photo caption cannot be off Cebu in 04/1942.

Gilbert

[Freighter]

Interesting replies. I'm not giving up on this one. Have we discounted Sakito Maru?

Yes, I know it's an S Class but I agree with Ron that Sanuki Maru would probably have had the rear kingposts removed - like the Sagara Maru. I'm not wholly convinced it's Kansai Maru either.

Motoyuki-san's model shows Sakito Maru with twin gun tubs up front rather than the 4 of the other S class IJA transports. This echoes the picture Ron first submitted.

Gilbert, do you have access to the TROM of Sakito Maru?

Good debate guys!!

[Gilbert]

Interesting replies. I'm not giving up on this one. Have we discounted Sakito Maru?

Yes, I know it's an S Class but I agree with Ron that Sanuki Maru would probably have had the rear kingposts removed - like the Sagara Maru. I'm not wholly convinced it's Kansai Maru either.

Motoyuki-san's model shows Sakito Maru with twin gun tubs up front rather than the 4 of the other S class IJA transports. This echoes the picture Ron first submitted.

Gilbert, do you have access to the TROM of Sakito Maru?

Good debate guys!!

Jim,

Yes, but it is in Japanese. I will ask Gengoro-san for a translation regarding Spring 42 period

Gilbert

[Gilbert]

Jim (and All),

You can rule out Sakito Maru as I have got Gengoro-san's reply to my e-mail :

"As to Sakito Maru, TROM (Rikugun Choyo Senpaku Kodochosho) mentions:-
Departed Rangoon on 26 March 1942
Arrived Saigon on 1 April 1942
Departed Saigon on 18 April 1942
Arrived Ujina on 26 April 1942"

He has identified 5 out of the convoy 7 ships :
"I could find only 5 ships that reached Cebu around 10 April in Rikugun Choyo Senpaku Kodochosho.
????? India Maru,11 April
??? Tairyu Maru (4,994t), ? April
??? Nagano Maru, 12 April
????? Mexico Maru, 11 April
??? Risshun Maru, 11 April"

He adds: "I believe the caption is not right. (i.e. the photo was not taken on 10 April 1942 at Cebu.) Such (intentional?) errors are often possible (for keepeing Confidential) especially during war".

To finalise this, I think the ship on the photo is Kansai Maru but not on 10/04/1942 at Cebu.

Cheers
Gilbert

[Jim Smith]

Gilbert,
Thanks for the clarification. Also thank Gengoro-san for his wealth of knowledge.

Jim S

[Ron Wolford]

Hello Everybody
It's been quite awhile since anybody posted anything, so I thought I would post a couple of photos and ask a question. Notice in the post card that the hull of the Kongo Maru is a light color but in the other two photos its black, when did they change the color of hull?

Kongo Maru Post Card
http://i42.tinypic.com/2kiolw.jpg

Kongo Maru U.S. Naval Historical Center 25095 Taken in Coco Solo Canal Zone 7-3-37
C.S. 3769 http://i39.tinypic.com/2mpbrb7.jpg

Kongo Maru U.S. Naval Historical Center 25094 Taken in Coco Solo Canal Zone 7-3-37
C. S. 3768 http://i39.tinypic.com/28w0vlv.jpg

Ron Wolford

[Gilbert]

Hello Ron,

First, thanks for these great pictures. As you know for sure, Kokusai Kisen K.K. ships had either a black or a grey hull. IMHO, the postcard picture was shot shortly after the ship's completion on 04/03/1935 (dd/mm). In 01/1937, Kongo Maru was on charter to NYK. Therefore, the colour change probably took place just before this date.

HTH

Gilbert