Kongō Maru-class armed merchantmen

Kyosumi Maru
Class overview
Name: Akagi Maru-class auxiliary cruiser
Builders: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Nagasaki Shipyard
Operators:  Imperial Japanese Navy
Built: 1934–1935
In service: 1935–1944
In commission: 1941–1944
Completed: 2
Lost: 2
Retired: 0
General characteristics
Type: Armed merchantmen
Displacement: 7,389 tonnes (7,272 long tons)
Length: 139 m (456 ft 0 in)
Beam: 18.6 m (61 ft 0 in)
Draft: 9.4 m (30 ft 10 in)
Propulsion: 1 x Mitsubishi-Sulzer diesel engine (7600-9000hp)
Speed: 19 knots (22 mph; 35 km/h)
Range: unknown
Complement: 50
Armament:
Aircraft carried:Kawanishi E7K floatplane

The Kongō Maru-class armed merchant cruiser was a class of two armed merchant cruisers of the Imperial Japanese Navy.

Background

The Kongō Maru-class vessels were originally built by IHI Corporation at Kawasaki shipyard in Kobe as combined cargo-passenger ships. They were converted to "auxiliary cruiser" role in September–December 1941 (and therefore armed). The ships Kashii Maru, Kagu Maru and Kinugasa Maru from the same civilian series were converted to seaplane tenders, forming the Kashhi Maru-class.

Design

The original design featured unusually high speed for a cargo ship (16-19 knots), as well as 6 luxury rooms for 2 occupants each.

List of Ships

References

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