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Akitsu Maru

Ships

Name	No	Yard No	Builder	Laid down	Launched	Comp	Fate
秋津丸 [Akitsu Maru]			Harima, Harima	17.9.1939	24.9.1941	30.1.1942	sunk 15.11.1944
にぎつ丸 [Nigitsu Maru]			Harima, Harima	6.1941	1942	3.1943	sunk 12.1.1944

Technical data

Displacement standard, t	11800
Displacement full, t
Length, m	143.8 pp 152.0 wl
Breadth, m	19.5 wl 23.0 fd
Draught, m	7.86
No of shafts	2
Machinery	2 sets geared steam turbines, 4 boilers
Power, h. p.	7500
Max speed, kts	20
Fuel, t	oil
Endurance, nm(kts)
Armament	2 x 1 - 75/44 88-shiki, 10 x 1 - 75/30 38-shiki, 20 aircraft (Ki.76 ASW planes and Ka.1 ASW gyroplanes)
Military load	20 14-m Daihatsu landing craft
Complement

Standard scale images

Graphics

Aircraft facilities(fd - 2,768m², ha ? m² / ? m³)

 (fd - 2,768m², ha ? m² / ? m³): Flight deck: 123.0x22.5m. There was small opened hangar. There was 1 lift. Aircraft fuel stowage: ?.

Project history

Laid down as passenger liners Akitsu Maru (9186BRT) and Nigitsu Maru (9547BRT). In the summer 1941 incomplete vessels were requisitioned by Army command for conversion to landing ships with a flight deck. Their basic purpose was disembarkation of marines in distant regions of Pacific ocean and providing of their aircraft support. Conversion consisted in the fitting of a flight deck (at level of the former boat deck), installation of small island and shifting of funnel to starboard side (on some data, funnel could be turned to horizontal position). There was no hangar: instead of it under a flight deck there was an open platform for 20 land-based aircrafts and 20 landing lighters of Daihatsu type. Aircrafts were handled by one aft elevator or crane. Landing was planned on coastal airfields.

Akitsu Maru and Nigitsu Maru submitted to Army command and officially did not enter into IJN structure. The air group also was formed from Army aircrafts.

Modernizations

1943, both: + 2 x 1 - 75/44 88-shiki, some 25/60 96-shiki

2/1944, Akitsu Maru: flight deck was widened and shortened.

Naval service Akitsu Maru was sunk by American submarine Queenfish in Korea strait 15.11.1944. Nigitsu Maru was sunk by American submarine Hake in 700nm E off F

Akitsu Maru was sunk by American submarine Queenfish in Korea strait 15.11.1944. Nigitsu Maru was sunk by American submarine Hake in 700nm E off Formosa 12.1.1944.