Atago Maru
Atago Maru, October 1937
| |
History | |
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Name | Atago Maru |
Owner | NYK Line |
Port of registry | Tokyo |
Builder | Lithgows & Sons, Glasgow |
Yard number | 762 |
Launched | 17 June 1924 |
Completed | 28 November 1924 |
Fate | Sunk, 28 November 1944 |
General characteristics as built | |
Type | Passenger-cargo ship |
Tonnage | 7,543 GRT |
Length | 134.1 m (440 ft 0 in) pp |
Beam | 17.4 m (57 ft 1 in) |
Installed power | 2,000 hp (1,491 kW) |
Propulsion |
|
Speed | 13 knots (24 km/h; 15 mph) |
Notes | Converted to carry oil in 1943 |
Atago Maru was a merchant ship built prior to World War II in Glasgow in 1924 by Lithgows & Sons for Nippon Yusen. One of the first diesel-engined cargo ships in service in Japan, Atago Maru was converted to an oil tanker in 1942. Returning to service in 1943, the ship saw extensive service traveling in convoys during World War II. On 28 November 1944, the vessel was bombed by a United States Army Air Forces bomber while at anchor off Borneo. The shipwreck is a popular diving site in Malaysia.
Description
As built, Atago Maru was a Japanese cargo ship measured at 7,543 gross register tons (GRT), 134.1 m (440 ft 0 in) long between perpendiculars with a beam of 17.4 m (57 ft 1 in).[1] The ship was powered by twin Sulzer diesel engines and two screws rated at 2,000 horsepower (1,491 kW).[2] The vessel had a maximum speed of 13 knots (24 km/h; 15 mph).[1] In 1942, the vessel was converted to transport oil.[3]
Career
Atago Maru was built as a general cargo freighter for
With the outbreak of war between Japan and the Allies in 1941, the cargo ship's cross-Pacific career ended. On 3 August 1942, Atago Maru joined Convoy 425 sailing from Cap St Jacques, Vietnam bound for Mako, Pescadores. On 28 December, Atago Maru began conversion to an emergency oil tanker at Sasebo Naval Arsenal, Japan.[3]
The ship completed conversion and returned to service on 14 February 1943. On 15 June, Atago Maru joined Convoy 586 from Cap St Jacques and arrived at
In 1944, Atago Maru returned to Japan. The oil tanker departed Moji in Convoy MOTA-07 on 1 March, arriving at Takao on 9 March. On 21 March, the ship sailed from Takao as part of Convoy TAMA-12 and arrived at
On 29 August, Atago Maru joined Convoy MI-14 departing Miri, making stops at Manila and Takao, and reaching Moji on 20 September. On 3 November, the oil tanker departed Moji for Miri as part of Convoy MI-25. On 15 November, the convoy is attacked by US submarines, with three merchant vessels lost. The convoy arrived at Miri on 16 November. On 28 November 1944, while at anchor just offshore of the
Wreck
Atago Maru rests upright in 14 metres (46 ft) of water, about one mile (1.6 km) offshore. Initially much of the superstructure and masts remained above water, but monsoon waves destroyed the superstructure and what remained went underwater as the ship settled in the mud. The ship's masts were still visible above the waterline until the 1980s.[3] The wreck is a popular dive site.[4]
Citations
- ^ a b c Miramar Ship Index.
- ^ a b Furuta & Hirai 1967, p. 125.
- ^ a b c d e f g h Hackett, 2016.
- ^ Svrcula 2013, p. 249.
Sources
- Furuta, Ryoichi & Hirai, Yoshikazu (1967). A Short History of Japanese Merchant Shipping. Translated by Macfarlane, Duncan. Tokyo: Tokyo New Service. OCLC 833174425.
- Hackett, Bob (2016). "Atago Maru: Tabular Record of Movement". combinedfleet.com. Archived from the original on 19 April 2019. Retrieved 19 April 2019.
- "Atago Maru (4030916)". Miramar Ship Index. Retrieved 19 April 2019.
- Svrcula, Kurt (2013) [2004]. Diving in Malaysia: A Guide to the Best Dives of Sabah, Sarawak & Peninsular Malaysia (Updated ed.). Singapore: Marshall Cavendish International. ISBN 978-981-4398-32-9.
External links
- "The Wrecks of NW Borneo – Atago Maru". Panaga Divers.
- Atago Maru at wrecksite.eu