MV Asama Maru (1928)
Asama Maru in 1931.
| |
History | |
---|---|
Japan | |
Name | Asama Maru |
Operator | Nippon Yusen (NYK) |
Builder | Nagasaki, Japan |
Yard number | 450 |
Laid down | 10 September 1927 |
Launched | 30 October 1928 |
Completed | 15 September 1929 |
In service | Autumn 1929 |
Out of service | 1 November 1944 |
Fate | Torpedoed and sunk by Pratas Island |
General characteristics | |
Tonnage | 16,975 gross register tons (GRT) |
Length | 178 m (584 ft) |
Beam | 21.9 m (72 ft) |
Draft | 28.5' |
Propulsion | 4 Mitsubishi-Sulzer diesels, quadruple screws |
Speed | 21 knots (39 km/h; 24 mph) |
Capacity |
|
Crew | 330 |
Notes | Steel construction |
Asama Maru (浅間丸, Asama maru) was a Japanese
Asama Maru set a record of her maiden voyage to California, and surpassed this record on her fourth voyage from Yokohama to San Francisco.[2]
Background
Asama Maru and her sister ships Tatsuta Maru and Chichibu Maru were built for NYK's premier high-speed trans-Pacific Orient-California fortnightly service, coming into operation from autumn of 1929[3] In NYK advertising these ships were characterized as "The Queen of the Sea."[4] Principal ports-of-call included Hong Kong, Shanghai, Kobe, Yokohama, Honolulu, Los Angeles & San Francisco.[5] The trip from Yokohama to San Francisco typically took 15 days, with fares starting from $190 in second class and from $315 in first class.
Details
The 16,975-ton vessel had a length of 583 feet (178 m), and a beam of 71 feet (22 m). The ship had four Mitsubishi-Sulzer diesel engines, two funnels, two masts, quadruple screws and a service speed of 21 knots.[6] Only one funnel was actually necessary, but a second one was added for the sake of appearance.[7]
Asama Maru provided accommodation for 222 first-class passengers and for 96 second-class passengers. There was also room for up to 504 third-class passengers. The ship and passengers were served by a crew of 330.[6]
She was laid down on 10 September 1927 at
Civilian career
Early career
Asama Maru was launched on 30 October 1928 and left Yokohama on 11 October 1929 on her maiden voyage to California, arriving on 24 October.[6]
During a subsequent crossing, upon arrival in San Francisco on 14 December 1930, US Customs agents seized a large amount of opium during festivities marking the ship's first anniversary of Trans-Pacific service.[8]
In August 1932, Asama Maru transported the Japanese Olympic team to Los Angeles for the 1932 Summer Olympics. While at Los Angeles, Baron Takeichi Nishi, the gold medalist, entertained his friends, Douglas Fairbanks and Mary Pickford.[9]
During a voyage departing from San Francisco on 1 April 1937, Asama Maru carried Helen Keller with a message of good will from President Franklin D. Roosevelt.[9]
Disaster struck Asama Maru during the
The "Asama Maru incident"
On a voyage departing from San Francisco on 6 January 1940 Asama Maru had 51 German citizens on her passenger manifest. On 21 January, she was intercepted in
Later civilian career
On 25 October 1940, Asama Maru departed San Francisco. During this voyage, 14 crewmen (six officers and eight sailors) of the Columbus, travelling in disguise as American students were on board, and reached Yokohama on 12 November.[15]: 50–53
On 4 February 1941, she transported Polish Jewish refugees from Yokohama to the United States, making a similar voyage on 20 April.[16]
On 29 June 1941, she was chartered by the German government to evacuate 666 German and Italian nationals detained in the
On 18 July 1941, Asama Maru departed Yokohama with only 98 passengers, 47 of whom were Japanese-Americans born in the United States. However, on 24 July, in mid-Pacific, Asama Maru received orders to heave to and stop. On 26 July, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed an executive order to seize Japanese assets in the United States in retaliation for the Japanese invasion of French Indochina. That evening, the crew of Asama Maru painted her funnels black and painted out the Japanese flags on her hull and deck. On 27 July, a notice was posted that the ship was ordered back to Japan; however, after 36 hours, another notice was posted stating that the ship would resume her original course, and she docked in Honolulu on 31 July. She departed Honolulu for San Francisco on 1 August; however, on 4 August she was again recalled to Japan, arriving back at Yokohama on 10 August.[9]
On 30 August, Asama Maru transported 350 Polish Jewish refugees who had arrived in Japan via Siberia from Kobe to Shanghai, where they were received by the Shanghai Ghetto. On 6 November, she departed for Singapore to evacuate 450 Japanese civilians, arriving in Kobe on 26 November. This was to be her last civilian voyage, as she was requisitioned by the Imperial Japanese Navy on 30 November.
Military career
At the time of the
In June 1942, Asama Maru was temporarily designated a diplomatic exchange vessel, and was used in the
Asama Maru was placed back in served as a troopship and transport, shuttling men and supplies from Japan to various points in Southeast Asia. On 10 October, she was assigned to carry 1000 Allied
In February 1943, Asama Maru was fitted with a hydrophone and rack for 16 depth charges. She narrowly escaped four torpedoes fired at her by USS Sunfish on 10 March off of Takao (now Kaohsiung), but was alerted in time by her hydrophone operator and was able to take evasive action.[9]
On 23 February 1944, she was slightly damaged in an attack by USS Grayback (SS-208) in the South China Sea 20 miles east of Taiwan. The oiler Nanpo Maru was sunk by Grayback in the same attack.[9]
In October 1944, Asama Maru was one of the ships in a major convoy transporting elements of the
See also
- List of ocean liners
- Asama Shrine
- Foreign commerce and shipping of Empire of Japan
Notes
- ^ Ponsonby-Fane, Richard. (1935). The Nomenclature of the N.Y.K. Fleet, p. 50.
- ^ Derby, Sulzer: poster, speed record.
- ^ Levine, David. Graphic Design from the 1920s and 1930s in Travel Ephemera: "Plan of Passenger Accommodation Motor Ships 'Asama Maru' & ' Tatsuta Maru,'" 1929.
- ^ NYK (HongKong): history Archived 2009-04-28 at the Wayback Machine.
- ^ Derby, Sulzer diesel motors Archived 2011-07-16 at the Wayback Machine: Asama Maru. August 29, 2008.
- ^ a b c Haworth, R.B. Miramar Ship Index: ID #4035342.
- ISBN 0845347926.
- ISBN 0316145955
- ^ a b c d e f g h Nevitt, Allyn D. (2009). "Asama Maru: Tabular Record of Movement". Combinedfleet.com.
- ^ "Wonders of Ship Surgery", Popular Mechanics, October 1939
- ^ Article from Los Angeles Times, 4 January 1940
- ^ Best, Antony (1995), Britain, Japan and Pearl Harbor: Avoiding War in East Asia, 1936–41, p96
- ^ a b Marder, Arthur Jacob (1981), Old Friends, New Enemies: The Royal Navy and the Imperial Japanese Navy, p106
- ^ The Asama Maru incident
- ISBN 1557503079
- ISBN 1937470016
- ISBN 978-962-209-880-0.
- ISBN 978-0-415-33188-3. Retrieved 14 September 2009.
- ^ "Asama Maru (+1944)". Wrecksite. Retrieved 2016-10-19.
References
- Ponsonby-Fane, Richard Arthur Brabazon. (1935). The Nomenclature of the N.Y.K. Fleet. Tokyo : Nippon Yusen Kaisha. OCLC 27933596
- Tate, E. Mowbray. (1986). Transpacific steam: the story of steam navigation from the Pacific Coast of North America to the Far East and the Antipodes, 1867–1941. New York: Cornwall Books. OCLC 12370774
External links
- DerbySulzer: sepia image of ship aground at Hong Kong, 1937
- US State Department Order [1]