Japanese transport Suzuya Maru (1922)

Suzuya Maru (Japanese: 鈴谷丸) was an auxiliary transport and hell ship of the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War II.

History
Empire of Japan
Name: Suzuya Maru
Builder: Mitsui Tamano Engineering & Shipbuilding, Tamano
Yard number: 77
Laid down: 30 May 1922
Launched: 2 September 1922
Sponsored by: Kita Nippon Kisen K.K.
Completed: 30 September 1922
Acquired: Requisitioned by Imperial Japanese Navy, 1925
Homeport: Otaru
Identification: 22520
Notes:
General characteristics
Type: Passenger/cargo ship
Tonnage: 864 GRT[1]
Length: 56.39 m (185 ft 0 in) o/a[1]
Beam: 9.6 m (31 ft 6 in)[1]
Draught: 5.94 m (19 ft 6 in)[1]
Installed power: 600 bhp[2]
Propulsion: 1 triple expansion engine, single shaft, 1 screw[2]
Speed: 11 knots[2]

History

She was laid down on 30 May 1922 by Mitsui Tamano Engineering & Shipbuilding at their Tamano shipyard at the behest of Kita Nippon Kisen K.K./Kitanihon Kisen.[1][2] She was launched on 2 September 1922, completed on 30 September 1922, and registered in Otaru as Hokkai Maru No. 1 but had her name changed in 1924 to Suzuya Maru (after the Suzuya River in Karafuto Prefecture on Sakhalin Island, then part of Japan).[3] Her sister ship was Hokkai Maru No. 2 (renamed Hayataka Maru).[3] In 1925, she was requisitioned by the Imperial Japanese Navy.[2] Little is known of her service and she seemed to have lost her original name generally being referred to as No. 107 or Otaru Maru, Otari Maru, or Otaro Maru.[3] On 15 August 1942, she took 179 prisoners of wars (POWs) at the port of Takao who had arrived aboard Nagara Maru.[3][4] The POWs were all American senior civilian and military authorities of the Philippines[5] and included Major General Jonathan M. Wainwright, Commander of Allied forces in the Philippines, and Major General Edward P. King[3] who lead the defense of the Bataan Peninsula in the Battle of Bataan. She delivered the prisoners to the Karenko POW camp[3] on the west coast of Formosa.

On 13 June 1943, Suzuya Maru was torpedoed and sunk by the US submarine USS Guardfish off the southwest coast of New Ireland (03°08′S 151°24′E).[3][6][7]

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References
  1. Nagasawa, Fumio (1998). "第一北海丸 HOKKAI MARU No.1 (1922)". Nostalgic Japanese Steamships (in Japanese).
  2. Lettens, Jan (8 June 2011). "Suzuya Maru (+1943)". wrecksite.eu.
  3. Erickson, James W. (2009). "Suzuya Maru 鈴谷丸". POWs of the Japanese.
  4. Hackett, Bob; Kingsepp, Sander (2012). "Zatsuyosen: IJN Nagara Maru: Tabular Record of Movement". combinedfleet.com. Retrieved 24 February 2020.
  5. Beekhuis, Henk (4 February 2018). "Otaro Maru". Japanse krijgsgevangenkampen (in Dutch).
  6. Rohwer, Jürgen; Gerhard Hümmelchen. "Seekrieg 1943, June". Württembergische Landesbibliothek Stuttgart (in German).
  7. "Guardfish (SS-217)". Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. Navy Department, Naval History and Heritage Command. Retrieved 31 December 2011.
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