Laid down by Mitsubishi Shipbuilding, Japan as a cargo passenger ship for account of the Nippon Yusen Kasiha Line (NYK) for the shipping line Yokohama, Japan-Hamburg, Germany on 22 April 1929, launched and named Yasukuni Maru on 15 February 1930, completed on 31 August 1930, maiden voyage begun on 22 September 1930, purchased by the Japanese navy on 25 October 1939, given back to the original owners already on 11 December 1939, again purchased by the Japanese navy on 29 October 1940, at the Kure Navy yard started wit converting her into a submarine depot ship on 30 October 1940, registered in the Kure Naval District on 16 December 1940, completed on 11 January 1941 and on 31 January torpedoed and sunk by the American submarine USS Trigger (SS-237). At that moment were more as 1.200 men on board including a large number of technical personnel. Just 43 men rescued. Stricken on 10 March 1944.
With a gross register tonnage of 11.933 tons and as dimensions 153,92 (between perpendiculars) x 19,51 x 11,28 metres or 505.0 x 64.0 x 37.0 feet. The machinery consisted o2 Mitsubishi-Sulzer diesel engines supplying 14.368hp allowing a speed of 19 knots. As a passenger ship with passengers accommodation for 249 persons and a crew numbering 177 men. Armament consisted of 6x1-15,2cm/6” 50 cal Vickers license built guns, and 2-13,2mm Type 83 dual mount machineguns.
