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Monday, 15 August 2022

Japanese potential troop transport Katori Maru in December 1921

On 22 May 1922 (!) received the Dutch naval staff at The Hague, Netherlands from the Dutch embassy at Tokyo, Japan a detailed specification of Japanese merchant ships of minimum 1.500 tons tonnage usable for troop transport over sea on 13 December 1921. If the transport was over a short distance for instance Japan-Philippines or Japan-Chinese harbours was the transport capacity increased with 10% and on a distance within 24 hours even doubled. The figures were supplied by non-Japanese experts, partly based on the troop transports between Japan-China and Japan-Siberia. The transports were kept secret. At that moment was Japan already considered as a potential enemy. For each ship was mentioned how many troops included equipment could be transported over a longer distance, for instance to an island belonging to the Dutch East Indies. In February-March 1942 invaded Japan indeed the Dutch East Indies.

Speed 15.5 miles, net tonnage 6,161 tons, gross tonnage 9,834 tons, transport capacity 3,300 men. Coal-fuelled. Passenger ship. Launched by Mitsubishi Dockyard&Engineering Works, Nagasaki, Japan with yard number 230 in September 1913 and sunk by the Dutch submarine Hr .Ms. K XIV on 23 December 1941.(1) Official number 16494 and call sign JKRD. Owned by Nippon Yusen Kaisha Line. Gross register tonnage 9.849 tons, under deck 8.060 tons, net tonnage 6.128 tons and as dimensions 149,4 x 18,6 x 11 metres or 499.8 x 59.9 x 33.9 feet.

Note

1. Laid down by Rotterdamsche Droogdok Maatschappij on 31 May 1930, launched on 11 July 1931, commissioned on 6 July 1933, decommissioned on 23 April 1946 and stricken on 1 June 1946.

Sources

Archive Dutch Naval Staff 1886-1942 inventory number 137 (National Archive at The Hague, Netherlands

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