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 11 miles, net tonnage 4,260 tons, gross tonnage 5,860 tons, transport capacity 1,950 men and owned by Kawasaki K.K. Cargo ship. Coal-fuelled.(1)
Note
1. Laid down by Kawasaki Dockyard Co. Ltd., Kobe, Japan with yard number 460 as a passenger cargo -ship on 30 April 1919, launched on 28 June 1919 and completed on 17 July 1919, requisitioned by the Japanese Imperial Army and converted into a trrop transport on 24 November 1941, became the IJA No. 172 and sunk on 20 November 1943 after leaving Rabaul in an Allied air attack.
Source
Archive Dutch Naval Staff 1886-1942 inventory number 137 (National Archive at The Hague, Netherlands
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