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 5,859 tons, transport capacity 1,950 men and owned by Kawasaki Dock. Cargo ship. Coal-fuelled. Laid down by by Kawasaki Dockyard, Co. Ltd., Kobe, Japan for Kokusan Kisen K.K., Kobe on 29 January 1919, launched on 14 April 1919, completed as passenger-cargo ship on 17 May 1919, since 1932 owned by Sanbayshi KK, Hashidate, Japan, in service of the Imperial Japanese Army as troop transport July 1937-1938, renamed Shonan Maru in 1941, requisitioned by the Imperial Army on 19 November 1941 and became the IJA ship No. 28 and sunk by the American submarine USS Seal (SS-183) in the Sea of Okhotsk, north of Etorofu, Kuriles on 9 September 1944. Call sign JSPD. Tonnage under deck 5,580 tons and as dimensions 385.0 x 51.0 x 36.0 feet.
Source
Archive Dutch Naval Staff 1886-1942 inventory number 137 (National Archive at The Hague, Netherlands.
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