Japanese whale mother ship Dai-san Tonan Maru No. 3 launched in 1938

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A letter of the German naval attache in Japan dated Tokyo, Japan 2 May 1938 reported the launching on 1 May 1938 at the Sakurajima yard, Osaka, Japan of the whale mother ship Dai-san Tonan Maru of the Nippon Suisan Kabushiki Kaisha. She had a displacement of 19.000 tons. Sister ship was the Dai-ni Tonan Maru. She was within 62 seconds launched and stopped 60 metres before striking the opposite bank.(1)

Note

1. Laid down on 27 May 1938, completed and commissioned as whale oil factorry ship on 23 September 1938, requisitioned by the navy on 4 November 1941, damaged by the Dutch submarine Hr.Ms. K-XIV off Kuching, Sarawak, Borneo on 23 December 1941, converted into an naval auxiliary tanker between March-April 1942, sunk in an Allied carrier-based aircraft attack in Chuuk Lagoon on 17 February 1944, salvaged on 3 March 1941, repaired ,recomissioned on 8 October 1951, renamed Tonan and broken up starting in April 1970.

Source

High Command of the Kriegsmarine (OKM). Case 36