Rahul Sharma (Editor)

Japanese seaplane tender Kiyokawa Maru

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Name
  
Kiyokawa Maru

Acquired
  
September 28, 1941

Out of service
  
July 20, 1945

Launched
  
16 February 1937

Beam
  
19 m

Laid down
  
October 21, 1936

Commissioned
  
October 5, 1941

Construction started
  
21 October 1936

Length
  
146 m

Japanese seaplane tender Kiyokawa Maru

Builder
  
Kawasaki, Kōbe Shipyard

Kiyokawa Maru (聖川丸) was a seaplane tender in the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN). The ship was built at Kawasaki's Kōbe Shipyard and launched on 13 December 1936 as a merchant vessel for the Kawasaki Kisen K. K. Line. Kyokawa Maru was involved in a collision with the small train ferry Uko Maru No. 1 on 19 August 1937 in the Seto Inland Sea, southwest of Nakanose.

Requisitioned by the IJN on 28 September 1941 and was refitted as a seaplane tender. The ship subsequently saw service in the Pacific Campaign of World War II. Kiyokawa Maru was attacked by aircraft from Task Force 38 on 20 July 1945. Hit by bombs and heavily damaged she was beached off Shida beach north of Kaminoseki, Yamaguchi to avoid sinking.

On 22 November 1945 during heavy weather, Kiyokawa Maru sank. Raised in December 1948, later repaired and put in civilian passenger service. Scrapped 1969.

References

Japanese seaplane tender Kiyokawa Maru Wikipedia