Hikawa Maru-class ocean liner
{{Short description|Class of Japanese ocean liners}}
{{refimprove|date=January 2013}}
| {{Infobox ship begin
}} {{Infobox ship image | Ship image = Hikawa Maru-1930.jpg | Ship image size = 300px | Ship caption = Hikawa Maru on 22 March 1930 }} {{Infobox ship class overview | Name = Hikawa Maru class ocean liners | Builders = *Yokohama Dock Company | Operators = *File:NYK Line house flag.svg Nippon Yūsen (NYK Line)
| Class before = | Class after = | Subclasses = | Cost = *Hikawa Maru and Hie Maru
| Built range = 1928 – 1930 | In service range = | In commission range = 1930 – 1960 | Total ships building = | Total ships planned = 3 | Total ships completed = 3 | Total ships cancelled = | Total ships active = | Total ships laid up = | Total ships lost = 2 | Total ships retired = 1 | Total ships preserved = 1 }} {{Infobox ship characteristics | Hide header = | Header caption = | Ship type = Ocean liner | Ship tonnage = *Hikawa Maru 11,622 grt | Ship length = {{convert|163.3|m|ftin|abbr=on}} overall | Ship beam = {{convert|20.1|m|ftin|abbr=on}} | Ship height = | Ship draught = {{convert|12.5|m|ftin|abbr=on}} | Ship decks = | Ship propulsion = *2 × B&W-Ikegai diesels
| Ship speed = *Hikawa Maru
| Ship range = | Ship capacity = *Hikawa Maru and Hie Maru
| Ship crew = 130 | Ship armament = *Hie Maru and Heian Maru, 1942 These contents by the official documents of the Imperial Japanese Navy. Their armaments does not become clear. The Hie Maru photograph was not left.
| Ship aircraft = | Ship notes = }} |
The {{nihongo|Hikawa Maru-class ocean liner|氷川丸型貨客船|Hikawa Maru-gata Kakyakusen}} was a class of ocean liners of Japan, serving during the 1930s, and after World War II.
Background
In 1927-28, the NYK Line placed an order for eight ocean liners to reinforce the Japan–Seattle route (3 × Hikawa Maru class), Japan–San Francisco route (3 × Asama Maru class), and Japan–London route (2 × Terukuni Maru class). The Hikawa Maru class were named the Hikawa Maru, Hiye Maru (later Hie Maru) and Heian Maru.
Service
Hikawa Maru was completed on 25 April 1930. Her maiden voyage was 13 May 1930 for Yokohama–Seattle. Arrived at Seattle on 27 May. She sailed 73 times until August 1941. Her service was popular, and the cuisine was well-regarded, as NYK Line employed a chef trained in Europe.
Hie Maru was completed on 31 July 1930. Her maiden voyage was 23 August 1930 from Kobe.
Heian Maru was completed on 24 November 1930. Her maiden voyage was 18 December 1930 from Hong Kong.
All of them were enlisted by the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) in October–November 1941.
=<small>Ships in class</small>=
| class="wikitable"
| width="9%" | Name | width="11%" | Builder | width="9%" | Laid down | width="9%" | Launched | width="9%" | Completed | width="18%" | Note |
| {{nihongo|Hikawa Maru|氷川丸}}
| Yokohama Dock Company | 9 November 1928 | 30 September 1929 | 25 April 1930 | She was taken up by the Navy on 21 November 1941. |
| {{nihongo|Hiye Maru / Hie Maru|日枝丸}}Her romanization of Japanese name spelling is Hie Maru by the Hepburn style. However, her bow name spelling was Hiye Maru until 1938. The Kanji and pronunciations were not changed.
| Yokohama Dock Company | 25 May 1929 | 12 February 1930 | 31 July 1930 | Her name spelling was changed Hie Maru in 1938. She was enlisted by the Navy in 1940. |
| {{nihongo|Heian Maru|平安丸}}
| Ōsaka Iron Works, Sakurajima Factory | 19 July 1929 | 16 April 1930 | 24 November 1930 | She was taken by the Navy on 15 October 1941. |
Service in World War II
- Hikawa Maru was classified to auxiliary hospital ship on 1 December 1941, and she was assigned to the 4th Fleet.
- Hie Maru was classified to auxiliary submarine tender on 15 February 1942, and she was assigned to the 6th Fleet.
- Heian Maru was classified to auxiliary submarine tender on 15 October 1941, and she was assigned to the 6th Fleet.
- 17 November 1943, Hie Maru was sunk by USN submarine.
- 18 February 1944, Heian Maru was sunk by air raid at Chuuk.
- 10 August 1946, Hikawa Maru survived war, and she was reverted to the NYK Line.
Photos
Image:Hie Maru.jpg|NYK Line Hie Maru
Image:Heian Maru.jpg|NYK Line Heian Maru in 1937
Image:Hikawa Maru-inWartime.jpg|IJN Hikawa Maru in wartime
Image:Japanese 5th Fleet in 1943.jpg|IJN Heian Maru (center) in May 1943
Image:Heian Maru-1943.jpg|IJN Heian Maru in June 1943
Image:Hikawa Maru-1947.JPG|NYK Line Hikawa Maru in 1947
Image:Hikawa-maru (from Yokohama Marine Tower).jpg|Hikawa Maru in the 21st century
See also
Footnotes
Bibliography
- Tashirō Iwashige, The visual guide of Japanese wartime merchant marine, {{cite web |url=http://www.kaiga.co.jp/emp-bin/pro1.cgi/kaiga/NN/f_tobira.htm |title=Dainippon Kaiga |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20021207170200/http://www.kaiga.co.jp/emp-bin/pro1.cgi/kaiga/NN/f_tobira.htm |archivedate=2002-12-07 }} (Japan), May 2009
- Ships of the World special issue, The Golden Age of Japanese Passenger Liners, {{cite web |url=http://www.ships-net.co.jp/ |title=Kaijinsha}}, (Japan), May 2004
- Voyage of a Century "Photo Collection of NYK Ships", {{cite web |url=http://www.nyk.com/ |title=Nippon Yūsen}}, (Japan), October 1985
- The Maru Special, Japanese Naval Vessels No.29, "Japanese submarine tenders w/ auxiliary submarine tenders", {{cite web |url=http://www.kojinsha.co.jp/ |title=Ushio Shobō}} (Japan), July 1979
- The Maru Special, Japanese Naval Vessels No.53, "Japanese support vessels", Ushio Shobō (Japan), July 1981
{{WWII Japanese auxiliary ships}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hikawa Maru}}
Category:World War II auxiliary ships of Japan
Category:Hospital ships of Japan
Category:Submarine tenders of the Imperial Japanese Navy