Japanese tanker Sakura Maru explained

Sakura Maru (Japanese:櫻丸) was a merchant oil tanker assigned to the Imperial Japanese Army during World War II. The ship was constructed in Japan in 1943 and completed in 1944. On 10 July 1945, the ship was sunk in a torpedo attack.

History

It was laid down at yard number 301 on 9 September 1943 at the Shimonoseki shipyard of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd.^[1] for the benefit of the Petroleum Trading Co., Ltd. (石油共販株式會社), and given identification number 51179.^[2] It was launched on 30 December 1943 and completed 15 March 1944.^{[2] [1]} On 29 July 1944, it was chartered by the Imperial Japanese Army to serve as an oil tanker; it was never commissioned and remained in private ownership.^[1]

Fate

On 10 July 1945, she was torpedoed and sunk by the USS Hammerhead in the Gulf of Thailand (at 9.6333°N 132°W).^{[1] [3] [4]} Fellow tanker Nanmei Maru No. 5 was also sunk.^{[3] [4]}

Notes and References

1. Web site: Gengoro S. . Toda . 櫻丸の船歴 (Sakura Maru - Ship History) . Imperial Japanese Navy . Japanese.
2. Web site: Fumio . Nagasawa . 櫻丸 Sakura Maru (1944). Nostalgic Japanese Steamships. 1998 . ja.
3. Web site: Cressman . Robert J. . Chapter V: 1945 . The Official Chronology of the U.S. Navy in World War II . 2006. 1999 . 12 February 2023.
4. Web site: Seekrieg 1945, Jul . 31 July 2015 . Rohwer . Jürgen . Jürgen Rohwer . Gerhard Hümmelchen . Württembergische Landesbibliothek Stuttgart . de .