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Rakuto Maru was a cargo steamship that was built in Japan in 1935. The Imperial Japanese Army requisitioned her in 1937, and used her in the Second Sino-Japanese War. The Imperial Japanese Navy requisitioned her in 1941, and used her in the Pacific War. United States Navy aircraft sank her in the Philippines in 1944, killing 199 of the people aboard.

Building

In 1935 the Uraga Dock Company in Uraga, Kanagawa launched three sister ships for Osaka Shōsen KK. Rakuto Maru was the first. Her keel plates were laid on 13 April 1935; she was launched on 20 July; and completed on 15 September. She was followed by Daido Maru, which was launched on 19 August; and Ryuko Maru, which was launched on 21 November. The three ships were built to the same design as Sinkyo Maru and Seikyo Maru, which Uraga had built for Chōsen Yusen KK between 1932 and 1934; but with a different propulsion system.

Rakuto Maru's length was 297.9 ft (90.8 m); her beam was 45.0 ft (13.7 m); and her depth was 23.8 ft (7.3 m). Her tonnages were 2,962 GRT and 1,723 NRT. She had a raked bow, cruiser stern, and well decks fore and aft. She had two masts, and her engine room; boiler room; superstructure; and single funnel were amidships.

Main engines

Rakuto Maru had one screw; driven by two engines. A four-cylinder compound engine drove her propeller shaft via single reduction gearing. Exhaust steam from the low-pressure cylinders of the reciprocating engine drove an exhaust steam turbine, which drove the same propeller shaft, but via double reduction gearing. The combined power of her two engines was rated at 109 NHP, or 2,000 ihp. It gave her a top speed of 13.9 knots (26 km/h); and a cruising speed of 11.5 knots (21 km/h).

Reduction gearing allowed the engine to run several times faster than the propeller. This meant that the reciprocating engine could be much smaller and lighter than one that ran at the same speed as the propeller. Rakuto Maru achieved almost the same performance with engines rated at 109 NHP as Sinkyo Maru did with a low-speed triple-expansion engine plus exhaust turbine, which together were rated at 171 NHP.

A British engineer, William Albert White, had invented a combination of a high-speed compound engine with single reduction gearing, and an exhaust steam turbine with double reduction gearing. In 1934 he had installed it in the cargo ship Adderstone, and in 1935 he installed a smaller version in the fishing trawler White Pioneer. Also in 1935, Uraga applied similar principles to Rakuto Maru and her two sisters.

From 1937 onward, Uraga built several more cargo ships to the same design as Rakuto Maru, and with the same combination of compound engine; exhaust turbine; and reduction gearing. In 1937, Yamabato Maru was completed for Yamashita Kisen KK, and Anshu Maru and Teishu Maru were completed for Chōsen Yusen KK. In 1938, Nikkai Maru was completed for Nissan Kisen KK; and Keiko Maru and Kanko Maru were completed for Osaka Shōsen KK. In 1939, Sinko Maru and Zuiko Maru were completed for Toa Kaiun KK.

Osaka Shōsen and Imperial Army career

Rakuto Maru was registered in Osaka. Her wireless telegraph call sign was JZMH. After her completion in September 1935, she made short-sea voyages twice a month for the rest of the year. One of these was to Rashin and Yuki in Chōsen, which are now Rason and Sonbong-guyok in North Korea.

Early in 1937, the Japanese Army requisitioned Rakuto Maru. The Second Sino-Japanese War began that July, and Rakuto Maru remained in Army service until early 1939, when she was returned to her owners.

Toa Kaiun and Imperial Navy career

On 12 August 1939, Toa Kaiun KK acquired Rakuto Maru. Her registration was transferred to Tokyo, although this was not recorded in Lloyd's Register until 1943.

On 10 November 1941, the Imperial Japanese Navy requisitioned Rakuto Maru. On 19 November she arrived at Osaka Iron Works at Innoshima, Hiroshima, to be converted into an auxiliary transport. An order issued the next day attached her to the Sasebo Naval District. On 1 December her conversion was completed, and she left Innoshima.

Rakuto Maru sailed via Osaka to Kure Naval Arsenal, where she was in port from 6 to 20 December. She left Kure in convoy with another auxiliary transport, Kunitsu Maru, escorted by the destroyer Wakatake. On 28 December the three ships reached Palau in the Caroline Islands. On 1 January 1942, Rakuto Maru left Palau in convoy with the auxiliary transports Chowa Maru and Kagu Maru, and the auxiliary oiler Kokuyo Maru. On 4 January she reached Davao in the Philippines. Later she moved to Daliao, about 8 nautical miles (15 km) southwest of Davao, where she joined the fleet assembling to invade the island of Tarakan in the Dutch East Indies. On 6 January 1942, the invasion fleet left Daliao, with Rakuto Maru in the Second Echelon. On 11 January the fleet landed troops on Tarakan. The Dutch garrison surrendered the next day, and Rakuto Maru left Tarakan on 27 January.

After the invasion of Tarakan, Rakuto Maru called at Balikpapan in Borneo; Jolo, Sulu; and Makassar, Sulawesi. On 23 February she left Kakassar in convoy with Okitsu Maru, Taito Maru, Toyosaka Maru, and Hino Maru No. 3, with an escort of destroyers. The next day, the United States Navy submarine USS Seal attacked the convoy. One of her torpedoes hit Okitsu Maru, but failed to detonate. The convoy continued on course, and on 25 February reached Bali. In the first week of March, Rakuto Maru supplied Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service units in southern Bali.

From Bali, Rakuto Maru sailed to Kupang in West Timor, where on 27 March she was slightly damaged in an Allied air raid. After Kupang called at Ambon, Maluku and Takao (now Kaohsiung) in Taiwan. On 10 April, while she was at sea between Ambon and Takao, Rakuto Maru was transferred from the Navy Air Service to the Kure Naval District. After Takao, Rakuto Maru called at Osaka; Seito (now Qingdao) in China); Fushiki in Toyama Prefecture; and Moji. On 23 May she reached Kure Naval Arsenal for her battle-damage to be repaired.

References

1. ^ Hackett, Bob (2013). "Rakuto Maru-Class Auxiliary Hospital Ship/Transport". Combined Fleet. Retrieved 26 November 2024.
2. ^ Casse, Gilbert; Hackett, Bob; Cundall, Peter (2018). "IJN Rakuto Maru". Combined Fleet. Retrieved 26 November 2024.
3. Casse, Gilbert; van der Wal, Berend; Cundall, Peter (2021). "IJN Daido Maru". Combined Fleet. Retrieved 26 November 2024.
4. Hackett, Bob (2013). "IJA Hospital/Cargo Ship Ryuko Maru". Combined Fleet. Retrieved 26 November 2024.
5. "Shinkyo Maru-Class Auxiliary Transport". Combined Fleet. Retrieved 26 November 2024.
6. ^ Lloyd's Register 1936, RAH–RAM
7. Lloyd's Register 1936, DAI.
8. Lloyd's Register 1936, RYO–RYU.
9. Hardy 1954, pp. 208, 251.
10. "Shinkyo Maru-Class Auxiliary Transport". Combined Fleet. Retrieved 26 November 2024.
11. Lloyd's Register 1936, SHI.
12. "Boswell". Shipping and Shipbuilding. Shipping and Shipbuilding Research Trust. Retrieved 26 November 2024.
13. "White Pioneer". Scottish Built Ships. Caledonian Maritime Research Trust. Retrieved 26 November 2024.
14. Lloyd's Register 1938, X–YAM.
15. Lloyd's Register 1938, ANN–ANT.
16. Lloyd's Register 1938, TEB–TEK.
17. Lloyd's Register 1939, NIE–NIK.
18. Lloyd's Register 1939, KED–KEJ.
19. Lloyd's Register 1939, KAN.
20. Lloyd's Register 1939, SIN.
21. Lloyd's Register 1939, ZIZ–ZUR.
22. Lloyd's Register 1939, RAG–RAL.
23. Lloyd's Register 1943, RAK–RAM.

Bibliography

• Hardy, AC (1954) . Modern Marine Engineering. Vol. I (revised ed.). London: Caxton Publishing.
• Lloyd's Register of Shipping. Vol. II.–Steamers and Motorships over 300 tons. London: Lloyd's Register of Shipping. 1936 – via Southampton City Council.
• Lloyd's Register of Shipping. Vol. II.–Steamers and Motorships of 300 tons gross and over. London: Lloyd's Register of Shipping. 1938 – via Southampton City Council.
• Lloyd's Register of Shipping. Vol. II.–Steamers and Motorships of 300 tons. Trawlers, tugs, dredgers, etc. London: Lloyd's Register of Shipping. 1939 – via Southampton City Council.
• Lloyd's Register of Shipping. Vol. II.–Steamers and Motorships of 300 tons. Trawlers, tugs, dredgers, etc. London: Lloyd's Register of Shipping. 1943 – via Southampton City Council.

v t e Shipwrecks and maritime incidents in September 1944
Shipwrecks	1 Sep: HMS Hurst Castle, Kehdingen, U-247 2 Sep: Empire Curzon, U-394 5 Sep: U-362 7 Sep: Shinyō Maru, (incident), Westfalen 8 Sep: Rex 9 Sep: Sava, U-484 10 Sep: U-20, U-23 11 Sep: Giulio Cesare, U-19 12 Sep: Korei Maru, Nankai Maru, USS Noa, Rakuto Maru, Rakuyō Maru, Shikinami 13 Sep: USS Perry, USS Warrington 14 Sep: Irene Oldendorff 16 Sep: I-364 17 Sep: Un'yō 18 Sep: Dr. Heinrich Wiegand, Gyōkū Maru, Jun'yō Maru 19 Sep: Isoshima, U-407, U-867 21 Sep: China Maru, Hōfuku Maru, Katsuriki, Noshiro Maru, Satsuki 22 Sep: Drache 23 Sep: Taranto, U-859 24 Sep: Akitsushima, Siberia Maru, T-120, Yaeyama 25 Sep: USS Miantonomah 26 Sep: Aotaka, Ro-47, Saga, U-871 27 Sep: HMS Rockingham, Ural Maru 28 Sep: Dragoner 29 Sep: U-863 30 Sep: U-565, U-596, U-1062 Unknown date: U-703, U-855, U-865, U-921
Other incidents	8–9 Sep: Yu 3001 12 Sep: USS Fullam 13 Sep: USS Segundo 14 Sep: USS Natchez, USS Temptress 15 Sep: Tirpitz 19 Sep: Jingei, U-565 24 Sep: U-565, U-596 26 Sep: Don Marquis Unknown date: Schwabenland
1943 1944 1945 August 1944 October 1944

[[Category:1935 ships [[Category:Cargo ships of Japan [[Category:Maritime incidents in September 1944 [[Category:Ships built by Uraga Dock Company [[Category:Ships sunk by US aircraft [[Category:Shipwrecks of the Philippines [[Category:World War II naval ships of Japan [[Category:World War II shipwrecks in the Pacific Ocean