View source for Japanese aircraft carrier Kumano Maru

{{Short description|Japanese landing craft carrier}}
{{good article}}
{{distinguish|text=[[Japanese cruiser Kumano]]}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2019}}
{|{{Infobox ship begin}}
{{Infobox ship image
|Ship image=Kumano Maru war's end.jpg
|Ship caption=Aerial view of disarmed ''Kumano Maru'', 1945
}}
{{Infobox ship class overview
|Name=
|Builders=
|Operators=[[File:War flag of the Imperial Japanese Army.svg|20px]] [[Imperial Japanese Army]]
|Class before={{ship|Japanese aircraft carrier|Akitsu Maru||6}}
|Class after=None
|Cost=
|Built range=1944–1947
|In commission range=
|Total ships planned=2
|Total ships completed=1
|Total ships scrapped=2
}}
{{Infobox ship career
|Hide header=
|Ship country=[[Empire of Japan]]
|Ship flag={{shipboxflag|Empire of Japan|naval}}
|Ship name=''Kumano Maru''
|Ship namesake=
|Ship ordered=
|Ship awarded=
|Ship builder=[[Hitachi Zosen|Hitachi Shipbuilding]], [[Innoshima]]
|Ship original cost=
|Ship yard number=
|Ship way number=
|Ship laid down=15 August 1944
|Ship launched=28 January 1945
|Ship sponsor=
|Ship christened=
|Ship completed=31 March 1945
|Ship commissioned=
|Ship recommissioned=
|Ship decommissioned=
|Ship in service=1945–1947
|Ship captured=15 August 1945
|Ship fate=[[ship breaking|Scrapped]], 4 November 1947
|Ship notes=
|Ship badge=
}}
{{Infobox ship characteristics
|Hide header=
|Header caption=
|Ship class=''Kumano Maru''-class aircraft carrier
|Ship type=[[Aircraft carrier]]/[[landing craft carrier]]
|Ship displacement= {{cvt|8128|t|LT|lk=on}}  ([[Displacement (ship)#Standard displacement|standard]])
|Ship length= {{convert|152|m|ftin|abbr=on}} ([[o/a]])
|Ship beam= {{convert|19.58|m|ftin|abbr=on}}
|Ship draught= {{convert|6.95|m|ft|0|abbr=on}} ([[deep load]])
|Ship propulsion=*2 shafts; 2 geared [[steam turbine]]s
|Ship speed= {{convert|19|or|20|kn|lk=in}}
|Ship range= {{convert|6000|nmi|abbr=on|lk=in}} at {{convert|17|kn}}
|Ship complement=*107
*1,664 (including troops)
|Ship armament=*8 × single [[Type 88 75 mm AA gun|{{cvt|75|mm|in|0}}]] [[AA gun]]s
* 6 × single [[Type 98 20 mm AA machine cannon|{{cvt|20|mm|in|1}}]] '''or''' [[Type 96 25 mm AT/AA Gun|{{cvt|25|mm|0}}]] AA guns
* 2 × single [[Type 96 and Type 97 150 mm infantry mortar|{{cvt|150|mm|1}}]] [[anti-submarine mortar]]s
|Ship power=* 3 × [[water-tube boiler]]s
*{{cvt|10000|shp|lk=on}}
|Ship aircraft=8
|Ship aircraft facilities=[[Arresting gear]]
|Ship notes=
}}
|}
{{nihongo|'''''Kumano Maru'''''|熊野丸}} was a [[landing craft carrier]] with a full-length [[flight deck]] built for the [[Imperial Japanese Army]] (IJA) during [[World War II]]. Completed in early 1945, fuel shortages meant that the ship never became operational during the war. She was turned over to the [[Allies of World War II|Allies]] at [[Kure, Hiroshima|Kure]] when [[surrender of Japan|Japan surrendered]] later that year. Before beginning to [[repatriate]] Japanese troops home, ''Kumano Maru'' was disarmed and modified to facilitate that mission. The ship continued to do so until she was sold for [[ship breaking|scrap]] in 1947.

==Background and description==
In March 1944 the IJA and the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) held a conference to decide how to better protect their merchant shipping from the heavy losses suffered at the hands of American [[submarine]]s. The IJN's [[escort carrier]]s had, at best, limited success in doing so thus far and the participants focused on improving the number of carriers available. The IJA proposed converting [[oil tanker]]s into escort carriers and agreed to forgo any further construction of [[Japanese aircraft carrier|''Akitsu Maru''-class]] [[landing craft carrier]]s with limited aviation facilities. The [[Imperial Japanese Navy Technical Department]] agreed to design the conversions while the [[Imperial Japanese Navy General Staff]] required that the Army's auxiliary escort carriers would be dedicated to protecting the merchant ships. The services agreed that the IJA would convert two standard ''Type M'' (military) {{GRT|9502|disp=adj}} [[cargo ship]]s into landing-craft carriers with full aviation facilities, beginning with ''Kumano Maru''.<ref name=l05/>
 
The ''Kumano Maru''-class ships had a [[Flush deck|flush-decked]] configuration that [[displacement (ship)|displaced]] {{convert|8128|t|LT|0|lk=on}} at [[Standard displacement#Standard displacement|standard load]],<ref name=j6/><ref name=c5/><ref name="gardiner"/> although naval historian Hans Lengerer states that they had a standard displacement of {{cvt|6314|t|LT}}.<ref name=l0>Lengerer, p. 260</ref> The ships had an [[length overall|overall length]] of {{convert|152|m|ftin}},<ref name=l5>Lengerer, p. 275</ref> a [[beam (nautical)|beam]] of {{convert|19.58|m|ftin}}<ref name=j6>Jentschura, Jung & Mickel, p. 61</ref><ref name=c5>Chesneau, p. 185</ref> and a [[draft (ship)|draft]] of {{convert|6.95|m|ftin}}. The [[flight deck]] was {{convert|110|m|ftin}} long, {{convert|21.5|m|ftin}} wide, and was fitted with a four-wire [[KYB Corporation|Kayaba]] [[arresting gear]] system. They had a single [[hangar]] that was served by a [[Elevator#Aircraft elevators|lift]] at the rear of the flight deck. A large [[crane (machine)|crane]] was fitted on the rear [[Port and starboard|port]] side of the ship. The intended air group of the ''Kumano Maru''s was to consist of eight [[Depth charge|depth-charge]] equipped [[Kokusai Ki-76]] [[liaison aircraft]]. If serving as an aircraft transport, the ships could fit 18 [[Nakajima Ki-84]] Hayate fighters on the flight deck and 17 more in the hangar.<ref name=l05>Lengerer, pp. 260, 275</ref> 

The carriers had two [[Kampon]] geared [[steam turbine]]s, each driving one [[propeller shaft]] using steam provided by three Kampon [[water-tube boiler]]s.<ref name=l6/> The fourth boiler cited in many sources<ref name="j6" /><ref name="gardiner"/><ref name=c5/> was a [[Scotch marine boiler|cylindrical]] [[donkey boiler]] for the ship's steam-powered machinery.<ref name=f0>Fukui, p. 100</ref> The turbines were rated at a total of {{convert|10000|shp|lk=on}} for a speed of {{convert|19|kn|lk=in}}<ref name="j6" /><ref name="gardiner"/><ref name=c5/> or {{convert|20|kn}}. The ''Kumano Maru''s had a range of {{convert|6000|nmi|lk=in}} at {{convert|17|kn}}.<ref name=l6>Lengerer, p. 276</ref> Their [[Funnel (ship)|funnel]]s were positioned on the [[starboard]] side and vented horizontally outward to keep the flight deck clear.<ref name="gardiner"/> Their [[bridge (nautical)|bridge]]s were located under the forward edge of the flight deck. Their crew consisted of 107 men; including embarked troops, the ships' complement numbered 1,664.<ref name=l05/> 

The ''Kumano Maru''-class carriers were classified as ''M Type C'' landing ships by the IJA.<ref name=l0/> They could carry up to a dozen {{convert|56|ft|m|adj=on|1|disp=flip}} [[Toku Daihatsu-class landing craft]] and thirteen {{convert|46|ft|m|0|adj=on|disp=flip}} [[Daihatsu-class landing craft]] in their [[hold (ship)|holds]] that were launched on rails through two large doors in the [[stern]].<ref name="gardiner">Sturton, p. 214</ref>

===Armament===
[[File:KumanoMaru-1945.jpg|thumb|left|A close-up of the ship at war's end]]
[[Anti-aircraft warfare|Air defence]] for the carriers consisted of eight [[Type 88 75 mm AA gun|{{cvt|75|mm|in|0}} Type 88]] [[anti-aircraft gun|anti-aircraft (AA) guns]] on single mounts below the flight deck; three on the starboard side and five on the port side.<ref name=l16>Lengerer, pp. 261, 276</ref> These fired {{convert|6.5|kg|lb|abbr=on}} projectiles at a [[muzzle velocity]] of {{convert|720|m/s|ft/s|abbr=on}}.<ref>Campbell, p. 198</ref> These were supplemented by six [[autocannon]] on single mounts; two on platforms in front of the flight deck and the remainder on a platform aft of the flight deck. Sources disagree whether they were Army [[Type 98 20 mm AA machine cannon|{{cvt|20|mm|in|1}} Type 98]] guns<ref name=l6/> or Navy [[Type 96 25 mm AT/AA Gun|{{cvt|25|mm|0}} Type 96]] guns.<ref name="j6" /><ref name="gardiner"/><ref name=c5/> The Type 98 gun fired its {{cvt|136|g|oz}} shells at a practical rate of 100 [[Cartridge (firearms)|rounds]] per minute,<ref>Ness, p. 177</ref> while the Type 96 gun had a [[rate of fire]] for its {{cvt|250|g|oz}} shells of about 110 rounds per minute.<ref>Campbell, p. 200</ref>

The ships were also equipped with two single [[Type 96 and Type 97 150 mm infantry mortar|{{cvt|150|mm|1}}]] [[anti-submarine mortar]]s on platforms at the [[bow (ship)|bow]] and stern.<ref name=l16/> They fired {{convert|27|kg|adj=on}} shells to a range of {{convert|4500|m|yd}}.<ref>Campbell, p. 213</ref>

==Construction and career==
[[File:KumanoMaru-1947.jpg|thumb|upright=1.0|''Kumano Maru'' in 1947 as a repatriation transport]]
''Kumano Maru'' was [[laid down]] at the [[Hitachi Zosen|Hitachi Shipbuilding]] [[shipyard]] at [[Innoshima]], near [[Kure, Hiroshima|Kure]], as a standard wartime cargo ship on 15 August 1944 and was converted into her aircraft-carrier configuration while under construction. The ship was [[Ship naming and launching|launched]] on 28 January 1945 and was attacked by 13 [[Grumman F6F Hellcat]] and 14 [[Vought F4U Corsair]] fighters on 19 March during the American [[Attack on Kure (March 1945)|air raid on the Kure area]]. Undamaged during the attack, she was completed on 31 March.<ref name=hc>Hackett & Cundall</ref> [[Fuel oil]] shortages caused the Japanese to consider removing her turbines and converting the ship's boilers to burn coal, but nothing was ultimately done. ''Kumano Maru'' never became operational during the war.<ref name=l0/>

The ship was turned over to the Allies on 15 August when Japan surrendered and was disarmed. To improve her suitability for the task of repatriating Japanese forces abroad, her horizontal funnel was replaced by a vertical one<ref name=hc/> and four large [[Lifeboat (shipboard)|lifeboat]]s was added on [[davit]]s that overhung the flight deck. ''Kumano Maru'' remained on repatriation duty until she was sold for scrap to [[Kawasaki Shipbuilding Corporation|Kawasaki]] in 1947; demolition began at their [[Kobe]] facility on 4 November and lasted until 1 September 1948.<ref>Lengerer, pp. 263, 275</ref>

==Notes==
{{reflist}}

==Bibliography==
*{{cite book|last=Campbell|first=John|title=Naval Weapons of World War II|year=1985|publisher=Naval Institute Press |location=Annapolis, Maryland|isbn=0-87021-459-4}}
* {{cite book|last=Chesneau|first=Roger|title=Aircraft Carriers of the World, 1914 to the Present: An Illustrated Encyclopedia|edition=New, revised|year=1995|publisher=Naval Institute Press|location=Annapolis, Maryland|isbn=0-87021-902-2|url-access=registration |url=https://archive.org/details/aircraftcarriers00ches}}
* {{cite book|last=Fukui|first=Shizuo|title=Japanese Naval Vessels at the End of World War II|publisher=Greenhill Books|location=London|year=1991|isbn=1-85367-125-8}}
* {{cite web|url=http://www.combinedfleet.com/KumanoM_t.htm|title=IJA Landing Craft Depot Ship ''Kumano Maru'': Tabular Record of Movement|last=Hackett|first=Bob|last2=Cundall|first2=Peter |date=May 2016|publisher=CombinedFleet.com|access-date=1 April 2024|name-list-style=amp}}
* {{cite book| last = Jentschura| first = Hansgeorg| first2 = Dieter |last2=Jung|first3=Peter |last3=Mickel| year = 1977| title = Warships of the Imperial Japanese Navy, 1869–1945| publisher = United States Naval Institute| location = Annapolis, Maryland| isbn =0-87021-893-X|name-list-style=amp}}
*{{cite book |last1=Lengerer |first1=Hans |title=The Aircraft Carriers of the Imperial Japanese Navy and Army: Technical and Operational History |date=2023 |publisher=Model Hobby |location=Katowice, Poland |isbn=978-83-60041-71-0|volume=II}}
*{{cite book |last1=Ness |first1=Leland |title=Rikkugun: Guide to Japanese Ground Forces 1937–1945 |date=2015 |publisher=Helion |location=Solihull, UK |isbn=978-1-909982-75-8|volume= 2: Weapons of the Imperial Japanese Army & Navy Ground Forces}}
* {{cite book|title=Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1922–1946|editor1-last=Chesneau|editor1-first=Roger |publisher=Conway Maritime Press|location=Greenwich, UK|year=1980|isbn=0-85177-146-7|chapter=Japan|first=Ian |last=Sturton|pages=167–217}}

{{WWII Japanese ships}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kumano Maru}}
[[Category:Escort carriers of the Imperial Japanese Army]]
[[Category:World War II escort carriers of Japan]]
[[Category:Amphibious warfare vessels of Japan]]

[[Category:Ships built by Hitachi Zosen Corporation]]
[[Category:1945 ships]]
[[Category:Postwar Japan]]
[[Category:Kawasaki Heavy Industries]]