SS-class landing ship

SS No.19
Class overview
Name	SS-class landing ship
Builders	Harima Zōsen Corporation Fujinagata Shipyards Ōsaka Iron Works Naniwa Dock Company Kawanami Kōgyō Corporation
Operators	Imperial Japanese Army
Succeeded by	SB-class
Subclasses	SS No.1 (Prototype) SS No.2 (Supplementary Prototype) SS No.3 (General production type)
Built	1941–1945
In service	1942–1947
In commission	1944–?
Planned	over 30
Completed	18 or 21 or 22
Lost	?
Retired	?
General characteristics SS No.3 class
Displacement	730 long tons (742 t) gross
Length	65.00 m (213 ft 3 in) overall
Beam	9.50 m (31 ft 2 in)
Draught	2.89 m (9 ft 6 in)
Draft	5.65 m (18 ft 6 in)
Propulsion	2 × intermediate diesels, 2 shafts, 1,100 bhp or 1,200 bhp
Speed	14.0 knots (16.1 mph; 25.9 km/h) or 14.5 knots (16.7 mph; 26.9 km/h) or 13.7 knots (15.8 mph; 25.4 km/h)
Range	3,000 nmi (5,600 km) at 13.4 kn (15.4 mph; 24.8 km/h)
Capacity	5 tanks and 170 troops
Complement	40
Armament	1 × Type 4 75 mm shipboard gun 1 × Type 96 150 mm Infantry Mortar 3 × Type 98 20 mm AA guns

The SS-class landing ship (SS艇 or 機動艇,, SS-tei or Kidōtei) was a class of amphibious assault ships of the Imperial Japanese Army, serving during World War II. The SS meaning are Sensha-Small.

Background

Gorō Maru in 1939

• October 1938, the IJA succeeded the amphibious operations for Bias Bay with Shinshū Maru. However, long time needed for the operations, because they used low speed landing craft. Therefore, the damage was big, too.
• The IJA thought about amphibious warfare for "small damage" and "quick action".
• In 1939-1940, the IJA repeated an experiment with Gorō Maru (300 tons gross) and Yorihime Maru (526 tons gross). And they analyzed experiment data and placed an order for prototype Kōryū (later SS No.1).
• The IJN was interested in second prototype Banryū (later SS No.2). As for the IJN, 16 ships placed an order, However, they adopted No.101-class, the ordering was canceled.

Ships in classes

SS No.1

• Kōryū / SS No. 1 (蛟龍, 機動第一号艇)

Builder	Harima Zōsen Corporation
Laid down	18 July 1941
Launched	26 January 1942
Completed	7 April 1942
Displacement	641 long tons (651 t) gross
Length	53.9 m (176 ft 10 in) overall
Beam	9.00 m (29 ft 6 in)
Draught	3.20 m (10 ft 6 in)
Propulsion	2 × intermediate diesels, 2 shafts, 1,246 bhp
Speed	14.56 knots (16.76 mph; 26.97 km/h)

SS No.2

• Banryū / SS No. 2 (蟠龍, 機動第二号艇)

Builder	Harima Zōsen Corporation
Laid down	8 August 1942
Launched	17 May 1943
Completed	30 July 1943
Displacement	730 long tons (742 t) gross
Length	63.02 m (206 ft 9 in) overall
Beam	9.60 m (31 ft 6 in)
Draught	4.00 m (13 ft 1 in)
Propulsion	2 × intermediate diesels, 2 shafts, 1,284 bhp
Speed	13.96 knots (16.06 mph; 25.85 km/h)
Fate	Sunk in action on 24 September 1944

SS No.3 class

• Kairyū / SS No.3 (海龍, 機動第三号艇)
• SS No.4, Sunk in action on 12 October 1944
• SS No.5, Sunk in action on 30 November 1944
• SS No.6, Sunk in action on 7 December 1944
• SS No.7
• SS No.8, Sunk in action on 19 November 1944
• SS No.9, Sunk in action on 6 December 1944
• SS No.10, went missing on the night of December 1-2, and lost with all hands after departing Palompon, Leyte. USS Conway, USS Cony, USS Eaton, and USS Sigourney, all (United States Navy) did report sinking an enemy vessel in the area the convoy would have been in.

• SS No.11
• SS No.12, Sunk in action on 21 January 1945
• SS No.13
• SS No.14, Sunk in action on 22 May 1945
• SS No.15
• SS No.16
• SS No.17
• SS No.18
• SS No.19
• SS No.20

• SS No.21
• SS No.22, Sunk in action on 10 August 1945

See also

• No.101 class landing ship
• Landing craft tank

Bibliography

• Monthly Armor Modelling special issue, Navy Yard Vol.9 Tora! Tora! Tora! part-2, Dainippon Kaiga (Japan), November 2008
• Rekishi Gunzō, History of Pacific War Vol.37, Support Vessels of the Imperial Japanese Forces, Gakken (Japan), June 2002, ISBN 4-05-602780-3
• Ships of the World No.506, "Kaijinsha"., (Japan), February 1996
• 50 year History of Harima Zōsen, Harima Zōsen Corporation, November 1960