World War II Database

Contributor: C. Peter Chen

ww2dbaseJapanese ocean liner Asama Maru, operated by the firm Nippon Yusen Kaisha (NYK), was originally built for passenger travel between Asia and the west coast of the United States; she was the first ship built for NYK and was Japan's first diesel-powered passenger ship. She had one sister ship Tatsuta Maru, which was launched only a few months behind her. Her maiden voyage saw her departing Yokohama, Japan on 15 Sep 1929 for California, United States. Prior to the war, she made often visits to Hong Kong; Shanghai, China; Kobe, Japan; Yokohama, Japan; Honolulu, United States; Los Angeles, United States; and San Francisco, United States. On her fourth voyage from Yokohama to San Francisco, she broke the previous record for the short amount of time needed for the trip.

ww2dbaseOn 21 Jan 1940, Asama Maru was intercepted by British light cruiser HMS Liverpool 56 kilometers from the coast of Niijima, which was 163 kilometers south of Tokyo, Japan. The British sailors boarded the ship and removed 21 passengers suspected of being German sailors aboard the previously scuttled German liner Columbus before letting Asama Maru go. The government of Japan condemned this action as Japan and the United Kingdom had not engaged in war at the time.

ww2dbaseIn 1941, prior to the start of the Pacific War, Asama Maru was called into Japanese Navy service as a troop ship. Aside from troop transport missions, she also ferried Allied prisoners of war. On 1 Nov 1944, she was torpedoed by American submarine USS Atule in the South China Sea about 160 kilometers south of Pratas Islands (Dongsha Islands). Her civilian captain Ryozaburo Agawa was assumed to have been killed during the sinking.

Photographs

Asama Maru Operational Timeline

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