SS Yoshida Maru No. 1

Not to be confused with SS Yoshida Maru, which sank in January 1944.

History
Japan
Name	Yoshida Maru No. 1
Operator	Yamashita Kisen K. K.
Builder	Asano Shipbuilding Company, Tsurumi-ku, Yokohama
Completed	January 1919
In service	1919–1944
Fate	Torpedoed and sunk, 26 April 1944
General characteristics
Class & type	Type B standard cargo ship
Tonnage	5,425 GRT
Length	121.9 m (399 ft 11 in)
Beam	16.2 m (53 ft 2 in)
Height	9.8 m (32 ft 2 in)
Propulsion	1 triple expansion engine, single shaft, 1 screw
Speed	10 knots (19 km/h)
Notes	Steel construction

SS Yoshida Maru No. 1 (第一吉田丸) was a Japanese cargo ship owned by Yamashita Kisen K. K. The ship was built in 1919 by Asano Shipbuilding Company, at Tsurumi-ku, Yokohama, and sank on 26 April 1944 with great loss of life.

History

Yoshida Maru No. 1 was built at Tsurumi-ku, Yokohama in 1919. She was the first ship of her class

World War II

Yoshida Maru No. 1 was requisitioned as a transport ship by the Imperial Japanese Navy.

In April 1944, she departed Shanghai as part of the Take Ichi convoy carrying a full Japanese regiment of the 32nd Infantry Division. On April 26, 1944 she was spotted and sunk by the submarine USS Jack. There were no survivors from the 2,586 soldiers, 81 ship's crew, and 2 armed guards aboard at the time of sinking.

Ships In class

25 Type B standard cargo ships (B型標準貨物船, B-gata hyōjun kamotsusen) were built by Asano Shipyard (one was built at the Uraga Dock Company) between 1918 and 1919.

#	Ship	Launched	Commissioned	Operators	Fate	Notes
1	Yoshida Maru No. 1	January 1919	1919	Yamashita Kisen K. K. Imperial Japanese Navy	Torpedoed and sunk, 26 April 1944
2	Nichiai Maru	1 March 1919	1 April 1919	Suzuki Shoten Imperial Japanese Army	Sunk by air attack, 3 February 1944	Names: Yayoi Maru (1919–1938) Nichiai Maru (1938–1944)
3	Nichiryu Maru	1919	May 1919	Karafuto Kisen Kabushiki Kaisha Nissan Kissen Kabushiki Kaisha Imperial Japanese Army	Sunk by Australian aircraft on 6 January 1943	Names: Rozan Maru (1919–1931) Karafuto Maru (1931–1937) Nichiryu Maru (1937–1943)
4	Buyo Maru	5 February 1919	19 March 1919	Kokusai Kisan Kaisha (1919-1932) Tamai Shosen K.K. (1932-1941) Imperial Japanese Army (1941-1943)	Torpedoed and sunk, 26 January 1943
5	Kureha Maru
6	Choyo Maru
7	Malta Maru
8	Kashu Maru
9	Boston Maru
10	Koshun Maru
11	Uralsan Maru
12	Eri Maru
13	Clyde Maru
14	Havre Maru
15	Milan Maru
16	Biyo Maru
17	Meiyo Maru
19	Tokuyo Maru
20	Hoshu Maru
21	Reiyo Maru
22	Woyo Maru
23	Hayo Maru			Imperial Japanese Army
24	Juyo Maru
25	Koyo Maru

See also

• List by death toll of ships sunk by submarines

References

• Blair, Clay. (2001). Silent Victory: The U.S. Submarine War Against Japan. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 978-1-55750-217-9; OCLC 45207785
• David L Williams (2012). In the Shadow of the Titanic: Merchant Ships Lost With Greater Fatalities The History Press