The Pacific War Online Encyclopedia
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| Tonnage | 11,621 tons standard |
| Dimensions | 535'8" by 66'1" by 30'3" 163.27m by 20.14m by 9.22m |
| Maximum speed | 17 knots |
| Complement | 331 |
| Machinery |
2-shaft diesel (11,000 bhp) |
The Hikawa Maru
was completed in 1930. One of
several similar ocean liners built for the Nippon Yusen line, she was
commandeered by the Imperial Japanese Navy and converted to a hospital
ship, while her sister ships Heian Maru and Hie Maru became submarine tenders. As a hospital ship, Hikawa Maru was not a legitimate military target, a rule of international
law the
Allies usually respected. As
a result, although she was damaged by a mine off Singapore on 14 February 1945, she managed to survive
the war, the
only large Japanese ocean liner to do so.
Postwar, she repatriated large numbers of Japanese
servicemen before returning to liner service. She is now a popular
floating restaurant at Yokohama.
References
Cressman (1998; accessed 2011-12-29)
CombinedFleet.com (accessed 2011-12-29)
Jentschura, Jung, and Mickel (1977)
The Pacific War Online Encyclopedia © 2007, 2011 by Kent G. Budge. Index
