Japanese aircraft carrier Yamashio Maru

Yamashio Maru[1] (山汐丸 ?) was a Japanese escort carrier of the Second World War converted from a merchant tanker for use by the Imperial Japanese Army. It was sunk by American aircraft before it could be operationally used as a carrier. {| class="toc" id="toc"

Contents
[hide] *1 Construction
 * 2 Operational history
 * 3 Photo
 * 4 Notes
 * 5 References
 * 6 External links
 * }

Construction
In 1944, the Japanese Army, had already converted two passenger liners into combined assault ship and aircraft carriers, when it decided to acquire its own escort carriers to provide air cover for Troop convoys. It therefore chartered two partly built Type 2TL Tankers, the Yamashio Maru (being built by Mitsubishi at Yokohama) and the Chigusa Maru, for conversion to basic auxiliary escort carriers.[2]

The conversion was extremely simple, with a 107 m (410 ft) long flush flight deck added. There was no hangar, the ship's eight Ki-76s being stored on deck. Defensive armament consisted of sixteen 25 mm anti aircraft guns, with a depth charge projector forward.[3]

Operational history
Yamashio Maru commissioned on 27 January 1945, was sunk by US aircraft 21 days later, on 17 February 1945.[3] Plans were drawn up for conversion to a coal burning freighter,[2] but she was never used as a carrier. Her sister ships, Chigusa Maru and Zuiun Maru, were incomplete when Japan surrendered and served as Tankers postwar.[3]

Photo

 * Chigusa Maru postwar (2nd sister)
 * Zuiun Maru postwar (3rd sister)