Japanese seaplane tender Kimikawa Maru

Kimikawa Maru
History
Empire of Japan
Name	Kimikawa Maru
Builder	Kawasaki Shipyards
Laid down	2 November 1936
Launched	11 March 1937
Completed	15 July 1937
Commissioned	Requisitioned 6 July 1941
In service	1937
Out of service	1944
Fate	Sunk by USS Sawfish on 23 October 1944
General characteristics
Displacement	9,687 tons standard
Length	146.1 m (479 ft 4 in)
Beam	18.97 m (62 ft 3 in)
Speed	17 knots (31 km/h; 20 mph)
Armament	18 November 1943 76 mm AA guns removed, replaced with 120 mm AA guns. Also had 80 mm AA guns, 2 x 13.2 mm (0.52 in) AA added 15 August 1943
Aircraft carried	8 seaplanes

Kimikawa Maru was a seaplane tender of the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN). The ship was built by the Kawasaki Dockyard Co. at Kobe as a cargo ship for Kawasaki Kisen K. K. line. In July 1941 the ship was taken over by the IJN and converted into an auxiliary seaplane tender. She was able to operate six Aichi E13A "Jake" floatplanes. She operated in northern waters including the capture of Kiska and Attu Island. She was re-rated a converted transport (Miscellaneous) on 1 October 1943. After conversion the ship operated in the Philippines and the Dutch East Indies. On 23 October 1944 she was sunk by USS Sawfish in the South China Sea north north west of Cape Bojeador, Luzon, Philippines (18°58′N 118°40′E / 18.967°N 118.667°E / 18.967; 118.667).

• IJN Seaplane Tender KIMIKAWA MARU: Tabular Record of Movement

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