Akitsu Maru Japanese Army Aircraft Carrier

Originally designed as a passenger liner, Akitsu Maru was taken over by the Imperial Japanese Army and converted to an aircraft carrier. The ship was fitted with a flight deck above the hull, but had no hangar so the aircraft were stored below the flight deck on the original main deck. Conventional aircraft were able to fly off from her deck but could not land aboard due to lack of landing mechanisms, although in July 1944 KX arresting gear was fitted on the flight deck.

Her planned role was to provide air cover during amphibious and landing operations; in practice the ship was essentially an aircraft ferry.

On 18 November 1943, while in company with the torpedo boat Tomozuru, she was torpedoed off the entrance to Manila Bay by the United States submarine Crevalle. Crevalle incorrectly reported her as sunk.

She was sunk by the United States submarine Queenfish on 15 November 1944. There were 2,046 men, mainly of the IJA’s 64th Infantry Regiment, who were killed.

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