SS Gyōkū Maru
Encyclopedia
{| was a cargo ship
that was built in 1941 as Empire Dragon by Hong Kong & Whampoa Dock Co Ltd
, Hong Kong for the Ministry of War Transport (MoWT). She was seized by the Japanese in 1942 and completed as Gyōkū Maru, serving until September 1944 when she was torpedoed and sunk by in the Yellow Sea
.
, Hong Kong.
The ship was 430 feet (131.1 m) long, with a beam of 57 feet (17.4 m). She was assessed at 6,854 GRT
.
The ship was propelled by a triple expansion steam engine.
On 22 August 1944, she was part of Convoy Namo 103 carrying evacuating civilians from Okinawa and attacked by USS Bowfin
. The fellow ship Tsushima Maru
was sank, but Gyōkū Maru escaped.
On 18 September 1944, Gyōkū Maru was torpedoed and sunk by in the Yellow Sea
(35°02′N 124°24′E).
Cargo ship
A cargo ship or freighter is any sort of ship or vessel that carries cargo, goods, and materials from one port to another. Thousands of cargo carriers ply the world's seas and oceans each year; they handle the bulk of international trade...
that was built in 1941 as Empire Dragon by Hong Kong & Whampoa Dock Co Ltd
Hong Kong and Whampoa Dock
Hong Kong and Whampoa Dock was a Hong Kong dockyard once among the largest dockyards in Asia. Founded in 1863 by Douglas Lapraik and Thomas Sutherland, the Hong Kong and Whampoa Dock Company...
, Hong Kong for the Ministry of War Transport (MoWT). She was seized by the Japanese in 1942 and completed as Gyōkū Maru, serving until September 1944 when she was torpedoed and sunk by in the Yellow Sea
Yellow Sea
The Yellow Sea is the name given to the northern part of the East China Sea, which is a marginal sea of the Pacific Ocean. It is located between mainland China and the Korean Peninsula. Its name comes from the sand particles from Gobi Desert sand storms that turn the surface of the water golden...
.
Description
The ship was built in 1941 by Hong Kong & Whampoa Dock Co LtdHong Kong and Whampoa Dock
Hong Kong and Whampoa Dock was a Hong Kong dockyard once among the largest dockyards in Asia. Founded in 1863 by Douglas Lapraik and Thomas Sutherland, the Hong Kong and Whampoa Dock Company...
, Hong Kong.
The ship was 430 feet (131.1 m) long, with a beam of 57 feet (17.4 m). She was assessed at 6,854 GRT
Gross Register Tonnage
Gross register tonnage a ship's total internal volume expressed in "register tons", one of which equals to a volume of . It is calculated from the total permanently enclosed capacity of the vessel. The ship's net register tonnage is obtained by reducing the volume of non-revenue-earning spaces i.e...
.
The ship was propelled by a triple expansion steam engine.
History
Empire Dragon was launched on 6 December 1941. In 1942, she was seized by the Japanese in an incomplete state and completed as Gyōkū Maru.On 22 August 1944, she was part of Convoy Namo 103 carrying evacuating civilians from Okinawa and attacked by USS Bowfin
USS Bowfin (SS-287)
USS Bowfin , Balao-class submarine, was a ship of the United States Navy named for the bowfin, a voracious, predatory fish native to the Great Lakes, the Mississippi valley, and nearby waters...
. The fellow ship Tsushima Maru
Tsushima Maru
Tsushima Maru was a Japanese unmarked passenger/cargo ship that was sunk while carrying hundreds of schoolchildren by the submarine USS Bowfin during World War II. The ship was on her way from Okinawa to Kagoshima. On August 22, 1944, at between 10:00 p.m. and 10:30 p.m...
was sank, but Gyōkū Maru escaped.
On 18 September 1944, Gyōkū Maru was torpedoed and sunk by in the Yellow Sea
Yellow Sea
The Yellow Sea is the name given to the northern part of the East China Sea, which is a marginal sea of the Pacific Ocean. It is located between mainland China and the Korean Peninsula. Its name comes from the sand particles from Gobi Desert sand storms that turn the surface of the water golden...
(35°02′N 124°24′E).