SS Kembu Maru (1942)
Encyclopedia
Kembu Maru was a 6,816 GRT cargo ship
which was built in 1941 Taikoo Dockyard & Engineering Company of Hong Kong Ltd
. She was built as Empire Blossom and was ready to be launched when Hong Kong was invaded
by Japan in December 1941. The ship was completed by the Japanese and put into service. On 4 December 1943 she was sunk by American
bombing at Kwajalein Atoll.
on 1 December 1941 aboard the SS Ulysees of Holt Line. The ship was launched as Empire Blossom. It was completed in February 1943 and put into service by the Imperial Japanese Navy
as Kembu Maru.
On 4 August 1943, Kembu Maru was damaged by at 07°33′N 161°12′E. On 4 December 1943, Kembu Maru was bombed and torpedo
ed by aircraft from . She was carrying a cargo of aviation fuel in drums. The bombing caused the ship to explode and sink immediately, with a column of smoke 10000 feet (3,048 m) being seen. At the time of her sinking she was in the Kwajalein Atoll (09°19′N 167°25′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...
which was built in 1941 Taikoo Dockyard & Engineering Company of Hong Kong Ltd
Taikoo Dockyard
Taikoo Dockyard and Engineering Company was a dockyard located in the present-day Taikoo Shing and part of Taikoo Place of Quarry Bay on the north shore of Hong Kong Island in Hong Kong.-History:...
. She was built as Empire Blossom and was ready to be launched when Hong Kong was invaded
Battle of Hong Kong
The Battle of Hong Kong took place during the Pacific campaign of World War II. It began on 8 December 1941 and ended on 25 December 1941 with Hong Kong, then a Crown colony, surrendering to the Empire of Japan.-Background:...
by Japan in December 1941. The ship was completed by the Japanese and put into service. On 4 December 1943 she was sunk by American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
bombing at Kwajalein Atoll.
Description
Empire Blossom was built as a 6,603 GRT cargo ship by Taikoo Dockyard & Engineering Company of Hong Kong Ltd. She was laid down in May 1941, as yard number 303. The ship was completed in February 1943. She was 137.2 metre long, with a beam of 17.3 metre. On completion she was 6,816 GRT, 9,925 DWT. She was powered by a triple expansion steam engine.Career
The engine and boilers intended for Empire Blossom were sent to SingaporeSingapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
on 1 December 1941 aboard the SS Ulysees of Holt Line. The ship was launched as Empire Blossom. It was completed in February 1943 and put into service by the Imperial Japanese Navy
Imperial Japanese Navy
The Imperial Japanese Navy was the navy of the Empire of Japan from 1869 until 1947, when it was dissolved following Japan's constitutional renunciation of the use of force as a means of settling international disputes...
as Kembu Maru.
On 4 August 1943, Kembu Maru was damaged by at 07°33′N 161°12′E. On 4 December 1943, Kembu Maru was bombed and torpedo
Torpedo
The modern torpedo is a self-propelled missile weapon with an explosive warhead, launched above or below the water surface, propelled underwater towards a target, and designed to detonate either on contact with it or in proximity to it.The term torpedo was originally employed for...
ed by aircraft from . She was carrying a cargo of aviation fuel in drums. The bombing caused the ship to explode and sink immediately, with a column of smoke 10000 feet (3,048 m) being seen. At the time of her sinking she was in the Kwajalein Atoll (09°19′N 167°25′E).