Japanese landing craft carrier Akitsu Maru

Akitsu Maru (あきつ丸) was a "Type C" landing craft carrier with a full-length flight deck built for the Imperial Japanese Army (IJA) during World War II. The ship was originally a passenger liner taken over by the IJA before completion.

Akitsu Maru's planned role was to provide aircover during amphibious and landing operations; in practice the ship was essentially an aircraft ferry.^[1]

In some sources, Akitsu Maru (and Nigitsu Maru)^[a] are considered to be the first amphibious assault ships. Although, this title can be disputed with the earlier 8,000-tonne (7,900-long-ton) Shinshū Maru that served a similar role, and being a template for Akitsu Maru. With the deployment of the Shinshū Maru and the larger, further refined Akitsu Maru, the Japanese amphibious forces had in hand prototypes for all-purpose amphibious ships.^[2]

In 1937, British and American observers watched Shinshū Maru at work off Shanghai and immediately recognized a significant development in amphibious warfare. It also carried two catapults for aircraft but did not embark operational seaplanes. It could, however, transport and unload aircraft if necessary, a capability further developed in the Akitsu Maru, which even had a short take-off flight deck.^[2]

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. The Kokusai Ki-76 and Kayaba Ka-1 were flown off Akitsu Maru, as the former was a small, slow aircraft that could land on its short deck and the latter was an autogyro which could even more easily land on a short deck without assistance.

The ship carried 27 Daihatsu-class landing craft in a well deck that could be flooded, which allowed the landing craft to float free from an open stern gate. The ship could also hold additional craft on davits, but its next-most impressive function was an ability to discharge vehicles from a deck-level parking garage directly onto a pier.

On 14 November, she departed for Singapore as part of Convoy HI-81. On 15 November 1944, Akitsu Maru was torpedoed by USS Queenfish; One of the torpedoes set off her aft magazine holding depth charges, the explosion shattering the aft portion of the ship; As the seas hit her boilers, they exploded and she sank in the Korean Strait (33°17′N 128°11′E / 33.283°N 128.183°E / 33.283; 128.183).^[3] 2,046 men, mainly of the Imperial Japanese Army's 64th Infantry Regiment, including the commander, were killed. Also 104 Maru-ni EMB explosive motorboats went down with the ship. The escorts rescued 310 survivors.^[4]

• Akitsu Maru profile on a US recognition manual
• 75 mm (3 in) Type 38 field gun on an army ship mount
• Ki-76 spotter planes on the deck of Akitsu Maru
• Japanese Kayaba(カ号) Ka-1 autogyro

• Imperial Japanese Army Railways and Shipping Section

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• Murray, Williamson; Millet, Alan R. (1998). Military innovation in the interwar period (1st paperback ed.). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-1-107-26688-9. OCLC 852896224.
• Cressman, Robert (2000). The Official Chronology of the U.S. Navy in World War II. Naval Institute Press. ISBN 1-55750-149-1.
• Worth, Richard (2002). Fleets of World War II. Da Capo Press. ISBN 0-306-81116-2.
• Lengerer, Hans (2023). The Aircraft Carriers of the Imperial Japanese Navy and Army: Technical and Operational History. Vol. II. Model Hobby. ISBN 978-83-60041-71-0.
• Hackett, Bob; Cundall, Peter (2024) [2021]. "IJA Landing Craft Depot Ship AKITSU MARU: Tabular Record of Movement". combinedfleet.com. Retrieved 4 December 2025.

• "ビフォアーアフター 揚陸艦 あきつ丸 （1942）→ 航空母艦 あきつ丸 （1944)" [Before and After: Amphibious assault ship Akitsu Maru (1942) → Aircraft carrier Akitsu Maru (1944)]. mokei358.club (in Japanese). 4 January 2025 [25 May 2024]. Retrieved 18 March 2026.