SS Kembu Maru (1942)

History

Japanese Empire
Name:	Empire Blossom (1942-43) Kembu Maru (1943)
Owner:	Japanese Government (1942-43)
Operator:	Imperial Japanese Navy
Builder:	Taikoo Dockyard & Engineering Company, Hong Kong
Yard number:	303
Laid down:	May 1941
Launched:	1942
Completed:	February 1943
Out of service:	4 December 1943
Fate:	Bombed and sunk, 4 December 1943
General characteristics
Tonnage:	6,816 GRT 9,925 DWT
Length:	137.20 m (450 ft 2 in)
Beam:	17.30 m (56 ft 9 in)
Propulsion:	1 x triple expansion steam engine
Armament:	1 x 5" gun

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.

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,^[1] as yard number 303.^[2] The ship was completed in February 1943. She was 137.20 metres (450 ft 2 in) long, with a beam of 17.30 metres (56 ft 9 in). On completion she was 6,816 GRT, 9,925 DWT. She was powered by a triple expansion steam engine.^[2]

Career

The engine and boilers intended for Empire Blossom were sent to Singapore on 1 December 1941 aboard the SS Ulysees of Holt Line.^[1] 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.^[2]^[3]

On 4 August 1943, Kembu Maru was damaged by USS Seadragon at 07°33′N 161°12′E / 7.550°N 161.200°E / 7.550; 161.200.^[4] On 4 December 1943, Kembu Maru was bombed and torpedoed by aircraft from USS Lexington. 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 10,000 feet (3,000 m) being seen.^[3] At the time of her sinking she was in the Kwajalein Atoll (09°19′N 167°25′E / 9.317°N 167.417°E / 9.317; 167.417Coordinates: 09°19′N 167°25′E / 9.317°N 167.417°E / 9.317; 167.417).^[2]

References

1 2 Mitchell, W H, and Sawyer, L A (1995). The Empire Ships. London, New York, Hamburg, Hong Kong: Lloyd's of London Press Ltd. ISBN 1-85044-275-4.
1 2 3 4 "5617419". Miramar Ship Index. Retrieved 27 November 2009. (subscription required (help)).
1 2 "Kembu Maru". Pacific Wrecks. Retrieved 27 November 2009.
↑ "4 August, Wed.". Ibiblio. Retrieved 27 November 2009.

Empire ships beginning with Empire B

Cargo ships	Empire Baffin Empire Balfour Empire Balham Empire Ballad Empire Ballantyne Empire Bank¹ Empire Banner Empire Barbados² Empire Bard² Empire Bardolph³ Empire Baron Empire Barracuda Empire Barrie Empire Baxter Empire Bay Empire Beacon¹ Empire Beaconsfield Empire Beatrice Empire Beaumont Empire Beauty Empire Beaver³ Empire Bede Empire Bell Empire Bermuda Empire Birdsay Empire Bison Empire Blackwater Empire Blanda Empire Blessing Empire Blossom Empire Bond Empire Boswell Empire Bowman Empire Boy Empire Breeze Empire Bridge¹ Empire Brigade Empire Bromley¹ Empire Brook¹ Empire Bruce Empire Brutus Empire Buckler Empire Buffalo Empire Builder Empire Bulbul¹ Empire Bunting Empire Burton Empire Buttress Empire Byng² Empire Byron

Landing ships	Empire Baltic Empire Battleaxe Empire Broadsword

Ocean liners	Empire Bittern Empire Brent Empire Bure⁴

Tankers	Empire Bairn¹ Empire Barkis¹ Empire Barnaby¹ Empire Belgrave¹ Empire Benefit Empire Beresford Empire Billow¹ Empire Bombardier Empire Bounty Empire Boxer¹ Empire Bronze Empire Bute¹

Tugs	Empire Barbara⁵ Empire Bascobel Empire Becky⁵ Empire Belle⁵ Empire Ben⁵ Empire Bess Empire Betsy⁵ Empire Birch⁵ Empire Bracken⁵

A B Ca–Cl Co–Cy D E F G H I–J K L M N O P R Sa–Sh Si–Sy Ta–Te Th–Ty U–Z

1 Coaster 2 Heavy lift ship 3 Refrigerated Cargo Ship 4 Cargo liner 5 Coastal tug

Shipwrecks and maritime incidents in August 1943

Shipwrecks	1 Aug: U-383, U-454 2 Aug: USS PT-109, U-106 3 Aug: U-335, U-572, U-706 4 Aug: Fort La Montee, U-489 5 Aug: USS Plymouth, U-34 6 Aug: Arashi, Hagikaze, Kawakaze 7 Sep: U-84, U-117, U-615 9 Aug: U-664 11 Aug: U-468, U-525, U-604 12 Aug: Clan Macarthur 13 Aug: USS John Penn 14 Aug: HMS Saracen 16 Aug: Empire Kestrel 18 Aug: U-403 19 August: I-17 20 Aug: U-197, U-670 23 Aug: USS Crow, Riilahti, USS SC-694 24 Aug: Erg, U-134, U-185 25 Aug: U-523 27 Aug: HMS Egret, U-847 28 Aug: U-639 29 Aug: Niels Juel 30 Aug: U-634 Unknown date: HMS Parthian, SA 7

Other incidents	4 Aug: HMS Arrow, Kembu Maru 10 Aug: USS Brant

1942 1943 1944 July 1943 September 1943

Shipwrecks and maritime incidents in December 1943

Shipwrecks	2 Dec: Fort Athabaska, John Harvey, Norlom 4 Dec: Chūyō, Kembu Maru 12 Dec: HMS Holcombe, HMS Tynedale 13 Dec: Friedrich Bischoff, U-172, U-391, U-593 15 Dec: Nevada 16 Dec: U-73 17 Dec: USS APc-21 18 Dec: HMS Felixstowe, Numakaze 20 Dec: U-850 21 Dec: Norhauk 22 Dec: Niobe 24 Dec: Dumana, USS Leary, U-645 25 Dec: HMS Hurricane 26 Dec: USS Brownson, Scharnhorst 28 Dec: Axum, T-25, T-26, Z27 29 Dec: Protée 31 Dec: HMS Clacton Unknown date: U-972

Other incidents	13 Dec: U-345 23 Dec: HMS Worcester

1942 1943 1944 November 1943 January 1944

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