JAPANESE PASSENGER LINER NITTA-MARU

The Nitta Maru was a Japanese passenger ship (so-called transatlantic) from the interwar period and World War II. The keel for this unit was laid in 1938, the launch took place in May 1939, and entry into service took place in 1940. The total length of the ship was 170 meters and a width of 22.5 meters. The maximum speed did not exceed 22-23 knots. At the time of launching, the vessel had no on-board armament. Nitta Maru was able to take up to 285 passengers on board. The Nitta Maru was built at the Nagasaki shipyard owned by Mitsubishi as the leader of its class. At the time of designing, it was assumed that the ship would provide the highest possible comfort of travel - especially for first-class passengers - which, among other things, resulted in the installation of an air-conditioning system in the cabins. It was assumed that the unit would serve connections, especially between Japan and Europe. However, from the moment of launching to the beginning of 1941, the unit operated mainly on the connection with the USA, calling most often at the port of San Francisco. In 1942, Nitta Maru was taken over by the Japanese Navy and converted into a Chuyo escort carrier.