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Hikawa Maru on 22 March 1930
Class overview
Name	Hikawa Maru class ocean liners
Builders	Yokohama Dock Company Ōsaka Iron Works
Operators	Nippon Yūsen (NYK Line) Government of Japan Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN)
Cost	Hikawa Maru and Hie Maru 6,550,000 JPY Heian Maru 6,650,000 JPY
Built	1928 – 1930
In commission	1930 – 1960
Planned	3
Completed	3
Lost	2
Retired	1
Preserved	1
General characteristics
Type	Ocean liner
Tonnage	Hikawa Maru 11,622 grt Hie Maru 11,621 grt Heian Maru11,615 grt
Length	163.3 m (535 ft 9 in) overall
Beam	20.1 m (65 ft 11 in)
Draught	12.5 m (41 ft 0 in)
Propulsion	2 × B&W-Ikegai diesels 2 shafts Hikawa Maru 11,000 bhp Hie Maru 13,122 bhp Heian Maru 13,404 bhp
Speed	Hikawa Maru 18.2 knots (20.9 mph; 33.7 km/h) Hie Maru 18.5 knots (21.3 mph; 34.3 km/h) Heian Maru 18.4 knots (21.2 mph; 34.1 km/h)
Capacity	Hikawa Maru and Hie Maru 331 passengers (76 first class, 69 tourist class, 186 third class) Heian Maru 330 passengers (76 first class, 69 tourist class, 185 third class)
Crew	130
Armament	Hie Maru and Heian Maru, 1942 4 × 150 mm (5.9 in) L/40 naval guns 4 × 13 mm AA guns

The Hikawa Maru-class ocean liner (氷川丸型貨客船, Hikawa Maru-gata Kakyakusen) was a class of ocean liners of Japan, serving during the 1930s, and after World War II.

Background

In 1927-28, the NYK Line placed an order for eight ocean liners to reinforce the Japan–Seattle route (3 × Hikawa Maru class), Japan–San Francisco route (3 × Asama Maru class), and Japan–London route (2 × Terukuni Maru class). The Hikawa Maru class were named the Hikawa Maru, Hiye Maru (later Hie Maru) and Heian Maru.

Service

Hikawa Maru was completed on 25 April 1930. Her maiden voyage was 13 May 1930 for Yokohama–Seattle. Arrived at Seattle on 27 May. She sailed 73 times until August 1941. Her service was popular, and the cuisine was well-regarded, as NYK Line employed a chef trained in Europe.

Hie Maru was completed on 31 July 1930. Her maiden voyage was 23 August 1930 from Kobe.

Heian Maru was completed on 24 November 1930. Her maiden voyage was 18 December 1930 from Hong Kong.

All of them were enlisted by the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) in October–November 1941.

Ships in class

Service in World War II

• Hikawa Maru was classified to auxiliary hospital ship on 1 December 1941, and she was assigned to the 4th Fleet.
• Hie Maru was classified to auxiliary submarine tender on 15 February 1942, and she was assigned to the 6th Fleet.
• Heian Maru was classified to auxiliary submarine tender on 15 October 1941, and she was assigned to the 6th Fleet.
• 17 November 1943, Hie Maru was sunk by USN submarine.
• 18 February 1944, Heian Maru was sunk by air raid at Chuuk.
• 10 August 1946, Hikawa Maru survived war, and she was reverted to the NYK Line.

Ships in class as naval vessel

Photos

• NYK Line Hie Maru
• NYK Line Heian Maru in 1937
• IJN Hikawa Maru in wartime
• IJN Heian Maru (center) in May 1943
• IJN Heian Maru in June 1943
• NYK Line Hikawa Maru in 1947
• Hikawa Maru on 16 December 2006

See also

• Asama Maru class ocean liner
• Terukuni Maru class ocean liner

Footnotes

1. These contents by the official documents of the Imperial Japanese Navy. Their armaments does not become clear. The Hie Maru photograph was not left.
2. Her romanization of Japanese name spelling is Hie Maru by the Hepburn style. However, her bow name spelling was Hiye Maru until 1938. The Kanji and pronunciations were not changed.

Bibliography

• Tashirō Iwashige, The visual guide of Japanese wartime merchant marine, "Dainippon Kaiga". Archived from the original on 2002-12-07. (Japan), May 2009
• Ships of the World special issue, The Golden Age of Japanese Passenger Liners, "Kaijinsha"., (Japan), May 2004
• Voyage of a Century "Photo Collection of NYK Ships", "Nippon Yūsen"., (Japan), October 1985
• The Maru Special, Japanese Naval Vessels No.29, "Japanese submarine tenders w/ auxiliary submarine tenders", "Ushio Shobō". (Japan), July 1979
• The Maru Special, Japanese Naval Vessels No.53, "Japanese support vessels", Ushio Shobō (Japan), July 1981

• Ocean liner classes
• World War II auxiliary ships of Japan
• Hospital ships of Japan
• Submarine tenders of the Imperial Japanese Navy
• Ships of the NYK Line
• World War II merchant ships of Japan