[WIP] Japanese Merchant Marine

GerritJ9 · 08-23-10, 06:19 AM

Japanese hospital ships were marked according to international regulations- white hull and superstructure, green band round hull, red crosses on hull and funnel(s), lit at night etc (which does not mean that the Japanese did not use/misuse these ships for more warlike purposes. The Japanese had little regard for international law regarding hospital ships, witness their illegal seizure of the Dutch hospital ship "Op ten Noort" in the Java Sea, and later commandeering her for their own purposes as the hospital ship "Hikawa Maru No.2"). Ships carrying POWs/Asian slave labourers, however, were not marked as such in any way at all; the Japanese simply appointed an available vessel as POW carrier and crammed the unfortunates in the holds. I certainly have never heard of any hellship such as "Kachidoki Maru", "Rakuyo Maru" or "Junyo Maru" receiving any kind of special paint/markings. To be fair, though, the "Laconia", sunk in the Atlantic by a U-Boot while carring Italian POWs, wasn't specially marked either as far as I know.

sergei · 08-23-10, 07:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GerritJ9

Japanese hospital ships were marked according to international regulations- white hull and superstructure, green band round hull, red crosses on hull and funnel(s), lit at night etc

Early war hospital ship.

Late war hospital/POW ship

GerritJ9 · 08-23-10, 08:09 AM

There is a photo of "Hikawa Maru No. 2" on:
http://www.netherlandsnavy.nl/Noort.htm
The ship is clearly painted in the white hull etc scheme but the date when the photo was taken is unknown.
Re the second scheme you posted, I think this is the scheme used by Japanese repatriation ships post-war. I have seen several b&w photos of Japanese merchant and naval ships with white crosses on the hull, these were all taken post-war when the vessels were used to repatriate Japanese citizens.

tater · 08-23-10, 08:09 AM

The POW paint was later in the war. We have RL examples that sergei used as a model (green paint measure, with crosses).

Some US subs reported hospital ships that were NOT lit, I seem to recall this from my reading of books by skippers.

08-23-10, 06:19 AM	#1
GerritJ9 Sonar Guy Join Date: May 2007 Location: Netherlands Posts: 389 Downloads: 47 Uploads: 6	Japanese hospital ships were marked according to international regulations- white hull and superstructure, green band round hull, red crosses on hull and funnel(s), lit at night etc (which does not mean that the Japanese did not use/misuse these ships for more warlike purposes. The Japanese had little regard for international law regarding hospital ships, witness their illegal seizure of the Dutch hospital ship "Op ten Noort" in the Java Sea, and later commandeering her for their own purposes as the hospital ship "Hikawa Maru No.2"). Ships carrying POWs/Asian slave labourers, however, were not marked as such in any way at all; the Japanese simply appointed an available vessel as POW carrier and crammed the unfortunates in the holds. I certainly have never heard of any hellship such as "Kachidoki Maru", "Rakuyo Maru" or "Junyo Maru" receiving any kind of special paint/markings. To be fair, though, the "Laconia", sunk in the Atlantic by a U-Boot while carring Italian POWs, wasn't specially marked either as far as I know. __________________ Quamvis Patiens Acris My SH3/SH4 mods: http://www.gamefront.com/files/user/GerritJ9

08-23-10, 08:09 AM	#3
GerritJ9 Sonar Guy Join Date: May 2007 Location: Netherlands Posts: 389 Downloads: 47 Uploads: 6	There is a photo of "Hikawa Maru No. 2" on: http://www.netherlandsnavy.nl/Noort.htm The ship is clearly painted in the white hull etc scheme but the date when the photo was taken is unknown. Re the second scheme you posted, I think this is the scheme used by Japanese repatriation ships post-war. I have seen several b&w photos of Japanese merchant and naval ships with white crosses on the hull, these were all taken post-war when the vessels were used to repatriate Japanese citizens. __________________ Quamvis Patiens Acris My SH3/SH4 mods: http://www.gamefront.com/files/user/GerritJ9

08-23-10, 08:09 AM	#4
tater Navy Seal Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: New Mexico, USA Posts: 9,023 Downloads: 8 Uploads: 2	The POW paint was later in the war. We have RL examples that sergei used as a model (green paint measure, with crosses). Some US subs reported hospital ships that were NOT lit, I seem to recall this from my reading of books by skippers.