SS Gyōkū Maru

Gyōkū Maru (暁空丸) was a 6,854 GRT cargo ship that was built in 1941 as Empire Dragon by Hong Kong & Whampoa Dock Co Ltd, Hong Kong for the Ministry of War Transport (MoWT). She was seized by the Japanese in 1942 and completed as Gyōkū Maru, serving until September 1944 when she was torpedoed and sunk by USS Thresher in the Yellow Sea.

History

Name:	Empire Dragon (1941–42) Gyōkū Maru (1942–44)
Owner:	Ministry of War Transport (1941–42) Japanese Government (1942–44)
Port of registry:	Japan
Builder:	Hong Kong & Whampoa Dock Company
Launched:	6 December 1941
Completed:	1942
Out of service:	18 September 1944
Fate:	Torpedoed and sunk
General characteristics
Class and type:	Cargo ship
Tonnage:	6,854 GRT
Length:	430 ft (130 m)
Beam:	57 ft (17 m)
Propulsion:	Triple expansion steam engine

Location where Gyōkū Maru was torpedoed and sunk off China.

Description

The ship was built in 1941 by Hong Kong & Whampoa Dock Co Ltd, Hong Kong.[1]

The ship was 430 feet (130 m) long, with a beam of 57 feet (17 m).[2] She was assessed at 6,854 GRT.[1]

The ship was propelled by a triple expansion steam engine.[1]

History

Empire Dragon was launched on 6 December 1941.[1] In 1942,[2] she was seized by the Japanese in an incomplete state and completed as Gyōkū Maru.[1]

On 22 August 1944, she was part of Convoy Namo 103 carrying evacuating civilians from Okinawa and attacked by USS Bowfin. The fellow ship Tsushima Maru was sunk, but Gyōkū Maru escaped.[3]

On 18 September 1944, Gyōkū Maru was torpedoed and sunk by USS Thresher in the Yellow Sea (35°02′N 124°24′E).[2][4]

References

Mitchell, W.H.; Sawyer, L.A. (1995). The Empire Ships. London, New York, Hamburg, Hong Kong: Lloyd's of London Press Ltd. p. not cited. ISBN 1-85044-275-4.
"EMPIRE – D – E". Mariners. Retrieved 7 July 2011.
"Tsushima Maru Sinking". USS Bowfin Submarine Museum & Park. Archived from the original on 15 March 2010. Retrieved 12 July 2011.
船舶輸送間における遭難部隊資料（陸軍） [Data on disaster units during ship transport (Army)] (in Japanese). Demobilization Agency Second Demobilization Department (復員庁第二復員局). 1946. p. 17/50 of scanned image. Retrieved 12 July 2011.

Empire ships beginning with Empire D
Cargo ships	Empire Dabchick Empire Dace¹ Empire Daffodil¹ Empire Daring Empire Dart Empire Darwin Empire Daughter² Empire Dawn Empire Day Empire Dee Empire Deed Empire Deep¹ Empire Defender Empire Defiance Empire Dell Empire Deptford² Empire Derwent Empire Dew Empire Dirk Empire Dombey¹ Empire Dominica Empire Don Empire Dorado Empire Dorrit¹ Empire Douglas Empire Dove Empire Dovey Empire Dragon Empire Drayton Empire Driver Empire Drum Empire Drury¹ Empire Dryden Empire Duchess Empire Duke Empire Dunbar Empire Dunlin Empire Dunnet Empire Dunstan Empire Durant Empire Dyke¹
Dredgers and Hopper ships	Empire Dockland Empire Downland
Landing ships	Empire Doric
Ocean liners	Empire Deben Empire Doon Empire Dynasty³
Tankers	Empire Damsel ¹ Empire Diamond Empire Dickens Empire Diplomat Empire Dolphin Empire Druid Empire Dweller¹
Tugs	Empire Darby⁴ Empire Demon Empire Denis Empire Dolly⁴ Empire Doreen (I)⁴ Empire Doreen (II)⁴ Empire Doris⁴ Empire Dorothy⁴
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 Collier 3 Cargo liner 4 Estuary tug

Shipwrecks and maritime incidents in December 1941
Shipwrecks	2 Dec: Virsaitis 6 Dec: HMS Perseus 7 Dec: USS Arizona, USS California, USS Cassin, USS Downes, Ha-19, M-16, M-18, M-20, M-22, USS Nevada, USS Oglala, USS Oklahoma, Sauternes, USS Shaw, U-208, USS Utah, USS West Virginia, HMCS Windflower 8 Dec: USS Penguin, HMS Peterel, Ravnaas 10 Dec: HMS Banka, USS Bittern, I-70, HMS Prince of Wales, HMS Repulse, Takao Maru, No. 10, USS YP-16 11 Dec: Hayate, Kisaragi, HMS Lady Shirley 12 Dec: Awazisan Maru, HMS Moth, HMS Tamar 13 Dec: Alberico da Barbiano, Alberto da Giussano 14 Dec: HMS Galatea 15 Dec: Empire Barracuda, HNLMS O 16, U-127 16 Dec: U-557 17 Dec: Corregidor, Ro-66, Shinonome, U-131 18 Dec: U-434 19 Dec: HMS Neptune, HNLMS O 20, HMS Stanley, U-574 20 Dec: Emidio, HMS Kandahar 21 Dec: HMS Audacity, HNLMS K XVII, U-451, U-567 23 Dec: Hayataka Maru, Montebello, Shuntien, U-79 24 Dec: Absaroka, HNLMS K XVI, USS Rochester, Sagiri, HMS Salvia 25 Dec: Empire Dragon, USS Sealion, HMS Thracian 26 Dec: Unyo Maru No. 2 28 Dec: DCH-1, U-75, Volo, SS Connecticut 29 Dec: BRP Banahaw, Ro-60 Unknown date: HMS H31, USS Nereus, HMS Triumph
Other incidents	7 Dec: USS Maryland, USS Vestal 8 Dec: Awazisan Maru 10 Dec: Oigawa Maru, USS Sealion 11 Dec: HMS Jackal 16 Dec: HMS Thracian 17 Dec: Ro-62 31 Dec: Ruth Alexander
1940 1941 1942 November 1941 January 1942

Shipwrecks and maritime incidents in September 1944
Shipwrecks	1 Sep: HMS Hurst Castle, Kehdingen, U-247 2 Sep: Empire Curzon, U-394 5 Sep: U-362 7 Sep: Shinyō Maru, (incident), Westfalen 8 Sep: Rex 9 Sep: Sava, U-484 10 Sep: U-20, U-23 11 Sep: Giulio Cesare, U-19 12 Sep: Korei Maru, USS Noa, Rakuyō Maru, Shikinami 13 Sep: USS Perry, USS Warrington 14 Sep: Irene Oldendorff 16 Sep: I-364 17 Sep: Un'yō 18 Sep: Gyōkū Maru, Jun'yō Maru 19 Sep: Isoshima;U-407, U-867 21 Sep: China Maru, Hōfuku Maru, Katsuriki, Satsuki 22 Sep: Drache 23 Sep: Taranto, U-859 24 Sep: Akitsushima, Siberia Maru, T-120, Yaeyama 25 Sep: USS Miantonomah 26 Sep: Aotaka, Ro-47, Saga, U-871 27 Sep: HMS Rockingham, Ural Maru 28 Sep: Dragoner 29 Sep: U-863 30 Sep: U-565, U-596, U-1062 Unknown date: U-703, U-855, U-865, U-921
Other incidents	12 Sep: USS Fullam 14 Sep: USS Natchez, USS Temptress 15 Sep: Tirpitz 19 Sep: Jingei, U-565 24 Sep: U-565, U-596 26 Sep: Don Marquis Unknown date: Schwabenland
1943 1944 1945 August 1944 October 1944

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