SS-class landing ship
The SS-class landing ship was a class of amphibious assault ships of the Imperial Japanese Army which served during World War II. The SS meaning are Sensha-Small.
Background
October 1938, the IJA employed the Shinshū Maru during their successful amphibious operations at Bias Bay. However, a considerable amount of time was needed to complete the operation owing to the low speed of the landing craft, which resulted in considerable damage to the vessels involved.The IJA employed the principles of speed and minimum damage to their amphibious warfare operations.
In 1939-1940, the IJA repeated an experiment with Gorō Maru and Yorihime Maru and after analysing the experiment data placed an order for the prototype Kōryū.
- The IJN was interested in the second prototype Banryū. The IJN placed an order for 16 ships. However, thereafter they adopted the No.101-class and the order was cancelled.
Ships in classes
''SS No.1''
- Japanese army landing ship SS-1
| Builder | Harima Zōsen Corporation |
| Laid down | 18 July 1941 |
| Launched | 26 January 1942 |
| Completed | 7 April 1942 |
| Displacement | gross |
| Length | overall |
| Beam | |
| Draught | |
| Propulsion | 2 × intermediate diesels, 2 shafts, 1,246 bhp |
| Speed |
''SS No.2''
- Japanese army landing ship SS-2
| Builder | Harima Zōsen Corporation |
| Laid down | 8 August 1942 |
| Launched | 17 May 1943 |
| Completed | 30 July 1943 |
| Displacement | gross |
| Length | overall |
| Beam | |
| Draught | |
| Propulsion | 2 × intermediate diesels, 2 shafts, 1,284 bhp |
| Speed | |
| Fate | Sunk in action on 24 September 1944 |
''SS No.3'' class
- Japanese army landing ship SS-3
- SS No.4, Sunk in action on 12 October 1944
- SS No.5, Sunk in action on 30 November 1944
- SS No.6, Sunk in action on 7 December 1944
- SS No.7
- SS No.8, Sunk in action on 19 November 1944
- SS No.9, Sunk in action on 6 December 1944
- SS No.10, went missing on the night of December 1-2, and lost with all hands after departing Palompon, Leyte.,,, and, all did report sinking an enemy vessel in the area the convoy would have been in.
- SS No.11
- SS No.12, Sunk in action on 21 January 1945
- SS No.13
- SS No.14, Sunk in action on 22 May 1945
- SS No.15
- SS No.16
- SS No.17
- SS No.18
- SS No.19
- SS No.20
- SS No.21
- SS No.22, Sunk in action on 10 August 1945
Footnotes