MS Nana Maru

00°10′N 118°00′E

History
Empire of Japan
Name	Nana Maru
Owner	1939: Kokusai Kisen K.K. 1939-1941: Osaka Shosen Kaisha 1941-1942: Imperial Japanese Navy
Builder	Harima Zosensho K.K.
Laid down	17 June 1939[1]
Launched	16 April 1940[1]
Completed	29 June 1940[1]
Fate	Sunk by Royal Netherlands East Indies Army Air Force aircraft, 23 January 1942
General characteristics
Type	Cargo ship
Tonnage	6,757 GRT[2]
Length	438 ft 6 in (133.65 m) [3]
Beam	58 ft 4 in (17.78 m)[3]
Speed	19.5 knots (36.1 km/h)[3]

The Nana Maru (南阿丸) was a Japanese cargo ship from the Seia Maru-class, which was sunk in military service by ML-KNIL Brewsters during World War II. It was part of the 11th Air Fleet.

History

Construction was ordered on 17 June 1939 by Kokusai Kisen K.K.. During construction, the ship was taken over by Osaka Shosen Kaisha. It was built by Harima Zosensho K.K. and was laid down and named Nana Maru on 16 April 1940. On 29 June, construction was finished and the ship started service between Japan and South Africa. Because of the war, the Japanese Imperial Navy requisitioned the ship on 21 September 1941 so that it could be used as a transport ship.^[2]

Sinking

On 23 January 1942, during the Battle of Balikpapan, the Japanese troop convoy of which the Nana Maru was part, was attacked at 00°10′N 118°00′E in the Makassar Strait by aircraft from the Royal Netherlands East Indies Army Air Force.^[4] Eerste luitenant Pieter Anna Hoyer and Sergeant Albert Eduard Stoové of the 2-VLG-V squadron dropped bombs from their Brewster F2A Buffalo onto the ship's deck. At 17:30 the captain ordered abandon ship, the crippled Nana Maru sank at 21:00 after a large explosion.^[5]