List of Japanese Auxiliary Cruiser Commerce Raiders

This is a list of the Japanese Auxiliary Cruiser Commerce Raiders in WW2.

The Japanese Auxiliar Cruiser Commerce Raiders

The success of the German raiders in the WWI was not lost on the Japanese.In 1941,the Aikoku Maru and Hokoku Maru, two passenger-cargo vessels built for the Osaka Shipping Line’s South America route, were requisitioned for conversion to Armed Merchant Cruisers (AMC).

Before and during the Pacific War,Japan converted 14 merchants to Armed Merchant Cruisers (AMCs).Although two of these ships initially enjoyed some successes,the early sinking of the Hokoku Maru and the pressing need for more transports to support their far-flung Pacificempire resulted in the reconversion of most of Japan’s AMC fleet. By the end of 1943, five of their AMCs had been sunk and seven reconverted.

The remaining two were lost in 1944. Unlike the Kriegsmarine's raider Atlantis, that stayed at sea 622 days in World War II and sank or captured 23 ships of 145,697-tons,most Japanese AMCs had but short and undistinguished careers.

List of Japanese Auxiliary Cruiser Commerce Raiders

Aikoku Maru Class

*Hokoku Maru
*Aikoku Maru
*Gokoku Maru

Kiyosumi Maru Class

*Kiyosumi Maru

Akagi Maru Class

*Akagi Maru

Awata Maru Class

*Awata Maru

Noshiro Maru Class

*Noshiro Maru