Landing craft carrier

Additional ships were built after combat experience validated the concept, but most were completed after the Japanese invasions of the early war, and used primarily as troopships during later operations.

[3] Akisu Maru was completed in time to participate in the invasion of Java; but she and the other Hei-types were thereafter used primarily as ferries to transport short-range aircraft to distant bases.

[1] The others were based on Hitachi Shipbuilding Corporation's standard 8,000-ton, 19 knots (35 km/h; 22 mph) Type-M cargo steam ship modified (Type-MC)[1] to carry twelve Toku Daihatsu-class landing craft launched through stern doors[2] with funnels installed horizontally on the starboard side to accommodate a flight deck.

[1] The larger type were 11,910-ton, 20.8 knots (38.5 km/h; 23.9 mph) diesel-engined ships fitted with stern ramp gates for launching twenty Daihatsu-class landing craft stored in floodable holds.

[2] The landing craft were launched from rails which ran along the main deck (between port and starboard funnels for those carried forward of the superstructure) down to the waterline through large hinged doors at the stern.