https://militaria19191938.org Wed, 16 Sep 2026 22:24:57 +0000 en-CA hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=4.1.1 https://militaria19191938.org/2026/08/19/wwii-imperial-japanese-navy-kagu-maru-seaplane-tender-1936-launch-postcards/ https://militaria19191938.org/2026/08/19/wwii-imperial-japanese-navy-kagu-maru-seaplane-tender-1936-launch-postcards/#comments Wed, 19 Aug 2026 09:03:49 +0000 https://militaria19191938.org/2026/08/19/wwii-imperial-japanese-navy-kagu-maru-seaplane-tender-1936-launch-postcards/











This is an original prewar Japanese commemorative postcard set issued for the launch of the Kagu Maru on April 18, 1936, at the Harima Shipbuilding Works. What makes this set particularly fascinating is what happened to Kagu Maru after these postcards were produced. At the time of her launch in 1936, Kagu Maru was not yet a naval vessel. Following the outbreak of the Second Sino-Japanese War, however, she was requisitioned by the Imperial Japanese Navy in 1937 and converted into an auxiliary seaplane tender. Kagu Maru subsequently operated with Japanese naval aviation forces in China, carrying reconnaissance seaplanes and supporting operations including the campaigns around Jiujiang and Hankow. Her story ultimately ended on November 4, 1944, when she was attacked and sunk by U. Navy submarines off the Philippines. The original envelope is especially noteworthy. It is printed: “Kagu Maru Launch Commemorative Postcards” Harima Shipbuilding Co. The accompanying specification card is headed “Kagu Maru Launch Commemoration” and dated April 18, 1936. One postcard presents a color illustration of Kagu Maru at sea. It remains a small archival record of the vessel’s birth. In 1937, she became an Imperial Japanese Navy auxiliary seaplane tender. By 1944, after years of wartime service, she lay beneath the sea. Own a Piece of History. International Buyers – Please Note.

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