Gosei Maru – Cargo ship lying on port side on steep incline. Torpedo bodies in holds, shells, lanterns and fuel drums. Propeller in shallow water, good fish and coral life. Depth: 10-120ft/3-37m Tsurumi Seitetsu Zosen K.K. in Yokohama built the 272ft/82m Gosei Maru in 1937 with a gross tonnage of 1,931 tons. She was one of a class of 1,852 to 1,961-ton coastal freighters that were mass-produced prior to the outbreak of war in the Pacific, and were used extensively to supply bases in the Mandated Islands. They were not outfitted with elaborate amenities and were medium sized, averaging only 272ft/82m in length with aft engines and a single screw. Their standard design was predicated upon maximizing the ship’s hold-carrying capacity with the elimination of passenger spaces. The ship was attached to the Yokosuka Naval District and given the general mission of “Transporting Military Personnel and Supplies.” The word ‘Maru’ designates a merchant vessel. The name ‘Gosei’ translates as ‘Five Star’.
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