SS Kembu Maru (1942)
Kembu Maru olso "Kenmu Maru" (Kanji:) was a cargo ship which was built in 1941 Taikoo Dockyard & Engineering Company of Hong Kong Ltd. She was built as Empire Blossom and was ready to be launched when Hong Kong was invaded by Japan in December 1941. The ship was completed by the Japanese and put into service. On 4 December 1943 she was sunk by American bombing at Kwajalein Atoll. Description. "Empire Blossom" was built as a cargo ship by Taikoo Dockyard & Engineering Company of Hong Kong Ltd. She was laid down in May 1941, as yard  number 303. The ship was completed in February 1943. She was long, with a beam of . On completion she was , 9,925 DWT. She was powered by a triple expansion steam engine. Career. The engine and boilers intended for "Empire Blossom" were sent to Singapore on 1 December 1941 aboard the Blue Funnel Line ship . The ship was launched as "Empire Blossom". It was completed in February 1943 and put into service by the Imperial Japanese Navy as "Kembu Maru". On 4 August 1943, "Kembu Maru" was damaged by at . On 4 December 1943, "Kembu Maru" was bombed and torpedoed by  aircraft from . She was carrying a cargo of aviation fuel in drums. The bombing caused the ship to explode and sink immediately, with a column of smoke being seen. At the time of her sinking she was in the Kwajalein Atoll ().