Yamashio Maru was another Imperial Japanese Army carrier project, distinct from Akitsu Maru. It was commissioned in January 1945 and sunk by American aircraft at Yokohama the following month before operating as a carrier; two incomplete sisters were finished after the war as tankers. The planned air group comprised eight Kokusai Ki-76 liaison aircraft adapted for anti-submarine patrols and able to carry two 60-kilogram depth charges. Japan's shrinking time and industrial position prevented the Army's small escort-carrier design from contributing at sea.
Notable Point · 1:24:29-1:27:24
Yamashio Maru and the Army's small anti-submarine carriers
The Yamashio Maru class paired tanker hulls with a small Army air group intended for anti-submarine work, but arrived too late to enter useful carrier service.