yawata maru (kancolle)

The light aircraft carrier Yawata Maru as represented in Kantai Collection. Her name (八幡) means "eight flags." Upon remodeling, her name is changed to Un'you. Her illustrator is Shibafu_, who also fleshed out sister Kasuga Maru/Taiyou. She was initially seen from behind on the cover of the 13-20 May 2021 issue of Weekly Famitsu magazine (post #4488154), but it was not until December 28, 2021 that she made her full reveal.

Like Kasuga Maru, Yawata Maru notably is modeled upon classic Japanese falconry. She carries an aircraft (a Mitsubishi A5M, immediate predecessor to the famous "zero" fighter) on her left forearm with jesses tied to her equipment.

Yawata Maru has long dark brown hair tied into twin braids rolled into a double bun hairstyle and blunt bangs. She has brown tareme-style eyes. Similar to Shibafu's fleet carriers, Yawata Maru wears a white dougi top with a red hakama short skirt, and black ankle socks. On her left hand, she wears a thick falconry glove.

Her rigging involves a flight deck strapped to her right arm, falconry-related steel pouches strapped to her torso, and steel platform boots.

Historically, the Yawata Maru was second of the three Nitta Maru class passenger-cargo liners, but was requisitioned by the Imperial Japanese Navy and converted into a light aircraft carrier, similar to the fate of the Hiyou and Jun'you. Like Kasuga Maru before her, she resembles "her earlier anthropomorphized self on an advertisement alongside her sister-ships back in the 1940's.":[http://otakei.otakuma.net/wp/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/210.jpg] She was never completed as a passenger liner, however, and was requisitioned and converted into a carrier before ever performing any duties as a passenger liner.

Yawata Maru spent most of her service ferrying aircraft, cargo, and passengers to various bases in the Pacific. She was badly damaged by an American submarine in early 1944. After repairs were completed in June 1944, the ship resumed transporting aircraft and cargo. During a return voyage from Singapore in September 1944, she was sunk by the submarine USS Barb.

External links

• "Wikipedia: Japanese aircraft carrier Un'you":[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_aircraft_carrier_Un'y%C5%8D]