Japanese landing craft carrier Shinshū Maru

	Shinshū Maru in 1937
History
Empire of Japan
Name	Shinshū Maru
Builder	Harima Shipbuilding, Aioi
Laid down	8 April 1934
Launched	14 March 1935
Completed	15 December 1935
Fate	Sunk 3 January 1945
General characteristics
Type	Landing craft carrier; Amphibious assault ship;
Displacement	7,100 tons standard; 8,130 tons full;
Length	155 m (508 ft 6 in)
Beam	19 m (62 ft 4 in)
Draft	8.16 m (26 ft 9 in)
Installed power	Steam turbines;; 8,000 shp (6,000 kW);
Propulsion	1 shafts, 1 propeller
Speed	19 kn (35 km/h; 22 mph)
Boats & landing; craft carried	29 Daihatsu-class landing craft; 25 Shōhatsu-class landing craft; 4 Sōkōtei-class gunboat;
Troops	2,200 assault troops
Complement	220 officers and enlisted
Armament	4 × 75 mm (3 in) Type 88 AA guns; 4 × 20 mm (0.79 in) Type 98 AA guns; 1 × Depth charge track (12 charges);
Aircraft carried	26 aircraft (planned)
Aviation facilities	Hangar and 2 catapults; no flight deck (planned)

Shinshū Maru (神州丸 or 神洲丸) was a ship of the Imperial Japanese Army during World War II. She was the world's first landing craft carrier ship to be designed as such, and a pioneer of modern-day amphibious assault ships. During some of her operations, she was known to have used at least four cover names, R1, GL, MT, and Ryūjō Maru. During her career, she was outfitted with a dummy forefunnel in an effort to disguise her as the submarine tender Taigei, which was converted to the light carrier Ryūhō.