The Control of Motorized Sailboats during the Pacific War

Abstract

Prior to the Second World War, much of the coal mined in Kyushu and Yamaguchi was transported through the Seto Inland Sea by motorized sailboat. This motorized sailboat transportation system was taken under government control during the Pacific War and could have proved of some utility. This paper clarifies how and why the system failed, through an analysis of the transport management organization's problem recognition and ability to implement countermeasures, and also aims to create a more concrete understanding of the decline of marine transportation power, of such crucial importance during WWII, in the wartime Japanese economy. In order to increase coal supply, full-scale control of the motorized sailboat system was started in 1942 and most of the motorized sailing traders were taken under government management. From 1943 mobilization of traders was strengthened and a variety of measures were taken for the reinforcement of transport capacity. Nevertheless, far from increasing, coal traffic from Kyushu and Yamaguchi decreased. Within the transportation plan for Kyushu and Yamaguchi coal, a bottleneck was created by the exclusive use of some vessels by the army and a number of factories. On the other hand, contradictions surfaced during the process of development of the control system and as the acceleration of mobilization of motorized sailboats proceeded. These can be classified in the following three forms. First, because of the peculiar nature of the motorized sailboat business and in spite of repeated investigations, the control organization was not able to develop an overall picture of the tonnage and status of the vessels and consequently there were problems in drawing up and implementing policies. Second, mobilization for national purposes did not proceed smoothly and some traders refused to join the control system. Third, problems remained in making full use to plan of those vessels that were employed for national use. Lack of replacement staff due to conscription, shortage of staff, supplies and fuel, and low wages in a context of ever increasing prices, motorized sailboat owners evaded the planned transportation system or chose to sell their vessels on the secondhand ship market. These complex restrictions brought about the failure of the controlled transportation system.