Kaituna I 1905-1931

Propulsion: Single screw steam ship.

The Kaituna was built in 1904 by Osbourne, Grahame & Co. Hylton for William France, Fenwick & Co. Ltd. London, and named Needwood.

In 1905 she was purchased by the Union Steam Ship Company (USSCo) for general cargo service, mostly intended for the timber trade. In 1907 she set a record for the largest timber cargo to leave the West Coast for Lyttelton when she loaded 1,60,000 super feet of timber. 

On 27 December 1930 she was laid up and sold to Wing Hong & Co. Ltd., Hong Kong. She was leased to Fao Hong S.S. Co. Ltd in 1937. She was on-sold to Wallan & Co., based in Panama, where she was renamed Needwood again. 

In December 1941 she was captured by the Japanese at Tsingtao and renamed Kaiyo Maru. On 22 December 1942 she sank near Kominas Lighthouse, Inland Sea, Japan after a collision with Nichiun Maru. 

Owners & Previous Names:

1904-1905 William Fenwick & Son, London - Needwood 

1905-1931 Union Steam Ship Company -  Kaituna 

1931-1941 Hong Kong and Panama owners - Needwood 

1941-1942 Captured and owned by Japanese - Kaiyo Maru