This replica of a Japanese Takao-class cruiser (some sources say Akago-class) was used by American airmen to train for bombing runs against enemy warships. It received its nickname through the combining of its location, Muroc Army Air Field, and the common Japanese suffix “Maru,” which was used in ship names. The decision to build the Muroc Maru was made after the Pacific Theater Training Program was transferred from Oahu, Hawaii, to Muroc Army Air Field, California, to reduce seaborne supply traffic.