KYUNANSEN KEN EISEN

© 2008-2018 Bob Hackett and Peter Cundall

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E 1937:
Aioi. Laid down by Harima Shipbuilding for the IJN as a 600-ton salvage tug.

5 March 1938:
Named HASHIMA.

8 March 1938:
Launched.

13 June 1938:
Completed and registered in the IJN.

25 October 1940:
Renamed KASASHIMA. [1]

November 1941:
Probably assigned to the Third Fleet’s 2nd Base Force Harbor Master’s Office at Takao, Formosa.

17 February 1942:
TOYOKAWA MARU runs aground off Foochow and KASASHIMA is sent to assist. The vessel is successfully refloated.

10 March 1942:
Supposedly reassigned to the Second Southern Expeditionary Fleet’s 22nd Special Base Force’s 22nd Harbor Master’s Office at Balikpapan, Borneo but no evidence that this actually occurred.

13 April 1942:
At 1017 arrives at Amoy.

26 April 1942:
At 1952 arrives at Amoy.

27 April 1942:
At 0730 departs Amoy.

10 June 1942:
Takes part in a landing on Pei Chieh Tao, SE of Wendow with gunboats No. 141 (DAIGEN MARU No. 7), No. 142 (NISSHO MARU No. 12, No. 143 (TOSHO MARU), No. 144 (SHINKO MARU No. 1 GO) and destroyer TSUGA.

5 July 1942:
At 0800 departs Shanghai with four mid size river gunboats and at 2050 arrives at Tinghai.

6 July 1942:
At 1030 departs Tinghai and at 1700 arrives at Shihpu.

7 July 1942:
At 0800 departs Shihpu and at 1600 arrives at Taichow Liehdao.

8 July 1942:
At 0600 departs Taichow Liehtao towing auxiliary gunboat NISSHO MARU No. 12 that has suffered an engine breakdown, and later, at 1525, arrives at Chikou Yang.

14 July 1942:
At 0800 together with destroyer TSUGA, departs from off Feiyun Chiang, S of Wenchow.

21 July 1942:
At 1545 departs from off Chin Kiang (Qing Jiang).

28 July 1942:
At 1330 arrives at Yuet Ching Wan.

30 July 1942:
At Yuet Ching Wan. Suffers a boiler breakdown and undergoes repairs.

16 August 1942:
At 0600 departs Yuet Ching Wan and at 2000 arrives at Shihpu.

18 August 1942:
At 0600 departs Shihpu and later arrives at Tinghai.

19 August 1942:
At 0600 departs Tinghai and later arrives at Woosung. At Woosung a prizeship (possibly a captured pirate junk) is handed over to KASASHIMA by auxiliary gunboat DAIGEN MARU No.7.

1 October 1942:
China coast, six miles from Tung Fusham Island. At 0704, LtCdr (later Cdr) Rob R. McGregor's (USNA ’29) USS GROUPER (SS-214) fires three unreliable Mark 14 torpedoes at IJA transport LISBON MARU at 3200 yards. The torpedoes either pass under the target or fail to detonate. McGregor fires a fourth torpedo that explodes against LISBON MARU's stern, bringing her to a stop. At 0845, USS GROUPER fires a sixth torpedo that also misses.

About 1800, Auxiliary gunboat UNKAI MARU No. 10 comes alongside the IJA transport and rescues 57 soldiers.

KASASHIMA and TONE MARU are despatched to the disaster site.

8 May 1943:
Arrives at Tinghai.

11 May 1943:
At 0700 departs Quemoy and at 1600 arrives at Tinghai.

15 May 1943:
At 1120 departs Tinghai. At 2100 arrives at Quemoy.

16 May 1943:
At 0600 departs Quemoy and at 1625 arrives at Heiniu Wan.

17 May 1943:
At 0600 departs Heiniu Wan and at 1330 arrives at Fuyao Tao.

22 May 1943:
At 0700 departs Fuyao Tao for patrol area C. Departs patrol area C. At 1550 arrives at Heiniu Wan.

23 May 1943:
At 0800 departs Heiniu Wan and later arrives at Chikou Yang.

27 May 1943:
Off Wenchow. KASASHIMA attends SHOKEI MARU, mined earlier that day, and undertakes urgent repairs. At 1600 anchors.

28 May 1943:
At 1000 arrives at Pi Shan.

29 May 1943:
Arrives at Tinghai with destroyer HASU. At Tinghai KASASHIMA is bunkered by tanker KORYU MARU. At 2049 departs Yuet Ching Wan.

30 May 1943:
At 1700 joins destroyer HASU at Ssu Chiao Shan. Takes on supplies from Ssu Chiao Shan.

31 May 1943:
At 1500 departs Ssu Chiao Shan.

7 June 1943:
KASASHIMA departs Taichow Islands area to undertake inspections of junks.

18 June 1943:
HASU and KASASHIMA arrive off Kanmen and join SHINKO MARU No. 1 GO that lands a raiding party.

28 June 1943:
Near Wenchow after the destroyer KURI stranded after collision on 24 June, KASASHIMA arrives and the tow of KURI is handed over by auxiliary gunboat SHINKO MARU No.1 GO to the salvage tug, which tows the destroyer to Shipu, arriving later that day.

4 July 1943:
KASASHIMA and HOKOKU MARU (auxiliary gunboat No. 133) are sent to disaster scene of attack on convoy No. 172 (28-29N 124-15E) to rescue survivors of LIVERPOOL and KOKI MARUs that had both been torpedoed and sunk. KASASHIMA later rescues survivors from LIVERPOOL MARU while the auxiliary gunboat rescues survivors from KOKI MARU.

6 July 1943:
KASASHIMA and HOKOKU MARU arrive at Niubi Shan channel.

4 August 1943:
At 0615 departs Heiniu Wan and at 1310 arrives at Taichow Islands.

5 August 1943:
At 0920 departs Taichow Islands and at 1650 arrives at Fu Du Waterways.

6 August 1943:
At 0820 arrives at Tinghai.

15 August 1943:
At 0820 departs Tinghai.

16 August 1943:
At 2200 arrives at Taichow Islands.

18 August 1943:
At 0830 departs Taichow Islands.

19 August 1943:
At 1400 arrives at Tinghai.

22 August 1943:
At 0730 departs Shipu. At 1230 arrives Taichow Islands.

31 August 1943:
At 0600 departs Taichow Islands for Tinghai. Undertakes a search and rescue mission on the way.

3 September 1943:
At 1000 arrives at Tinghai.

7 September 1943:
At 1315 departs Tinghai and at 2000, arrives at Shipu.

8 September 1943:
At 0655 departs Shipu and at 1911 arrives at Heiniu Wan.

9 September 1943:
At 1305 arrives at Fuyao Tao.

17 September 1943:
At 0700 departs Fuyao Tao and at 1500 arrives at Heiniu Wan.

18 September 1943:
At 0600 departs Heiniu Wan and at 2045 arrives at Niubi Shan Liehtao.

19 September 1943:
At 0700 departs Niubi Shan Liehtao and at 1000 arrives at Tinghai.

20 September 1943:
At 0700 departs Tinghai and at 2100 arrives at Woosung. Then to Shanghai.

26 October 1943:
At 0900 departs Tinghai.

27 October 1943:
At 2130 arrives at Taichow Islands.

6 November 1943:
At 1100 arrives at Taichow Islands.

8 November 1943:
At 0730 departs Taichow Islands. At 1840 arrives at Tinghai.

12 November 1943:
At 0900 departs Tinghai and at 1900 arrives at Kinmen.

13 November 1943:
At 0730 departs Kinmen on ASW patrol.

17 November 1943:
At 1845 arrives at Shipu.

18 November 1943:
At 0800 departs Shipu and begins escorting convoy TA-704 which is also escorted by destroyer HASU.

19 November 1943:
At 1545 BISAN MARU (ex British MING SANG), which is in the convoy suffers a machinery breakdown off Yushan. The convoy briefly stops at Tinghai.

21 November 1943:
At 1300 departs Tinghai escorting convoy Setsu (Yuki) No.1 which is bound from Woosung to Takao. At 1800 arrives at Chiu Shan Liehtao (Jiu Shan).

23 November 1943:
At 0800 KASASHIMA departs Chiu Shan Liehtao on an ASW sweep.

24 November 1943:
At 1530 departs Tauichow Liehtao to escort remnants of convoy HI-21, then consisting of tankers ICHIYO and GOYO MARUs. At 2015 arrives at Chikou Yang.

25 November 1943:
At 0700 KASASHIMA ceases escort.

26 November 1943:
At 0500 departs Chikou Yang.

28 November 1943:
At 1854 KASASHIMA departs Taichow Liehtao and meets up with remnants of No. 222 convoy at that time consisting of AKITSU, SEINAN, SHUNKO, TACHIBANA, HOTEN and ROKKO MARUs and OGURA MARU No. 2.

29 November 1943:
At 0713 off Chiu Shan Liehtao the escort ends. At 1300 KASASHIMA arrives at Tinghai.

30 November 1943:
KASASHIMA departs Tinghai and at 1800 arrives at Taichow Liehtao.

1 December 1943:
At 0645 departs Chiu Shan Islands to escort convoy TA-904 consuisting of NITTO, GYOYU (ex British JOAN MOLLER), ROZAN and TOZAN (ex British SOOCHOW) MARUs escorted by destroyer HASU and later that day auxiliary gunboat DAIGEN MARU No. 7. At 1500 KASASHIMA finishes escort and arrives at Taichow Liehtao (Islands).

6 December 1943:
Takes on water from auxiliary gunboat DAIGEN MARU No. 7. At 1200 departs Taichow Islands and at 2010 arrives at Chiu Shan Liehtao.

7 December 1943:
At 0800 departs Chiu Shan Liehtao and begins escorting convoy TA-603 consisting of CHEFOO, YULIN and SAINAN MARUs escorted by destroyer KURI and auxiliary gunboat HOKOKU MARU. HOKOKU MARU apparently detaches later that day at Nan Jiu Shan.

8 December 1943:
Convoy escort by KASASHIMA ceases and at 0715 arrives at Fuyan Tao.

10 December 1943:
At 0705 departs Fuyan Tao on ASW patrol. At 1510 arrives at Heiniu Wan.

11 December 1943:
At 0710 departs Heiniu Wan on ASW hunt and at 1346 arrives at Taichow Liehtao.

12 December 1943:
At 0920 departs Taichow Liehtao and at 2110 arrives at Tinghai.

16 December 1943:
At 1315 departs Tinghai and at 1846 arrives at Chiu Shan Liehtao.

18 December 1943:
At 0712 departs Chiu Shan Liehtao and at 1330 arrives at Taichow Liehtao.

19 December 1943:
At 1700 departs Taichow Liehtao escorting KINMON MARU.

20 December 1943:
At 0100 ceases escort of KINMON MARU and arrives at Chiu Shan Liehtao. Later departs and at 0900 arrives at Fu Du Waterways.

22 December 1943:
At 1316 departs Fu Du Waterways.

23 December 1943:
At 0340 arrives at Taichow Liehtao.

26 December 1943:
At 1900 departs Taichow Liehtao and escorts convoy TA-602 consisting of SHOZAN (ex British CHEKIANG) and SETSUZAN (ex Norwegian HELIOS MARUs also escorted by destroyer KURI.

27 December 1943:
At 1210 KASASHIMA arrives at Tinghai.

30 December 1943:
At 0640 departs Tinghai on an ASW sweep and at 2120 arrives at Taichow Liehtao.

2 January 1944:
Departs Taichow Liehtao and at 0600 arrives at Shipu. At 1540 departs Shipu and at 1700 arrives at Fu Du Waterways.

3 January 1944:
At 0600 departs Fu Du Waterways. At 1900 arrives at Shanghai.

16 January 1944:
At 1000 departs Shanghai.

17 January 1944:
At 1730 arrives at Shipu.

18 January 1944:
At 0800 departs Shipu and at 1130 arrives at Taichow Liehtao.

19 January 1944:
At 0730, convoy No.130 departs Moji for Takao consisting of hospital ship ASAHI MARU, passenger/cargo liner TERUKUNI MARU, cargo ships PANAMA, ATSUTA, MAYA and YASUKUNI MARUs and tankers SAN DIEGO MARU and OGURA MARU No. 1 with auxiliary patrol boat MYOJIN MARU No. 2 and small auxiliary patrol boat SHINEI MARU joining escort at an unknown point.

23 January 1944:
China coast. 14th Air Force North American B-25 "Mitchell" medium bombers attack the convoy at 27-15N 120-45E. PANAMA MARU carrying 2,229 men of the 82nd and 83rd Infantry regiments, 21st Division is sunk. One crewman, two gunners and nine soldiers are KIA. All equipment as well as 5,034 tons of coal are also lost. YASUKUNI and ATSUTA MARUs are damaged.

24 January 1944:
At 0800 KASASHIMA departs Taichow Liehtao to bolster convoy escort. The convoy anchors off Incog Island. B-25's bomb and sink escort MYOJIN MARU No. 2. Patrol boat SHINEI MARU is hit and damaged. Lighthouse tender RYUSEI (ex-Chinese LIU HSING), nearby, but not part of the convoy, is also sunk with unknown casualties. At 1615 KASASHIMA arrives at Heiniu Wan.

25 January 1944:
Formosa Straits.At 0500 KASASHIMA departs Heiniu Wan. At 0620, convoy No. 130's MAYA MARU and oiler OGURA MARU No. 1 collide. MAYA MARU is moderately damaged. KASASHIMA and auxiliary gunboat SHINKO MARU No. 1, that happens to be in the area, steam to render assistance, but are attacked by five B-25's. At 1347, KASASHIMA sinks with unknown casualties. The rest of the convoy is diverted from Takao and arrives at Kirun (Keelung) later that day.

1944:
Removed from the Navy List.

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Authors' Notes:
[1] Salvage tug HASHIMA was renamed KASASHIMA to avoid confusion when cable-minelayer HASHIMA was completed on 25 October 1940.

Little data were found for tug KASASHIMA's assignments or movements. Readers with access to any such data are requested to post the information on the Discussion and Questions board or j-aircraft.org's IJN Ship Message Board

Thanks go to Gengoro S. Toda for clearing up the confusion caused by the two ship's names and to Mr Gilbert Casse of France for general assistance.

- Bob Hackett and Peter Cundall.

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