Japanese Oilers

YUSOSEN!

(AKATSUKI MARU prewar)

IJN AKATSUKI MARU:
Tabular Record of Movement © 2010-2024 Bob Hackett and Peter Cundall.

31 June 1937:
Aioi. Laid down at Harima Zosensho K.K. as a 10,216-ton oil tanker for Nihon Kaiun K.K (Japan Line) Ltd, a subsidiary of Nippon Suisan.
20 August 1938:
Launched and named AKATSUKI MARU.
1 October 1938:
Completed and registered at Tokyo with Gross Registered Tonnage (GRT) and Net Registered Tonnage (NRT) of respectively 10,215-tons and 6,897-tons. Her Call sign is JUQM. Placed in service on Nippon Suisan Kaisha's California route. [1][2]
6 September 1939:
Arrives at the Panama Canal from Los Angeles in ballast.
9 September 1939:
Transits the Panama Canal and departs for Port Arthur, Texas.
6 October 1939:
Arrives at the Panama Canal from Port Arthur, Texas with 12496 tons crude oil. Transits the Panama Canal and departs the same day for Gensan, Chosen.
1940:
Engages in transporting oil from Tarakan, Borneo, Netherlands East Indies (now Kalimantan, Indonesia) and Okha, North Sakhalin to Japan.
1941:
Her GRT and NRT respectively change to 10,110-tons and 5,755-tons. [1]
17 November 1941:
Chartered as a general charter ship (refueling ship) in the Kure Naval District and assigned to the Naval Department.
18 November 1941:
Arrives at Kure. Undergoes conversion to an auxiliary oiler.
10 December 1941:
Departs Kure for Tokuyama, Yatsu and then Satsukawa Bay at Amami Oshima, Satsunan Islands.
15 December 1941:
Refuels patrol boat PB-1 and replenishes her with fresh water.
15 ~ 18 December 1941:
Departs Satsukawa Bay.
20 December 1941:
Departs Kure.
23 December 1941:
Arrives at Tokuyama.
26 December 1941:
Departs Tokuyama.
26 December 1941:
Arrives at Kure.
5 January 1942:
Departs Kure.
6 January 1942:
Arrives at Sasebo. Collides with the auxiliary gun boat SHINKYO MARU. The bridge of the SHINKYO MARU is very heavily damaged.
8 January 1942:
Departs Sasebo.
9 January 1942:
Arrives at Tokuyama.
10 January 1942:
Departs Tokuyama and later that day arrives at Kure.
30 January ~ 15 February 1942:
At Aioi at Harima Zosensho K.K. undergoes an intermediate inspection and the hull and engine are repaired.
15 February 1942:
Departs Aioi.
16 February 1942:
Arrives at Tokuyama.
19 February 1942:
Departs Tokuyama.
21 February 1942:
Arrives at Yokosuka.
22 March 1942:
Departs Yokosuka for Tokuyama.
24 March 1942:
Arrives at Tokuyama.
31 March 1942:
Departs Tokuyama.
2 April 1942:
Arrives at Yokosuka.
26 April 1942:
Departs Yokosuka.
28 April 1942:
Arrives at Tokuyama.
May 1942:
Scheduled for a military transport mission under Transport wireless instruction No. 674. Loads 6,000-tons of gasoline for autombiles.
1 May 1942:
Departs Tokuyama.
3 May 1942:
Arrives at Yokosuka.
16 May 1942:
Departs Yokosuka.
17 May 1942:
Departs Yokosuka.
25 May 1942:
Arrives Palembang, Sumatra, Netherlands East Indies (now Indonesia). Probably loads a cargo of crude oil.
29 May 1942:
Departs Palembang.
30 May 1942:
Arrives at Singapore. Probably discharges her cargo of crude oil.
2 June 1942:
Departs Singapore.
3 June 1942:
Arrives at Palembang.
3 ~ 7 June 1942:
Loads 7,284 kilolitres (kl) of gasoline for automobiles.
7 June 1942:
Departs Palembang.
8 June 1942:
Arrives at Singapore.
8 ~ 10 June 1942:
Off loads 7,284 kl of gasoline for automobiles and embarks 3 passengers.
10 June 1942:
Departs Singapore.
11 June 1942:
Arrives at Palembang.
11 ~ 15 June 1942:
Loads 8,286 kl of gasoline for automobiles and disembarks 3 passengers.
15 June 1942:
Departs Palembang.
16 June 1942:
Arrives at Singapore.
16 ~ 19 June 1942:
Off loads 8,286 kl of gasoline for automobiles.
19 June 1942:
Departs Singapore.
20 June 1942:
Arrives at Palembang.
20 ~ 23 June 1942:
Loads 5,850 kl of gasoline for automobiles.
23 June 1942:
Departs Palembang.
24 June 1942:
Arrives at Singapore.
24 ~ 29 June 1942:
Loads 10,503 kl of gasoline for automobiles.
29 June 1942:
Departs Singapore.
4 July 1942:
Arrives at Takao, Formosa (now Kaoshiung, Taiwan). Embarks one passenger. Departs later this day.
6 July 1942:
Arrives at Shimotsu.
7 ~ 14 July 1942:
Off loads 16,353 kl of gasoline for automobiles and disembarks 1 passenger.
14 July 1942:
Departs Shimotsu and later that day arrives Kure.
14 ~ 21 July 1942:
Construction and installation of defensive weapons.
21 July 1942:
Departs Kure. Transits south through the Bungo Straits.
29 July 1942:
Arrives at Palembang.
29 July ~ 2 August 1942:
Loads 6,844 kl of aviation gasoline.
2 August 1942:
Departs Palembang.
3 August 1942:
Arrives at Singapore.
3 ~ 6 August 1942:
Off loads 6,844 kl of aviation gasoline.
6 August 1942:
Departs Singapore.
7 August 1942:
Arrives at Palembang.
7 ~ 11 August 1942:
Loads 8,740 kl of aviation gasoline.
11 August 1942:
Departs Palembang.
12 August 1942:
Arrives at Singapore.
12 ~ 16 August 1942:
Off loads 8,740 kl of aviation gasoline.
16 August 1942:
Departs Singapore.
17 August 1942:
Arrives at Palembang.
17 ~ 20 August 1942:
Loads 5,246 kl of aviation gasoline.
20 August 1942:
Departs Palembang.
21 August 1942:
Arrives at Singapore.
21 ~ 25 August 1942:
Loads 11,255 kl of aviation gasoline.
25 August 1942:
Departs Singapore.
2 September 1942:
Arrives at Dairen, Manchuria (now Dalian, northern China).
2 ~ 8 September 1942:
Off loads 16,501 kl of aviation gasoline. Embarks 2 passengers.
8 September 1942:
Departs Dairen.
16 September 1942:
Arrives at Palembang.
16 ~ 19 September 1942:
Loads 7,274 kl of aviation gasoline.
19 September 1942:
Departs Palembang.
20 September 1942:
Arrives at Singapore.
20 ~ 24 September 1942:
Off loads 7,274 kl of aviation gasoline. Disembarks 2 passengers and embarks 2 passengers.
24 September 1942:
Departs Singapore.
25 September 1942:
Arrives at Palembang.
25 ~ 27 September 1942:
Loads 5,541 kl of aviation gasoline and disembarks two passengers.
27 September 1942:
Departs Palembang.
28 September 1942:
Arrives at Singapore.
28 September ~ 3 October 1942:
Loads 12,877 kl of aviation gasoline and 2,066 kl of gasoline for automobiles.
3 October 1942:
Departs Singapore.
11 October 1942:
Arrives at Shanghai, China.
11 October ~ 1 November 1942:
Off loads aviation volatile oil and automobile volatile oil. Loads 9,000m³ canteen goods.
1 November 1942:
Departs Shanghai.
7 November 1942:
Arrives at Palembang.
7 ~ 11 November 1942:
Loads 9,541 kl of air volatile oil and embarks 2 passengers.
11 November 1942:
Departs Palembang.
12 November 1942:
Arrives at Singapore.
12 ~ 15 November 1942:
Loads 772 kl of aviation gasoline and 6,031 kl of gasoline for automobiles
15 November 1942:
Departs Singapore.
23 November 1942:
Arrives at Shanghai carrying 10,000-tons of crude oil and refined fuel oil and 6,000 tons of aviation gasoline.
23 ~ 28 November 1942:
Off loads 10,113 kl of aviation gasoline and 6,031 kl of gasoline for automobiles.
28 November 1942:
Departs Shanghai.
4 December 1942:
Arrives at Palembang.
4 ~ 11 December 1942:
Loads 10,746-tons of aviation gasoline.
11 December 1942:
Departs Palembang.
12 December 1942:
Arrives at Pulau Bukum, Singapore.
12 ~ 15 December 1942:
Off loads aviation gasoline.
15 December 1942:
Departs Pulau Bukum.
16 December 1942:
Arrives at Palembang.
16 ~ 18 December 1942:
Loads 4,979-tons of Pendopo crude oil, test oil and 65m3 of other samples. Embarks two passengers.
18 December 1942:
Departs Palembang.
19 December 1942:
Arrives at Pulau Sambu, Riau Islands, Netherlands East Indies (now Indonesia), a small island near Singapore.
19 ~ 21 December 1942:
Loads 9,551-tons of Sumatra crude oil, disembarks one passenger and embarks 5 passengers.
21 December 1942:
Departs Pulau Sambu in a convoy also consisting of auxiliary transport TATSUWA MARU and possibly others with unknown escort.
23 December 1942:
At 1730 TATSUWA MARU arrives at Saigon. AKATSUKI MARU probably sails on.
29 December 1942:
Arrives at Shimotsu carrying 15,000-tons of crude oil and refined fuel oil.
29 December 1942 ~ 3 January 1943:
Off loads 14,530-tons of Pendopo and Sumatra crude oil, test oil and 65m3 of other samples and disembarks six passengers.
3 January 1943:
Departs Shimotsu.
4 January 1943:
Arrives at Kure.
4 ~ 9 January 1943:
Repairs guns, loads food and embarks 3 passengers.
9 January 1943:
Departs Kure.
17 January 1943:
Arrives at Palembang.
21 January 1943:
Departs Palembang.
22 January 1943:
Arrives at Pulau Sambu near Singapore.
22 ~ 23 January 1943:
Loads 4,391-tons of crude oil and disembarks six passengers.
23 January 1943:
Departs Pulau Sambu.
1 February 1943:
Arrives at Genzan, Chosen (Kunsan, now Wonsan, North Korea).
1 ~ 4 February 1943:
Off loads 13,520-tons of crude oil.
4 February 1943:
Departs Genzan.
9 February 1943:
Arrives at Dairen carrying 15,950-tons of crude oil and refined fuel oil.
13 February 1943:
Arrives at Palembang.
13 ~ 17 February 1943:
Loads crude oil.
17 February 1943:
Departs Palembang.
18 February 1943:
Arrives at Pulau Sambu near Singapore.
18 ~ 20 February 1943:
Loads crude oil.
20 February 1943:
Departs Pulau Sambu, Singapore
2 March 1943:
Arrives at Shimotsu.
2 ~ 5 March 1943:
Off loads crude oil and disembarks passengers.
5 March 1943:
Departs Shimotsu.
6 March 1943:
At 0800 arrives at Kure.
6 ~ 10 March 1943:
Loads food.
10 March 1943:
Departs Kure.
19 March 1943:
Arrives at Surabaya.
19 ~ 26 March 1943:
Loads crude oil.
26 March 1943:
AKATSUKI MARU departs Surabaya, Java, Netherlands Indies, (now Indonesia) for Balikpapan, Borneo, Netherlands East Indies (now Kalimantan, Indonesia) escorted by subchaser CH-2.
28 March 1943:
Arrives at Balikpapan.
28 ~ 30 March 1943:
Loads crude oil.
30 March 1943:
Departs Balikpapan.
1 April 1943:
Arrives at Surabaya.
4 April 1943:
At 1100 departs Surabaya.
6 April 1943:
At 1300, scheduled to arrive Balikpapan.
18 April 1943:
At 1800 departs Balikpapan in Tokubetsu convoy escorted by auxiliary gunboat PEKING MARU.
19 April 1943:
Off the coast of Mangkalihat peninsula, Borneo PEKING MARU detaches due to an engine failure.
24 April 1943:
At 1215 arrives at Manila.
27 April 1943:
Arrives at Dairen.
3 May 1943:
Departs Dairen.
7 May 1943:
Arrives Kobe and departs later that day.
8 May 1943:
Arrives at Yokosuka.
14 May 1943:
Departs Yokosuka.
16 May 1943:
Arrives at Kure.
17 May 1943:
Departs Kure.
19 May 1943:
Arrives at Yokosuka.
24 May 1943:
At 0900, AKATSUKI MARU, in ballast, departs Sasebo for Takao, Formosa and is later escorted by minelayer HIRASHIMA.
28 May 1943:
About 270 miles NW of Naha, Okinawa. At 1350, LtCdr Anthony H. Dropp's USS SAURY (SS-189) attacks unescorted AKATSUKI MARU, but she evades the torpedoes. USS SAURY conducts three more attacks over a period of about three hours. At 1720 one torpedo hits the machine room. At 1900 all crewmembers abandon the ship. AKATSUKI MARU sinks at 0100 the next day at 27-40N, 125-55E. 37 crewmen are lost. [3]
30 June 1943:
Removed from the Navy List.

Authors' Notes:
[1] Completed 31 October 1938 according to other sources.
[2] NRT is a ship's cargo volume capacity expressed in "register tons", one of which equals to a volume of 100 cubic feet (2.83 m3). It is calculated by subtracting non-revenue-earning spaces i.e. spaces not available for carrying cargo, for example engine rooms, fuel tanks and crew quarters, from the ship's gross register tonnage (GRT). Net register tonnage (NRT) is not a measure of the weight of the ship or its cargo, and should not be confused with terms such as deadweight tonnage or displacement.
[3] AKATSUKI’s outbound destination was Balikpapen, Borneo. 27 crewmen were lost according to other sources.
Thanks for assistance goes to Sander Kingsepp of Estonia, Berend van der Wal of Netherlands and Gilbert Casse of France. Thanks go to Gengoro S. Toda of Japan.

- Bob Hackett and Peter Cundall.

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