Japanese Water Tankers

KYUSUISEN!

(KISOGAWA MARU, sistership of GORYU MARU prewar)

IJN AMAKASU MARU No. 1:
Tabular Record of Movement

© 2016 Berend van der Wal, Gilbert Casse and Peter Cundall

E 1939:
Koyagi Jima. Laid down by Kawaminami Kogyo Zosensho K.K. as a 1,913-tons Peacetime Standard (D) Type cargo ship for Amakasu Sangyo K.K.
16 August 1939:
Launched and named AMAKASU MARU No. 1.
6 February 1940:
Completed.
31 March 1941:
Requisitioned by the IJN as a general requisitioned transport (Ippan Choyosen).
1 June 1941:
Arrives at Jaluit, Marshalls.
20 June 1941:
Departs Eniwetok, Marshalls.
17 July 1941:
Arrives at Jaluit. Replenishes auxiliary gunboat CHOKAI MARU with water.
21 July 1941:
Replenishes auxiliary gunboat CHOKAI MARU with water.
22 July 1941:
Replenishes auxiliary gunboat NAGATA MARU with water.
25 July 1941:
Replenishes auxiliary gunboat NAGATA MARU with water.
E 26 ~ 28 July 1944:
Departs Jaluit for Eniwetok.
29 July 1941:
Departs Eniwetok.
27 August 1941:
Arrives at Kwajalein, Marshalls.
18 September 1941:
Replenishes auxiliary gunboat DAIDO MARU with water.
20 September 1941:
At 1200, auxiliary gunboat IKUTA MARU comes alongside and is replenished with fresh water. At 1545 replenishment is completed. Departs Kwajalein later that same day.
15 October 1941:
Registered by the IJN as an auxiliary water tanker attached to the Yokosuka Naval District under instruction No. 1256.
25 October 1941:
Arrives at Saipan, Marianas.
13 November 1941:
At Kwajalein, replenishes auxiliary gunboat IKUTA MARU with fresh water.
15 November 1941:
At Pekeji, Marshalls, replenishes auxiliary gunboat DAIDO MARU with fresh water.
1 December 1941:
Assigned to Vice Admiral (later Admiral) Inoue Shigeyoshi’s (37) Fourth Fleet in Rear Admiral (Vice Admiral posthumously) Yatsushiro Sukeyoshi’s (40) 6th Base Force, Marshall defense troops, water supply unit as an auxiliary water tanker, Otsu category. [1]
8 December 1941:
Departs Saipan and arrives at Kwajalein later that same day.
11 December 1941:
Departs Kwajalein and arrives at Roi, Marshalls, later that day.
12 December 1941:
Departs Roi and arrives at Kwajalein later in the day.
19 December 1941:
Departs Kwajalein.
20 December 1942:
Arrives at Jaluit.
22 December 1941:
Auxiliary gunboat IKUTA MARU comes alongside to port and is replensihed with fresh water.
23 December 1941:
Departs Jaluit. Arrives at Emiedj, Marshalls later that same day.
24 December 1941:
Departs Emiedj.
25 December 1941:
Arrives at Kwajalein.
29 December 1941:
Departs Kwajalein.
2 January 1942:
Departs Kwajalein.
8 January 1942:
Arrives at Roi.
10 January 1942:
Departs Roi and arrives at Kwajalein later that same day.
16 January 1942:
Departs Kwajalein.
17 January 1942:
Arrives back at Kwajalein.
23 January 1942:
Departs again Kwajalein.
24 January 1942:
Arrives at Emiedj.
29 January 1942:
Departs Emiedj and arrives later at Kwajalein.
7 February 1942:
Departs Kwajalein and arrives at Roi later that day.
9 February 1942:
Departs Roi and arrives at Kwajalein later in the day.
10 February 1942:
Departs Kwajalein.
13 February 1942:
Arrives at Ponape, Eastern Carolines.
19 February 1942:
Departs Ponape.
22 February 1942:
Arrives at Kwajalein.
26 February 1942:
Departs Kwajalein.
27 February 1942:
Arrives at Emiedj. Replenishes auxiliary gunboat IKUTA MARU with fresh water.
1 March 1942:
Departs Emiedj.
2 March 1942:
Arrives at Kwajalein.
4 March 1942:
Departs Kwajalein for a patrol mission in Gea Pass, Kwajalein atoll. [2]
7 March 1942:
Arrives at Rongelap, Marshalls.
9 March 1942:
Departs Rongelap.
11 March 1942:
Arrives at Borak, Marshalls. Departs the same day.
15 March 1942:
Arrives at Ponape.
27 March 1942:
Departs Ponape.
30 March 1942:
Arrives at Kwajalein.
1 April 1942:
Replenishes auxiliary patrol craft RYUJIN MARU No. 3 with fresh water. Thereafter departs Kwajalein and arrives at Roi later that day.
2 April 1942:
Departs Roi.
3 April 1942:
Arrives at Roi. Auxiliary patrol boat HIGASHI NIHON MARU come alongside and is replenished with 13t of water.
4 April 1942:
Departs Roi.
5 April 1942:
Arrives at Taroa, Maloelap, Marshalls.
6 April 1942:
Departs Taroa.
7 April 1942:
Arrives at Jabot, Marshalls.
9 April 1942:
Departs Jabot.
10 April 1942:
Arrives at Kwajalein.
13 April 1942:
Departs Kwajalein.
15 April 1943:
Arrives at Ponape.
21 April 1942:
Departs Ponape.
25 April 1942:
Arrives at Kwajalein. Replenishes small freighter SEIJU MARU No. 2 with 16t of water.
26 April 1942:
Departs Kwajalein.
27 April 1942:
Arrives at Wotje, Marshalls.
28 April 1942:
Auxiliary patrol craft FUKUYOSHI MARU No. 5 and ASHITAKA MARU No. 5 come alongside. Replenishes FUKUYOSHI MARU No. 5 with fresh water and ASHITAKA MARU No. 5 with 15t of fresh water. Thereafter departs Wotje later in the day.
29 April 1942:
Arrives at Taroa.
30 April 1942:
Arrives at Emiedj.
1 May 1942:
Auxiliary gunboat IKUTA MARU comes alongside and is replenished with fresh water.
2 May 1942:
Resumes replenishing of IKUTA MARU with fresh water. Thereafter departs Emiedj.
5 May 1942:
Arrives at Ponape.
10 May 1942:
Departs Ponape.
13 May 1942:
Arrives at Kwajalein. Replenishes small freighter SEIJU MARU No. 2 with 20t of fresh water.
15 May 1942:
Departs Kwajalein.
16 May 1942:
Arrives at Taroa.
17 May 1942:
Departs Taroa.
18 May 1942:
Arrives at Wotje. Auxiliary patrol boat HIGASHI NIHON MARU comes alongside and is replenished with 5t of fresh water.
19 May 1942:
Departs Wotje.
21 May 1942:
Arrives at Borak. Departs later that day.
23 May 1942:
Arrives at Roi.
25 May 1942:
Departs Roi and arrives at Kwajalein later that same day.
10 June 1942:
Departs Kwajalein.
13 June 1942:
Arrives at Ponape.
19 June 1942:
Departs Ponape.
22 June 1942:
Arrives at Kwajalein.
27 June 1942:
Departs Kwajalein for Japan.
9 July 1942:
Arrives at Yokosuka.
12 July 1942:
Transfers to Yokohama.
E 13 July 1942:
Enters drydock.
14 August 1942:
Undocked. Departs Yokohama and arrives at Yokosuka later in the day.
16 August 1942:
Departs Yokosuka.
28 August 1942:
Arrives at Kwajalein.
1 September 1942:
At 1430, departs Kwajalein.
4 September 1942:
Arrives at Ponape.
9 September 1942:
Departs Ponape.
12 September 1942:
At 0500, arrives at Kwajalein.
15 September 1942:
At 0900, departs Kwajalein.
16 September 1942:
Arrives at Wotje.
17 September 1942:
Replenishes auxiliary patrol boat HIGASHI NIHON MARU with 2t of fresh water.
18 September 1942:
Departs Wotje and arrives at Taroa later that day.
20 September 1942:
Departs Taroa.
21 September 1942:
Arrives at Emiedj.
23 September 1942:
Departs Emiedj.
24 September 1942:
At 1200, arrives at Kwajalein.
25 September 1942:
At 0510, departs Kwajalein.
28 September 1942:
At 0530, arrives at Ponape escorted by auxiliary subchasers SHONAN MARU No. 3 and TAMA MARU No. 3.
2 October 1942:
Departs Ponape.
5 October 1943:
At 0530, arrives at Kwajalein.
7 October 1942:
Departs Kwajalein.
8 October 1942:
Arrives at Taroa.
9 October 1942:
Departs Taroa and arrives at Wotje later that day. Replenishes auxiliary patrol craft NICHIEI MARU with 2t of fresh water (ship later became NICHIEI MARU I GO).
10 October 1942:
Auxiliary patrol craft ASHITAKA MARU No. 5 comes alongside and is replenished with fresh water. Thereafter departs Wotje.
11 October 1942:
Arrives at Kwajalein.
13 October 1942:
Departs Kwajalein.
16 October 1942:
Arrives at Ponape.
23 October 1942:
Departs Ponape.
26 October 1942:
Arrives at Jaluit.
8 November 1942:
Departs Jaluit.
11 November 1942:
Arrives at Ponape.
17 November 1942:
Departs Ponape.
20 November 1942:
Arrives at Kwajalein.
25 November 1942:
Departs Kwajalein and arrives at Roi later that same day.
26 November 1942:
Departs Roi.
27 November 1942:
Arrives at Wotje. Replenishes auxiliary patrol craft KAZU MARU No. 5 with fresh water and ASHITAKA MARU No. 5 with 20t of fresh water.
28 November 1942:
Departs Wotje.
29 November 1942:
Arrives at Taroa. Departs later.
20 December 1942:
Arrives at Rongelap. Departs later.
24 December 1942:
Departs Wake (renamed Otorishima after its capture) for Ponape. Soon after departure, at 0900, LtCdr (later Rear Admiral) Charles C. Kirkpatrick’s (USNA ’31) USS TRITON (SS-201) torpedoes and sinks AMAKASU MARU No. 1 about two nautical miles SSW of Wake at 19-16N, 166-37E with the loss of 12 of her crew.
1 February 1943:
Removed from the Navy’s list under internal order No. 108.

Authors notes :
[1] There were two categories of Kyusuisen. (Ko) category with an IJN Captain as supervisor aboard and (Otsu) category without.
[2] Narrow deep water channel entrance to the Kwajalein lagoon between Ninni and Gea islands.
Thanks go to Gengoro S. Toda of Japan.
Berend van der Wal, Gilbert Casse and Peter Cundall.

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