YUSOSEN!


(Type 2TL Wartime Standard Merchant Tanker Seria Maru by Ueda Kihachiro)

AMATO MARU:
Tabular Record of Movement

© 2010-2015 Bob Hackett and Peter Cundall.

Revision 1

10 May 1944:
Nagasaki. Laid down at Mitsubishi Jukogyo K.K. as a 10,238-ton Type 2TL wartime Standard Merchant Tanker for Ishihara Kisen K.K.

5 July 1944:
Launched and named AMATO MARU.

11 August 1944:
Completed.

8 September 1944:
At 1100, AMATO MARU departs Moji for Singapore in convoy HI-75 consisting of oilers NICHIEI, RYOEI, MANEI, YUHO, TOHO (1944), SERIA, passenger liner ASAMA MARU and cargo-passenger SAIGON MARU escorted by escort carrier SHINYO, flying boat tender AKITSUSHIMA, DesDiv 30’s YUZUKI and UZUKI, and kaibokan KANJU, MIYAKE and MANJU.

12 September 1944:
SAIGON MARU, destroyer YUZUKI and kaibokan KANJU are detached and follow the convoy in a separate echelon. At 1730, ASAMA MARU is detached for Keelung.

13 September 1944:
At 1400, arrives at Takao.

14 September 1944:
At 1630, AMATO MARU departs Takao for Singapore in convoy HI-75 now consisting of oilers NICHIEI, RYOEI, MANEI, YUHO, TOHO (1944), SERIA, FUJISAN, KUROSHIO and TAIHO MARUs escorted by escort carrier SHINYO, flying boat tender AKITSUSHIMA, DesDiv 30’s UZUKI, torpedo boat HIYODORI and kaibokan MIYAKE, MANJU and CD-28.

Soon after departure, AMATO MARU develops engine problems and at 1900, YUHO MARU also develop engine problems. Both are detached.

16 September 1944:
At 2330, KANJU, suffering rudder problems, collides with SERIA MARU, but there is little damage.

17 September 1944:
At 1000, as planned, AKITSUSHIMA and SAIGON MARU are detached and head for Manila escorted by YUZUKI and UZUKI. Enroute, Cdr (later Rear Admiral) Reuben T. Whitaker's (USNA ‘34) USS FLASHER (SS-249) torpedoes and sinks SAIGON MARU carrying 700 mines and 100 depth-charges, at 14-20N, 120-05E. Six crewmen are KIA. DesDiv 30’s YUZUKI and UZUKI hunt for the submarine, but Whitaker evades. YUZUKI and UZUKI rescue SAIGON MARU’s survivors, not including Captain Kameyama Minegoro (44). He is promoted Rear Admiral, posthumously.

18 September 1944:
At 1040, kaibokan KURAHASHI joins the escort. At 2015, SERIA MARU suffers rudder problems and collides with FUJISAN MARU, but again the damage is slight.

19 September 1944:
At 1500, AMATO MARU rejoins the convoy.

20 September 1944:
During the day, FUJISAN, NICHIEI, KUROSHIO and TAIHO MARUs and carrier SHINYO all suffer engine or rudder problems, but the convoy remains intact.

22 September 1944:
At 1600, arrives at Singapore.

12 October 1944:
Kaibokan TSUSHIMA joins the escort of convoy HI-76A consisting of TEIRITSU MARU (ex French LECONTE DE LISLE) and tankers TAIHO, TOA and AMATO MARUs also escorted by kaibokan CD-9.

15 October 1944:
At 2000 arrives at St Jacques. TEIRITSU MARU and TSUSHIMA are both detached and sail upriver to Saigon. CD-9 is detached, possibly also to go to Saigon, but later rejoins the convoy together with TSUSHIMA.

22 October 1944:
The convoy now strengthened by additional kaibokan escorts DAITO, CD-16 and CD-28 departs St Jacques.

26 October 1944:
At 2016 an enemy submarine is sighted at 20.19N 114.26E.

27 October 1944:
At 1345 an enemy submarine is sighted at 20.42N 114.34E. Soon after DAITO is likely detached.

2 November 1944:
Arrives at Moji.

9 December 1944:
At 1500, AMATO MARU departs Takao in convoy TASA-18 consisting of tankers ENKI, DAIETSU, RYOEI MARUs and TAMON MARU No. 15 escorted by kaibokan CD-14, CD-16, CD-46 and minesweeper W-101.

10 December 1944:
At 1000, TAMON MARU No. 15 has an engine breakdown and is detached with minesweeper W-101 for Hong Kong.

13 December 1944:
Arrives at Yulin.

17 December 1944:
At 1530, arrives at St Jacques.

26 December 1944:
At 1158, AMATO MARU depart Singapore for Moji escorting convoy HI-84 consisting of oilers TOA, RYOEI, MIRI and AKASHI MARUs, one unidentified ship, and transports IKUTAGAWA MARU, and AWA MARU that carries about 525 British, American and Australian POWs and 476 passengers escorted by kaibokan OKINAWA, CD-27 and CD-63, patrol boat P-102 and escort carrier KAIYO.

29 December 1944:
At 1157, HI-84 arrives at Cape St. Jacques (near Saigon) and departs at 1625 the same day.

30 December 1944:
South China Sea. HI-84 passes 2-YB (Second Striking Force) of Fifth Fleet Vice-Admiral Shima Kiyohide (39) flying his flag in HYUGA, with CarDiv 4 (HYUGA, ISE), cruisers OYODO and ASHIGARA, DesDiv 2's ASASHIMO and DesDiv 18's KASUMI that are enroute south from Camranh Bay. Later that day, HI-84 arrives at Binhoang Bay, Indochina.

31 December 1944:
At 0745, HI-84 departs Binhoang Bay. Soon after departure, KAIYO is sighted by LtCdr Otis R. Cole's (USNA ‘36) USS DACE (SS-247). Cole fires three torpedoes at KAIYO, but gets no hits. There is no counterattack, as the convoy seems unaware of the attack. At 1804, HI-84 arrives at Quinhon, Indochina.

1 January 1945:
Arrives at Tourane.

2 January 1945:
Departs Tourane.

5 January 1945:
At 1840, convoy HI-84 arrives at the Hong Kong area and departs at 1937.

9 January 1945:
Arrives at Chusan Retto (archipelago).

10 January 1945:
Departs Chusan Retto.

13 January 1945:
At 1725, arrives at Moji.

31 January 1945:
At 0730, AMATO MARU departs Moji for Singapore in convoy HI-95 consisting of Type 2TL tankers FUJISAN and MITSUSHIMA MARUs escorted by kaibokan INAGI, CD-66 and CD-81.

1 February 1945:
At 0100, arrives at Reisui Harbor, South Korea. Departs at 0700 that day.

6 February 1945:
Anchors at Lao Man Shan. Departs later that day.

7 February 1945:
At 1800, arrives and anchors at Yalang Bay, Hainan Island.

8 February 1945:
At 1700, departs Yalang Bay.

10 February 1945:
At 1700, arrives at Quinhon Bay, Indochina.

11 February 1945:
At 0730, departs Quinhon Bay.

14 February 1945:
At 2000, arrives at Singapore.

22 February 1945:
At 1800, AMATO MARU departs Singapore for Moji in convoy HI-96 consisting of FUJISAN and MITSUSHIMA MARUs escorted by kaibokan INAGI, CD-66 and CD-81.

27 February 1945:
15 km N of Camranh Bay, Indochina. At 0135, LtCdr (later Cdr) William H. Hazzard’s (USNA ‘35) USS BLENNY (SS-324) torpedoes and sinks tanker AMATO MARU at 11-57N, 109-18E. 73 seamen and 76 passengers are KIA.

Many thanks to Gilbert Casse of France for general assistance.

- Bob Hackett and Peter Cundall.

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