RIKUGUN HAITOSEN!
(Wartime Standard Type 1TM tanker)
ARIAKE MARU:
Tabular Record of Movement
© 2010-2013 Bob Hackett and Peter Cundall.
Revision 1
18 November 1942:
Yokohama. Laid down as the first of Mitsubishi Shipbuilding's Wartime Standard Type 1TM tankers, a 5,149-tonner for Ishihara Kisen K. K., Kobe.
2 April 1943:
Launched and named ARIAKE MARU.
15 May 1943:
Completed.
1943:
Placed under Senpaku Uneikai (Civilian Administration) control at an unknown date. Allotted to the Imperial Army (A/C-AO) with
Army Number 5050.
19 January 1944:
ARIAKE MARU departs Singapore for Moji in convoy HI-30 consisting of oilers GOYO MARU and two unidentified ships escorted by kaibokan SADO.
28 January 1944:
At 1100, arrives at North San Fernando, Philippines.
Departs that same day at 1800.
30 January 1944:
At 1200, the convoy arrives at Takao.
31 January 1944:
Departs Takao.
2 February 1944:
LtCdr Russell Kefauver’s USS TAMBOR (SS-198) sights
the convoy and begins tracking the five ships.
3 February 1944:
East China Sea, 200 miles SE of Shanghai, China. At about 0400, Kefauver fires three torpedoes at ARIAKE MARU and gets one hit amidships. At about 0415, ARIAKE MARU sinks at 28-32N, 124-04E. She takes down 28 crewmen and 19 passengers.
Kefauver fires three more torpedoes at GOYO MARU. At 0416, he gets two hits in her engine room. She erupts in flames, drifts away and disappears into a rain squall.
From 0418 to 1315, SADO conducts depth charge attacks on TAMBOR and drops
more than 70 depth charges, but TAMBOR slips away.
Two days later, GOYO MARU is presumed sunk at about 28-44N, 123-38E.
Authors’ Note:
[1] ARIAKE MARU was under civilian control when sunk, but previously she performed voyages under charter to the Imperial Army.
- Bob Hackett and Peter Cundall.
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