YUSOSEN!
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(Type 2TL Wartime Standard Merchant Tanker Seria Maru by
Ueda Kihachiro)
ARITA MARU:
Tabular Record of Movement
© 2010-2013 Bob Hackett and Peter Cundall.
11 April 1944:
Nagasaki. Laid down at Mitsubishi Jukogyo K. K. Zosensho as a 10,238-ton Type 2TL wartime Standard Merchant Tanker for Ishihara Kisen K.K.
9 June 1944:
Launched and named ARITA MARU.
20 July 1944:
Completed.
11 August 1944:
Departs Nagasaki.
13 August 1944:
Arrives at Iwakuni.
15 August 1944:
Departs Iwakuni.
17 August 1944:
Arrives at Amagasaki.
18 August 1944:
Departs Amagasaki.
19 August 1944:
Arrives at Kibe.
21 August 1944:
Departs Kobe.
22 August 1944:
Arrives at Ujina.
24 August 1944:
Departs Ujina and later that day arrives at Hiro.
25 August 1944:
Departs Hiro.
27 August 1944:
Arrives at Moji.
1 October 1944:
At 0800, ARITA MARU departs Moji for Singapore in convoy HI-77 also consisting of oilers AKANE, HAKOZAKI, ITSUKUSHIMA, KAIHO, OMUROSAN, OTOWASAN and TAIHO MARUs, transports MANJU (ex-SANTOS) and KINUGASA and ORYOKU MARUs, German submarine supply ship QUITO and an unidentified vessel escorted by kaibokan CHIBURI and CD-19, CD-21 and CD-27.
5 October 1944:
Arrives at Takao. Before departing later the same day,
HI-77’s escort is bolstered by inclusion of kaibokan ETOROFU and SHONAN.
6 October 1944:
250 miles W of Manila. After patrolling the Luzon
Strait, a wolfpack consisting of LtCdr Arnold H. Holtz’s USS BAYA (SS-318),
LtCdr Henry D. Sturr’s BECUNA (SS-319) and LtCdr Francis W. Scanland, Jr’s
HAWKBILL (SS-366) heads through the South China Sea towards Fremantle,
Australia.
About 1400, LtCdr James B. Grady's USS WHALE (SS-239) torpedoes and sinks
oiler AKANE MARU. At 1757, Cdr (later Rear Admiral) Charles W. Wilkins' SEAHORSE
(SS-304) torpedoes and sinks CD-21.
7 October 1944:
At about 2200, KINUGASA MARU is hit by three more
torpedoes. At 2224, HAWKBILL, running on the surface, fires four torpedoes and
gets three hits followed by an ammo explosion. LtCdr Holtz’s BAYA also torpedoes
and sinks KINUGASA MARU.
12 October 1944:
At 1500, the remainder of HI-77 arrives at Singapore.
20 October 1944:
At 1800, ARITA MARU departs Singapore in convoy HI-78
consisting also of tankers TOHO and OTOWASAN MARUs escorted by kaibokan ETOROFU and
SHONAN.
22 October 1944:
Kaibokan TSUSHIMA joins the escort.
27 October 1944:
The convoy is attacked by USAAF aircraft at 20-42N, 114-36E, but suffers no loss.
2 November 1944:
Arrives at Kudamatsu.
3 November 1944:
Arrives at Iwakuni.
6 November 1944:
Departs Iwakuni and arrives at Ujina.
9 November 1944:
Departs Ujina.
10 November 1944:
Arrives at Moji.
14 November 1944:
ARITA MARU departs Imari Bay for Singapore in convoy HI-81 also consisting of AKITSU, HASHIDATE, KIBITSU, KIYOKAWA,
MAYASAN, MIRI. OTOWASAN, SHINSHU and TOA MARUs escorted by destroyer KASHI and kaibokan ETOROFU (F), DAITO, KUME SHONAN and TSUSHIMA. The convoy carries elements of the IJA’s 23rd Infantry Division. Stops overnight at Goto Island.
15 November 1944:
Departs Goto Island. Escort carrier SHINYO takes up
position at the rear of the center of three columns of vessels. At 1156, LtCdr
(later Rear Admiral) Charles E. Loughlin's USS QUEENFISH (SS-393) torpedoes and
sinks AKITSU MARU with the loss of over 2,000 aboard. SHINYO's planes attempt to
locate and destroy the submarine, but fail to find her.
16 November 1944:
Off Korea. The convoy anchors near Strange Island
and shelters there.
17 November 1944:
At 0800, convoy HI-81 departs for the Shushan
Islands near Shanghai. At 1815, USS PICUDA (SS-382) torpedoed and sinks MAYASAN
MARU with the loss 3,482 crew and troops of the IJA’s 23rd Division. At 2309,
LtCdr Gordon W. Underwood’s USS SPADEFISH (SS-411) torpedoes and sinks escort
carrier SHINYO. Escort destroyer KASHI counterattacks the submarine with
uncertain results.
18 November 1944:
At 0315, kaibokan TSUSHIMA attacks a submarine with
fifteen depth-charges. At 1600, the convoy arrives at an anchorage E of Shanghai.
21 November 1944:
The convoy departs for Mako, Pescadores.
23 November 1944:
Formosa Strait. The convoy anchors in the Nanjih Channel. Kaibokan CD-61 joins the escort.
24 November 1944:
At 0730, departs the Nanjih area.
25 November 1944:
CD-61 is detached from the convoy.
26 November 1944:
Arrives at Mako. CD-9 joins the escort.
27 November 1944:
At 1600, ARITA MARU departs Mako for Singapore in convoy HI-81 now also consisting of HASHIDATE, OTOWASAN and TOA MARUs escorted by destroyer KASHI and kaibokan ETOROFU (F), KUME, CD-9 and CD-61.
4 December 1944:
Arrives at Singapore.
12 December 1944:
At 1600, ARITA MARU departs Singapore in convoy HI-82 also consisting of tankers HASHIDATE, OTOWASAN, OMUROSAN and PALEMBANG MARUs escorted by kaibokan ETOROFU, KUME, SHONAN, CD-9 and CD-19.
17 December 1944:
Arrives at Camranh Bay.
19 December 1944:
Departs Camranh Bay.
22 December 1944:
About 250 miles N of Camranh Bay. At 0550, LtCdr (later Captain-Ret) George W. Grider's USS FLASHER (SS-249) torpedoes ARITA,
OTOWASAN and OMUROSAN MARUs. All three burst into flames and sink at 15-02N, 109-08E. The escorts do not counter-attack since they believe they have entered a minefield.
- Bob Hackett and Peter Cundall.
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