Japanese Oilers

YUSOSEN!

(IJN ASHIZURI - colorized photo by Irootoko Jr)

Fleet AvGas Tanker IJN ASHIZURI:
Tabular Record of Movement

© 2005-2017 Bob Hackett and Peter Cundall.
Revision 10

8 July 1941:
Nagasaki. Laid down at Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. shipyard as a 7, 951-ton aviation gasoline tanker.

1 March 1942:
Named ASHIZURI.
16 May 1942:
Launched. Captain Kuribayashi Kesakiti is posted the Commanding Officer.
30 January 1943:
Completed and registered in the Yokosuka Naval District. Classified as a transport warship.
10 February 1943:
Attached directly to the Combined Fleet.
3 March 1943:
Departs Kobe for Balikpapan, Borneo.
29 March 1943:
Joined by patrol boat PB-31 and escorted to Fukajima.
30 March 1943:
Arrives at Tokuyama; unloads fuel oil then moves to Yokohama.
10 April 1943:
Joined by patrol boat PB-31 off Fukajima and escorted to 133E.
7 June 1943:
At 1428 patrol boat PB-101 departs Yokosuka escorting ASHIZURI and SUNOSAKI.
9 June 1943:
At 0950 arrives at Yura and departs there at 1400. At 1745 arrives at Kobe.
15 June 1943:
At 0900 departs Sasebo for Balikpapan. Together with SUNOSAKI that has also left Sasebo, joins convoy TA-504 consisting of KUROSHIO and TIENTSIN (TENSHIN) MARUs escorted by minelayer HIRASHIMA. The convoy sails for Takao at 12 knots.
18 June 1943:
At 1300 arrives at Takao.
21 June 1943:
At 0900 due to depart Takao in Z Convoy also consisting of tanker KUROSHIO MARU and Naval oiler SUNOSAKI escorted by the old destroyer WAKATAKE for St Jacques.
1 July 1943:
Departs Singapore.
4 July 1943:
At 1230, arrives at Palembang, Sumatra.
9 July 1943:
At 1900 departs Palembang with SUNOSAKI.
12 July 1943:
At 0755 minesweeper W-16 departs Balikpapan to meet up with Naval oilers ASHIZURI and SUNOSAKI at Aru Bank. At 2227 the ships all arrive at Balikpapan.
18 August 1943:
Arrives at Osaka.
24 August 1943:
At 1400, ASHIZURI departs Singapore in convoy HI-06 consisting of oilers TATEKAWA and OTOWASAN MARUs, transport KAGU MARU and one unidentified merchant ship escorted by kaibokan MATSUWA.
3 September 1943:
At 0930, arrives at Moji, then departs for Tokuyama.
15 September 1943:
Departs Moji for Singapore with destroyer SANAE escorting convoy SA-13 consisting of TEIKO (ex-French liner D’ARTAGNAN), SEISHIN, TEIFU (ex French cargo liner BOUGAINVILLE) and USSURI MARUs. En route south heavy weather is encountered and the convoy is dispersed.
22 September 1943:
Departs Singapore with subchaser CH-19 escorting convoy SA-12 consisting of transports TEIKO (ex-French liner D’ARTAGNAN) and USSURI MARUs and tankers SEISHIN and KIRISHIMA MARUs.
25 September 1943:
Alerted by nearby USS BILLFISH (SS-286) on her first war patrol, LtCdr (later Cdr) Joseph H. Willingham’s (USNA ’26) USS BOWFIN's (SS-287) lookouts sight the convoy. At 1310, BOWFIN, also on her first war patrol, torpedoes and sinks tanker KIRISHIMA MARU at 09-53N 112-10E. 14 crewmen are KIA. CH-19 counterattacks, but is unsuccessful.
24 October 1943:
At 0700, departs Tokuyama for Yokosuka.
4 November 1943:
Departs Yokosuka for Moji to assemble in a convoy for Singapore.
10 November 1943:
At 1500 departed Mutsure escorting SA-17 consisting of tankers KYOKUTO, OKIGAWA and MIRI MARUs, IJA landing craft depot ships NIGITSU and MAYASAN MARUs and cargo-passenger ship ORYOKU and USSURI MARU also escorted by patrol boat PB-36.
14 November 1943:
At 0420 ASHIZURI, having detached, arrives at Mako.
15 November 1943:
Departs Mako for Singapore escorting convoy SA-17 originally consisting of tankers KYOKUTO, OKIGAWA and MIRI MARUs, IJA landing craft depot ships NIGITSU and MAYASAN MARUs and cargo-passenger ship ORYOKU and USSURI MARU. It is probable the latter four ships are detached at Takao.
21 November 1943:
Arrives at Singapore.
25 November 1943:
ASHIZURI departs Singapore in special convoy G consisting of tankers MIRI and OKIGAWA MARUs, and transports ASAMA, KACHIDOKI (ex PRESIDENT HARRISON), ASOSAN and AOBASAN MARUs and one unidentified ship escorted by destroyer URANAMI.
30 November 1943:
Arrives at Manila, URANAMI is detached and kaibokan TSUSHIMA takes over as escort.
1 December 1943:
At 2000 arrives at Takao.
2 December 1943:
At 1430 possibly departs Takao in Special G convoy (Part 2) also consisting of SAKITO, KACHIDOKI (ex PRESIDENT HARRISON), NISSHO and ASOSAN MARUs escorted by kaibokan TSUSHIMA.
7 December 1943:
At 1000 arrives at Mutsure.
10 December 1943:
Arrives at Tokuyama.
17 December 1943:
Nagasaki. Drydocked. Undergoes repairs and camouflage repainting.
20 December 1943:
Undocked.
31 December 1943:
At 0600, convoy HI-29 departs Moji consisting of tankers KUROSHIO and (ex cargo) GOYO MARUs, cargo passenger ships KACHIDOKI (ex-PRESIDENT HARRISON) and ASOSAN MARUs escorted by kaibokan SADO. That same day, ASHIZURI and sister fleet oiler SHIOYA depart Sasebo and join the convoy.
4 January 1944:
At 1600, convoy HI-29 arrives at Takao. ASHIZURI and SHIOYA are detached.
6 January 1944:
At 1315, ASHIZURI, fleet oiler SHIOYA and tanker OKIKAWA MARU depart Takao in the Rinji (special) M convoy escorted by kaibokan SADO and patrol boat PB-36. This convoy accompanies convoy HI-29 to Manila.
9 January 1944:
At 1530, convoy HI-29 arrives at Manila. The Rinji M convoy is detached.
10 January 1944:
At 1840, ASHIZURI, SHIOYA and OKIKAWA MARU depart Manila escorted by patrol boat PB-36.
13 January 1944:
At 1840, arrives at Tarakan, Borneo.
14 January 1944:
At 0340, departs Tarakan.
15 January 1944:
At 1450, arrives at Balikpapan. SHIOYA is detached.
22 January 1944:
At 1315 departs Balikpapan with tanker OKIKAWA MARU escorted by patrol boat PB-102. En route PB-102 is detached and returns to Balikpapan.
26 January 1944:
ASHIZURI and OKIKAWA MARU arrive at Singapore.
2 February 1944:
At 1300, departs Singapore with kaibokan KANJU escorting convoy HI-38 consisting of transports KAGU, KACHIDOKI (ex-PRESIDENT HARRISON), tankers AMATSU, OTOWASAN, OMINESAN, NICHINAN and OKIKAWA MARUs.
8 February 1944:
At 1700, arrives at Takao.
9 February 1944:
At 1000, departs Takao.
13 February 1944:
At 1430, arrives at Moji. Later that day arrives at Tokuyama. Discharges her cargo of light oil.
16 February 1944:
At anchor at Tokuyama. Departure date unknown.
19 February 1944:
Departs Tokuyama. Later that day arrives at Moji.
21 February 1944:
Departs Moji for Manila.
25 February 1944:
Arrives at Takao.
28 February 1944:
Departs Takao.
1 March 1944:
Arrives at Manila.
3 March 1944:
Departs Manila.
7 March 1944:
Arrives at Balikpapan.
17 March 1944:
Departs Balikpapan.
20 March 1944:
Arrives at Zamboanga.
21 March 1944:
Departs Zamboanga. Later that day arrives at Cebu.
22 March 1944:
Departs Cebu.
23 March 1944:
Arrives at Manila.
27 March 1944:
Departs Manila.
31 March 1944:
Arrives at Mako.
15 April 1944:
At 1100 departs Takao in convoy TAMA-16 also consisting of MATSUMOTO, TACHIBANA, TAKETSU, OMINE, SANKO (YAMASACHI), HAKUBASAN, BIZEN, NITTETSU, SORACHI, SHONAN, SHIRAHAMA, TOSHO MARUs, YOSHIDA MARU No.3, OGURA MARU No.1, YAMAMIZU MARU No. 2 and possibly JOGU MARU escorted by destroyer HASU, patrol boat PB-38, torpedo boat SAGI and auxiliary minesweeper TAKUNAN MARU No.3. The convoy steams at 8.5 knots.
16 April 1944:
At 0930, destroyer HASU and auxiliary mine-sweeper TAKUNAN MARU No. 3 finish escort duty and are detached.
17 April 1944:
At 0725, torpedo boat HAYABUSA joins as an additional escort. At 1550, auxiliary gunboat KISO MARU and auxiliary subchaser Cha-39 join as additional escorts.
19 April 1944:
Arrives at Manila.
22 April 1944:
At 0615, departs Manila with patrol boat PB-38 escorting convoy MI-02 (outward) consisting of tankers TACHIBANA, NITTETSU, HAKUBASAN, SANKO, TAKETSU, MATSUMOTO MARUs and YAMAMIZU MARU No. 2 and OGURA MARU No. 1. At 1040, patrol boat PB-38 joins as an additional escort.
23 April 1944:
At 2000, arrives at Pagdanan Bay, Palawan (anchorage location is 198 degrees, 3,000 meters from Boayan Island), NW coast of Palawan.
24 April 1944:
At 0720, departs Pagdanan Bay.
25 April 1944:
At 1200, ASHIZURI is detached from convoy MI-02 and proceeds independently toward Tarakan. At 1615, ASHIZURI rescues crew of fishing vessel KASHIWA MARU.
27 April 1944:
At 1102, minesweeper W-30 departs Balikpapan to join ASHIZURI.
28 April 1944:
At 1832, arrives at Tarakan.
29 April 1944:
At 2250, departs Tarakan still escorted by W-30.
30 April 1944:
At 1934, W-30 drops threatening depth charges.
1 May 1944:
At 1115, arrives at Balikpapan.
12 May 1944:
Departs Balikpapan for Saipan with auxiliary gasoline tanker TAKASAKI escorted by kaibokan MANJU as far as Zamboanga.
20 May 1944:
Arrives at Saipan.
28 May 1944:
Departs Saipan for Balikpapan in the "Takasaki Convoy" with auxiliary gasoline tanker TAKASAKI after delivering 3700 kiloliters of gasoline for the First Air Fleet. The escorts are destroyer MINAZUKI and kaibokan MIYAKE and KANJU.
30 May 1944:
Arrives at Yap.
1 June 1944:
Departs Yap for Balikpapan.
5 June 1944:
Sulu Sea. N end of Sibutu Passage, off Tawi Tawi, Philippines. LtCdr Frank G. Selby’s (USNA ‘33) USS PUFFER (SS-268) attacks a convoy of three tankers. Selby torpedoes and sinks both ASHIZURI and TAKASAKI at 06-44N, 120-55E.
The third tanker, OKIGAWA MARU is actually separate to the "Takasaki Convoy" and enters the passage escorted by destroyer SATSUKI. OKIGAWA MARU escapes undamaged.
10 July 1944:
Removed from the Navy List.

Authors' Note:
Thanks to Erich Muehthaler of Germany for addition info in Rev 7. Thanks also to Gilbert Casse of France.

- Bob Hackett and Peter Cundall.

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