RIKUGUN YUSOSEN
(CHOSEN MARU, in 1911)
IJA CHOSEN MARU:
Tabular Record of Movement
© 2017 Bob Hackett
E 1911:
Newcastle Upon Tyne, U.K. Laid down by Sir WG Armstrong, Whitworth & Co., as a 3,016-ton cargo ship for Osaka Shosen K. K., Osaka. [1]
September 1911:
Launched and named CHOSEN MARU.
23 October 1911:
1911:
Completed.
24 February 1932:
Sold to Nippon Kisen K. K., Otaru.
3 October 1935:
Off the coast of Shiragizaki. CHOSEN MARU collides with an unknown steamship. CHOSEN MARU is damaged starboard.
1938:
Name shown as TYOSEN MARU
29 October 1939:
Requisitioned by the Imperial Navy (IJN) as a cargo ship (B-AK).
31 August 1941:
Released by the IJN back to her owners.
10 March 1943:
Requisitioned by the Imperial Army (IJA) and allotted Army No. 312.
16 November 1943:
Following a merger, transferred to Osaka merchant ship, Otaru
11 January 1944:
At 1400, CHOSEN MARU departs Palau for Saeki in convoy FU-203 also consisting of RYUA MARU and KOSHU MARU No. 2 escorted by kaibokan IKI.
E 18 January 1944:
Minelayer NUWAJIMA joins the escort of convoy FU-203.
24 January 1944:
E coast of Kyushu. Eastern approaches to the Bungo Suido (Strait). In bad weather, LtCdr Charleton L. Murphy's (USNA '32) old USS STURGEON (SS-187) attacks convoy FU-203 consisting of CHOSEN MARU and RYUA and KOSHU MARUs escorted by two NUWAJIMA and IKI. STURGEON fires four torpedoes by radar and at 0227 one hits CHOSEN MARU in her No. 3 hold. She near Fukujima light house at 32-40'N, 132-18'E. One gunner and five crewmen are KIA. The escorts do not counter-attack.
Author's Notes:
[1] Sources give varying displacements for CHOSEN MARU: 2829 grt, 2940 grt and 3,016 grt.
Thanks go to Erich Muehthaler of Germany.
Bob Hackett
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