ZATSUYOSEN!
(CHUWA MARU prewar)
IJN CHUWA MARU:
Tabular Record of Movement
© 2012 Gilbert Casse, Bob Hackett and Peter Cundall
13 June 1939:
Sakurajima. Laid down by Osaka Iron Works K.K. shipyard as a
2,719-ton cargo ship for Nitto Kogyo Kisen K.K., Tokyo.
30 November 1939:
Launched and named CHUWA MARU.
18 March 1940:
Completed and registered in Tokyo.
5 September 1941:
Requisitioned by the IJN.
20 September 1941:
Registered in the IJN as an auxiliary transport
(Otsu) category under internal order No. 1093 and attached to the Sasebo Naval
District with Sasebo as home port. [1]
1 October 1941:
Mako, Pescadores. Conversion to her military duty is
completed at Mako Yokobu Shipyard.
E November 1941:
Tactically assigned to Vice Admiral Yamamoto Koki’s
(36) (former CO of battleship ISE) Mako Guard District.
10 December 1941:
Departs Takao, Formosa (now Kaohsiung, Taiwan) for
Japan.
16 December 1941:
Arrives at Sasebo.
20 December 1941:
Departs Sasebo for Formosa.
24 December 1941:
Arrives at Takao.
27 December 1941:
Transfers to Mako.
30 December 1941:
Transfers to Kirun, Formosa (now Keelung, Taiwan).
3 January 1942:
Departs Kirun for Japan.
7 January 1942:
Arrives at Amagasaki, Hyogo Prefecture.
11 January 1942:
Departs Amagasaki.
12 January 1942:
Arrives at Sasebo.
15 January 1942:
Remains assigned to Mako Guard District under
instruction No. 7.
16 January 1942:
Departs Sasebo for Pescadores.
20 January 1942:
Arrives at Mako.
E January 1942:
Transfers to Takao.
3 February 1942:
Departs Takao.
4 February 1942:
Arrives at Mako.
6 February 1942:
Departs Mako.
7 February 1942:
Arrives at Kirun.
10 February 1942:
Departs Kirun for Naha, Okinawa. About 25 nms E of
Kirun, LtCdr (later Rear Admiral) Frank W. Fenno’s (USNA ’25) USS TROUT
(SS-202), on his second war patrol, spots a cargo ship. At 1630, Fenno attacks
from a range of 2,000 yards, but the torpedo misses CHUWA MARU. TROUT then
closes the target and, at 1700, fires two more torpedoes which both hit.
Mortally wounded, CHUWA MARU is soon abandoned. At 1725, she sinks at 25-23N,
122-42E with no casualties sustained.
1 April 1942:
Removed from the Navy’s list under internal order No.
562.
Authors Notes:
[1] There were two categories of Zatsuyosen. (Ko) category
with an IJN Captain as supervisor aboard and (Otsu) category without.
Thanks go to Gengoro S. Toda of Japan.
-Gilbert Casse, Bob Hackett and Peter Cundall
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