RIKUGUN YUSOSEN
(Type 1B Standard Cargo Ship)
DAIKEI MARU:
Tabular Record of Movement
© 2013-2017 Bob Hackett
E 1943:
Tamano. Laid down at Mitsui Bussan K. K. as yard No. 345, a
4,739-ton Wartime Type 1B Standard Cargo Ship for Osaka Shosen K. K., Osaka.
1943:
Launched and named DAIKEI MARU.[1]
20 December 1943:
Completed and requisitioned by the Imperial Army (IJA). Alloted IJA No. 1174.
7 February 1944:
At 1230, DAIKEI MARU departs Moji for Takao in convoy MOTA-02
also consisting of CHINKAI, FUJIKAWA, FUYO, LIMA, NANREI, OYO,
RAKUYO, SHIRANESAN, TESHIO, TOSHIN and UCHIDE MARUs and TOYO MARU No. 3 and
KYOEI MARU No. 5 escorted by torpedo boat SAGI. DAIKEI MARU is carrying
the 60th Field Anti-aircraft Artillery Battalion and the 24th Field Machine Cannon Company.
8 February 1944:
At 0720, patrol boat PB-38 departs Sasebo and joins
the convoy. At about 1600, off the W coast of Kyushu, LtCdr Charles O. Triebel’s
(USNA ‘29) USS SNOOK (SS-279) torpedoes and damages IJA cargo ship SHIRANESAN
MARU. She is detached with torpedo boat SAGI and proceeds to Sasebo.
30 miles SE of Goto Archipelago. At 2200, SNOOK again attacks the convoy
and sinks troop transport LIMA MARU at 31-05N, 127-37E. 2,765 troops, four
conscripted workers, 9 gunners and 56 crewmen are KIA. The convoy heads to
Kagoshima, Kyushu. SNOOK survives depth-charging by the convoy's escorts.
9 February 1944:
USN code breakers at Fleet Radio Unit, Melbourne,
Australia (FRUMEL) intercept and decode a message sent at 0220 that reads "LIMA
Maru exploded and sank after being hit twice at 2245 on the 8th at 31-05N, 129-00E.
Patrol Boat 38 and No. 5 HYOEI (KYOEI) MARU are picking up survivors and keeping
the submarine down. Remainder of convoy taking refuge at Kagoshima. "
12 February 1944:
At 0400, DAIKEI MARU departs Kagoshima for Kirun,
Formosa (Keelung, Taiwan) in an unidentified convoy escorted by torpedo boat
SAGI.
16 February 1944:
At 1300, arrives at Kirun.
18 February 1944:
At 0900, DAIKEI MARU departs Kirun for Palau in
convoy TAPA-02 also consisting of NANREI, OYO, RAKUYO, SHIRANESAN, TESHIO,
TOSHIN and UCHIDE MARUs escorted by destroyer HARUKAZE, torpedo boat SAGI and
patrol boat PB-31. DAIKEI MARU is carrying 2,421 troops and war supplies.
19 February 1944:
SSW of Takao (now Kaohsiung). At 1558, LtCdr (KIA) John A.
Moore’s (USNA ‘32) USS GRAYBACK (SS-208)(later lost) torpedoes and sinks DAIKEI MARU at
21-48N-118-50E. 1,559 men including 15 gunners and 21 crewmen are KIA.
Authors' Note:
[1] Also known as TAIKEI MARU.
[2] On 27 February 1944, GRAYBACK probably was sunk in the East China Sea by Nakajima B5N2 "Kates" of the Okinawa Naval Air Group.
Thanks go to Erich Muehlthaler of Germany.
Bob Hackett
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