Japanese Army Auxiliary Transports

RIKUGUN YUSOSEN

(DAINICHI MARU, prewar)

IJA Transport DAINICHI MARU: Tabular Record of Movement
© 2016-2017 Bob Hackett

14 August 1920:
Osaka. Laid down Mitsui Senpaku K. K. shipyard as Yard No. 35, a 5,814-ton cargo ship, for Mitsui Bussan K.K. (Mitsui Line).
21 July 1921:
Launched and named IBUKISAN MARU
15 May 1922:
Completed.
6 June 1935:
Sold to Itaya OSK Lines, Otaru,
13 July 1935:
Renamed DAINICHI MARU. [1]
15 September 1941
Requisitioned by the Imperial Japanese Army (IJA) and converted to a troop transport. Allotted IJA No. 342.
4 December 1941:
Shipu, China. DAINICHI MARU provisions gunboat SHINKO MARU No. 1 GO with drinking water.
8 December 1941:
The Pacific War Begins.
17 December 1941: Operation "M" (M Sakusen) -The Invasion of Lamon Bay, S Luzon, Philippines:
At 1500, NAGATO MARU departs Koniya, Amami Oshima, Ryukuyus for Lamon Bay in an Invasion Force also consisting of IJA transports DAINICHI, BENGAL, DURBAN, KAIMEI, KAYO, KITANO, KOFUKU, LISBON, NICHIREN, RYOKA, RYUYO, SHINSEI, SHINSHU (4182 GRT), TAIAN, TATSUNO, TOFUKU, TOYAMA and TOYOHASHI MARUs and TAMON MARU No. 5.
The Army force consists of Gen (later Field Marshal) Count Terauchi Hisachi’s Southern Expeditionary Army. Its 14th Army, under LtGen Homma Masaharu, fields MajGen Morioka Susumu's Invasion Unit of about 7,000 troops consisting of elements of the 16th Infantry Division: 20th Infantry Regiment, 22nd Field Artillery Regiment, HQ and II Battalion, 16 HQ Company, 16th Engineer Battalion, 16th Recon Battalion, 3/45 AA Company, 16th Transport, 16th Signal Company, 16th Medical Unit and 16th Veterinary Unit. Two AA and one Signals regiments are stationed on transports.
The naval force consists of Vice Admiral (later Admiral) Kondo Nobutake's (35)(former CO of KONGO) Southern Force, Philippines Invasion Group that includes Vice Admiral Takahashi Ibo’s (35)(former CO of YAMASHIRO) Third Fleet. Rear Admiral (later Vice Admiral) Kubo Kyuji’s (38) (former CO of KAGA) Invasion Unit consists of his 1st Base Force HQ, aboard light cruiser NAGARA, 1st Quartermaster Ports and Docks Unit and 1st Naval Signal Unit, aboard HAKUSAN MARU, 1st Naval Guard Unit, aboard KIMISHIMA MARU, 1st Naval Survey Unit in SENKO MARU and Captain (later Vice Admiral) Mori Kunizo's (40)(former CO of SATA) Sasebo No. 1 and 2 Combined Special Naval Landing Force (SNLF) aboard MYOKO MARU.
The convoy’s escort consists of light cruiser NAGARA (F), heavy cruiser ASHIGARA, destroyers TOKITSUKAZE, YUKIKAZE, KAWAKAZE, SUSUKAZE, UMIKAZE, YAMAKAZE, minelayer AOTAKA, minesweepers W-7 and W-8, auxiliary gunboat/minelayer IKUSHIMA MARU, auxiliary gunboats BUSHO, KEIKO, KANKO and MYOKEN MARUs, auxiliary subchasers SHONAN MARU No. 17 and TAKUNAN MARU No. 5 and auxiliary netlayer FUKUEI MARU No. 15.
24 December 1941:
At 0200, the Invasion Force arrives at Lamon Bay. The landings proceed without strong opposition.
25 December 1941:
Shipu, China. DAINICHI MARU again provisions gunboat SHINKO MARU MARU No.1 GO with drinking water.
21 January 1942:
DAINICHI MARU departs Mutsure with transports ATSUTA, BRAZIL, COLUMBIA, FUSHIMI, GENOA, HOEISAN, KIZZAN, MAEBASHI, MOTOYAMA, PACIFIC, REIYO, SYDNEY,SOMEDOMO, TAKETOYO, TATSUNO, TOFUKU,TOKIWA and TSUYAMA MARUs escorted by CruDiv 9's light cruiser OI and DesDiv 32's ASAGAO, FUYO and KARUKAYA. The transports are carrying the IJA 2nd Infantry Division. The transports are carrying the IJA 2nd Infantry Division.
26 January 1942:
Arrives at Mako, Pescadores. Later, the convoy departs for Camranh Bay to mobilize for the Invasion of Java.
17 March 1942:
Dinghai, China. DAINICHI MARU comes alongside IJN transport TOSHO MARU and unloads boiler water.
11 October 1942
Batavia. DAINICHI MARU embarks 1035 prisoners of war (POWs) consisting of 200 Dutch, 385 Austrailans, and 450 American POWs and departs.
14 October 1942
Arrives at Singapore.
16 October 1942
Disembarks POWs for Changi POW camp.
30 October 1942
DAINICHI MARU departs Singapore for Takao, Formosa carrying about 1,200 POWs accompanied by SHONAN (ex-SINGAPORE) MARU carrying 1,081 POWs, mostly officers and men of Royal Artillery units and some Royal Air Force and other units.
3 November 1942:
Arrives at Cap St. Jacques, Vichy French Indochina (Vung Tau, Vietnam), but does not drop anchor.
4 November 1942:
Departs Cap St. Jacques.
E 11 November 1942:
An RAF POW dies aboard DAINICHI MARU. The Japanese agree to and participate in a military funeral.
E 13 November 1942:
Arrives at Takao. 100 sick POWs are also transferred to a hospital. 286 American and a mixed group of POWs from Singapore are embarked. Several hundered other POWs are disembarked.
14 November 1942:
Departs Takao for the Pescadores.
25 November 1942:
The two ships arrive at Moji.
E December 1942:
The two ships depart Moji for Singapore.
E December 1942:
Arrives at Singapore. DAINICHI MARU and SHONAN MARU embark POWs from YOSHIDA MARU No. 1.
14 January 1943:
DAINICHI MARU departs Saeki, Japan for Wewak, New Guinea in the “Hinoe No. 3 Go” convoy also consisting of BENGAL ENGLAND, RYUYO, SHONAN, NAGATO, TOFUKU and ZUISHO MARUs escorted by torpedo boat HATO, minelayer YURIJIMA and subchaser CH-37.
E 15 January 1943:
YURIJIMA and CH-37 are detached at 29N.
20 February 1943:
DAINICHI MARU departs Hankow up the Yangtze River to Nanking carrying 41 American, 13 English 18 Belgian, 10 Canadian and 4 Dutch enemy citizens.
22 February 1943:
Arrives at Nanking.
E 30 March 1943:
DAINICHI MARU departs Palau in an unescorted convoy also consisting of ENGLAND, TOFUKU and ZUISHO MARUs.
8 April 1943:
Subchaser CH-35 and auxiliary minesweeper TAKUNAN MARU No. 8 join the convoy up to 31-00N, 132-05E.
9 April 1943:
Arrives at Saeki.
23 April 1943:
DAINICHI MARU departs Ujina in convoy P-512 also consisting of ENGLAND, KONAN and NAGANO MARUs.
28 April 1943:
Departs Saeki in convoy K-428 also consisting of ARATAMA, ENGLAND, MACASSAR and UME MARUs escorted by minelayer YURIJIMA and minesweeper W-17.
6 May 1943:
Arrives at Palau.
3 June 1943:
Departs Rabaul for Palau in a convoy also consisting of GENMEI, GLASGOW, NAGANO and SAMARANG MARUs with an unknown escort.
11 June 1943:
Arrives at Palau.
At 0545, DAINICHI MARU departs Palau in convoy TO-906 also consisting of DELAGOA, KAZAN, MACASSAR, SAN FRANCISCO MARUs and EIKO MARU No. 2 GO, escorted by patrol boat PB-46 and minesweeper W-17.
E 20 June 1943:
W-17 is detached at latitude 10N and returns to Palau.
At 30-40N 134-50E, minelayers YURIJIMA and NUWAJIMA join convoy TO-906 as additional escorts.
28 June 1943:
At 1920, arrives at Saeki.
10 July 1943:
At 1500, DAINICHI MARU departs Moji in convoy No. 175 also consisting of FUSEI, KASHU, MACASSAR, RAKUYO, TEIRITSU (ex-Vichy French LECONTE DE LISLE) and WAKATSU MARUs and tankers NITTASU, KOZUI and TATSUNO MARUs.
18 July 1943:
Arrives at Takao.
19 July 1943:
Departs Takao for Mako.
E 24 July 1943:
Arrives at Saigon. DAINICHI MARU is detached.
October 1943:
DAINICHI MARU departs Takao for Manila in convoy No. 772 also consisting of TAIAN MARU and three other ships escorted by an unknown torpedo boat. DAINICHI MARU carries 2274 meb of the 11th Independent Garrison Unit and 14th Army Workshop and theie equipment.
8 October 1943:
Luzon Strait. At about 0100, LtCdr Charles H. Andrews’ (USNA ’30) USS GURNARD (SS-254) attacks the convoy. Andrews torpedoes and sinks TAIAN MARU that takes down 4S military and 32 crew. Next, Andrews torpedoes and sinks DAINICHI MARU at 18.48N, 119.21E. 2,025 military and 32 crew are KIA.

Author's Note:
[1] Also known as DAINITI MARU.
Thanks go to Erich Muehlthaler of Germany.

Bob Hackett

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