YUSOSEN!
(Standard 2AT Tanker KENJO MARU by Ueda Kihachiro)
DAISHU MARU
Tabular Record of Movement
© 2011 Bob Hackett
Revision 1
18 May 1944:
Tamano. Laid down at Mitsui Zosen K. K. shipyard building number 378 as a 6,886-ton Type 2A Standard Cargo Ship for Osaka Shosen K. K. (OSK) Osaka. Converted to a Standard 2AT Tanker while on the ways.
25 June 1944 1944:
Launched and named DAISHU MARU. [1]
28 August 1944:
Completed and registered in the port of Osaka as a Rikugun Haitosen (A/C). Assigned call sign JLRU.
8 October 1944:
At 0700, DAISHU MARU departs Manila for Miri, Borneo
in convoy MI-19 also consisting of NITTETSU, SAN LUIS, DAIZEN, HIDA, SAN DIEGO,
EIKYO, TOKUWA, SHUNTEN, TATSUBATO and YOSHU MARUs escorted by kaikoban
CD-18 and CD-26, patrol PB-105. subchaser CH-19 and auxiliary subchaser CHa-56 .
9 October 1944:
About 1700, LtCdr Henry D. Sturr’s (USNA '33) BECUNA (SS-319)
torpedoes and damages SAN LUIS MARU, but she is able to continue. LtCdr Francis
W. Scanland’s (USNA '34) HAWKBILL (SS-366) also torpedoes SAN LUIS MARU about the same
time. At 1804, BECUNA torpedoes and sinks TOKUWA MARU. 10 crewmen are KIA.
10 October 1944:
SHUNTEN MARU and two escorts are detached with
damaged SAN LUIS MARU and head for Sandakan, Borneo,
12 October 1944:
Palawan Passage. LtCdr (later Captain) David H.
McClintock’s (USNA '35) DARTER (SS-227) fires four torpedoes at two ships in the convoy,
but inflicts no damage.
14 October 1944:
At 0208, LtCdr (later Captain) Bladen D. Claggett’s (USNA '35)
DACE (SS-247) torpedoes and sinks NITTETSU MARU, 12 men are KIA. DACE also damages DAIZEN and EIKYO
MARUs.
17 October 1944:
Arrives at Miri.
3 November 1944:
DAISHU MARU departs Moji in convoy MI-25 also
consisting of tankers ATAGO, DAIRETSU, RYUSHO, GYOSHIN, DAIEI and
YAMAMURA MARUs and YUZAN MARU No. 2 and KACHAOSAN, NIKKO, DAIA, DAITO, AKAGISAN,
NICHIYO, KENSEI, HINAGA, TATSUTAMA and SHOEI MARUs and four unidentified ships
escorted by CD-23, CD-33, CD-51, CD-52 and CD-130.
8 November 1944:
KACHAOSAN and NIKKO MARUs and the four unidentified
ships are detached for Formosan ports. Another ship later is detached for Mako.
Thirteen ships remain in the convoy.
15 November 1944:
18 km SE of Cap Padaran, Indochina. At 0100, LtCdr Albert S. Fuhrman's (USNA '37) USS JACK (SS-259) torpedoes and sinks HINAGA MARU. 34 troops and one crewman are KIA.
JACK also torpedoes YUZAN MARU No. 2 at 11-16N 108-54E. She is is run aground and later becomes a total loss. 7 men are KIA.
16 November 1944:
At 1600, arrives at St Jacques. All except GYOSHIN
MARU and ATAGO MARU kaibokan CD-33, CD-52 and CD-130 are detached. They head to
Miri, but DAISHU MARU and the remainder of the convoy are diverted to Singapore.
27 November 1944:
At 0205, DAISHU MARU departs Singapore in convoy
SHISA-30 also consisting of EININ, TOHO, FUJISAN, HIKACHI (NISSHO), ENRYAKU,
TATSUMIYA and YAMAKUNI MARUs escorted by kaibokan CD-27, minesweeper W-34,
subchasers CH-34 and CH-35 and auxiliary gunboat HUASHAN (KAZAN) MARU.
30 November 1944:
At 2115 arrives at Nha Be, Indochina.
14 January 1945:
At 0700, DAISHU MARU departs Moji in convoy MOTA-32
also consisting of DAIKYO, TENSHO, SAMARANG, AIZAN, SHUNSHO MARUs and TAMON MARU
No. 16 and five unidentified merchants escorted by destroyer SHIOKAZE, kaibokan MANJU, CD-31, CD-132, CD-144 and
subchasers CH-19 and CH-57.
21 January 1945:
That evening, anchors at Sanmen Inlet, China coast.
22 January 1945:
At dawn, departs Sanmen Inlet. In late afternoon, convoy MOTA-32 arrives at Namkwan (Namquan) Bay. At 1600, convoy TAMO-38 heading north arrives consisting of DAINAN, BINGO, TOYOKAWA, RASHIN, SHINNO, TATSUWA and
NICHIYU No. 7 escorted by kaibokan IKUNA, CD-26, CD-39 and CD-112. The two convoys merge at anchor.
23 January 1945:
At 0402, LtCdr (later MOH/Rear Admiral) Eugene B. Fluckey's (USNA '35) USS BARB (SS-220), running on the surface, penetrates the outer escort screen and enters the harbor. An unbroken line of ships at anchor, 4200 yards in length, is clearly visible.
Fluckey fires a total of eight torpedoes into the target line. - DAIKYO MARU is hit and her cargo of munitions detonates in a massive explosion killing 56 crewmen, 28 gunners and 360 of 558 troops; also lost are six Daihatsu and two shohatsu landing craft.
DAISHU and SAMARANG MARUs, TAMON MARU No. 16 and SHUNSHO MARU are all damaged. At 0600, the rest of the convoy departs Namkwan.
25 January 1945:
Arrives at Keelung (Kirun), Formosa where the convoy is dissolved.
31 January 1945:
At 0600, DAISHU MARU departs Keelung for Moji in convoy TAMO-39 consisting of
AIZAN, SHUNSHO, SAMARANG, TETSUYO and TATSUHARU MARUs escorted by kaibokan CD-14, CD-16, CH-19 and CD-46. At 0600, the remainder of the convoy departs the anchorage.
27 March 1945:
DAISHU MARU completes conversion to dry cargo service.
April 1945:
Departs Wonsan, Korea via Muroran, Hokkaido carrying a cargo of coal for Kawasaki.
29 April 1945:
E of Kamaishi, Honshu. At 0843, LtCdr Raymond Berthrong’s (USNA '38) USS CERO (SS-225) fires four Mark 18-2 electric torpedoes and gets one hit that sinks unescorted DAISHU MARU by the stern at 39-12N, 142-20E. 30 crewmen are KIA 30 including 40-year old Captain Daito Shinji.
Authors' Note:
[1] Also known as TAISHU MARU
Thanks go to Erich Muehlthaler of Germany.
- Bob Hackett
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