KOSEKI UMPANSEN

(Type 1K ore carrier underway)

DAIYOKU MARU:
Tabular Record of Movement


© 2011-2012 Bob Hackett

1943:
Innoshima. Laid down at Hitachi Zosen K. K. as a 5,244-ton Type 1K Standard Merchant cargo ship (ore carrier) for Osaka Shosen (OSK) K.K., Osaka.

1943:
Launched and named DAIYOKU MARU. [1]

January 1944:
Completed.

5 April 1944:
At 0530, DAIYOKU MARU departs Moji in ore convoy TE-03 also consisting of SHORYU, KINREI, DAIBU, YULIN, and TOYOHI MARUs escorted by kaibokan CD-1, torpedo boat HATSUKARI, auxiliary gunboat KAZAN (HUASHAN) MARU and minesweeper W-18.

14 April 1944:
At 1700, arrives at Takao.

19 April 1944:
At 0800, an amalgamation of three convoys TASA-17, TE-03 and No. 82 departs Takao consisting of DAIYOKU MARU and cargo ships FRANCE, SHORYU, DAIBU, YULIN, TOYOHI, HOKKA, NARUO, KINREI, WAKO GO, JINJU, RAKUZAN, SEISHO, IKOMASAN, KAIKO, OAKITA, YOSHUN, HIROTA and NINGPO MARUs and tanker TENSHIN MARU escorted by kaibokan CD-1. torpedo boat HATSUKARI, auxiliary gunboat KAZAN (HUASHAN) MARU and minesweeper W-18.

21 April 1944:
At 1000, the convoys split. Ore convoy TE-03 with CD-1 and KAZAN MARU head for Yulin, Hainan Island. Convoys TASA-17 and No. 82 with HATSUKARI and W-18 head for St Jacques.

23 April 1944:
At 1655, CD-1 and convoy TE-03 arrive at Yulin.

30 April 1944:
At 1700, DAIYOKU MARU departs Yulin loaded with iron ore for the steel mills at Yawata, Kyushu in renumbered convoy TE-04 also consisting of iron ore carriers YULIN, SHORYU, KINREI, TOYOHI and DAIBU MARUs escorted by kaibokan CD-1 and auxiliary gunboat KAZAN MARU.

3 May 1944:
Minelayer MAESHIMA joins the escort.

4 May 1944:
South China Sea. W of the Bashi Channel. At 0008, LtCdr Donald F. Weiss' (USNA ’29) USS TINOSA (SS-283) torpedoes and sinks TOYOHI MARU at 20-50N, 118-00E. At 0106, LtCdr Anton R. Gallaher's (USNA ’33) USS BANG (SS-385) torpedoes and sinks KINREI MARU at 20-50N, 117-55E. At 0113, Weiss' TINOSA torpedoes and sinks DAIBU MARU at 20-50N, 117-55E.

At about 0300, LtCdr (later Vice Admiral/MOH) Lawson P. Ramage's (USNA ’31) USS PARCHE (SS-384) torpedoes and sinks SHORYU and DAIYOKU MARUs at 20-50N, 117-55E.

Author’s Note:
[1] Also known as TAIYOKU MARU.

Photo credit and thanks go to Gilbert Casse of France.

-Bob Hackett

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