Imperial Japanese Army Transports

RIKUGUN YUSOSEN

(DAKAR MARU, prewar)

Transport DAKAR MARU: Tabular Record of Movement
© 2014 Bob Hackett

10 October 1919:
Nagasaki. Laid down at Mitsubishi’s shipyard as a 7,170-ton cargo ship for the Nippon Yusen Kaisha (NYK) Line of Tokyo.
17 February 1920:
Launched and named DAKAR MARU.
11 March 1920:
Completed and placed in NYK’s service.
1920-1941:
In service on NYK’s Europe ~ Japan route.
April 1926:
Departs Singapore for London, Rotterdam, Netherrlands and Hamburg, Germany.
2 November 1937:
Requisitioned by the Imperial Army (IJA) and converted to a troop transport. Allotted Army No. 406.
15 January 1938:
Released back to her ownners.
21 September 1938:
Requisitioned by the IJA again.
6 December 1938:
Released back to her ownners.
19 November 1939:
Requisitioned by the IJA again.
1 March 1940:
Released back to her ownners.
27 December 1941:
Requisitioned by the IJA again.
20 February 1942:
Formosa Strait. Tanker IJN GENYO MARU collides with and damages DAKAR MARU.
February 1942 ~ ?:
DAKAR MARU probably undergoes repairs for an unknown period in a Formosan port.
21 January 1943:
DAKAR MARU departs Saeki in the No. 8 Military Movement’s convoy “V” also consisting of KENYO MARU escorted by minelayer NATSUSHIMA and cable-minelayer TSURUSHIMA.
E 22 January 1943:
At latitude 29N, the escorts are detached.
9 June 1943:
At 0900, DAKAR MARU departs Saeki for Palau, Western Carolines, in convoy O-905 also consisting of IJA transports BUNZAN, CHINZEI, KINSEN and TOHO MARUs escorted by torpedo boat HATO, kaibokan IKI and minesweepers W-17 and W-18.
E 11 June 1943:
W-18 is detached at latitude 29N.
17 June 1943:
Arrives at Palau.
27 June 1943:
DAKAR MARU departs Palau in convoy also consisting of IJA transports BUNZAN, CHINZEI and TOHO MARUs with unknown escort.
3 July 1943:
Arrives at Rabaul, New Britain.
21 September 1943:
DAKAR MARU departs Saeki in convoy O-209 also consisting of BRAZIL, ERIE, FUKUYO, HOZUGAWA, KANAYAMASAN, KAYO and NITTAI MARUs and SHINTO MARU No. 1 escorted by kaibokan IKI and auxiliary minesweepers TAKUNAN MARU No. 3, AOI, YACHIYO and KOZAN MARUs and TOKUHO MARU No. 10.
E 22 September 1943:
Auxiliary minesweepers KOZAN MARU and TOKUHO MARU No. 10 are detached at 30N.
E 23 September 1943:
Auxiliary minesweepers AOI and YACHIYO MARUs are detached at 28N.
2 October 1943:
Arrives safely at Palau.
13 October 1943:
At 1000, DAKAR MARU departs Palau in convoy FU-310 also consisting of BRAZIL, CHIYO, CLYDE, FUKUYO, HAVRE, KIBI, PACIFIC, SHOUN and YURI MARUs escorted by minesweeper W-18.
20 October 1943:
Auxiliary minesweepers AOI and YACHIYO MARUs and TOKUHO MARU No. 10 join the convoy’s escort.

22 October 1943:
Arrives at Moji.
11 November 1943:
At 1600, DAKAR MARU departs Moji for Takao in convoy No. 113-MA-07 also consisting of ANYO, ARABIA, CHIYO, HIDA, NACHISAN, NANEI, NITTETSU, RYUYO, SYDNEY, TAMAHOKO, TOSEI MARUs escorted by destroyer KURETAKE.
13 November 1943:
At 0556, LtCdr Robert E. Dorin's USS TRIGGER (SS-237) torpedoes and sinks NACHISAN MARU at 32-55N, 125-09E. KURETAKE drops five depth charges that damage TRIGGER slightly.
21 November 1943:
At 1140, arrives at Mako, Pescadores.
23 March 1944:
DAKAR MARU departs St. Jacques, Indochina for Manila in convoy SAMA-03 also consisting of UGO and MIYAURA MARUs. The convoy sails with convoy SATA-12 consisting of ARABIA, HAWAII, NORFOLK, RYOFU and YOSHU MARUs and KOTO MARU No. 2 GO escorted by subchasers CH-21 and CH-41.
27 March 1944:
Convoy SAMA-03 arrives at Manila.
4 May 1944:
DAKAR MARU departs Manila in convoy MATA-19 also consisting of NICHIZUI, TEIRYU (ex German AUGSBURG), TETSUYO, RAKUYO and SHOGEN MARUs and BANSHU MARU No. 32 and two unidentified merchant ships escorted by kaibokan KURAHASHI, KURI and CD-20, minesweeper W-17 and auxiliary subchaser TAKUNAN MARU No. 3.
7 May 1944:
DAKAR, BANSHU, NICHIZUI, RAKUYO, SHOGEN and TEIRYU MARUs and CD-20 are detached for Kirun (Keelung).
12 July 1944:
At 1500, DAKAR MARU departs Moji for Miri, Borneo in convoy MI-11 also consisting of cargo/transports AYAYUKI, BAIKAL, EIKYU, FUSO, YOSHINO (ex-Dutch KLIEST), MIHO, ENOSHIMA, MANKO, HACHIJIN, TEIRITSU (ex-Vichy French LECONTE DE LISLE), TOUN and FUKUJU MARUs and BANSHU MARU No. 16 and tankers AYAGUMO, AYAYUKI, HARIMA, KOEI, TAKETOYO, SHICHIYO, and SHICHIYO MARUs and OGURA MARU No. 1 escorted by destroyer SHIOKAZE, kaibokan SHIMUSHU, minesweepers W-28 and W-39, subchaser CH-55 and auxiliary gunboat KAZAN (HUA SHAN) MARU.
18 July 1944:
At 1800, the convoy arrives at Takao and refuels. Destroyer SHIOKAZE is detached. The convoy is carrying reinforcements and ammunition for the defense of the Philippines, so the escort is reorganized and strengthened and now consists of kaibokan SHIMUSHU and CD-28, minesweepers W-28, W-38 and W-39, subchaser CH-55 and auxiliary gunboat KAZAN MARU.
20 July 1944:
BAIKAL MARU is detached and arrives at Kirun.
21 July 1944:
The convoy arrives at Takao. TOUN MARU is detached.
29 July 1944:
At 0500, the convoy departs Takao for Miri, Borneo. EIKYU MARU suffers engine problems and returns to Nan Bay.
30 July 1944:
At 2200, BANSHU MARU No. 16 incurs rudder problems and collides with MANKO MARU bow-to-bow, both are damaged, but able to proceed.
29 July 1944:
At 0500, DAKAR MARU departs Takao, Formosa for Miri, Borneo in reorganized convoy MI-11 now consisting of AYAKUMO, AYAYUKI, EIKYU, ENOSHIMA, FUKUJU, FUSO, HACHIJIN, HARIMA, HICHIYO, KOEI, MANKO, MIHO, TAKETOYO, TEIRITSU and YOSHINO,MARUs and OGURA MARU No. 1 escorted by destroyer SHIOKAZE, kaibokan SHIMUSHU, minesweepers W-28 and W-39, subchaser CH-55 and auxiliary gunboat KAZAN MARU.
31 July 1944:
Luzon Strait. A wolfpack patrols the Strait under Captain (later Rear Admiral) Lewis S. Parks (USNA ’25). It consists of LtCdr (later Vice Admiral/MOH/COMSUBLANT) Lawson P. Ramage's (USNA ’31) USS PARCHE (SS-384)(F), LtCdr (later Captain) David L. Whelchel's (USNA ’30) USS STEELHEAD (SS-280) and LtCdr John C. Martin's (USNA ’34) USS HAMMERHEAD (SS-364).
280 miles NNW of Cape Mayraira, Luzon. At 0332, LtCdr Ramage's PARCHE torpedoes and sinks KOEI MARU. 105 troops and 9 crewmen are KIA. About the same time, oiler OGURA MARU No. 1 is hit by a torpedo, but does not sink. Five crewmen are KIA. [1]
At 0340, Ramage torpedoes and sinks transport (ex-hospital ship) YOSHINO MARU. 2,442 soldiers, 18 naval gunners and 35 sailors are KIA and her cargo of ammunition is lost. At 0420, Whelchel's STEELHEAD torpedoes DAKAR MARU at 19-08N, 120-51E, but she does not sink.
At 0455, Whelchel torpedoes and sinks transport (ex-hospital ship) FUSO MARU. 1,384 troops and crewmen are KIA and a cargo of 36 railway carriages and 1,120-tons of other military supplies is lost. At 0514, Ramage's PARCHE torpedoes and sinks MANKO MARU. Several hundred naval personnel, 17 crewmen and 20 gunners are KIA and her cargo of ammunition is lost. [1]
DAKAR MARU is towed to San Fernando where she is abandoned.

Author's Note:
Later, PARCHE´s CO, Cdr Ramage is awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions.
Thanks go to Erich Muehlthaler of Germany.

Bob Hackett

Back to IJA Transports