Japanese Oilers

YUSOSEN!

(Oiler by Takeshi Yuki scanned from "Color Paintings of Japanese Warships")

IJN EIYO MARU No. 2:
Tabular Record of Movement
© 2010-2020 Bob Hackett and Peter Cundall.

Revision 3
16 October 1943:
Osaka. Laid down by Hitachi Zosen K.K. Honsha Zosensho as a 5,061-ton 1TM Standard Merchant Tanker for Seki Azuma Tanka K.K. (a joint venture stock company).

30 December 1943:
Launched and named EIYO MARU No. 2.

31 January 1944:
Completed and and registered at Tokyo. Requisitioned by the IJN as an auxiliary naval supply ship. Attached to the Sasebo Naval District. Her home port is Sasebo. Her call sign is JLVT.
3 February 1944:
Listed as the 35th auxiliary naval supply ship.
E February 1944:
Released from the auxiliary naval supply ship list.

11 February 1944:
At 1600, departs Moji in convoy HI-43 also consisting of tankers MANEI MARU and OSE (ex Dutch GENOTA), cargo passenger ship ORYOKU MARU and two unidentified merchant ships escorted by kaibokan TSUSHIMA.
16 February 1944:
At 1100, arrives at Kirun, Formosa. ORYOKU MARU is detached.
18 February 1944:
At 1000, departs Kirun.
23 February 1944:
At 1730, arrives at Camranh Bay, Indochina. Submarine chaser CH-41 joins the convoy, some of which may have straggled and did not arrive until 25 February. CH-21 carries out an anti submarine sweep over the following days.
28 February 1944:
Requisitioned by the IJN.

29 February 1944:
At 0900, departs Camranh Bay. Immediately prior to leaving CH-41 is detached.
15 March 1944:
At 2000 arrives Singapore suffering engine problems. Consequently unable to sail with convoy HI-50 as planned, with engine repairs scheduled to take 5 days.
20 March 1944:
Registered in the IJN and attached to the Kure Naval district as an auxiliary transport (oil supply) under internal order No. 465. Tactically assigned to the Combined Fleet as an auxiliary transport Otsu category. [1]
25 March 1944:
Believed departs St Jacques in SATA-14 also consisting of KENEI, BISAN, CHEFOO and SAINAN MARUs and one unidentified merchant ship escorted by submarine chaser CH-19.
26 March 1944:
Arrives at Camranh Bay and waits.
11 April 1944:
Departs Camranh Bay with SATA-17 convoy. En route to Takao CH-19 is detached.
18 April 1944:
Arrives at Takao.
20 April 1944:
At 1100 believed departs Takao in convoy TAMO-17 also consisting of KENEI, SUGIYAMA, HIDA, TOTTORI, KYOKUZAN, TOKUSHIMA, HIROTA, IWATO MARUs, and fifteen unidentified merchant ships escorted by old destroyers ASAGAO and HASU, subchaser CH-8 and auxiliary subchaser TAKUNAN MARU No. 3.
27 April 1944:
Arrives at Moji. Meanwhile at 0630 ASAGAO and CD-8 have detached and at 1530 arrive at Sasebo.
May 1944:
Embarks 200 civilians aboard.

1 May 1944:
Departs Moji in convoy MI-03 also consisting of SHINNO, SHOHEI, KOTOKU, SHUNTEN, NIKKO, ETAJIMA, CHIYODA, DAIJUN, TOUN, TAISEI, KANKYO, RYUKA, DAITEN, ZUIYO, HIYORI, HIOKI MARUs (latter two detached to Takao, Formosa (now Kaoshiung, Taiwan) en route), SHINSEI MARU No.1, OGURA MARU No.2 and UNKAI MARU No.5 escorted by destroyers KARUKAYA, SHIOKAZE, torpedo boat HATO, Auxiliary gunboat PEKING MARU, kaibokan CD 1, CD 13 and submarine-chaser CH 37.
8 May 1944:
At 1530 the ships arrive at Takao. At 1830 CD-13 joins the convoy. Departs Takao en route to Manila. The convoy now consists of DAITEN, DAIRIN, ATAGO, ZUIYO, KOTOKU, SHUNTEN, CHIYODA, SHOHEI, NIKKO, ETAJIMA, DAIJUN, TOUN, SHINNO, TAISEI, RYUKA and KENWA MARUs, OGURA MARU No. 2, UNKAI MARU No. 5, EIYO MARU No. 2, SHINSEI MARU No. 1 with destroyer SHIOKAZE and KARUKAYA, torpedo boat HATO, CD-1 (partway only), CD-13, subchaser CH-37 (partway only) and auxiliary gunboat PEKING MARU as escorts.
9 May 1944:
Kaibokan KURAHASHI joins escort.
10 May 1944:
Off entrance to Manila Bay the convoy is attacked by LtCdr (later Rear Admiral) James C. Dempsey’s (USNA ’31) USS COD (SS-224). In a series of attacks the old destroyer KARUKAYA and SHOHEI MARU are sunk in 15.38N 119.32E. The auxiliary transport SHOHEI MARU was carrying with 850 passengers, depth charges, mines, guns and ammunition. On KARUKAYA 73 crewmen are KIA (including 60 missing). On SHOHEI MARU six crewmen and 38 others are KIA.
11 May 1944:
Arrives at Manila, Philippines. Detaches from convoy and disembarks 200 passengers. Loads 50-tons of fuel oil and 100-tons of boiler water.

13 May 1944:
Departs Manila.

18 May 1944:
Arrives at Cebu, Philippines. Loads 1,500 empty petroleum cans and 500 empty drums.

19 May 1944:
Departs Cebu.

20 May 1944:
Arrives at Zamboanga, Philippines. Loads 200 empty drums and 100-tons of boiler water.

24 May 1944:
Departs Zamboanga.

30 May 1944:
Arrives at Balikpapan, Borneo, Netherlands East Indies (now Kalimantan, Indonesia). Unloads 1,500 empty petroleum cans and 700 empty drums. Loads 7,000-tons of heavy oil, 500-tons of fuel oil and 200-tons of boiler water.

1 June 1944:
Departs Balikpapan.

5 June 1944:
Arrives at Tarakan, Borneo, Netherlands East Indies.

6 June 1944:
Departs Tarakan.

9 June 1944:
Arrives at Kau Bay. Unloads 7,000-tons of heavy oil.

11 June 1944:
Departs Kau Bay, Halmahera, Maluku Islands, Netherlands East Indies (now Indonesia).

12 June 1944:
Rated as an Army Unit under Combined Fleet Wireless instruction No 141.
13 June 1944:
Arrives at Boela (Bula), Ceram, Maluku Islands, Netherlands East Indies (now Indonesia). Loads 4,000-tons of heavy oil, 100-tons of fuel and 100-tons of boiler water. That same day, ownership of the ship is transferred to Nippon Yusosen K. K..

14 June 1944:
Rated as a Supply Unit under All Units Wireless Command No. 21.
15 June 1944:
Departs Boela escorted by destroyer HOKAZE and torpedo boat HAYABUSA.

16 June 1944:
Reorgansisation of all units, incorporation into NSAB under Southwestern Unit Wireless Command No. 423.
17 June 1944:
Arrives at Kau Bay, Halmahera. Unloads 3,000-tons of heavy oil.

18 June 1944:
Departs Kau.

20 June 1944:
Arrives at Menado, Celebes (now Sulawesi, Indonesia). Undergoes repairs. Loads 200-tons of boiler water.

21 June 1944:
Departs Menado.

23 June 1944:
Arrives at Davao, Philippines. Loads 1,000-tons of heavy oil and 100-tons of boiler water.

25 June 1944:
Departs Davao.

27 June 1944:
Arrives at Tarakan. Loads 6,000-tons of crude oil and 100-tons of boiler water.

29 June 1944:
Departs Tarakan.

5 July 1944:
Arrives at Balikpapan. Unloads 6,000-tons of cargo. Loads 6,000-tons of heavy oil, 500-tons of fuel and 200-tons of boiler water.

10 July 1944:
Departs Balikpapan.

19 July 1944:
Arrives at Zamboanga. Unloads 1,000-tons of cargo.

21 July 1944:
Departs Zamboanga.

22 July 1944:
Arrives at Cebu. Unloads 1,000-tons of heavy oil and loads 50-tons of boiler water.

23 July 1944:
Departs Cebu.

27 July 1944:
Arrives at Manila. Unloads 4,000-tons of heavy oil and loads 200-tons of boiler water. Undergoes system repairs. A 25-mm machine gun is installed.

5 August 1944:
Departs Manila.

10 August 1944:
Arrives at Tarakan. Loads 7,000-tons of crude oil and 100-tons of boiler water.

13 August 1944:
Departs Tarakan.

20 August 1944:
Arrives at Balikpapan. Unloads 7,000-tons of cargo. Loads 6,000-tons of heavy oil and 900 drums of aviation gasoline.

28 August 1944:
Arrives at Zamboanga, Philippines.

2 September 1944:
Arrives at Arrives at Jolo, Philippines. Unloads 900 drums of aviation gasoline.

3 September 1944:
Departs Jolo.

4 September 1944:
Arrives at Zamboanga. Unloads 1,000-tons of heavy oil and 100-tons of boiler water.

6 September 1944:
At 0200, EIYO MARU No. 2 departs Zamboanga in convoy C-076 consisting of SHINYO, MIHO, KAMITSU and RYUKA MARUs escorted by subchaser CH-55 and auxiliary gunboat KISO MARU.

7 September 1944:
Off Mindanao, Philippines. At 1659, LtCdr Byron H. Nowell's (USNA ’35) USS PADDLE (SS-263) torpedoes and sinks SHINYO MARU carrying 750 American POWs at 08-12N, 122-37E. 15 crewmen, 47 guards and 667 POWs are KIA. Only 83 POWs reach the beach where one later dies. The remaining POWs make later contact with the guerilla and are ultimately picked up by USS NARWHAL on 29 September. EIYO MARU No. 2 is also damaged and is taken in tow by salvage ship MIHO MARU and heads for Cebu.
8 September 1944:
LtCdr Richard E. Nichols' (USNA ’35) USS BASHAW (SS-241) torpedoes and sinks RYUKA MARU at 08-19N, 121-30E. 18 crewmen and 321 troops are KIA.
9 September 1944:
EIYO MARU No. 2, MIHO MARU and escorts arrive at Cebu.

12 September 1944:
Cebu port. EIYO MARU No. 2 is bombed by aircraft and sinks at 08-12N, 122-37E. 43 crewmen and two passengers are KIA.

11 November 1944:
Removed from the Navy List under internal order No. 1258.

Authors' Note:

[1] There were two categories of Yusosen. (Ko) category with an IJN Captain as supervisor aboard and (Otsu) category without.
[2] It is unclear whether KAMITSU MARU was with them or had proceeded on to Manila.
Thanks to Mr. Gilbert Casse of France and Mr. Berend van der Wal of Netherlands. Thanks also go to Gengoro S. Toda of Japan.
- Bob Hackett and Peter Cundall.

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