Japanese Oilers

YUSOSEN!

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

IJN ERIMO:
Tabular Record of Movement
© 2007-2018 Bob Hackett and Peter Cundall.
Revision 3

5 March 1920:
Kobe. Laid down at Kawasaki Shipyard.
28 October 1920:
Launched and named ERIMO.
16 December 1920:
Kobe. Completed at Kawasaki shipyard and registered in the Kure Naval District.
1932:
Converted into a specialized intelligence-collection vessel.
6 January 1941:
Departs Kure.
8 January 1941:
Arrives at Amagasaki.
9 January 1941:
Departs Amagasaki.
10 January 1941:
Arrives at Kudamatsu.
13 January 1941:
Departs Kudamatsu.
17 January 1941:
Arrives at Mako, Pescadores.
19 January 1941:
Departs Mako.
24 January 1941:
Arrives at Kure.
28 January 1941:
Departs Kure.
29 January 1941:
Arrives at Shimotsu.
31 January 1941:
Departs Shimotsu.
31 January 1941:
Arrives at Amagasaki.
2 February 1941:
Departs Amagasaki.
4 February 1941:
Arrives at Sasebo.
6 February 1941:
Departs Sasebo.
7 February 1941:
Arrives at Tokuyama.
9 Febuary 1941:
Departs Tokuyama.
14 February 1941:
Arrives at Ominato.
16 February 1941:
Departs Ominato.
19 February 1941:
Arrives at Tsurumi.
21 February 1941:
Departs Tsurumi and arrives at Yokosuka later that day.
23 February 1941:
Departs Yokosuka.
25 February 1941:
Arrives at Shimotsu.
26 February 1941:
Departs Shimotsu.
1 March 1941:
Arrives at Kawasaki.
2 March 1941:
Departs Kawasaki.
6 March 1941:
Arrives at Kure.
9 March 1941:
Departs Kure and arrives at Tokuyama later this day.
12 March 1941:
Departs Tokuyama and arrives at Kure later that day.
27 March 1941:
Departs Kure.
21 April 1941:
Arrives at San Francisco.
27 April 1941:
Departs San Francisco.
24 May 1941:
Arrives at Kure.
5 June 1941:
Departs Kure and arrives at Tokuyama later this day.
7 June 1941:
Departs Tokuyama and arrives at Hiro later that day.
9 June 1941:
Departs Hiro.
11 June 1941:
Arrives at Yokkaichi.
13 June 1941:
Departs Yokkaichi.
16 June 1941:
Arrives at Sasebo.
17 June 1941:
Departs Sasebo.
20 June 1941:
Arrives at Yokkaichi.
23 June 1941:
Departs Yokkaichi.
24 June 1941:
Arrives at Yokosuka.
26 June 1941:
Departs Yokosuka.
28 June 1941:
Arrives at Amagasaki.
1 July 1941:
Departs Amagasaki and arrives at Hiro later this day.
4 July 1941:
Departs Hiro for Tokuyama.
6 July 1941:
Departs Tokuyama.
8 July 1941:
Arrives at Sasebo.
22 July 1941:
Departs Sasebo for the South Seas. [1]
5 August 1941:
Arrives at Kure.
9 August 1941:
Departs Kure and arrives at Tokuyama later that day.
12 August 1941:
Departs Tokuyama.
13 August 1941:
Arrives at Maizuru.
16 August 1941:
Departs Maizuru.
17 August 1941:
Arrives at Sasebo and departs later this day.
19 August 1941:
Arrives at Sukumo. Later departs Sukumo and arrives at Saeki later that day.
20 August 1941:
Departs Saeki and arrives at Kure later this day. Captain (later Rear Admiral) Soma Shinshiro (42) assumes command.
25 August 1941:
Departs Kure.
26 August 1941:
Arrives at Tokuyama.
27 August 1941:
Departs Tokuyama for Yokosuka.
1 september 1941:
Attached to the Combined Fleet.
4 September 1941:
Arrives at Shimotsu.
5 September 1941:
Departs Shimotsu.
8 september 1941:
Arrives at Kure.
22 September 1941:
Departs Kure.
26 September 1941:
Arrives at Yokkaichi.
27 September 1941:
Departs Yokkaichi.
30 September 1941:
Arrives at Kure and departs later that day.
7 October 1941:
Arrives at Sasebo.
10 October 1941:
Departs Sasebo for Mako.
11 October 1941:
Departs Mako.
16 October 1941:
Arrives at Kure.
19 October 1941:
Departs Kure.
20 October 1941:
Arrives at Tokuyama.
21 October 1941:
Departs Tokuyama.
22 October 1941:
Arrives at Yokohama.
23 October 1941:
Departs Yokohama and arrives at Yokosuka later this day.
24 October 1941:
Departs Yokosuka for Tokuyama.
30 October 1941:
Arrives at Kure.
3 November 1941:
Departs Kure.
5 November 1941:
Arrives at Yokkaichi.
7 November 1941:
Departs Yokkaichi.
10 November 1941:
Arrives at Sasebo.
20 November 1941:
ERIMO is assigned to Vice Admiral (later Admiral) Kondo Nobutake's (35) (former CO of KONGO) Second Fleet.
22 November 1941:
Departs Kure.
26 November 1941:
Arrives at Sana (then Samah now Ya Xian), Hainan Island. Joins anchored warships for fuel transfer operations.
1 December 1941:
Her signal code chnages to JGDQ.
2 December 1941:
Receives the coded signal "Niitakayama nobore (Climb Mt. Niitaka) 1208" from the Combined Fleet. It signifies that X-Day hostilities will commence on 8 December (Japan time).
4 December 1941:
At 1525 departs Sana.
8 December 1941:
Arrives at Mako, Pescadores.
11 December 1941:
Departs Mako.
14 December 1941:
Arrives at Camranh Bay.
15 December 1941:
Departs Camranh Bay. Arrives at Puolo Condore and departs later that same day.
21 December 1941:
Arrives at Camranh Bay, Indochina (Vietnam).
23 December 1941:
Departs Camranh Bay.
28 December 1941:
Arrives at Camranh Bay.
30 December 1941:
Arrives Camranh Bay.
1 January 1942:
Loads more than 7000t refueling fuel.
4 January 1942:
Departs Camranh Bay.
5 January 1942:
Joins the Second Escort Corps.
6 January 1942:
Ordered to wait before going to Singora, Siam (now Thailand).
8 January 1942:
Arrives at Singora, Siam (Thailand).
11 January 1942:
Departs Singora, Siam.
14 January 1942:
Arrives at Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City), Indochina and departs the same day.
15 January 1942:
Arrives at St. Jacques, Indochina.
1 February 1942:
Departs St. Jacques.
3 February 1942:
S China Sea. Arrives at the Anambas Islands.
9 February 1942:
Until relieved by TSURUMI, ERIMO acts as oiler based at Anambas under No.11 Tokubetsu control. The ship is protected by patrol planes from St Jacques.
15 February 1942:
Departs Anambas.
18 February 1942:
Arrives at Saigon.
22 February 1942: Operation "J" - The Invasion of Java, Netherlands East Indies:
ERIMO is with Vice Admiral Takahashi Ibo's (36) Third Fleet, Southern Force, Netherlands East Indies Force supporting Vice Admiral Ozawa Jisaburo’s (37) Western Java Seizure Force. Departs Saigon.
26 February 1942:
Arrives at Anambas Islands.
1 March 1942:
Departs Anambas. That same day, ERIMO is assigned directly to the Combined Fleet.
3 March 1942:
Refuels NAGATSUKI and MINAZUKI.
4 March 1942:
Refuels destroyer MATSUKAZE. Later in Sunda Strait. LtCdr James W. Coe’s (USNA ’30) USS S-39 (SS-144), while withdrawing through the Strait to Australia, sights ERIMO. Coe fires four old, but reliable, Mark X torpedoes and claims three hits. Captain Soma beaches ERIMO on Bali Island at 04-19S, 108-25E. Light cruiser YURA rescues Captain Soma and survivors, but four crewmen are lost. ERIMO is later abandoned as a constructive total loss.
3 May 1945:
Removed from the Navy List.
5 March 1947:
Scrapped.

Authors' Notes:
[1] South Seas general: South Pacific, South China Sea and Southeast Asia. Prewar specific Micronesia Islands.
Thanks for assistance goes to Sander Kingsepp of Estonia, Berend van der Wal of Netherlands and Gilbert Casse of France.

- Bob Hackett and Peter Cundall.

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