RIKUGUN YUSOSEN
(USS FEDERAL in ballast in WW1 (later FUKUYAMA MARU)
FUKUYAMA (ex-British FEDERLOCK) MARU:
Tabular Record of Movement
© 2018 Bob Hackett
1918:
Kearny, New Jersey. Laid down by the Federal Shipbuilding & Drydock Co. as a 6,868-ton cargo ship for the United States Shipping Board (USSB).
10 August 1918:
Launched and named FEDERAL.
11 November 1918: Armistice Day
Completed.
15 November 1918:
Turned over to the United States Navy and commissioned USS FEDERAL. Operated by the Naval Overseas Transportation Service, she is fitted out to carry horses.
November 1918 ~ January 1919:
USS FEDERAL departs on her maiden round-trip voyage carrying cargo, including horses, to France and then back to the United States.
March 1919:
USS FEDERAL again steams with food and horses for Allied troops in France.
April 1919:
On her return voyage, she brings home over 500 U. S. Army medical personnel.
May ~ June 1919:
On her third voyage, she transports hay and oats to Antwerp, Belgium, for the Northern Food Administration. Returns to the United States carrying a cargo of steel billets to New York City.
17 June 1919:
USS FEDERAL is decommissioned and returned to the U. S. Shipping Board. Remains in the hands of the U. S, shipping Board.
1937:
Sold to British firm G.E. Marden and managed by Wheelock & Co., Ltd. of Shanghai, China. Renamed FEDERLOCK.
8 December 1941:
China Sea. While on a time charter to an unknown Japanese ship operator, FEDERLOCK is seized by the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN).
E 1942:
Renamed FUKUYAMA MARU. [1]
12 December 1942:
FUKUYAMA MARU departs Muroran, Hokkaido, in South Convoy No. 70 also consisting of transport/cargo ships TOSEI, SEIAN, SHOZAN, SHINTO (KAMISHIMA) and SHOBU, TAISEI, and SHINNAN (ex-British ARGUS) MARU escorted by auxiliary gunboat DELHI MARU.
13 December 1942:
Arrives at Yamada, Iwate Prefecture.
14 December 1942:
Departs Yamada and arrives at Ofunato, Iwate later that day.
21 December 1942:
Departs Ofunato.
23 December 1942:
Arrives at Tokyo.
28 December 1942:
FUKUYAMA MARU is in convoy No. 58 also consisting of transports KEIJO and SUITEN MARUs, cargo JOSHU GO (ex-Chinese HSU CHOW), tanker MITSU MARU, storeship HYUGA MARU, collier TSUKUSHI MARU and three unidentified types named HIRATSU, OMASA and SHINHO MARUs escorted by auxiliary gunboat KEISHIN MARU.
30 December 1942:
Arrives at Yokosuka.
E 1943:
Released by the IJN. Requisitioned by the Imperial Army (IJA) as a Haitosen - Army/Civilian (A/C-AK) shared employment cargo ship. Allotted IJA No. 5516.
4 January 1943:
At 1445, FUKUYAMA MARU departs Truk in a convoy with cargo KIRIKAWA MARU escorted by an unknown warship.
9 January 1943:
At 0845, arrives at Palau, Western Carolines.
18 January 1943:
At 1000, departs Palau.
27 January 1943:
At 0900, arrives at Yokohama.
28 January 1943:
At 1300, FUKUYAMA MARU departs Muroran, Hokkaido in convoy No. 2128 also consisting of transports IKOMASAN MARUs and DAIBOSHI MARU No. 6, SHINYO MARU No. 8, UNKAI MARU No. 7 and cargo SAPPORO MARU No. 11 escorted by auxiliary gunboat HIYOSHI MARU No. 2 GO.
29 January 1943:
Arrives at Ofunato.
5 February 1943:
Departs Ofunato.
2 February 1943:
Arrives at Yokosuka.
20 August 1944:
Requisitioned by the IJA. Allotted IJA No. 1278.
9 January 1945:
25 miles S. of Takao, Formosa (Kaohsiung, Taiwan). Vice Admiral John S. McCain's Task Force 38 carrier-based aircraft sink FUKUYAMA MARU.
Authors' Notes:
[1] The correct name is FUKUZAN MARU.
Thanks go to Erich Muehlthaler of Germany.
Bob Hackett
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