Japanese Army Auxiliary Transports

RIKUGUN YOSOSEN!

(GENKAI MARU, prewar)

GENKAI MARU:
Tabular Record of Movement
© 2013-2017 Bob Hackett
E 1938:
Tamano. Laid down at Tama Zosensho K. K. as Yard No. 250, a 3, 851-ton passenger cargo ship for Shimatani Kisen K. K., Kobe.
1939:
Launched and named GENKAI MARU.
1939:
Completed. She can accommodate four 1st class passengers and eight 3rd class passengers and carries a crew of 47.
26 October 1941:
Requisitioned by the IJA as an Army transport. Allotted Army No. 962.
18 December 1941: The Invasion of the Philippines -“M” Operation (M Sakusen):
At 1700, GENKAI MARU departs Takao, Formosa for Lingayen Gulf, Philippines in Rear Admiral (later Vice Admiral) Rear Admiral Hara Kensaburo's (37)(former CO of TAKAO) 1st Lingayen Invasion Unit with 27 other IJA transports escorted by DesRon 5's light cruiser NATORI, DesDiv 5's ASAKAZE, HARUKAZE and MATSUKAZE, DesDiv 22's FUMIZUKI, MINAZUKI, NAGATSUKI and SATSUKI, minesweepers W-15 and W-16 and subchasers CH-1, CH-2, CH-3 CH-13, CH-14 and CH-15.
The Japanese main invasion at Lingayen Gulf consists of three transport echelons and carries the main part of LtGen Homma Masaharu's 80,000-man 14th Army. The first echelon is composed of 27 transports from Takao under Rear Admiral Hara , the second echelon of 28 transports under Rear Admiral (later Vice Admiral) Nishimura Shoji (39) and the third echelon of 21 transports from Keelung under Rear Admiral (later Vice Admiral) Hirose Sueto (39).
24 December 1941:
Lingayen Gulf. Between 0110 and 0430, the Lingayen Invasion Convoy lands troops at Lingayen.
18 February 1942: Operation "J" - The Invasion of Java, Netherlands East Indies:
GENKAI MARU is attached to Vice Admiral Takahashi's Third Fleet, Southern Force, Netherlands East Indies Force in Vice Admiral Ozawa Jisaburo’s Western Java Seizure Force. Departs Camranh Bay in a convoy comprised of 56 troop transports. They carry the 2nd Infantry Division for the invasions of Merak and Bantam Bay, Java escorted by light cruisers YURA and NATORI, DesDivs 5, 6, 11, 12 and 22. Seaplane tender SANYO MARU provides air cover. Departs Camrahn Bay.
1 March 1942:
GENKAI MARU arrives N of Merak, Java. Lands troops of the IJA’s 2nd Infantry Division’s Fukushima Detachment
9 March 1942:
Arrives at Bantam Bay.
13 March 1942:
Departs Bantam Bay.
16 March 1942:
Arrives at Singapore.
16 April 1942:
At 1215, a convoy departs Singapore for Dairen, Manchuria (now Dalian, China) consisting of ATLAS, FRANCE, GLASGOW, HAVRE, HEIAN, MOMOYAMA, MYOKO, RYUNAN, SANKO, TOKIWA, and TSUYAMA, MARUs escorted by kaibokan SHIMUSHU, torpedo boats OTORI and HIYODORI, patrol PB-35 and auxiliary gunboat DAIGEN MARU No. 7. The convoy is transporting the IJA’s 3rd Tank Corps. The escorts protect the convoy to latitude 16N where the convoy is escorted by unknown units of the IJN's North China Area Fleet.
At 1540, that same day, GENKAI MARU departs Bangkok for Dairen with CALCUTTA and SYDNEY MARUs,
19 April 1942:
The convoy is joined by GENKAI, CALCUTTA and SYDNEY MARUs transporting several IJA aviation units from Bangkok.
24 April 1942:
At 1018, arrives at Hong Kong. GENKAI MARU and her two consorts are detached for Takao to refuel. At 1855, the remainder of the convoy departs.
26 April 1942:
GENKAI, CALCUTTA and SYDNEY MARUs arrive at Takao.
27 April 1942:
Depart Takaos and arrive at Mako, Pescadores. There they are joined by BOKO and KAISOKU MARUs and two unidentified ships.
28 April 1942:
GENKAI MARU and her six consorts depart Mako escorted by torpedo boat SAGI.
1 May 1942:
East China Sea. E of Wenchow, China. E of Wenzhou. At 0812 (I), At 0852, LtCdr (later Rear Admiral) Charles C. Kirkpatrick’s (USNA ’31) USS TRITON (SS-201) encounters a convoy of six large freighters making about 10 knots escorted by two OTORI class torpedo boats. Kirkpatrick fires four unreliable Mark-14 3A steam torpedoes; two each at two of the ships. They all miss or premature. TRITON fires two more torpedoes. One misses, but at 0852 the other hits CALCUTTA MARU portside in the aft part of the engine room. No. 3 hold starts flooding. Later, the hull bends amidships. At 0902, Abandon Ship is ordered.
About 220 nautical miles from Kirun (Keelung), Taiwan. TRITON simultaneously targets another freighter, but misses. At 1425, after the convoy has disappeared over the horizon, Kirkpatrick fires two more torpedoes at drifting CALCUTTA MARU and breaks her back. At 1645, CALCUTTA MARU sinks at 28-11N, 123-55E. 50 men and four crewmen of 68 crewmen are KIA. CALCUTTA MARU’s survivors are rescued by BOKO and KAISOKU MARUs. That same day, GENKAI MARU and most of the original convoy from Singapore arrive at Dairen.
16 June 1942:
GENKAI departs Mutsure in convoy No. 125 also consisting of NICHIMEI MARU and four unidentified merchants escorted by destroyer SANAE
21 June 1942:
Arrives at Mako.
25 June 1942:
GENKAI MARU departs Mako, Pescadores in convoy No. 316 also consisting of COLUMBIA MARU and three unidentified merchants escorted by destroyer ASAGAO.
1 July 1942:
Arrives at St Jacques, Vichy French Indochina.
1943:
Shimatani Kisen K. K. merges with Mitsui Sempaku K.K., Tokyo.
13 May 1944:
GENKAI MARU departs Moji in convoy MOTA-19 also consisting of ATSUTA, CHINZEI, IKUTA, JUZAN, KANKYO, KOAN, KONSAN, SHIRAMINE, KENZUI, MEDAN, MIIKESAN, NISSHU, RIKKO, TAMAHOKO and YUKI MARUs and seven unidentified merchants escorted by kaibokan CD-2, CD-17 and ETOROFU.
19 May 1944:
KENZUI MARU is detached for Kirun.
20 May 1944:
Arrives at Takao.
22 May 1944:
GENKAI MARU departs Takao with kaibokan ETOROFU and CD-17 and auxiliary gunboat CHOJUSAN MARU escorting convoy TAMA-19 consisting of ATSUTA, CHINZEI, DAIRIN, IKUTA, KANKYO, KOAN, KONSAN, SHIRAMINE, MATSUMOTO, MEDAN, MIIKESAN, NISSHU, RIKKO, TAMAHOKO, TATSUYASU and YUKI MARUs and five unidentified merchant ships escorted by kaibokan CD-2.
26 May 1944:
Arrives at Manila.
3 June 1944:
GENKAI MARU departs Manila in convoy H-28 consisting of ATSUTA, HINODE, KANKYO, PACIFIC, TSUKUBASAN and YUKI MARUs escorted by kaibokan CD-3, submarine chasers CH-41 and CH-46 and minesweeper W-28
13 June 1944:
At 1200, arrives at Kau, Halmahera.
16 June 1944:
At 0600, GENKAI MARU departs Kau for Manila in joint convoy M-23/M-24 also consisting of ATSUTA, BELGIUM, HINODE, KANKYO, MURORAN, PACIFIC, TEIYU (ex-Italian CARIGNANO), TSUKUBASAN and YUKI MARUs escorted by kaibokan CD-3, minesweepers W-5 and W-28 and subchasers CH-41 and CH-46.
17 June 1944:
Arrives at Menado where W-5 and the M-23 section of three ships are detached.
26 June 1944:
GENKAI MARU departs Manila in convoy MATA-24 also consisting of AKANE, AOBASAN, ATSUTA, FUKUYO and MIIKESSAN MARUs escorted by destroyer ASAGAO, kaibokan CD-2 and CD-8 and auxiliary subchaser Takunan Maru No. 3
E 30 June 1944:
Arrives at Takao.
10 July 1944:
Takao. GENKAI, AOBASAN, HIROTA, IWATO, JUKO, and RIKKO MARUs join convoy MI-06 consisting of tankers ATAGO, TACHIBANA, TOKUWA, MATSUMOTO and ZUIHO MARUs and UNKAI MARU No. 5, YAMAMIZU MARU No. 2 and OGURA MARU No. 2 and transports AKAGISAN, ATSUTA, KANKYO, TSUYAMA and YAGI MARUs escorted by PB-38, CD-14 and W-18 . CD-8 and patrol boat TAKUNAN MARU No. 3 join the escort.
12 July 1944:
At 0254 departs Takao.
17 July 1944:
At 1450, arrives at Moji.
4 August 1944:
GENKAI MARU departs Moji for Takao with in convoy MOTA-22 also consisting of GASSAN, HAKUSAN, HIOKI, KENJO, KOSHIN, MANSHU, NANREI, RAKUTO, SHIRANESAN, SHONAN, TACHIBANA, TEIHOKU (ex-Vichy French PERSEE) TEIKA (ex-Vichy French CAP VARELLA) and TERUKUNI, MARUs and YAMAMIZU MARU No. 2, DAIBOSHI MARU No. 6 and five unidentified merchants escorted by kaibokan ETOROFU, HIBURI, CD-25 and CD-32.
Among other cargo, the convoy carries the IJA's 25th Tank Regiment redeploying from Baotau, North China to Formosa and the 406th and 407th Independent Infantry Battalions, 61st Independent Mixed Brigade and 5th Independent Field Artillery Battalion.
6 August 1944:
Off SW Kyushu. At 0411, LtCdr (later Admiral/CINCPACFLT) Bernard A. Clarey’s (USNA ’34) USS PINTADO (SS-387) torpedoes and sinks SHONAN MARU at 30-53N, 129-45E. Two crewmen and three gunners are KIA and four Daihatsu barges lost.
9 August 1944:
At 1310, KOSHIN MARU's cargo suddenly explodes and the ship sinks at 26-10N, 124-15E. 28 crewmen are KIA.
10 August 1944:
Arrives at Kirun (Keelung). GASSAN, HAKUSAN, KENJO, TEIKA (ex-Vichy French CAP VARELLA) and HIOKI MARUs are detached.
11 August 1944:
Departs Keelung and later that day arrives at Saei (Tsoying) near Takao.
22 August 1944:
At 1410, GENKAI MARU departs Takao for Manila in convoy TAMA-24 also consisting of BATOPAHAT, HIDA, KOTOKU, MANSHU, RAKUTO and TEIHOKU (ex-Vichy French PERSEE) MARUs, tankers TACHIBANA and YAMAMIZU MARU No. 2 and an unidentified ship escorted by kaibokan YASHIRO, CD-8, CD-25, CD-32, torpedo boat HATO and minesweepers W-38 and W-39
25 August 1944:
GENKAI MARU and CD-25 are detached for Pasaleng Bay to offload five MTB's from damaged HAKKO MARU No. 2 sheltering in the bay with destroyer YUNAGI. Later, YUNAGI is detached and joins TAMA-24.
6 September 1944:
At 0600, GENKAI MARU departs Manila for Cebu in convoy C-067 also consisting of AYASONO, BANRYU (later SS-2), KEIAN, MIKASA, RAKUTO and TOYO MARUs and FUKUEI MARU No. 17 escorted by torpedo boat HAYABUSA, patrol boat PB-103, auxiliary subchaser MOGAMI MARU and auxiliary TERUKAZE MARU.
8 September 1944:
At 1335, arrives at Cebu.
9 September 1944:
Departs Cebu in convoy M-103.
10 September 1944:
At 1050, arrives at Loc Bay, Masbate Island.
12 September 1944:
Departs Masbate for Cebu. That evening, as the convoy nears Cebu, carrier aircraft of Vice Admiral (later Admiral) Marc A. Mitscher’s (USNA ‘10) Task Force 38’s TG 38.1, TG 38.2, and TG 38.3 attack shipping in and outside of Cebu harbor and sink 14 ships including GENKAI MARU. 50 crewmen are KIA.

Authors’ Notes:
[1] No data were found detailing GENKAI MARU's movements from Jul ’42 til May ‘44. Readers with access to such data are requested to post the information on the Discussion and Questions board or j-aircraft.org's IJN Ship Message Board

Bob Hackett

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