RIKUGUN YUSOSEN
(GINYO MARU, prewar)
GINYO MARU:
Tabular Record of Movement
© 2013-2016 Bob Hackett
16 December 1920:
Tsurimi. Laid down by Asano Shipbuilding Co., as a
8,613-ton ocean liner for Toyo Kisen K. K. (Oriental Steamship Co.) of Yokohama.
21 May 1921:
Launched and named GINYO MARU.
14 August 1921:
Completed and placed in Toyo Kisen's service.
30 December 1924:
NW of Acapulco, Mexico. A fire starts aboard GINYO
MARU, en route to Manzanillo, Mexico. The fire burns halfway down the hull. Two
children are killed and two other passengers hurt. The No. 4 hold is loaded with
nitrates and fear of an explosion leads to launching the lifeboats. Seventy-nine
passengers and most of the crew of 103 take to the life boats from which they
are rescued by freighter JULIA LUCKENBACH. Later, GINYO MARU is towed to
Manzanillo for emergency repairs by Panamanian-flagged CITY OF SAN FRANCISCO.
January 1925:
Preliminary repairs are carried out in San Francisco,
California. Thereafter, GINYO MARU returns to Japan for permanent repairs.
11 March 1926:
Transferred to the Nippon Yusen Kaisha, K. K.(NYK) Line.
August 1926-March 1927:
In NYK’s service with ports of call at Hong Kong, Kobe, Yokkaichi, Yokohama, Honolulu, Hilo, Los Angeles, Manzanillo, Balboa, Callao, Pisco, Mollendo, Arica, Iquique, Valparaiso. Calls at Moji and San Francisco on most voyages and at La Libertad and Buenaventura, Balboa and Nagasaki on some voyages.
January 1930-March 1931:
In NYK’s service with ports of call at Hong Kong, Kobe, Yokkaichi, Yokohama, Honolulu, Hilo, Los Angeles, Manzanillo, Balboa, Callao, Pisco, Mollendo, Arica, Iquique, Valparaiso. Called at Moji and San Francisco on most voyages and at La Libertad and Buenaventura, Balboa and Nagasaki on some voyages.
1 September 1930:
GINYO MARU arrives at Ventura, California.
18 August 1936:
GINYO MARU arrives at Singapore Harbor.
1939:
Arrives at Peru.
2 October 1941:
Requisitioned by the Imperial Army (IJA). Converted
to a cargo/troop transport. Probably painted grey overall and fitted with AAA
guns. Assigned Army No. 347.
9 February 1942: Operation "L" - The Invasion of Palembang, Sumatra, Netherlands East Indies
(now Indonesia):
GINYO MARU departs Camranh Bay for Palembang in an invasion convoy consisting of
ARGUN, BUYO, HIROKAWA, KENZUI, NABASAN, LIMA, MACASSAR, MEIGEN, RAKUYO, SHINSEI,
SINGAPORE (later SHONAN) and TSUSHIMA MARUS and supply ship NOJIMA escorted by
light (training ) cruiser KASHII (F), DesDiv 20's ASAGIRI and YUGIRI, kaibokan
SHIMUSHU, minelayer HATSUTAKA, mineweeper W-6 and SubChasDiv 11's CH-9.
14 February 1942:
Six Bristol "Blenheim" light bombers of Royal Air
Force No. 211 Squadron attack the convoy and sink transport INABASAN MARU and
damage several others.
15 February 1942:
In the largest capitulation in British military
history, the Straits Settlement of Singapore falls to the Japanese. LtGen Arthur
E. Percival, RA, surrenders his numerically superior, but ill-equipped and
poorly led, force to LtGen Yamashita and his victorious 25th Army.
16 February 1942:
Near Palembang. The invasion transports land elements of the IJA 16th Army’s
229th Infantry Regiment and a battalion of the 230th Infantry Regiment, five
batteries of the 38th Mountain Artillery Battalion and one company each of the
38th Transport and 38th Engineer Regiments.
Kaibokan SHIMUSHU embarks the entire staff of the IJA's 38th Infantry
Division from GINYO MARU and proceeds up the Palembang River, landing its
passengers at 1435.
27 February 1942:
GINYO MARU and the transport convoy depart
Palembang for Singapore.
3 March 1942:
Arrives at Singapore.
14 April 1942: Transport Operation U - transport of troops and material
from Singapore to Rangoon:
GINYO MARU departs Singapore as part of Transport
Unit No. 3 consisting of 32 marus including ANYO, BRAZIL, BUYO, ENGLAND,
HAMBURG, HAVRE, HOKUROKU, KUWAYAMA, KOCHI, KENKOKU (3377 grt), MONTREAL, PENANG,
SAMARANG, SUEZ, TAIKAI, TAIZAN, TEIKAI (ex-German FULDA), YAWATA and YONEYAMA
MARUs and seven unidentified merchant also escorted by auxiliary gunboat CHOSA
MARU and other unidentified escorts. The 3rd Transport Unit carries the 56th
Mixed Brigade and other units.
15 April 1942:
At 0830, minelayer HATSUTAKA departs Penang, Malaya and
joins the escort of Transport Unit No. 3.
19 April 1942:
At 0138 arrives at the Rangoon, Burma (now Myanmar)
river mouth.
27 July 1942:
Released from IJA service. Thereafter, GINYO MARU is
civilian operated and under direct control of NYK.
12 September 1942:
Under control of the Senpaku Uneikai (Shipping
Control Authority) and remains in civilian use and operated by NYK until the
time of her sinking.
11 February 1943:
At 1200, GINYO MARU departs Yokohama in convoy No.
7211 also consisting of two sail training ships KAIO and NIPPON MARUs escorted
by subchaser CH-32.
13 February 1943:
Off Owase. At 1200, CH-32 is detached.
10 April 1943:
GINYO MARU departs Yawata in convoy No. 7415 also
consisting of cargo ship HEIWA MARU and transports RYOTOKU, RYUA and TAISHO
(4,815 GRT) MARUs and SEIZAN MARU No. 2 escorted by subchaser CH-40.
13 April 1943:
Arrives at Tokyo Wan (Bay) and later in the day at
Yokosuka.
15 April 1943:
Arrives at Tokyo Bay from the Inland Sea in convoy 7415
consisting of GINYO, HEIWA, RYOTOKU, RYUA and TAISHO MARUs and SEIZAN MARU No. 2
and an unidentified merchants escorted by subchaser CH-40.
27 May 1943:
GINYO MARU departs s Takao in convoy No. 266 also
consisting of JUYO and KIYO MARUs and IJA tankers HAKUBASAN MARU and OGURA MARU
No. 1 and seven unidentified merchants escorted by patrol boat PB-2.
28 May 1943:
SHOKO (MATSUE) MARU departs Kirun (Keelung) for Yawata
and joins convoy No. 266.
29 May 1943:
East China Sea, night. At 2245, LtCdr Anthony H Dropp's
(USNA ’32) USS SAURY (SS-189) torpedoes and sinks SHOKO MARU, loaded with 7,250
tons of iron ore, at 29-50N 129-35E. All 57 crewmen and four watchmen are KIA.
1 June 1943:
Arrives at Moji.
10 August 1943:
At 1400, GINYO MARU departs Moji in convoy No. 185
consisting of passenger-cargo ships KACHIDOKI (ex-American PRESIDENT HARRISON),
NICHIRIN, and TEIBI (ex-Vichy French BERNARDIN DE SAINT-PIERRE) MARUs, cargo
ship ASUKA MARU and tankers MATSUMOTO, SAN RAMON, TACHIBANA, TONAN and YAMAMIZU
MARUs and three unidentified ships escorted by kaibokan SADO.
15 August 1943:
Arrives at Mako, Pescadores.
11 September 1943:
GINYO MARU departs St Jacques in convoy No. 425
also consisting of HOKUYO, KIYO, TEIKA (ex-Vichy French CAP VARELLA), SHOYO
MARUs and OGURA MARU No. 2 and seven unidentified merchant ships escorted by
destroyer ASAGAO.
18 September 1943:
At 0620, GINYO MARU reports an unsuccesful torpedo
attack. Later, the convoy arrives at Mako.
7 December 1943:
At noon, GINYO MARU departs Cap St. Jacques for Takao
in convoy No. 447 consisting of TEIKO (ex-Vichy French D’ARTAGNAN) MARUs and
tankers CHIHAYA and HOKUAN MARUs escorted by kaikoban MATSUWA. GINYO MARU is carrying 195
passengers, 6,800-tons of corn, 600-tons of rice and 50-tons of green beans.
10 December 1943:
At 2000, TEIKO MARU is detached from the convoy and
sails for Manila.
16 December 1943:
50 km SW of Takao. At 0447, LtCdr (later Captain)
Robert D. Risser's (USNA ‘34) USS FLYING FISH (SS-229) torpedoes and sinks
merchant GINYO MARU at 22-14N, 120-06E. 118 passengers, three gunners and 66
crewmen are KIA.
Author's Note:
Thanks go to Erich Muehlthaler of Germany.
-Bob Hackett
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