Japanese Oilers

YUSOSEN!

(HAKUBASAN MARU, prewar)

HAKUBASAN MARU:
Tabular Record of Movement

© 2011-2013 Bob Hackett
Revision 1

7 March 1928:
Tama. Laid down at Mitsui Bussan Kaisha, K. K. as a 6,650-ton cargo-passenger vessel for Mitsui Senpaku, K. K. (Mitsui Lines).
29 September 1928:
Launched and named HAKUBASAN MARU.
4 December 1928:
Completed.
1928-1937:
In Mitsui Lines’ service on its routes to the Pacific Northwest. Carries timber and other cargo to Japanese ports.
7 July 1937: The "First China Incident" and the Beginning of the Second Sino-Japanese War:
Hun River, Lukuokiao, China. Imperial Japanese Army (IJA) troops on night maneuvers at the Marco Polo Bridge fire blank cartridges. Chinese troops across the river think they are under attack. They fire live round back, but do not cause injuries. At morning roll call, the Japanese discover a soldier missing and assume the Chinese have captured him. The Japanese demand entry to the Peiping (Beijing) suburb of Wanping to look for the soldier, but the Chinese refuse. The Japanese then shell the city. An undeclared war on China begins.
1937:
Chartered by the Imperial Japanese Army (IJA) as a troop transport.
28 August 1937:
HAKUBASHAN MARU departs Ujina and arrives at Moji.
29 August 1937:
HAKUBASHAN MARU departs Moji in a convoy also consisting of KAIHE, KIKUKAWA, SOYO and TAITO MARUs. HAKUBASHAN MARU carries 1,287 men and 143 horses of the IJA 3rd Division’s 34th Infantry Regiment including 3rd Battalion, 3rd Company, 7th Independent Machinegun Battalion and 3rd Company, and 8th Independent Armored Car Company.
5 September 1937:
Arrives at Wusung, China.
E 1938:
Released back to her owners.
1 March 1938:
Sold to Taiyo Gyogyo Kisen, K. K.
1938-1941:
In Taiyo Gyogyo Kisen’s service.
11 January 1943:
Kobe. HAKUBASAN MARU begins conversion at Mitsubishi Jukogyo K. K. from a cargo-transport vessel to an emergency tanker.
12 February 1943:
The conversion is completed.
14 February 1943:
Departs Kobe.
18 February 1943:
HAKUBASAN MARU departs Moji in the “C2” convoy (No. 8 Military Movement) consisting of ADEN, MIYAURA, ROKKOSAN, HAKUSAN and TATEISHI MARUs.
21 February 1943:
Convoy C2 departs Saeki escorted by patrol boat PB-31 and minelayer NASAMI.
E 23 February 1943:
The escorts are detached at 28-30N.
27 May 1943:
HAKUBASAN MARU departs Mako in convoy No. 266 consisting of KIYO MARU and 11 unidentified merchant ships escorted by patrol boat PB-2.
1 June 1943:
Arrives at Tokuyama. Unloads fuel oil.
14 July 1943:
Departs Takao in convoy No. 760 also consisting of KOSHIN MARU and an unidentified merchant ship escorted by destroyer WAKATAKE.
17 July 1943:
Arrives at Manila.
6 August 1943:
Departs Manila escorting convoy No. 862 consisting of KOSHIN MARU and an unidentified merchant ship escorted by destroyer FUYO.
9 August 1943:
Arrives at Mako.
13 August 1943:
HAKUBASAN MARU departs Takao escorting convoy No. 292 consisting of KUNISHIMA, HAKUBASAN and KOSHIN MARU’s and six unidentified merchant ships escorted by destroyer ASAGAO.
E 16 August 1943:
ASAGAO is detached and turns towards Takao to escort another convoy.
19 August 1943:
Convoy No. 292 arrives at Moji.
E 5 November 1943:
HAKUBASAN MARU departs Palau for Truk with tanker OGURA MARU No. 3 in convoy No. 8505 escorted by destroyer TACHIKAZE.
11 November 1943:
Arrives at Truk.
24 November 1943:
At 1200, HAKUBASAN MARU departs Truk with tanker OGURA MARU No. 3 in convoy No. 7242 escorted by subchaser CH-28
29 November 1943:
At 0800, arrives at Palau.
13 December 1943:
At 0730, HAKUBASAN MARU departs Palau in convoy No. 2515 consisting of tankers FUJISAN MARU and OGURA MARU No. 3 and small cargo ship SHOYU MARU bound for Tarakan, Borneo. SHINKOKU MARU and ammunition ship ARATAMA MARU are bound for Balikpapan, Borneo escorted by patrol boat PB-2 and auxiliary subchasers CHa-26 and CHa-27.
17 December 1943:
At 1700, subchaser CH-6 joins the escort. At midnight, HAKUBASAN MARU, FUJISAN and SHOYU MARUs and OGURA MARU No. 3 and subchaser CH-6 are detached for Tarakan.
E 19 December 1943:
Arrives at Tarakan.
15 April 1944:
HAKUBASAN MARU departs Takao in convoy TAMA-16 also consisting of BIZEN, YAMAKO (SANKO), TAKETSU (BUTSU) and OMINE MARUs and 11 unidentified merchant ships escorted by light cruiser KISO, destroyer HASU, torpedo boats SAGI and HAYABUSA and auxiliary subchasers CHa-9, TAKUNAN MARU No. 3.
19 April 1944:
Arrives at Manila. HASU and TAKUNAN MARU No. 3 are detached prior to arrival.
22 April 1944:
At 0615, HAKUBASAN MARU departs Manila in convoy MI-02 (outward) consisting of fleet oiler ASHIZURI and tankers TACHIBANA, NITTETSU, HAKUBASAN, SANKO (YAMAKO), TAKETSU (BUTSU), MATSUMOTO MARUs and OGURA MARU No. 1 and YAMAMIZU MARU No. 2 escorted by patrol boat PB-38.
23 April 1944:
At 2000, arrives at Pagdanan Bay, Palawan.
25 April 1944:
At 1925, arrives at Marudu Bay, North Borneo.
26 April 1944:
At 0800, departs Marudu Bay. At 1755, arrives at Jesselton, Borneo.
27 April 1944:
At 0915, departs Jesselton.
28 April 1944:
At 0045, arrives Brunei Bay, Borneo. Later that day, arrives at Miri at 1325.
4 May 1944:
At 1030, HAKUBASAN MARU departs Miri, Borneo for Moji in convoy MI-02 also consisting of TACHIBANA, NITTETSU, KENSEI, SANKO, TAKETSU (BUTSU), TAIHEI, AKAGISAN, TENSHIN, MATSUMOTO, TAIYU, NISSHIN, SHINCHO and KURENAI MARUs and OGURA MARU No. 1 and YAMAMIZU MARU No. 2 escorted by kaibokan AWAJI, torpedo boat SAGI and patrol boat PB-38.
6 May 1944:
SW of Balabac Island. At 0801, LtCdr Francis D. Walker Jr's USS CREVALLE (SS-291) torpedoes and sinks the largest ship in the convoy, 16,801-ton NISSHIN MARU at 07-19N, 116-52E. 15 crewmen are KIA.
10 May 1944:
At 1330, the convoy arrives at Manila. KENSEI, AKAGISAN, TAIHEI, TENSHIN, TAIYU and KURENAI MARUs are detached. SEIYO MARU joins the convoy. Auxiliary gunboats PEKING and CHOJUSAN MARUs join the escort.
13 May 1944:
At 0552, the convoy departs Manila for Takao.
16 May 1944:
At 1705, the convoy arrives at Takao. HAKUBASAN, SEIYO and MATSUMOTO MARUs and auxiliary gunboat CHOJUSAN MARU are detached.
28 May 1944:
HAKUBASAN MARU departs Takao in convoy TAMA-20 consisting of TATEBE (KEMBU) and HAKUSHIKA MARUs and 17 unidentified merchant ships escorted by destroyer KURETAKE and kaibokan CD-11.
E 1 June 1944:
Arrives at Manila.
9 June 1944:
HAKUBASAN MARU departs Manila in convoy MASA-06 consisting of HAKUSHIKA MARU and seven unidentified merchant ships escorted by kaibokan SHIMUSHU and FUKUE and subchasers CH-19 and CH-43.
E 12 June 1944:
SHIMUSHU and FUKUE are detached and return to Manila.
E 15 June 1944:
CH-19 is detached.
12 July 1944:
HAKUBASAN MARU departs Singapore in convoy SHIMI-06 also consisting of tanker HIDA MARU and 8 unidentified merchant ships escorted by destroyer ASAKAZE and kaibokan YASHIRO.
17 July 1944:
Arrives at Miri.
E 18 July 1944:
HAKUBASAN MARU departs Miri for Moji in convoy MI-10 also consisting of tankers SHUNTEN, TAKETSU (BUTSU), CHIYODA and SHIMOTSU MARUs and DAIZEN, HIDA, HINAGA and FUYUKAWA MARUs plus 19 unidentified ships escorted by destroyer ASAKAZE, minelayer MAEJIMA, kaibokan YASHIRO and CD-3 and auxiliary gunboats PEKING and KAZAN (HUASHAN) MARUs.
E 23 July 1944:
Convoy MI-10 arrives at Manila where it is joined by tankers OEI MARU and KYOEI MARU No. 6 and transports KAKOGAWA, TSUKUBASAN, ROKKO, RASHIN, KUROGANE, FRANCE, MYOGI MARUs and UNYO MARU No.7.
27 July 1944:
At 1100, reconstituted convoy MI-10 departs Manila.
28 July 1944:
Off Cape Bolinao, Philippines. At 1040, LtCdr Francis D. Walker's USS CREVALLE (SS-291) torpedoes and sinks HAKUBASAN MARU at 16-28N, 119-38E. She was carrying 7,351-tons of oil and 710 tons of rubber. Three crewmen are KIA.
At 1132, USN codebreakers intercept and decrypt a message that reads: “CD-26 and HARUKAZE [DD] - proceed immediately to 16-23 N., 119-40 E. HAKUBASAN MARU (of Convoy MI-10) was attacked at 1030 -----.”

Author's Note:
Thanks go to John Whitman of Virginia and Fontessa-san of Japan for info on 1937 in Rev 1.

Bob Hackett

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