Japanese IJN Salvage and Rescue Vessels

KYUNANSEN

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

IJN Salvage and Rescue Vessel HARUTA MARU: Tabular Record of Movement
© 2009-2018 Bob Hackett and Peter Cundall
Revision 1

1925:
Elbing, Germany. Laid down at Schichau GmbH ship yard as a 1,515-ton cargo ship for Bruusgaard Kiøsteruds Skibs of Norway.
1925:
Launched and named HALLDOR.
November 1925:
Completed and placed in service by Bruusgaard Kiøsterud & Co. under Captain Jørgen Jørgensen. Port of registry is Drammen, Norway. The ship is based in the Far East and undertakes coastal voyages around SE Asia.
August 1937:
Chartered by Yamashita Kisen and departs Nagoya for Yokkaichi and later Handa.
2 April 1940:
Departs Bangkok.
8 April 1940:
Arrives at Singapore.
9 April 1940:
Departs Singapore.
10 April 1940:
Arrives at Port Swettenham.
21 April 1940:
Arrives at Singapore.
24 April 1940:
Departs Singapore.
28 April 1940:
Arrives at Bangkok.
29 April 1940:
Departs Bangkok.
4 May 1940:
Arrives at Singapore.
5 May 1940:
Departs Singapore.
7 May 1940:
Departs Port Swettenham.
13 May 1940:
Arrives at Bangkok.
14 May 1940:
Departs Bangkok.
19 May 1940:
Arrives at Singapore.
20 May 1940:
Departs Singapore.
24 May 1940:
Arrives at Bangkok.
25 May 1940-:
Departs Bangkok.
2 June 1940:
Arrives at Hong Kong.
16 June 1940:
Departs Hong Kong.
23 June 1940:
Arrives at Bangkok.
24 June 1940:
Departs Bangkok.
29 June 1940:
Arrives at Singapore.
30 June 1940:
Departs Singapore.
2 July 1940:
Arrives at Penang.
4 July 1940:
Departs Penang.
5 July 1940:
Departs Telok Anson.
10 July 1940:
Arrives at Bangkok and departs later that same day.
15 July 1940:
Arrives at Singapore.
16 July 1940:
Departs Singapore.
19 July 1940:
Arrives at Bangkok.
20 July 1940:
Departs Bangkok.
26 July 1940:
Arrives at Singapore.
27 July 1940:
Departs Singapore.
30 July 1940:
Arrives at Penang.
31 July 1940:
Departs Penang.
5 August 1940:
Arrives at Bangkok.
6 August 1940:
Departs Bangkok.
12 August 1940:
Arrives at Malacca and departs later that day and arrives at Port Swettenham.
13 August 1940:
Departs Port Swettenham.
14 August 1940:
Arrives at Penang and departs later that day.
18 August 1940:
Arrives at Rangoon.
20 August 1940:
Departs Rangoon.
24 August 1940:
Arrives at Penang and departs later that day.
25 August 1940:
Arrives at Port Swettenham.
26 August 1940:
Departs Port Swettenham.
27 August 1940:
Arrives at Singapore.
2 September 1940:
Arrives at Rangoon.
4 September 1940:
Departs Rangoon.
9 September 1940:
Arrives at Port Swettenham.
11 September 1940:
Departs Port Swettenham.
12 September 1940:
Arrives at Penang.
14 September 1940:
Departs Penang.
17 September 1940:
Arrives at Rangoon.
19 September 1940:
Departs Rangoon.
24 September 1940:
Arrives at Port Swettenham.
25 September 1940:
Departs Port Swettenham.
26 September 1940:
Arrives at Penang.
27 September 1940:
Departs Penang.
28 September 1940:
Arrives at Port Swettenham.
29 September 1940:
Departs Port Swettenham.
30 September 1940:
Arrives at Rangoon.
3 October 1940:
Departs Rangoon.
8 October 1940:
Arrives at Port Swettenham and departs later that day.
9 October 1940:
Arrives at Penang.
10 October 1940:
Departs Penang.
14 October 1940:
Arrives at Rangoon.
16 October 1940:
Departs Rangoon.
20 October 1940:
Arrives at Port Swettenham.
21 October 1940:
Departs Port Swettenham.
23 October 1940:
Arrives at Penang.
25 October 1940:
Departs Penang.
27 October 1940:
Arrives at Rangoon.
30 October 1940:
Departs Rangoon.
2 November 1940:
Arrives at Penang.
3 November 1940:
Departs Penang.
6 November 1940:
Arrives at Singapore.
7 November 1940:
Departs Singapore.
11 November 1940:
Arrives at Rangoon.
14 November 1940:
Departs Rangoon.
18 November 1940:
Arrives at Penang.
19 November 1940:
Departs Penang.
23 November 1940:
Departs Singapore.
28 November 1940:
Arrives at Rangoon.
30 November 1940:
Departs Rangoon.
5 December 1940:
Arrives at Malacca.
6 December 1940:
Arrives at Port Swettenham and departs later that day.
7 December 1940:
Arrives at Penang.
8 December 1940:
Departs Penang.
12 December 1940:
Arrives at Rangoon.
14 December 1940:
Departs Rangoon.
19 December 1940:
Arrives at Malacca.
20 December 1940:
Departs Malacca.
22 December 1940:
Arrives at Penang.
23 December 1940:
Departs Penang.
27 December 1940:
Arrives at Rangoon.
29 December 1940:
Departs Rangoon.
2 January 1941:
Arrives at Penang and departs later that day.
5 January 1941:
Arrives at Singapore.
7 January 1941:
Departs Singapore.
12 January 1941:
Arrives at Rangoon.
14 January 1941:
Departs Rangoon.
18 January 1941:
Arrives at Penang and departs later that day.
20 January 1941:
Arrives at Singapore.
21 January 1941:
Departs Singapore.
26 January 1941:
Arrives at Rangoon.
28 January 1941:
Departs Rangoon.
1 February 1941:
Arrives at Penang and departs later that day.
2 February 1941:
Arrives at Port Swettenham and departs later that day.
4 February 1941:
Arrives at Singapore.
5 February 1941:
Departs Singapore.
9 February 1941:
Arrives at Bangkok.
10 February 1941:
Departs Bangkok.
16 February 1941:
Departs Singapore.
20 February 1941:
Arrives at Bangkok.
21 February 1941:
Departs Bangkok.
1 March 1941:
Arrives at Hong Kong.
5 March 1941:
Departs Hong Kong.
10 March 1941:
Arrives at Bangkok.
12 March 1941:
Departs Bangkok.
17 March 1941:
Arrives at Port Swettenham.
20 March 1941:
Departs Port Swettenham.
21 March 1941:
Arrives at Singapore and departs later that day.
26 March 1941:
Arrives at Bangkok.
28 March 1941:
Departs Bangkok.
4 April 1941:
Arrives at Hong Kong.
7 April 1941:
Departs Hong Kong.
13 April 1941:
Arrives at Bangkok.
16 April 1941:
Departs Bangkok.
26 April 1941:
Departs Hong Kong.
4 May 1941:
Arrives at Bangkok.
6 May 1941:
Departs Bangkok.
16 May 1941:
Arrives at Singapore.
17 May 1941:
Departs Singapore.
21 May 1941:
Arrives at Bangkok.
23 May 1941:
Departs Bangkok.
28 May 1941:
Arrives at Port Swettenham.
29 May 1941:
Arrives at Singapore.
1 June 1941:
Departs Singapore.
5 June 1941:
Arrives at Bangkok.
9 June 1941:
Departs Bangkok.
13 June 1941:
Arrives at Singapore.
E 17 June 1941:
Departs Singapore.
E 18 June 1941:
Arrives at Telok Anson.
E 19 June 1941:
Departs Telok Anson.
20 June 1941:
Arrives at Singapore.
23 June 1941:
Departs Singapore.
27 June 1941:
Arrives at Bangkok.
28 June 1941:
Departs Bangkok.
4 July 1941:
Arrives at Singapore.
7 July 1941:
Departs Singapore.
E 8 July 1941:
Arrives at Telok Anson.
10 July 1941:
Departs Telok Anson.
15 July 1941:
Arrives at Bangkok.
17 July 1941:
Departs Bangkok.
21 July 1941:
Arrives at Singapore.
23 July 1941:
Departs Singapore.
26 July 1941:
Arrives at Bangkok and departs later the same day.
1 August 1941:
Arrives at Singapore and departs later that day.
4 August 1941:
Arrives at Penang.
7 August 1941:
Departs Penang.
9 August 1941:
Departs Singapore.
15 August 1941:
Arrives at Bangkok.
7 August 1941:
Departs Bangkok.
19 August 1941:
Arrives at Singapore.
24 August 1941:
Departs Singapore.
29 August 1941:
Departs Bangkok.
5 September 1941:
Arrives at Singapore and departs later that day.
6 September 1941:
Arrives at Port Swettenham.
9 September 1941:
Departs Port Swettenham.
13 September 1941:
Arrives at Bangkok.
E 15 September 1941:
Departs Bangkok.
21 September 1941:
Arrives at Singapore.
22 September 1941:
Departs Singapore.
26 September 1941:
Arrives at Penang.
28 September 1941:
Departs Penang.
30 September 1941:
Arrives at Singapore and departs later that day.
5 October 1941:
Arrives at Bangkok.
8 October 1941:
Departs Bangkok.
12 October 1941:
Arrives at Singapore.
14 October 1941:
Departs Singapore.
18 October 1941:
Arrives at Bangkok.
19 October 1941:
Departs Bangkok.
28 October 1941:
Arrives at Hong Kong.
31 October 1941:
Departs Hong Kong.
6 November 1941:
Arrives at Bangkok.
9 November 1941:
Departs Bangkok.
18 November 1941:
Arrives at Hong Kong.
21 November 1941:
Departs Hong Kong.
28 November 1941:
Arrives at Bangkok.
30 November 1941:
Departs Bangkok for Hong Kong.
5 December 1941:
75 miles SW of Saigon. An unidentified Imperial Japanese Navy warship stops, boards, inspects and releases HALLDOR.
9 December 1941:
Arrives at Hong Kong. The Japanese have surrounded the city and are bombarding it.
16 December 1941:
Hong Kong. HALLDOR is hit by a shell. The 2nd Engineer is killed and Captain Jørgensen is seriously injured; he dies in a hospital shortly thereafter.
25 December 1941: Christmas Day and the Fall of Hong Kong:
Governor Sir Mark A. Young decides to surrender the outnumbered British garrison because of lack of food and water. At 1800, in Japanese headquarters in the Peninsula Hotel at Kowloon, Young surrenders the Crown Colony. Nearly 6,500 British and Commonwealth troops go into captivity.
HALLDOR is captured by the China Area Fleet’s Hong Kong Special Base Force. Renamed HARUTA MARU.
30 January 1942:
Departs Hong Kong escorted by auxiliary gunboat KASAGISAN MARU.
1 February 1942:
KASAGISAN MARU is detached.
5 February 1942:
Destroyer TSUGA joins as escort.
11 February 1942:
Sasebo. Begins conversion to a salvage and rescue vessel.
10 February 1942:
Arrives at Ainoura, Nagasaki.
20 June 1942:
HARUTA MARU is registered in the Sasebo Naval District as an auxiliary salvage and rescue ship.
25 June 1942:
Departs Sasebo.
27 June 1942:
Arrives at Osaka.
29 June 1942:
Arrives at Hong Kong.
1 July 1942:
Assigned to the First Southern Expeditionary Fleet and attached to the 11th Special Construction and Repair Section.
18 July 1942:
Departs Osaka.
21 July 1942:
Arrives at Sasebo.
25 July 1942:
Departs Sasebo.
30 July 1942:
Arrives at Hong Kong.
9 August 1942:
Departs Hong Kong.
August 1942:
Arrives at West Mitsugi.
August 1942:
Departs West Mitsugi.
August 1942:
Arrives at Hong Kong.
5 August 1942:
Reassigned to the Department of the Navy attached to the 11th Special Construction and Repair Section.
1 February 1943:
Arrives at Saigon.
7 March 1943:
Departs Saigon.
18 April 1943:
Arrives at Hong Kong.
6 June 1943:
Departs Hong Kong in fleet convoy No. 41 consisting of unidentified ships.
8 June 1943:
Arrives at Takao.
18 June 1943:
Departs Takao.
20 June 1943:
Arrives at Mako.
25 June 1943:
Departs Mako. Arrives at Takao.
27 June 1942:
Departs Takao.
29 June 1943:
Arrives at Hong Kong.
9 September 1943: Surrender of Fascist Italy:
Whangpoo River, Shanghai. In the early morning, 18,765-ton Italian liner SS CONTE VERDE of the Lloyd Triestino Line, moored off the Shanghai Club, is scuttled onto her port side by Capitano di Corvetta (LtCdr) Chinea’s Italian crew so not be captured by the Japanese.
14 September 1943:
HARUTA MARU departs Hong Kong.
20 September 1943:
Arrives at Shanghai.
20 October 1943:
Departs Shanghai.
24 October 1943:
Arrives at Hong Kong.
1 November 1943:
Departs Hong Kong.
6 November 1943:
Arrives at Shanghai.
28 December 1943:
Departs Shanghai.
22 January 1944:
Arrives at Shanghai.
1 June 1944:
Ensign Hidaka Saburo assumes command of HARUTA MARU.
6 June 1944:
The hulk of CONTE VERDE is uprighted to 37 ½ degrees when a lifting cable breaks and work has to be stopped.
8 June 1944:
Loads coal.
9 June 1944:
Loads stores.
16 June 1944:
The lifting operation continues, but is stopped when 43 degrees is achieved.
22 June 1944:
Loads fresh water.
26 June 1944:
The lifting operation continues, but when 58 degrees is achieved a lifting cable breaks and work has to be stopped once more.
5 July 1944:
The hulk is uprighted to 67 degrees. At this point uprighting work ceases and ordinary salvage work commences. [1]
23 July 1944:
Loads fresh water.
8 August 1944:
Shanghai. Whangpoo (Huangpu) River. Moored CONTE VERDE is attacked by a single LAB (low-altitude bombardment)-equipped B-24 bomber of 373rd Bomb Squadron, 308th Bomb Group flown by Lt Col William D. Hopson. Hopson makes two radar guided approaches at very low altitude through rain and fog. On his second pass, his B-24 drops six bombs on the liner. CONTE VERDE falls on her starboard side and sinks for the second time.
6 September 1944:
Loads fresh water.
26 September 1944:
Loads fresh water.
5 October 1944:
Loads stores.
7 October 1944:
Loads coal.
12 October 1943:
Loads fresh water.
24 October 1944:
Loads stores.
25 October 1944:
Loads fresh water.
29 October 1944:
Loads coal.
31 October 1944:
Salvage work is resumed on CONTE VERDE. HARUTA MARU assists again.
16 December 1944:
Shanghai. CONTE VERDE is successfully refloated and placed in drydock at Kiangnan Dockyard for minimum repairs to enable the vessel to proceed to Japan under its own power. The work includes conversion of her fuel system from oil to coal. Four of her eight boilers and her two turbines are repaired enabling her to steam by own power.
21 January 1945:
Hong Kong. 14th Air Force B-24 “Liberators” bomb the port. HARUTA MARU is hit and sinks at 22-20N, 114-10E.
1 March 1945:
Removed from the Navy List.
1951:
The wreck is broken up.

Authors' Notes:
[1] The Japanese intended to convert CONTE VERDE into a small aircraft carrier. She was to be towed out to Japan in August 1944 for further repairs and reconstruction. She was renamed KOTOBUKI MARU at an unknown date.

- Bob Hackett and Peter Cundall.

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