YUSOSEN!
|
(Oiler by Takeshi Yuki scanned from "Color Paintings
of Japanese Warships")
IJN HAYASUI: Tabular Record of Movement
© 1998-2010 Bob Hackett and Peter Cundall.
1 February 1943:
Aioi. Laid down at Harima Shipbuilders as an 18,300-ton fast fleet oiler and seaplane carrier.
25 December 1943:
Launched and named HAYASUI.
10 April 1944:
Captain Sugiura Keizaburo (49) is posted as the Chief Equipping Officer.
24 April 1944:
Completed and registered in the IJN. HAYASUI is designed to carry six (plus one spare) E16As and one catapult. Captain Sugiura is the Commanding Officer.
3 May 1944:
Departs Moji via Manila for Singapore as part of convoy HI-61 with escort carrier TAIYO.
5 May 1944:
Off Kabuto Shima Light, near Nagasaki. HAYASUI collides with and damages submarine I-155. HAYASUI is probably detached from the convoy.
6 June 1944:
Departs Sasebo via Manila for Davao with destroyer HATSUSHIMO. Joined at Manila by old destroyer TSUGA.
11 June 1944:
Arrives at Davao.
13 June 1944: Operation "A-GO" - The Defense of the Philippines:
Davao. Battleship FUSO transfers fuel oil to the 1st Supply Force's fleet oilers HAYASUI and SEIYO, KOKUYO and NICHIEI MARUs.
14-15 June 1944:
Departs Davao towards the Philippine Sea refueling point with the 1st Supply Force. 90 miles SE of Surigao Strait, SEIYO MARU collides with and sinks escorting destroyer SHIRATSUYU.
16 June 1944:
At about 1000, HAYUSUI and the 1st Supply Force's tankers NICHIEI, KOKUYO and SEIYO MARUs rendezvous at 11-00N, 130-00E with Vice Admiral Ugaki Matome's (former CO of HYUGA) aborted Operation "Kon" Task Force's Bat Div 1's YAMATO, and MUSASHI, Cru Div 5's HAGURO and MYOKO, DesRon 2's light cruiser NOSHIRO and Des Div 4's OKINAMI, SHIMAKAZE, ASAGUMO, MAIKAZE and MICHISHIO and DesRon 10's YAMAGUMO and NOWAKI. Ugaki's force is refueled promptly, then his force and the 1st Supply Force head north to join Vice Admiral Ozawa Jisaburo's (former CO of HARUNA) First Mobile Fleet's Main Body.
At 1650, Ugaki's force and the 1st Supply Force rendezvous with Ozawa. The 1st Supply Force begins to refuel the Mobile Fleet.
17 June 1944:
At 2000, the refueling is completed. At this time, the First Mobile Fleet is at 12-15N, 132-45E. The 1st Supply Force stands by to rendezvous with the 2nd Supply Force's oilers GENYO and AZUSA MARUs enroute from Guimaras, Philippines. Later, all six oilers depart the area for the designated standby point at 14-40N, 134-20E.
20 June 1944: - The Battle of the Philippine Sea:
The Supply Forces are attacked by LtCdr J. D. Blitch's seven Grumman "Avenger" TBF torpedo-bombers, 12 Curtiss "Helldiver" SB2C dive-bombers and 16 "Hellcat" F-6F strafers from Task Force 58's USS WASP (CV-18). HAYASUI is hit by one bomb and set afire. She also takes two near-misses. SEIYO MARU is hit by bombs and later scuttled that evening. The 2nd Supply Force's oiler GENYO MARU is damaged by bombs and later scuttled by destroyer UZUKI.
HAYASUI's damage control party extinguishes the fire and she clears the area. Her damage is considered minor. HAYASUI later makes port at Balikpapan, Borneo where she loads fuel oil then departs for Manila escort by second-class destroyer TSUGA.
23 June 1944:
Bacolod Sea, off Negros Island. HAYASUI makes a rendezvous with tanker ITSUKUSHIMA MARU torpedoed the previous day by LtCdr Jack C. Titus' USS NARWHAL (SS-167). Although badly damaged, ITSUKUSHIMA MARU undergoes temporary repairs and is capable of 13.5 knots. Over the next few days, a total of 1,198-tons of fuel oil are removed from ITSUKUSHIMA and loaded on HAYASUI and destroyers YUNAGI, MICHISHIO and NOWAKI.
1 July 1944:
Oil transfer operations from ITSUKUSHIMA MARU are completed.
2 July 1944:
At 1210, arrives at Manila with damaged ITSUKUSHIMA MARU. Further lightering operations begin and 3,027-tons of oil are transferred to HAYASUI and heavy cruiser MYOKO.
10 July 1944:
Departs Manila via Takao, Formosa for Kure escorted by destroyer HIBIKI.
17 July 1944:
Arrives at Kure.
4 August 1944:
Arrives at Sasebo.
10 August 1944:
HAYASUI departs Imari Bay (near Moji) for Singapore in convoy HI-71 comprised of tankers TEIYO, EIYO, ZUIHO, AMATSU, KYOKUTO and NIYO MARUs and HAKKO MARU No. 2, food-supply ship IRAKO, transports TEIA (ex-French Liner ARAMIS), AWA, NOTO, HOKKAI, TAMATSU, NOSHIRO and MAYASAN MARUs and cargo ships KASHII, NISSHO and ORYOKU MARUs. The screen is provided by the 6th Escort Convoy under convoy commander Rear Admiral (Vice Admiral, posthumously) Kajioka Sadamichi with destroyers FUJINAMI and YUNAGI, kaibokan HIRADO, KURAHASHI, MIKURA, SHONAN and CD-11 and escort carrier TAIYO. Her 931st Naval Air Group provides air cover with 12 BN5 Kates.
15 August 1944:
Convoy HI-71 arrives at Mako, Pescadores. NIYO, HAKKO and ORYOKU MARUs and IRAKO are detached.
17 August 1944: Operation "SHO-I-GO" (Victory) - The Defense of the Philippines:
At 0800, HI-71 sorties from Mako for Manila, part of the SHO Operation, transporting troops and supplies for the defense of the Philippines. Kajioka's escort forces are further strengthened by old destroyer ASAKAZE and kaibokan SADO, ETOROFU, MATSUWA and HIBURI sent from Takao by the 1st Surface Escort Division.
18 August 1944:
Alerted by an "Ultra" signal based on code-breaking, LtCdr Louis D. McGregor's USS REDFISH (SS-395) intercepts and, at 0524, torpedoes and damages EIYO MARU. Destroyers ASAKAZE and YUNAGI are detached to escort her back to Takao.
Off Cape Bolinao, Luzon. At 2222, TAIYO, at the rear of the convoy, is hit by torpedoes fired by LtCdr (later Captain) Henry G. Munson's RASHER (SS-269) and sinks. At 2311 and 2314, RASHER torpedoes transport TEIA MARU. The big ex-French liner is set afire and sinks shortly before midnight.
19 August 1944:
The convoy splits into at least two distinct groups. Just past midnight, Munson's RASHER closes on an eastbound group of three large ships with one escort. At 0030 and 0033, Munson torpedoes and hits armed merchant cruiser NOSHIRO MARU and transport AWA MARU. NOSHIRO MARU is beached near Port Curimao. AWA MARU is able to continue on to Manila.
80 miles NW of Cape Bolinaro, Luzon. REDFISH is joined in the attack by LtCdr Charles M. Henderson's BLUEFISH (SS-222). At 0325, HAYASUI is probably hit by two or three of four torpedoes fired by BLUEFISH in a night surface radar attack. HAYASUI goes dead in the water and is down by the stern. She begins to drift. At 0818, Henderson fires three more torpedoes at HAYASUI. All three hit; one under the bridge, one amidships and one under the stack. HAYASUI bursts into flames and sinks stern first at 17-34N, 119-23 E.
Captain Sugiura is KIA. He is promoted Rear Admiral, posthumously. The number of survivors is unknown.
10 October 1944:
Removed from the Navy List.
- Bob Hackett and Peter Cundall.
Back to the
Oilers Page
