Japanese Transports

ZATSUYOSEN!

(HIYOSHI MARU, prewar)

IJN HIYOSHI MARU:
Tabular Record of Movement
© 2012-2018 Gilbert Casse, Bob Hackett and Peter Cundall
Revision 4

21 September 1936:
Kobe. Laid down by Kawasaki K.K. Zosensho shipyard for Azuma Kisen K.K. as a 4,046-ton cargo ship.
28 December 1936:
Launched and named HIYOSHI MARU. [1]
1 April 1937:
Completed and registered in Kobe.
3 May 1941:
Requisitioned by the IJN as a general transport (Ippan Choyosen).
15 October 1941:
Registered in the IJN as an auxiliary transport, (Otsu) category and attached to the Sasebo Naval District with Sasebo as homeport under internal order No. 1256. [2]
4 December 1941:
Departs Sasebo.
7 December 1941:
Arrives at Mako, Pescadores.
9 December 1941:
Departs Mako.
11 December 1941:
Arrives at Haikow (Haikou), Hainan Island.
12 December 1941:
Departs Haikow.
14 December 1941:
Arrives at Camranh Bay, Indochina.
15 December 1941:
Departs Camranh Bay.
17 December 1941:
Arrives at Saigon, Indochina (now Ho-Chi-Minh City, Vietnam).
21 December 1941:
Departs Saigon.
22 December 1941:
Arrives at Camranh Bay.
27 December 1941:
Departs Camranh Bay.
29 December 1941:
Arrives at Samah, Hainan Island.
30 December 1941:
Departs Samah.
2 January 1942:
At 1750, arrives at Takao, Formosa (now Kaohsiung, Taiwan).
5 January 1942:
At 0900, departs Takao.
8 January 1942:
At 1515, arrives at Koniya, Amami-Oshima.
9 January 1942:
At 1040, departs Koniya.
11 January 1942:
At 1110, arrives at Sasebo.
14 January 1942:
Assigned to personnel and supplies transport mission under Sasebo Naval District instruction No. 13.
15 January 1942:
Re-rated as a graduated auxiliary transport under Sasebo Naval District instruction No. 14.
E 15-18 January 1942:
Embarks 17 passengers bound for Hong Kong and 412 passengers bound for Samah. Loads 400-tons of ammunition, 150-tons of food, 65-tons of ‘grade 1’ fuel bound for Haikow, 200-tons of ‘grade 92’ volatile oil, 100-tons of standard volatile oil, 200-tons of timber and other building materials, 100-tons of electrical equipment and 600-tons of wood and other building materials.
19 January 1942:
At 1810, departs Sasebo.
24 January 1942:
At 1010, arrives at Hong Kong.
25 January 1942:
At 1655, departs Hong Kong.
26 January 1942:
At 1730, arrives at Haikow.
30 January 1942:
At 1105, departs Haikow.
31 January 1942:
At 0830, arrives at Samah.
4 February 1942:
At 1255, departs Samah and arrives at Yulin, Hainan Island at 1620.
7 February 1942:
At 0805, departs Yulin.
14 February 1942:
At 1530, arrives at Kirun, Formosa (now Keelung, Taiwan).
16 February 1942:
At 0820, departs Kirun.
19 February 1942:
At 1220, arrives at Yawata, Fukuoka Prefecture.
21 February 1942:
At 1600, departs Yawata.
22 February 1942:
At 1525, arrives at Sasebo.
26 February 1942:
Assigned to personnel and supplies transport mission under Sasebo Naval District instruction No. 115. That same day, assigned to deliver to Fleet Headquarters, 1st Southern Expeditionary Fleet, the small motor gunboats No. 1364 and 1365.
E 27-28 February 1942:
Loads 75 No. 80 bombs bound for Singapore, 80 standard bombs, 102 No. 25 bombs, 300 “Roku-ban” bombs, small motor gunboats No. 1364 and 1365. Embarks 102 personnel from the 40th Air Group.
1 March 1942:
At 0855, departs Sasebo.
2 March 1942:
At 1810, arrives at Koniya.
3 March 1942:
At 1500, departs Koniya.
6 March 1942:
At 1040, arrives at Takao.
9 March 1942:
At 1050, departs Takao.
13 March 1942:
At 0930, arrives at Camranh Bay. Departs for Saigon at 1800.
14 March 1942:
At 1645, arrives at Saigon.
16 March 1942:
At 1335, departs Saigon.
19 March 1942:
At 1320, arrives at Singapore.
28 March 1942:
At 0600, departs Singapore.
1 April 1942:
At 1215, arrives at Rangoon, Burma (now Yangon, Myanmar).
8 April 1942:
At 1040, departs Rangoon.
13 April 1942:
At 1105, arrives at Singapore.
23 April 1942:
At 0715, departs Singapore.
25 April 1942:
At 1545, arrives at St. Jacques, Indochina (now Vung Tau, Vietnam).
26 April 1942:
Departs at 0405 and arrives at Saigon at 0840.
2 May 1942:
At 1350, departs Saigon in convoy with auxiliary transport SHIROGANE MARU and possibly others. Arrives at St Jacques at 1830.
3 May 1942:
At 0605, departs St Jacques.
7 May 1942:
At 2115, arrives at Takao.
10 May 1942:
At 0040, departs Takao. Later that day, arrives at Mako. Departs later in the day for Yokohama in convoy also consisting of auxiliary transports SHIROGANE, TOYOSAKA and KIMISHIMA MARUs and three unidentified ships escorted by destroyer FUYO. That same day, her attachment to Sasebo Naval District is confirmed.
14 May 1942:
Detached from convoy and at 1815, arrives at Sasebo.
15 May 1942:
Scheduled to be fitted with one Type 92 7.7mm MG and five Type 38 Arisaka rifles under Navy secret instruction No. 5990.
16 May 1942:
At 0920, departs Sasebo.
19 May 1942:
At 1630, arrives at Tokyo.
27 May 1942:
At 0900, departs Tokyo.
9 June 1942:
At 0900, arrives at Kwajalein, Marshalls.
12 June 1942:
Scheduled to be fitted with one 8cm/40 deck gun under Navy secret instruction No. 7246.
15 June 1942:
At 0800, departs Kwajalein and at 1320, arrives at Roi-Namur, Marshalls.
21 June 1942:
At 1455, departs Roi-Namur.
22 June 1942:
At 0915, arrives at Wotje, Marshalls.
28 June 1942:
At 1610, departs Wotje.
4 July 1942:
At 1900, arrives at Fais, Eastern Carolines.
17 July 1942:
At 1830, departs Fais.
22 July 1942:
At 1820, arrives at Futami harbor, Chichi-Jima, Ogasawara Gunto.
23 July 1942:
At 2120, departs Futami harbor.
26 July 1942:
At 1720, arrives at Shiogama, Miyagi Prefecture.
30 July 1942:
At 1915, departs Shiogama.
31 July 1942:
At 2215, arrives at Noboribetsu, Hokkaido.
1 August 1942:
At 1800, departs and arrives at Muroran, Hokkaido, arriving at 1915.
4 August 1942:
At 1150, departs Muroran.
6 August 1942:
At 1705, arrives at Tokyo.
9 August 1942:
At 0700, departs Tokyo.
11 August 1942:
At 1040, arrives at Kobe.
E 12-26 August 1942:
Docks at Kawasaki Zosensho K.K. shipyard for maintenance and repairs.
27 August 1942:
Undocked. At 1510, departs Kobe.
30 August 1942:
At 0740, arrives at Kure. Departs at 1510 for Sasebo.
31 August 1942:
En-route, detonates a drifting mine by machine-gun fire.
1 September 1942:
At 1500, arrives at Sasebo.
2 September 1942:
At 1240, departs Sasebo.
3 September 1942:
At 0830, arrives at Moji.
4 September 1942:
At 0700, departs Moji.
8 September 1942:
Arrives at an unidentified location, probably in Karafuto (now Sakhalin).
17 September 1942:
Departs that unidentified location.
24 September 1942:
Arrives at Sagara, Shizuoka Prefecture.
25 September 1942:
At 1110, arrives at Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture.
27 September 1942:
At 0805, departs Nagoya.
30 September 1942:
At 1600, arrives at Miike, Fukuoka Prefecture.
2 October 1942:
At 1200, departs Miike.
8 October 1942:
At 0850, arrives at Saipan, Marianas.
12 October 1942:
At 0620, departs Saipan.
15 October 1942:
At 1650, arrives at Palau, Western Carolines.
24 October 1942:
At 0635, arrives at Angaur, Palaus at 1000.
30 October 1942:
At 2140, departs Angaur.
5 November 1942:
At 90 degrees off Toi Misaki, meets with submarine chaser CH-36 that escorts vessel to Fukajima.
6 November 1942:
At 1150, arrives at Niihama, Shikoku.
12 November 1942:
At 1035, departs Niihama.
14 November 1942:
At 1530, arrives at Miike.
16 November 1942:
At 1210, departs Miike.
25 November 1942:
At 1155, arrives at Truk, Central Carolines.
22 December 1942:
At 1050, departs Truk.
25 December 1942:
At 0710, arrives at Fais and loads rock phosphate.
30 December 1942:
At 0650, departs Fais and later joins in convoy with auxiliary coiler SHINYUBARI MARU.
E 1942:
Her owners is changed to Tomoe Gumi Kaiun K.K. and her port of registry to Tokyo.
6 January 1943:
At 1150, arrives at Moji.
7 January 1943:
At 1405, departs Moji.
9 January 1943:
At 0930, arrives at Konan, Chosen (now North Korea).
11 January 1943:
At 1620, departs Konan.
13 January 1943:
At 1730, arrives at Tsukumi, Oita Prefecture.
18 January 1943:
At 1545, departs Tsukumi.
19 January 1943:
At 1200, arrives at Moji. Departs later in the day at 1730 for Kobe.
20 January 1943:
At 1320, arrives at Kobe.
21 January 1943:
At 1100, departs Kobe.
22 January 1943:
At 1350, arrives at Nagoya.
29 January 1943:
At 0640, departs Nagoya and arrives at Mitsu, Kochi Prefecture. Departs later for Tokyo.
30 January 1943:
At 1240, arrives at Tokyo.
5 February 1943:
At 0735, departs Tokyo and arrives at Yokohama at 0935.
6 February 1943:
At 0655, departs Yokohama.
14 February 1943:
At 1530, arrives at Truk.
2 March 1943:
At 0620, departs Truk alone.
7 March 1943:
At 0920, arrives at Palau.
11 March 1943:
At 0710, arrives at Garasumao, Babeldaop, Palaus at 1120.
17 March 1943:
At 0810, departs Garasumao.
24 March 1943:
At 1800, arrives at Yokohama.
30 March 1943:
At 1235, departs Yokohama and arrives at Yokosuka at 1420.
5 April 1943:
At 0620, departs Yokosuka with destroyer YAMAGUMO as escort.
16 April 1943:
At 0610, arrives at Kwajalein.
25 April 1943:
At 0950, departs Kwajalein with destroyer OITE as escort.
29 April 1943:
Arrives at Oyo (probably Ocean Island, Gilberts).
30 April 1943:
Departs Oyo at 1820 for Nauru.
1 May 1943:
At 1100, arrives at Nauru.
4 May 1943:
At 1145, departs Nauru escorted by destroyer OITE.
6 May 1943:
At 0550, arrives at Jaluit, Marshalls.
10 May 1943:
At 0945, departs Jaluit.
11 May 1943:
At 1100, arrives at Kwajalein with destroyer OITE.
19 May 1943:
At 0330, departs Kwajalein with auxiliary water-tanker ASAYAMA (CHOSAN) MARU escorted by minesweeper W-8.
23 May 1943:
At 1055, arrives at Truk.
29 May:
At 0435, departs Truk via north channel escorted by minesweeper W-8.
2 June 1943:
At 0830, arrives at Palau.
4 June 1943:
At 0600, departs Palau and arrives at Garasumao at 0910.
6 June 1943:
Departs Garasumao at 1300 and arrives at Palau at 1600.
7 June 1943:
At 2020, Departs Palau for Moji in convoy P-607 also consisting of auxiliary transport (ex-auxiliary gunboat) KAHOKU MARU, IJA transport HOFUKU MARU and IJN requisitioned cargo ship (B-AK) SAIPAN MARU escorted by patrol boat PB-31.
8 June 1943:
About 0240, LtCdr (later Vice Admiral) John A. Tyree's (USNA ’33) USS FINBACK (SS-230) torpedoes and damages KAHOKU MARU, but she does not sink and continues on. USS FINBACK makes two more attacks over the next two hours and gets another hit. At 0950, KAHOKU MARU loses her battle with flooding and sinks at 09-30N, 134-32E, taking down one crewman. During Tyree's attacks, he also hits SAIPAN MARU, but the Mark-14 torpedo is a dud.
9 June 1943:
At 28-55N, 131-48E, minelayer NUWAJIMA joins the escort of convoy P-607 and then heads north to Fukajima.
E 11 June 1943:
Kaibokan IKI and minelayer YURIJIMA join the escort of convoy P-607. Later that day, small civilian cargo ship (C-AK) NANKAI MARU and IJA transport KONAN MARU joins the convoy off Toi Misaki.
12 June 1943:
Torpedo boat HATO joins the convoy.
13 June 1943:
Arrives at Moji. Departs later.
17 June 1943:
At 1205, arrives at Yokohama.
20 June 1943:
At 0435, departs Yokohama.
22 June 1943:
At 1000, arrives at Tokuyama, Yamaguchi Prefecture.
25 June 1943:
At 1515, departs Tokuyama.
29 June 1943:
At 0730, arrives at Yokosuka.
2 July 1943:
At 1010, departs Yokosuka for Truk via Saipan in convoy No. 3702-B also consisting of IJA transport MANJU MARU and auxiliary storeships CHIYO and TAKUNAN MARUs escorted by minesweeper W-26 and auxiliary subchasers CHa-5 and CHa-12.
3 July 1943:
Near Aogashima. At 0530, W-26 is detached from the convoy and reverses course.
5 July 1943:
At 1000, arrives at Futami harbor, Chichi-Jima and waits there because of a typhoon in the area.
9 July 1943:
At 1255, departs Futami harbor.
14 July 1943:
At 1420, arrives at Saipan and is detached from the convoy.
30 July 1943:
At 0800, departs Saipan in unidentified convoy 4727 Part 2 with auxiliary storeship SHINSEI MARU, auxiliary IJN transport and AKIBASAN MARUs and IJA transport YAMASHIRO MARU escorted by auxiliary netlayer SHUKO MARU (that detaches later that day) and auxiliary submarine chaser KYO MARU No. 8 (that detaches at unknown date) and destroyer INAZUMA. En route to Yokosuka auxiliary collier KAMOI MARU apparently joins the convoy.
6 August 1943:
Arrives at Yokohama.
12 August 1943:
At 0600 departs Yokohama in convoy No. 7812 also consisting of RYUSEI and GYOKO MARUs escorted by minesweeper W-27.
14 August 1943:
At 0720 arrives at Kobe.
15 August 1943:
Docks Kawasaki Zosensho K.K. shipyard for maintenance and repairs.
2 September 1943:
Repairs are completed. Undocked.
3 September 1943:
Departs Kobe.
5 September 1943:
Arrives at Sakito, Nagasaki Prefecture.
6 September 1943:
Arrives at Sasebo.
12 September 1943:
Departs Sasebo.
14 September 1943:
Arrives off Kobe and heads to Tokyo.
16 September 1943:
Arrives at Tokyo.
20 September 1943:
Arrives at Yokosuka.
21 September 1943:
Departs Yokosuka for Truk in convoy No. 3921 also consisting of auxiliary repair ship HAKKAI MARU, auxiliary collier/oiler MIKAGE MARU No. 18, auxiliary transport KIKUKAWA MARU and IJA transports TAIAN MARU and NANKAI MARU No. 2 escorted by kaibokan OKI and FUKUE. The convoy calls at Tateyama later in the day.
22 September 1943:
At 0430 the convoy departs Tateyama with minesweeper W-27 as an additional escort.
E September 1943:
At some point, NANKAI MARU No. 2 probably encounters some mechanical trouble and returns back to Japan.
23 September 1943:
At 2130, after detaching from the convoy, W-27 arrives back at Tateyama.
27 September 1943:
Requisitioned (B-AK) YAMAKUNI MARU departs Saipan to join the convoy escorted by auxiliary subchaser KYO MARU No. 10 and auxiliary minesweeper SEKI MARU No. 3.
28 September 1943:
SW of Anatahan Island, Marianas. At 0715, TAIAN MARU is detached for Saipan escorted by auxiliary minesweeper FUMI MARU No. 2 and auxiliary subchaser KYO MARU No. 10 that steamed out to meet her. At 1422, LtCdr (later Rear Admiral) William S. Post's (USNA ’30) USS GUDGEON (SS-211) torpedoes and sinks TAIAN MARU transporting 106 passengers, 2,867-tons of cargo and 1,400kg of mail parcels. 46 passengers and 14 crewmen are KIA. The two escorts drop 17 depth charges unsuccessfully.
1 October 1943:
At 1600, arrives at Truk via north channel.
3 October 1943:
Departs Truk escorted by auxiliary gunboat CHOUN MARU.
4 October 1943:
Arrives at Satawan, Mortlock Islands, Eastern Carolines.
13 October 1943:
Departs Satawan.
15 October 1943:
Arrives at Truk.
22 October 1943:
At 1000, departs Truk in convoy No. 4032 also consisting of auxiliary transport SHOEI (3,083 GRT) MARU and IJN requisitioned cargo ship (B-AK) YAMAKUNI MARU escorted by torpedo boat OTORI.
25 October 1943:
Arrives at Saipan. HIYOSHI MARU is detached.
5 November 1943:
Departs Saipan with destroyer IKAZUCHI and joins convoy No. 4102 consisting of auxiliary transport KINUGASA MARU escorted by kaibokan OKI.
8 November 1943:
Arrives at Yokosuka. Departs later.
12 November 1943:
Arrives at Saipan. Departs at 1538 for Yokosuka in convoy No. 4108 also consisting of storeship HOKO MARU escorted by destroyer OITE and auxiliary gunboat CHOAN MARU No. 2 GO.
20 November 1943:
At 0700 arrives at Yokosuka.
22 November 1943:
Arrives at Yokohama.
26 November 1943:
Arrives at Tokyo.
29 November 1943:
Arrives at Yokosuka.
1 December 1943:
Departs Yokosuka for Truk in convoy No. 3201 also consisting of auxiliary transport (ex auxiliary aircraft transport) GOSHU MARU escorted by destroyer INAZUMA.
3-4 December 1943:
About 280nm NE of Chichi-Jima. LtCdr (later Admiral/CINCPAC John S. McCain, Jr’s (USNA ’31) USS GUNNEL (SS-253) intercepts the convoy. At 2352, he torpedoes and hits HIYOSHI MARU. At 0100, the transport sinks at 29-36N, 145-54E taking down 38 crewmen. INAZUMA pick up survivors.
31 March 1944:
Removed from the Navy’s list under internal order No. 508.

Authors Notes:
[1] Not to be confused with IJA transports (4,943 GRT ’41) or (536 GRT ’29 ex-Dutch MANDAR).
[2] There were two categories of Zatsuyosen. (Ko) category with an IJN Captain as supervisor aboard and (Otsu) category without.

Thanks go to Gengoro S. Toda of Japan and Mr. John Whitman of USA.

Gilbert Casse, Bob Hackett and Peter Cundall

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