Japanese Army tankers

RIKUGUN YUSOSEN!

(HOKKI MARU in 1931)

HOKKI MARU:
Tabular Record of Movement
© 2010-2018 Bob Hackett and Peter Cundall.
Revision 3

1918:
Newcastle-Upon-Tyne, Great Britain. Laid down at Palmer´s Shipbuilding & Iron Co. Ltd. as a 5,601-ton World War I Standard War “Z” Class tanker for Britain's Shipping Controller.
1919:
Launched and named WAR BEGUM.
1919:
Completed. Managed by British Tanker Co.
1920:
Sold to Anglo-Saxon Petroleum Co, London.
1921:
Renamed CONUS, same owner.
1927:
Sold to D/S A/S Jolund (S. Herlofson & Co.), Moss, Norway. Renamed HERBORG.
1928:
Sold to Tonnevolds Rederi A/S, Grimstad; Renamed THELMA.
1937:
Sold to Wheelock & Co, Singapore. Renamed WAR BEGUM again.
1938:
Sold to Kitagawa Sangyo Kaiun K.K. of Osaka. Renamed HOKKI MARU.
E October 1941:
Requisitioned by the IJA. Assigned Army No. 751. 21 October 1941: Departs Anmagasaki.
6 December 1941:
At 1430 arrives at Sana (Samah), Hainan, Island.
2 January 1942:
HOKKI MARU departs Sana in a convoy also consisting of FUKKAI MARU and small tanker TAKATORI MARU No. 2.
Early May 1942:
Arrives at Shimotsu and discharges crude oil from Sourabaya.
23 May 1943:
HOKKI MARU departs Singapore in Convoy No. 692 also consisting of SUEZ and TACHIBANA MARUs unescorted.
27 May 1943:
At 1300, arrives at St Jacques.
5 August 1943:
Departs Palau in convoy FU-507 also consisting of DAKAR, MAMIYA, SHINTO, TOYOOKA MARUs, salvage tug HOZU MARU and SHINTO MARU No. 1 escorted by kaibokan IKI.
E 13 August 1943:
Auxiliary minesweepers TAKUNAN MARU No. 8 and TAMA MARU No. 7 join the convoy at 31-30N 134-10E.
14 August 1943:
Arrives at Saiki where convoy is dispersed.
3 October 1943:
HOKKI MARU departs Moji in convoy No. 103 also consisting of tanker KIYO MARU and transports COLUMBIA, HAKKO, HOKUSHIN and MINRYO MARUs and six unidentified merchant ships. after departing port, the convoy splits into two parts. Destroyer ASAGAO escorts one part escorting and destroyer SHIOKAZE, that joins from Sasebo, escorts the other. It is unknown in which part HOKKI MARU steams.
7 October 1943:
The first part arrives at Takao.
8 October 1943:
The second part arrives at Takao. HOKKI MARU detaches and arrives at Mako.
12 October 1943:
At 0900 departs Mako in convoy No. 329 also consisting of KIYO, MANKO, HOTEN, GYOKO, TEIRITSU, FRANCE, HOKUSHIN, COLUMBIA, HAKKO MARUs, FUSHIMI MARU No. 3 and nine unidentified ships escorted by destroyers ASAGAO and FUYO, and torpedo boat TOMOZURU.
15 October 1943:
MANKO MARU is detached.
16 October 1943:
At 2330 destroyer FUYO joins up with convoy No. 329. Submarine chaser CH-9 joins at around this time.
18 October 1943:
Arrives at St Jacques.
19 October 1943:
Departs St Jacques in convoy No. 518 also consisting of KIYO, HAKKO, TEIRITSU (ex French LECONTE DE LISLE), FRANCE, GYOKO MARUs and one unidentified merchant ship escorted by torpedo boat TOMOZURU and auxiliary gunboat EIFUKU MARU.
24 October 1943:
Arrives at Singapore.
29 October 1943:
Departs Singapore.
30 October 1943:
Arrives at Banka and departs later that day.
2 November 1943:
Arrives at Palembang.
3 November 1943:
Departs Palembang.
5 November 1943:
Arrives at Singapore.
8 November 1943:
Departs Singapore.
10 November 1943:
Arrives at Palembang.
11 November 1943:
Departs Palembang.
13 November 1943:
Arrives at Singapore.
17 November 1943:
Departs Singapore.
18 November 1943:
Arrives at Palembang.
20 November 1943:
Departs Palembang.
23 November 1943:
Arrives at Singapore.
2 December 1943:
Departs Singapore.
3 December 1943:
Arrives at Palembang.
5 December 1943:
Departs Palembang.
7 December 1943:
Arrives at Singapore.
11 December 1943:
Departs Singapore.
12 December 1943:
Arrives at Palembang.
14 December 1943:
Departs Palembang.
16 December 1943:
Arrives at Singapore.
22 December 1943:
Departs Singapore.
23 December 1943:
Arrives at Palembang.
26 December 1943:
Departs Palembang.
28 December 1943:
Arrives at Singapore.
3 January 1944:
Departs Singapore.
4 January 1944:
Arrives at Palembang.
8 January 1944:
Departs Palembang.
11 January 1944:
Arrives at Seletar.
15 January 1944:
Departs Seletar.
16 January 1944:
Arrives at Palembang.
17 January 1944:
Departs Palembang.
18 January 1944:
Arrives at Singapore.
23 January 1944:
Departs Singapore in convoy No. 653 with RAKUTO MARU. The ships sail without escort.
27 January 1944:
Arrives at St Jacques.
7 March 1944:
Departs Yulin.
10 March 1944:
Arrives at St Jacques.
12 March 1944:
Departs St Jacques in convoy SASHI-10 also consisting of TENSHIN MARU (4236 gt) and one unidentified ship.
15 March 1944:
Arrives at Singapore.
23 March 1944:
Departs Singapore.
24 March 1944:
Arrives at Palembang.
28 March 1944:
Departs Palembang and later that day arrives at Parekon Rivermouth.
29 March 1944:
Departs Parekon Rivermouth.
30 March 1944:
Arrives at Singapore.
1 April 1944:
Departs Singapore.
30 April 1944:
Departs Palembang.
1 May 1944:
Arrives at Singapore.
4 May 1944:
Departs Singapore.
6 May 1944:
Arrives at Palembang.
7 May 1944:
Departs Palembang.
10 May 1944:
Arrives at Singapore.
8 July 1944:
Departs Singapore.
10 July 1944:
Arrives at Palembang.
12 July 1944:
Departs Palembang.
14 July 1944:
Arrives at Singapore.
17 July 1944:
Departs Singapore and later that day arrives at Lingga anchorage.
19 July 1944:
Departs Lingga anchorage and later that day arrives at Singapore.
23 July 1944:
Departs Singapore.
25 July 1944:
Arrives at Palembang.
26 July 1944:
Departs Palembang.
28 July 1944:
Arrives at Lingga anchorage.
31 July 1944:
Departs Lingga anchorage.
1 August 1944:
Arrives at Singapore.
7 August 1944:
Departs Singapore.
9 August 1944:
Arrives at Palembang.
10 August 1944:
Departs Palembang.
12 August 1944:
Arrives at Singapore.
22 August 1944:
Transfers from Singapore to Seletar.
31 August 1944:
Transfers from Seletar to Singapore.
1944:
At an unknown date, HOKKI MARU is released by the IJA and returned to her owners.
5 September 1944:
At 1300, HOKKI MARU departs Singapore for Miri, Borneo in convoy SHIMI-10 also consisting of IMAHARU (ex-dutch De KLERK), KYOEI, OMINE, SHIKISAN, SHOEI (2764 gt), TATSUHARU, TENSHIN and URAL MARUs and SHINSEI MARU No. 1, KYOEI MARU No. 6 and NANSHIN MARU No. 18 escorted by auxiliary minesweepers CHOUN MARU No. 6 and CHOUN MARU No. 7 and auxiliary minesweeper TOSHI MARU No. 2.
8 September 1944:
At 0530, arrives at Kuching, Borneo.
9 September 1944:
Departs at midnight.
11 September 1944:
At 1230, arrives at Miri.
15 September 1944:
At 1500, HOKKI MARU departs Miri for Manila, Philippines in convoy MIMA-11 (also called MI-16) also consisting of IMAHARU (ex-Dutch De KLERK), KYOEI, KYOKUHO, OMINE, SHIKISAN, SHOEI (2764 gt), TACHIBANA, TATSUHARU, TENSHIN, URAL and ZUIYO, MARUs and SHINSEI MARU No. 1, YAMAMIZU MARU No. 2 and KYOEI MARU No. 6 escorted by kaibokan CD-8, CD-25 and CD-32 and subchaser CH-28. The convoy hugs the coast calling at various small anchorages.
17 September 1944:
At 0700 departs Kimanis Bay. That same day at 1830, arrives at White Rocks Bay, NW Borneo, British Malaya (now Sabah, Malaysia).
18 September 1944:
At 0100 departs White Rocks Bay. That same day at 1800, arrives off Tarahican Island (Darahikan/Dalahican) between Palawan Island and Balabac Island.
19 September 1944:
At 0100 departs Tarahican Island. That same day at 0850, arrives at Eran Bay, Palawan island.
20 September 1944:
At 0400 departs Eran Bay. That same day at 1800, arrives at Saint Paul’s Bay, Palawan Island, Philippines.
21 September 1944:
At 0700 departs St Paul’s Bay. That same day at 1800, arrives at Bacuit Bay, Palawan Island.
24 September 1944:
At 0700 departs Bacuit Bay, but later returns at 1830.
25 September 1944:
The convoy at 0845 departs Bacuit Bay. Due to fears of air attacks on Manila KYOEI, SHIKISAN, TATSUHARU and TENSHIN MARUs and SHINSEI MARU No. 1 and KYOEI MARU No. 6 all detach, escorted by kaibokan CD-32. After escorting these MARUs to a safe zone CD-32 departs and joins the escort of convoy SHIMA-11.
26 September 1944:
At 0400 the detachment arrives back at Bacuit Bay. TATSUHARU MARU supplies coal for cooking to KYOEI MARU. Meanwhile the main convoy steams on.
27 September 1944:
At 0807, Cdr (later Rear Admiral) Reuben T. Whitaker's (USNA '34) USS FLASHER (SS-249) torpedoes and sinks transport URAL MARU with the loss of 40 crewmen, five gunners and 144 passengers, and damages tanker TACHIBANA MARU at 15-45'N, 117-20E.
At 1007, LtCdr Donald G. Baer's (USNA '37) USS LAPON (SS-260) fires three torpedoes at the fourth ship in line and gets two or three hits on HOKKI MARU at 15-45N, 117-48E. She catches fire and is abandoned. OMINE MARU takes her in tow, but HOKKI MARU sinks at 15-50N, 117-41E. Two crewmen are KIA.
The escorts counterattack USS LAPON with depth charges, but LtCdr Baer evades and escapes.

Author's Notes:
[1] Data detailing HOKKI MARU's movements from 1941 through most of 1943 are sparse. Readers with access to such missing data are requested to post the information on the Discussion and Questions board or j-aircraft.org's IJN Ship Message Board

Thanks to Gilbert Casse.
- Bob Hackett and Peter Cundall.

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