Japanese Transports

ZATSUYOSEN!
(IMIZU MARU, prewar)

IJN IMIZU MARU:
Tabular Record of Movement

© 2012-2018 Gilbert Casse, Bob Hackett and Peter Cundall
Revision 3

22 December 1938:
Uraga. Laid down by Uraga Senkyo K.K. shipyard for Nihonkai Kisen K.K. as a 2,924-ton Peacetime Standard (C) Class cargo ship.
14 July 1939:
Launched and named IMIZU MARU. [1]
26 April 1940:
Completed and registered in Tokyo.
May 1940:
Calls at Fushiki, Toyama Prefecture ~ Nanao, Iskikawa Prefecture and arrives at Chongjin, Chosen (now Cheongjin, North Korea) to complete her maiden voyage.
1940:
Placed on the Chosen (Korea) route.
3 December 1940:
Requisitioned by the IJN.
7 December 1940:
Imari, Saga Prefecture. Starts conversion to military duty at Kawaminami K.K. shipyard.
16 December 1940:
Registered by the IJN as an auxiliary minesweeper tender attached to the Maizuru Naval District with Maizuru as homeport under instruction No. 980.
13 January 1941:
The conversion is completed.
15 January 1941:
Assigned to Rear Admiral (later Vice Admiral) Hirose Sueto's (39)(former CO of AOBA) Third Fleet, 2nd Base Force.
24 March 1941:
Departs Sasebo.
March 1941:
Operates in Chosen (Korea) waters.
3 April 1941:
Arrives at Tachibana Wan (Bay), Kyushu.
14 May 1941:
Auxiliary gunboat NAMPO MARU comes alongside IMIZU MARU and is supplied with coal.
10 June 1941:
Departs Sasebo.
June 1941:
Operates in southern China waters.
7 July 1941:
Arrives at Takao, Formosa (now Kaohsiung, Taiwan).
11 July 1941:
Departs Takao.
July 1941:
Operates in southern China waters.
10 August 1941:
Arrives at Takao.
21 August 1941:
Auxiliary gunboat NAMPO MARU comes alongside IMIZU MARU and loads coal.
29 August 1941:
Arrives at Maizuru.
August 1941:
Operates in southern China waters.
10 August 1941:
Arrives at Takao.
4 December 1941:
At 1600 departs Nakagusuku Bay, Okinawa with SEIAN, SHINKO and SUMANOURA MARUs escorted by gunboats MANYO, TAIKO and OKUYO MARUs.
7 December 1941:
At 1030 arrives at Kirun (now Keelung), Formosa.
December 1941:
Comes alongside and supplies auxiliary gunboat ASO MARU.
17 December 1941:
Departs Kirun.
28 December 1941:
Arrives at Takao.
31 December 1941:
Departs Takao.
7 January 1942: The Invasion of Dutch Borneo:
Rear Admiral Hirose's Tarakan Occupation Force departs Davao carrying MajGen Sakaguchi Shizuo’s 56th Mixed Infantry Group (Sakaguchi Brigade) and the Kure No. 2 SNLF includes Army transports TSURUGA, LIVERPOOL, HAVANA, KURETAKE, NICHIAI, HITERU, TEIRYU (ex German AUGSBURG), HANKOW and EHIME MARUs and Navy transports KUNIKAWA, KANO, KAGU, KOKUYO and RAKUTO MARUs.
Hirose’s 2nd Base Force includes minesweeper tender IMIZU MARU, minelayers WAKATAKA and ITSUKUSHIMA, patrol boats P-36, P-37 and P-38, MineSweepDiv 11’s W-13, W-14, W-15, W-16, MineSweepDiv 30's W-17, W-18 and SubChasDiv 31’s CH-10, CH-11 and CH-12 and other auxiliary ships.
The convoy’s escort is provided by Rear Admiral (later Vice Admiral) Nishimura Shoji’s (39) (former CO of HARUNA) DesRon 4’s light cruiser NAKA with DesDiv 2’s HARUSAME, SAMIDARE, YUDACHI and MURUSAME, DesDiv 9’s ASAGUMO and MINEGUMO, NATSUGUMO and DesDiv 24’s UMIKAZE, KAWAKAZE, YAMAKAZE and the SUZUKAZE. The 21st Air Flotilla’s tenders SANUKI and SANYO MARUs provide air cover.
11 January 1942:
Rear Admiral Hirose’s Force invades Tarakan, Borneo.
24 January 1942: The Invasion of Balikpapan, Borneo:
Departs Tarakan, Borneo with the Balikpapan invasion convoy of 16 transports carrying the Sakaguchi Brigade and the Kure No. 2 Special Naval Landing Force (SNLF) escorted by DesRon 4 and Rear Admiral Hirose’s No. 2 Base Force. SANUKI and SANYO MARUs provide air cover.
26 January 1942:
Hirose's Occupation Force lands and seizes Balikpapan.
2 March 1942:
Departs Takisung waters with TAIKO and YODOGAWA MARUs escorted by minelayer ITSUKUSHIMA and 31 DesDiv destroyers.
3 March 1942:
Arrives at Kragan, Java.
10 March 1942:
Assigned to the Second Fleet, 22nd Base Force.
15 March 1942:
Comes alongside and refuels auxiliary gunboat TAIKO MARU.
16 March 1942:
Comes alongside and supplies auxiliary gunboat TAIKO MARU with fresh water.
20 May 1942:
Scheduled to unload weapons and equipment under Navy’s secret instruction No. 6211.
31 May 1942:
Removed from the Navy’s list under instruction No. 986. Registered again that same day as an auxiliary transport, (Ko) category and attached to the Maizuru Naval District under instruction No. 987. LtCdr Sato Masayoshi (70) is appointed Commanding Officer. [2]
27 June 1942:
Arrives at Mako, Pescadores.
28 June 1942:
Departs Mako with destroyer SANAE escorting convoy No. 227 consisting of IJA transport MIFUKU (SANFUKU) MARU and four unidentified merchant ships.
2 July 1942:
Arrives at Mutsure Jima.
28 July 1942:
Scheduled to be rerated as an auxiliary transport, (Otsu Category) under secret instruction 52-7 No. 17. The change is to take place on 20 August.
9 August 1942:
Loads ammunition and other cargo totaling about 1,950-tons. Departs Maizuru that same day.
10 August 1942:
Earlier than scheduled, IMIZU MARU is rerated as an auxiliary transport, (Otsu Category) under secret instruction 31 No. 574.
12 August 1942:
Arrives at Kushiro, Hokkaido.
13 August 1942:
Departs Kushiro.
20 August 1942:
Arrives at Kiska, Aleutians.
29 August 1942:
Departs Kiska.
30 August 1942:
Arrives at Attu, Aleutians.
10 September 1942:
Departs Attu escorted by destroyer HATSUHARU.
11 September 1942:
Arrives at Vega Bay (renamed Tanabata Wan after its capture), Kiska.
13 September 1942:
Departs Vega Bay and arrives at Kiska harbor later that day.
16 September 1942:
Departs Kiska still escorted by destroyer HATSUHARU.
20 September 1942:
At 0930 arrives at Kataoka Wan (Bay), Shimushu, Kuriles (now Zaliv Kozyrevskogo, Ostrov Shumushu).
23 September 1942:
Departs Kataoka Wan.
28 September 1942:
Arrives at Ominato, Aomori Prefecture.
E 29 September ~ 17 November 1942:
Undergoes hull and engine repairs.
14 October 1942:
Fitted with a 12cm/40 41st Year Type deck gun under Navy’s secret instruction No. 12955.
17 November 1942:
Repairs are completed. Departs Ominato and arrives at Hakodate, Hokkaido later in the day.
18 November 1942:
Departs Hakodate.
22 November 1942:
Arrives at Yokosuka.
22 November ~27 November 1942:
Undergoes again hull and engine repairs.
27 November 1942:
Repairs are completed. Departs Yokosuka and arrives at Yokohama later in the day.
27 November ~ 5 January 1943:
Undergoes hull, weapons and engine repairs.
6 January 1943:
Assigned to a transport mission under secret telegram No. 261605. Departs Yokohama.
9 January 1943:
Arrives at Moji.
10 January 1943:
Departs Moji.
14 January 1943:
Arrives at Dairen, Manchuria (now Dalian, northern China).
17 January 1943:
Departs Dairen.
18 January 1943:
Arrives at Ryojun (Lushun, ex-Port-Arthur).
20 January 1943:
Departs Ryojun.
25 January 1943:
Arrives at Moji.
26 January 1943:
Departs Moji.
27 January 1943:
Arrives at Kobe.
31 January 1943:
Assigned to a transport mission under secret instruction No. 602. Departs Kobe.
1 February 1943:
Arrives at Moji. Departs later in the day.
4 February 1943:
Arrives at Dairen.
7 February 1943:
Departs Dairen.
11 February 1943:
Arrives at Moji.
12 February 1943:
Departs Moji.
13 February 1943:
Arrives at Osaka.
15 February 1943:
Assigned to a transport mission under secret instruction No. 667. Departs Osaka.
16 February 1943:
Arrives at Shimonoseki, Yamaguchi Prefecture. Departs later in the day.
21 February 1943:
Arrives at Dairen.
23 February 1943:
Departs Dairen.
27 February 1943:
Arrives at Osaka.
2 March 1943:
Assigned to a transport mission under secret instruction No. 667 and secret telegram No. 221215. Departs Osaka.
3 March 1943:
Arrives at Moji.
4 March 1943:
Departs Moji.
7 March 1943:
Arrives at Dairen.
9 March 1943:
Departs Dairen.
16 March 1943:
Arrives at Tokyo.
19 March 1943:
Departs Tokyo and arrives at Yokosuka later that same day.
22 March 1943:
Assigned to a transport mission under secret instruction No. 787 and secret telegram No. 263. Departs Yokosuka.
26 March 1943:
Arrives at Yawata, Fukuoka Prefecture.
1 April 1943:
Assigned to a transport mission under secret instruction No. 665. Departs Yawata.
5 April 1943:
Arrives at Chinnampo, Chosen (now North Korea).
9 April 1943:
Departs Chinnampo.
11 April 1943:
Arrives at Dairen.
13 April 1943:
Departs Dairen.
18 April 1943:
Arrives at Moji.
19 April 1943:
Departs Moji.
20 April 1943:
Arrives at Kobe.
22 April 1943:
At 1200 departs Kobe in convoy No. 8422 also consisting of civilian (C-AK) ISSEI MARU, IJA transports NIKKIN and YAMAZURU MARUs, civilian (C-APK) KINSHU MARU and auxiliary transport HAKUTETSU MARU No. 15 bound for Tokyo Bay escorted by patrol boat PB-101 (ex HMS THRACIAN).
24 April 1943:
Arrives at Yokohama.
27 April 1943:
Assigned to a transport mission under secret instruction No. 769. Departs Yokohama.
1 May 1943:
Arrives at Moji. Departs later in the day.
3 May 1943:
Arrives at Seito (Tsingtao) (now Qingdao), China. Assigned to assist IJA transport HIROSHI MARU No. 3 that struck a reef, under secret telegram No. 296.
4 May 1943:
Assistance mission is cancelled.
5 May 1943:
Departs Seito.
6 May 1943:
Arrives at Dairen.
9 May 1943:
Departs Dairen.
16 May 1943:
Arrives at Muroran, Hokkaido.
24 May 1943:
Assigned to a transport mission under secret instruction No. 653. Departs Muroran.
28 May 1943:
Arrives at Tokyo.
1 June 1943:
Assigned to a transport mission under secret instruction No. 498. (transport of weapons, ammunition and other military equipment). Departs Tokyo and arrives at Yokosuka later that day.
2 June 1943:
Departs Yokosuka.
5 June 1943:
Arrives at Ominato.
10 June 1943:
Departs Ominato and arrives at Muroran later in the day.
12 June 1943:
Departs Muroran.
15 June 1943:
Arrives at Yokosuka. Departs later and arrives at Kawasaki, Kanagawa Prefecture.
17 June 1943:
Departs Kawasaki and arrives at Uraga later in the day. Scheduled for maintenance at the Uraga Dock K.K. shipyard under secret instruction No. 489.
1 July 1943:
Departs Uraga and arrives at Yokosuka later that day. Assigned to a transport mission under secret instruction No. 978. (transport of weapons, ammunition and other military equipment).
6 July 1943:
Departs Yokosuka and arrives at Tokyo later in the day.
8 July 1943:
Departs Tokyo and arrives at Yokosuka that same day.
9 July 1943:
Departs Yokosuka.
10 July 1943:
Off Inuwaka, Chiba Prefecture, IMIZU MARU scratches a reef and is stranded. Scheduled for maintenance at the Uraga Dock K.K. shipyard under secret instruction No. 488.
14 July 1943:
Auxiliary netlayer MATSU MARU deploys a torpedo net around the stranded transport.
15-17 July 1943:
MATSU MARU continues to assist and guard IMIZU MARU.
16 July 1943:
MATSU MARU carries out an anti submarine sweep. Night, off Inukawa coast. IMIZU MARU’s hull is patched temporarily to stop flooding.
18 July 1943:
Refloated and departs Inukawa waters with MATSU MARU escorting.
19 July 1943:
Arrives at Uraga.
E 20 July ~ 7 August 1943:
Under repairs at Uraga Dock K.K. shipyard.
August 1943:
Tactically assigned to Ominato Naval District.
8 August 1943:
Assigned to a transport mission under secret instruction No. 332 (transport of military equipment). Departs Uraga and arrives at Tokyo later that day.
11 August 1943:
Departs Tokyo.
21 August 1943:
Arrives at Kushiro, Hokkaido.
23 August 1943:
Departs Kushiro.
27 August 1943:
Arrives at Musashi Wan, (now Zaliv Vasil’yeva), Paramushiro, Kuriles.
3 September 1943:
Departs Musashi Wan and arrives at Suribachi Wan, Paramushiro, Kuriles later in the day.
5 September 1943:
Departs Suribachi Wan and arrives at Kataoka Wan later that day.
8 September 1943:
Assigned to a transport mission under secret instruction No. 311. (transport of military equipment). Departs Kataoka Wan.
10 September 1943:
Arrives at Odomari, Mie Prefecture.
12 September 1943:
Departs Odomari.
13 September 1943:
Arrives at Chinnai, Karafuto (now Krasnogorsk, Sakhalin).
14 September 1943:
Departs Chinnai and arrives at Maoka (now Kholmsk), Karafuto that same day. Assigned to a transport mission under secret instruction No. 706. (transport of military equipment).
16 September 1943:
Departs Maoka.
19 September 1943:
Arrives at Kataoka Wan.
20 September 1943:
Departs Kataoka Wan and arrives at Suribachi Wan later in the day.
21 September 1943:
Departs Suribachi Wan and arrives at Musashi Wan later that day.
8 October 1943:
Assigned to a transport mission under secret instruction No. 272. (transport of weapons, ammunition and other military equipment). Departs Musashi Wan and arrives at Kataoka Wan later that day. There, assigned to transport military personnel and equipment under secret instruction No. 418. Departs Kataoka Wan later that same day.
13 October 1943:
Arrives at Otaru, Hokkaido.
15 October 1943:
Departs Otaru.
16 October 1943:
Arrives at Ominato.
2 November 1943:
Departs Ominato.
3 November 1943:
Arrives at Otaru.
4 November 1943:
Departs Otaru.
9 November 1943:
Arrives at Matsuwa-To (now Ostrov Matua), Kuriles.
3 December 1943:
Departs Matsuwa-To.
E 8 December 1943:
Arrives at Otaru.
14 December 1943:
Departs Otaru.
15 December 1943:
Arrives at Hakodate.
16 December 1943:
Departs Hakodate.
18 December 1943:
Arrives at Kawasaki.
19 December 1943:
Departs Kawasaki.
20 December 1943:
Arrives at Yokohama. Departs later for Yokosuka.
23 December 1943:
Departs Yokosuka and arrives at Uraga later that day.
26 December 1943:
Departs Uraga.
29 December 1943:
Arrives at Muroran.
1 January 1944:
Departs Muroran.
3 January 1944:
Arrives at Yokohama. Departs later for Yokosuka.
8 January 1944:
Departs Yokosuka.
12 January 1944:
Arrives at Muroran.
14 January 1944:
Departs Muroran.
17 January 1944:
Arrives at Kawasaki. Departs later for Yokohama.
19 January 1944:
Departs Yokohama and arrives at Tokyo later in the day.
E 20 January ~ 24 February 1944:
Enters drydock at Tokyo Ishikawajima K.K. shipyard and undergoes extensive hull repairs.
25 February 1944:
Undocked. Departs Tokyo and arrives at Yokohama later that day.
1 March 1944:
Departs Yokohama as part of Higashi Matsu No.1 convoy consisting of parts 1A and parts 1B (as below). The Higashi Matsu No. 1A section consisting of auxiliary transports TATSUHARU and KEIYO MARUs and civilian (A-AK) BINGO MARU escorted by kaibokan OKI and MANJU and auxiliary subchaser TAKUNAN MARU No. 8 later separates.
7 March 1944:
At 1300, departs Chichi Jima in Higashi-Matsu No. 1B convoy also consisting of auxiliary storeship HOKO MARU and IJA transport SHINFUKU MARUs escorted by minelayer YURIJIMA, auxiliary minesweeper TORISHIMA MARU and auxiliary gunboat NACHI MARU.
9 March 1944:
Arrives at Saipan, Marianas. IMIZU MARU is separated from the convoy, that continues on to Truk.
17 March 1944:
Departs Saipan in Tsukushi Maru convoy also consisting of civilian (C-AC) TSUKUSHI MARUand IJA transport KAZUURA MARU escorted by minelayer YURIJIMA and kaibokan OKI.
22 March 1944:
Arrives at Yokohama.
28 March 1944:
Departs Yokohama and arrives at Yokosuka later in the day.
29 March 1944:
Departs Yokosuka.
31 March 1944:
Arrives at Ominato.
1 April 1944:
Departs Ominato and arrives at Muroran.
4 April 1944:
Departs Muroran.
6 April 1944:
Arrives at Yokohama.
17 April 1944:
Departs Yokohama.
30 April 1944:
Arrives at Truk, Central Carolines.
4 May 1944:
Departs Truk.
16 May 1944:
Arrives at Yokosuka.
17 May 1944:
Departs Yokosuka.
E 24 May 1944:
Arrives at Guam (renamed Omiya Island after its capture), Marianas.
26 May 1944:
Departs Guam in an unnumbered convoy also consisting of IJA transport MOJI MARU and requisitioned (B-AK) KOJUN MARU escorted by kaibokan CD-6.
30 May 1944:
Arrives at Truk.
3 June 1944:
At 1600, departs Truk in an unnumbered convoy also consisting of auxiliary oiler KYOEI MARU, auxiliary transport TATSUGAWA MARU, IJA transport MOJI MARU, IJN requisitioned (B-AK) KOJUN and NITCHO MARUs, civilian (C-AK) NANKO MARU and 13 other unidentified ships escorted by kaibokan CD-6, subchasers CH-20, CH-31, CH-32 and CH-51 and auxiliary subchaser CHa-66.
7 June 1944:
At 1140, arrives at Saipan.
11 June 1944:
Fear of an imminent Allied landing causes all navigable ships in Saipan to flee. At 0400, IMIZU MARU departs Saipan in makeshift convoy No. 4611 also consisting of auxiliary transport TATSUTAGAWA MARU, IJA transports MOJI, FUKOKU and BATAVIA MARUs, IJN requisitioned (B-AK) TENRYUGAWA, SHINTO, HINKO, BOKUYO, NITCHO and REIKAI MARUs, auxiliary storeship MAMIYA MARU, auxiliary netlayer KOKKO MARU, civilian (C-AK) INARI MARU and 16 other unidentified ships escorted by torpedo boat OTORI, kaibokan CD-4, subchasers CH-33, CH-55, auxiliary subchasers CHa-20, CHa-50 and auxiliary minesweeper Wa-6.
12 June 1944: American Operation “Forager” – The Invasion of Saipan :
Vice Admiral (later Admiral) Richmond K. Turner’s (USNA '11) Task Force 52 lands Marine LtGen Holland M. Smith’s V Amphibious Corps and the invasion of Saipan begins. Vice Admiral (later Admiral) Marc A. Mitscher’s (USNA '10) Task Force 58 launches aircraft from 15 carriers to attack airfields, defenses and shipping in the Marianas.
About 100 nautical miles W of Alamagan Island, northern Marianas. At 0935, Vice Admiral (later Admiral) Marc A. Mitscher’s (USNA ’10) Task Force 58’s carriers USS ESSEX (CV-9), USS LANGLEY (CVL-27) and USS COWPENS (CVL-25) attack and decimate the convoy. They sink IMIZU MARU at 17-32N, 144-10E with the loss of 67 crewmen. Other ships sunk are: BATAVIA (59 crewmen and 18 passengers KIA), HINKO (actually sank after air attack 25 June and submarine attack 19 July nine crewmen and 12 passengers KIA), SHINTO (53 crewmen and 54 passengers KIA), NITCHO (14 crewmen KIA), REIKAI (40 crewmen and 42 passengers KIA), TENRYUGAWA (seven crewmen KIA), BOKUYO (45 crewmen KIA), FUKOKU (51 crewmen and 31 passengers KIA) and MOJI (53 crewmen and five gunners KIA) MARUs, torpedo boat OTORI (casualties unknown) and auxiliary netlayer KOKKO MARU (two crewmen KIA). The planes also damage kaibokan CD-4 (eight sailors KIA), subchasers CH-33, CH-50 and CH-51, auxiliary subchaser CHa-20 and auxiliary minesweeper Wa-6.
That same day, E of Ogasawara-shoto (Bonins). Grumman TBFs/TBM "Avengers" and F6Fs "Hellcat" fighter-bombers from light carrier USS BATAAN (CVL- 29) damage TATSUTAGAWA MARU. 15 crewmen and two passengers are KIA. TATSUTAGAWA MARU is left drifting and is finished off by US destroyers three days later. 10 August 1944:
Removed from the Navy’s list under instruction No. 949.

Authors’ Notes:
[1] Not to be confused with civilian cargo ship (986 GRT, ’18).
[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.

Gilbert Casse, Bob Hackett and Peter Cundall

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