Japanese Army Auxiliary Transports

RIKUGUN YUSOSEN

(INDIA MARU, prewar)

INDIA MARU:
Tabular Record of Movement
© 2012-2016 Bob Hackett
Revision 5

3 February 1918:
Kobe. Laid down at Kawasaki Dockyard Co. Ltd. as a 5,873-ton cargo ship for Kawasaki Kisen K. K.
19 April 1919:
Launched and named INDIA MARU. [1]
1 June 1919:
Completed.
1919-1941:
In Kawasaki Kisen's service including its Japan ~ Europe route via the Suez Canal.
May 1921:
Kawasaki Kisen joins together with Kawasaki Zosen and Kokusai Kisen to form "K" Line”.
October 1923:
A winch is installed on INDIA MARU for use in a salvage operation of the Imperial Navy's first submarine.
20 July 1924:
INDIA MARU arrives at Ellis Island from Denia, Spain.
18 February 1934:
In service on “K” Line's Port of Yokohama ~ Africa route.
2 September 1941:
Requisitioned by the Imperial Army (IJA) and converted to a troop transport. Alloted IJA No. 390.
13 December 1941: Operation “E” – The Invasion of Malaya:
At 0830, INDIA MARU departs Camhranh Bay in TransDiv 6 also consisting of ARABIA, MEXICO, RISSHUN and THAMES MARUs carrying the IJA "Dami Detachment".
16 December 1941:
At 1600, arrives at Kota Bharu, Malaya and begins landing troops.
20 December 1941:
Departs Kota Bharu.
March 1942:
INDIA MARU departs Borneo carrying LtCol Watanabe, commander, 3rd Battalion.
1 April 1942:
Arrives at Lingayen Gulf, Philippine Islands.
5 April 1942:
INDIA MARU departs Lingayen for Cebu, Philippines in an invasion convoy with BORNEO, MEXICO, NAGANO, RISSHUN, RYUUN, TAIRYU and TOTTORI MARUs escorted by light cruiser KUMA, DesDiv2 (less 2 destroyers) HARUSAME, MURASAME, SAMIDARE and YUDACHI , torpedo boat KIJI, gun boat BUSHO MARU and auxiliary subchasers KIYO MARU No. 12 and KIYO MARU No. 13. The convoy carries 4,852 men of the Kawaguchi Detachment's consisting of the 35th Infantry Brigade HQ, 124th Infantry Regiment, 1 platoon of the 16th Reconnaissance Regiment, 4th Company, 22nd Field Artillery Regiment, 2nd Company, 21st Field Heavy Artillery Battalion, the main force of the 44th Anchorage HQ, 1 platoon of the 23rd Independent Engineer Regiment [type “E”], 1 company (less 2 platoons) of the 26th Independent Engineer Regiment [type “D”] and part of the Logistics Units.
10 April 1942:
The convoy arrives at Cebu. INDIA, MEXICO, RISSHUN TAIRYU and TOTTORI MARU begin to land troops at Cebu City and on the west coast (Argao) (Aloguinsan and Barili) with 4 Daihatsus, 3 Shohatsu landing craft. The transports land the 3rd Battalion, 124th Infantry Regiment, Regimental Gun Company, 1 platoon of Rapid-fire Gun Company, part of Regiment Signal Unit, a temporarily formed Armored Car Company, 2 platoons of the brigade signal unit, part of the 14th Army Radio Platoon and part of the 67th Line-of-communications Hospital. Seaplane tender SANUKI MARU covers the landings.
Meanwhile, BORNEO and NAGANO MARUs land toops on the east coast (Argao) of Cebu Island. with unknown landing craft. The two transports land the 124th Infantry Regiment HQ, 1st Battalion, the 124th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Battalion (minus 7th Co), the 124th Infantry Regiment, Rapid-fire Gun Company (lessus 1 platoon), the main force of Regiment Signal Unit, 1 platoon of the brigade radio signal unit, 1 armored car platoon of the 16th Reconnaissance Regiment, 4th Company, the 22nd Field Artillery Regiment, 1 platoon of the 14th Army Road Construction Unit, part of the 14th Army Propaganda Section, 2nd Company, 21st Field Heavy Artillery Battalion and a temporarily formed anti-air machine cannon unit.
11 April 1942:
Ten 3rd Bomb Group B-25-C “Mitchell” medium bombers fitted with long distance tanks and three B-17 “Flying Fortress” heavy bombers of the 19th Bomb Group, all under the command of BrigGen (later MajGen) Ralph G. Royce, take off from Charters Towers Airfield, Townsville, Queensland, Australia via Darwin for the 1,500-mile flight to Del Monte, Mindanao.
12 April 1942:
All the planes arrive safely at Del Monte where the tanks are removed and replaced by bombs. The B-25s are then dispersed to concealed P-40 “Warhawk” fighter airstrips at Valencia and Maramag.
SANUKI MARU launches four F1M2s “Pete” float fighters to bomb the USAAF airfield at Del Monte. A P-35A "Guardsman", orbiting the air field, engages the Petes, while two P-40Es take off to intercept them. An F1M2 is shot down by one of the P-40s, but the other three F1M2s bomb the airfield. They wreck a B-17E and damage two others. At 1815, SANUKI MARU enters Cebu Port.
13 April 1942:
Just after midnight, ten B-25s take off and bomb shipping at Cebu Island. Royce’s B-25s fly more than 20 sorties against shipping and harbor facilities at Cebu. Two of the B-17's carry out single-bomber strikes from Mindanao against Cebu harbor.
26 April 1942:
The invasion convoy departs Cebu for Mindanao, Philippines including landing Support Units, the main force of the 44th Anchorage HQ, 1 platoon of the 23rd Independent Engineer Regiment [type “E”], 1 company (less 2 platoons) of the 26th Independent Engineer Regiment [type “D”] escorted by l DesDiv2 (less 2 destroyers) MURASAME and SAMIDARE,
29 April 1942:
Moro Gulf. The convoy arrives at Cotabato, Mindanao and with 4 Daihatsus, 2 boats with engines lands part of the Detachment including the 3rd Battalion HQ, 3rd Battalion (lesss 11th and 12th Companies, 1/4 IIIMG),2 platoons of the brigade signal unit, part of the 67th Line-of-communications Hospital, the main force of the Detachment Landing at Parang with 8 Daihatsus and 6 Shohatsus, 124th Infantry Regiment HQ, 1st Battalion, the 124th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Battalion (minus 12th Co), the 124th Infantry Regiment, 1 armored car platoon of the 16th Reconnaissance Regiment, 1 platoon of the 14th Army Road Construction Unit, 4th Company, 22nd Field Artillery Regiment, 2nd Company, the 21st Field Heavy Artillery Battalion and a temporarily formed anti-air machine cannon unit
9 May 1942:
Mindanao is secured.
May 1942:
Departs Mindanao.
26 June 1942:
Released by the IJA back to her owners.
11 December 1942:
Re-requisitioned by the IJA.
14 December 1942:
INDIA MARU departs Saeki in Military Movement No. 8’s convoy "M" consisting of GISHO, SUMIDA, TENRYU and TOKIHIME MARUs and HAKUTETSU MARU No. 13 escorted by minelayer YURIJIMA and auxiliary minesweeper TAMA MARU No. 7.
E 15 December 1942:
The escorts are detached at 29N.
21 December 1942:
The convoy arrives at Saipan.
31 December 1942:
Arrives at Rabaul.
16 January 1943:
At 0730, INDIA MARU departs Rabaul in a convoy also consisting of BRAZIL, CHIFUKU, CLYDE, DELAGOA, FUKOKU, FUKUYO and UCHIDE MARUs escorted by minesweepers W-17 and W-21.
At 0900, LtCdr (Cdr/MOH, posthumously) Howard W. Gilmore's (USNA ’26) USS GROWLER (SS-215) torpedoes and sinks CHIFUKU MARU at 04-03N, 151-55E. One crewman is KIA.
22 January 1943:
Arrives at Palau.
6 April 1943:
At 1630, INDIA MARU departs Palau for Hansa Bay (near Madang), Eastern New Guinea and Wewak, New Guinea in the “Hansa No. 2B” convoy also consisting of SYDNEY, TAISEI, TAIYU, TEIRYU (ex-German AUGSBURG) and TOHO MARUs escorted by destroyers AMATSUKAZE and TANIKAZE and subchasers CH-26 and CH-34. The convoy is carrying units of the IJA 20th Division including the 48th Field Road Construction Unit.
12 April April 1943:
E of Nubia, Hansa Bay. At 1530, 20 USAAF 5th Air Force B-17s and Consolidated B-24 "Liberator" heavy bombers set SYDNEY MARU afire while she is unloading at 03-18S, 143-38E. At 1535, she is beached and abandoned. Three soldiers and nine crewmen are KIA.
13 April 1943:
At 0900, departs Hansa Bay for Palau.
14 April 1943:
At 0700, TEIRYU and TOHO MARUs escorted by destroyer AMATSUKAZE and subchaser CH-34 are detached for Palau. The remaining ships steam to Wewak where they discharge their remaining cargoes that evening.
15 April 1943:
Near Kairiru Island. USAAF 5th Air Force Boeing B-17 "Flying Fortress" heavy bombers sink INDIA MARU at 03-21S, 143-43E while she is leaving for Palau. Three gunners and seven crewmen are KIA.

Author’s Notes:
Thanks go to Erich Muetlthaler of Germany and Fontessa-san of Japan.

Bob Hackett

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