YUSOSEN!
(A Type 1TM Standard Tanker underway)
IJN JAMBI MARU:Tabular Record of Movement
© 2008-2018 Bob Hackett and Peter Cundall.
Revision 5
7 January 1943:
Nagasaki. Laid down at Mitsubishi Shipbuilding as a 5, 244-ton Type 1TM Wartime Standard Merchant Tanker for Mitsubishi Kisen K. K., Tokyo.
3 June 1943:
Launched and named JAMBI MARU. [1][2]
13 July 1943:
Completed.
20 July 1943:
Requisitioned and assigned to the Sasebo Naval District. Captain Ishii Akeru is assigned as Commanding Officer.
25 July 1943:
At 1930 departs Moji in convoy No. 180 also consisting of KUROSHIO, NICHINAN and TATSUHARU MARUs ecorted by patrol boat PB-2.
30 July 1943:
At 0015 arrives at Takao.
7 August 1943:
Departs Nagasaki and possibly joined convoy HI-05 consisting of HAKUYO MARU and tankers TATEKAWA and OTOWASAN MARUs and two unidentified merchant ships escorted by the destroyer ASAKAZE.
11 August 1943:
Arrives at Mako.
13 August 1943:
At 1240, JAMBI MARU departs Mako (Bako), Pescadores for Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City), Indochina in convoy No. 315 consisting of SUEZ, TOSAN, BISAN, SUNGSHAN (SUZAN), BELGIUM, CHINKO, NIKKO, RISSHUN, CHILE, SEISHIN, KOKKO and WALES MARUs escorted by patrol boat PB-36.
15 August 1943:
At 0500, KOKKO and WALES MARUs are detached for Kirun (Keelung) and Hong Kong respectively.
21 August 1943:
At 1005, arrives at Cap St. Jacques, then proceeds up river to Saigon.
23 August 1943:
Departs St Jacques in convoy No. 504 also consisting of tanker SEISHIN MARU and two unidentified merchant ships sailing without surface escort.
26 August 1943:
Arrives at Singapore.
31 August 1943:
Departs Singapore.
1 September 1943:
Arrives at Palembang and loads 6527 kilolitres of crude oil.
6 September 1943:
Departs Palembang.
11 September 1943:
Arrives at Balikpapan and discharges the full cargo and loads 7969 kilolitres of gasoline.
23 September 1943:
Departs Balikpapan.
27 September 1943:
At 2200, departs Palembang.
30 September 1943:
Arrives at Singapore and discharges the gasoline cargo.
8 October 1943:
Departs Singapore.
9 October 1943:
Arrives at Palembang. Loads 7035 kilolitres of crude oil.
13 October 1943:
At 2300, departs Palembang.
18 October 1943:
Arrives at Balikpapan and discharges the crude oil cargo.
21 October 1943:
Departs Balikpapan.
25 October 1943:
Arrives at Palembang. Loads 6904 kilolitres of crude oil.
27 October 1943:
Departs Palembang.
1 November 1943:
Arrives at Balikpapan and discharges the crude oil cargo.
4 November 1943:
Departs Balikpapan.
8 November 1943:
Arrives at Palembang and loads 7219 kilolitres of crude oil.
13 November 1943:
At 1430, departs Palembang.
17 November 1943:
At 1700, arrives at Balikpapan and discharges the crude oil cargo and loads 1682 kilolitres of petrol.
20 November 1943:
Departs Balikpapan.
22 November 1943:
Arrives at Surabaya and discharges the cargo of petrol.Loads 7392 kilolitres of crude oil and 30 passengers.
7 December 1943:
Departs Surabaya.
10 December 1943:
Arrives at Balikpapan and discharges the crude oil cargo. All passengers leave the ship. The ship loads a further 2024 kilolitres of petrol and takes on board 18 passengers.
14 December 1943:
Departs Balikpapan.
16 December 1943:
Arrives at Surabaya and discharges the petrol cargo. All passengers leaves the ship which then loads 7178 kilolitres of crude oil.
18 December 1943:
Departs Surabaya.
20 December 1943:
Arrives at Balikpapan and unloads the crude oil cargo.
23 December 1943:
Departs Balikpapan.
25 December 1943:
Arrives at Surabaya and loads 6662 kilolitres of crude oil and 100 cane chairs.
27 December 1943:
Departs Surabaya.
29 December 1943:
Arrives at Balikpapan and discharges the crude oil and chairs. Loads 1114 kilolitres fuel oil as well as confidential books and 25 tons of manila rope.
2 January 1944:
Departs Balikpapan.
4 January 1944:
Arrives a Surabaya and discharges the fuel oil and offloads the cargo. Loads 7247 kilolitres of crude oil and transfers this to oiler KYOKUTO MARU. Then loads a further 6862 kilolitres of crude oil and 64 passengers.
13 January 1944:
Departs Surabaya for Balikpapan with auxiliary subchaser CHa-41 as escort.
15 January 1944:
Arrives at Balikpapan and discharges the crude oil. The pasengers leave the ship. 50 drums lubricating oil are loaded and 26 passengers come onboard.
21 January 1944:
At 0945, JAMBI MARU departs Balikpapan in convoy O-103 consisting of fleet oilers IRO and SATA escorted by patrol boat PB-36, submarine chaser CH-37 and auxiliary subchaser CHa-41.
22 January 1944:
At 1435, aircraft discover things that seems to be hostile and dangerous. PB-36 is sent to investigate these. At 1524, PB-36 arrives at the spot indicated by the aircraft and drops 8 depth charges without result. At 1600, PB-36 ends her investigation. At 1820, PB-36 rejoins the convoy. At 2240, at the Tarakan latitude JAMBI MARU detaches and heads towards Tarakan.
23 January 1944:
Arrives at Tarakan. The lubricating oil is offloaded and the passengers leave the ship. 7663 kilolitres of crude oil is loaded.
26 January 1944:
JAMBI MARU escorted by auxiliary subchasers CHa-41 and CHa-46 join convoy No. 2517 consisting of IJA Landing ship carrier SHINSHU MARU and KYOEI MARUs escorted by subchaser CH-6. At 1545, departs Tarakan.
28 January 1944:
At 0600 runs aground but soon after refloated with help from subchaser CH-6. At 1630, arrives at Balikpapan, Borneo and unloads the crude oil.
30 January 1944:
Departs Balikpapan.
6 February 1944:
Arrives at Surabaya. Loads 6749 kilolitres crude oil, 850 empty drums and 150 native labourers.
8 February 1944:
Departs Surabaya.
10 February 1944:
Arrives at Balikpapan where the cargo and passengers is discharged and unloaded.
16 February 1944:
Arrives at Surabaya. Loads 6648 kilolitres crude oil, 900 empty drums and 157 passengers.
18 February 1944:
At 1200, JAMBI MARU and minesweeper W-11 depart Surabaya for Balikpapan. En route W-11 is detached.
20 February 1944:
Arrives at Balikpapan. The crude oil is dischargesd and cargo and passengers offloaded. 2096 kilolites of petrol, 2114 kilolitres of fuel oil and 15 passengers are loaded.
24 February 1944:
Departs Balikpapan.
28 February 1944:
Arrives at Surabaya. All cargo is discharged and the 15 passengers leave the vessel. 4776 kilolitres of fuel oil is loaded.
6 March 1944:
Departs Surabaya.
8 March 1944:
Arrives at Jakarta where much of the fuel oil is discharged.
17 March 1944:
The balance 1080 tons of fuel oil is transferred to heavy cruiser TONE, which has returned from commerce raiding in the Indian Ocean.
18 March 1944:
Departs Jakarta.
20 March 1944:
Arrives at Palembang. 7674 kilolitres of crude oil is loaded.
22 March 1944:
Departs Palembang.
27 March 1944:
Arrives at Balikpapan where the cargo is discharged.
29 March 1944:
Departs Balikpapan.
31 March 1944:
Arrives at Surabaya. Loads 6966 kilolitres of crude oil, 1000 empty drums, 5 tons of wire hawser and 100 passengers.
2 April 1944:
Departs Surabaya.
6 April 1944:
Arrives at Balikpapan. The cargo and passengers are discharged and offloaded and 7392 kilolitres of fuel oil loaded.
13 April 1944:
At 0900, JAMBI MARU departs Balikpapan for Zamboanga, Mindanao, Philippines in a convoy consisting of BUGEN MARU escorted by patrol boat PB-102 (ex-USS STEWART, DD-224) and auxiliary minesweeper Wa-106.
15 April 1944:
At 0835, arrives at Tolitoli, NW Celebes (Sulawasi).
16 April 1944:
At 0252, departs Tolitoli. Arrives at Tarakan, Borneo that same day.
17 April 1944:
At 0657, departs Tarakan.
19 April 1944:
Arrives at Zamboanga.
21 April 1944:
JAMBI and BUGEN MARUs join convoy M-27 bound for Manila consisting of SHOGEN, TETSUYO and SHINYU MARUs and NIKKO MARU No. 1 and Army LST BANRYU (later SS-2) escorted by patrol boats PB-103 and PB-105 and auxiliary subchasers YATSUSHIRO MARU and KYO MARU No. 2.
22 April 1944:
Arrives at Cebu and departs the same day.
24 April 1944:
Convoy M-27 arrives at Manila. The fuel oil cargo is discharged at Manila. 30 tons of weapons and ammunitions and 19 passengers are loaded.
1 May 1944:
At 0400 departs Manila in a convoy also consisting of KANAN, JUKO MARUs and UNKAI MARU No. 12 escorted by minesweeper W-101. It is possible the ships join Take No. 1 convoy for part of the way south.
5 May 1944:
Arrives at Bongao. The cargo and passengers from Manila are offloaded.
6 May 1944:
Departs Bongao.
7 May 1944:
At 1700 arrives at Tarakan. 7577 kilolitres of fuel oil and 2 ton of old rubber tyres are loaded.
9 May 1944:
At 1515 departs Tarakan escorting a convoy also consisting of KANAN MARU escorted by the minesweeper W-101.
11 May 1944:
At 1730 arrives at Balikpapan. The fuel oil cargo is discharged. 50 drums lubricating oil, 6 typewriters and 72 passengers are loaded.
15 May 1942:
Departs Balikpapan for Surabaya. At Surabaya all cargo and passengers are offloaded. 6558 kilolitres crude oil, 1002 empty drums, 100 cubic metres of supplies and 165 passengers are loaded.
1 June 1944:
JAMBI MARU departs Surabaya, Java with tanker SEIAN MARU escorted by fleet stores ship ARASAKI. Two hours after departure, JAMBI MARU strikes a mine that explodes under hold No. 4 and returns to Surabaya.
3 June 1944:
At 0900, JAMBI MARU departs Surabaya for Balikpapan, Borneo in a convoy consisting of KITA and ENOSHIMA MARUs escorted by minesweeper W-12.
16 July 1944:
At 0630, departs Balikpapan for Surabaya with ten passengers and drummed lube oil without an escort.
18 July 1944:
Java Sea, 23 miles N of Bawean Island. From 0626 to 0715, LtCdr (later Rear Admiral-Ret) William T. Kinsella’s (USNA ’34) USS RAY (SS-271) makes six separate runs on JAMBI MARU. Kinsella fires 22 torpedoes and claims eight hits. During the action, JAMBI MARU fires at USS RAY with her deck gun. JAMBI MARU catches fire and, her hull holed by torpedoes, floods and finally sinks in three pieces at 05-21S, 112-30E. Five passengers and one guard are KIA. [3]
Authors’ Notes:
[1] Some sources confuse Japanese tanker JAMBI MARU with Dutch freighter DJAMBI, but this ship was sunk in the Atlantic in 1943 in a collision with SS SILVERBEECH in convoy OS-44.
[2] JAMBI MARU was also known as JANBI MARU.
[3] Veteran Java Sea diver and photojournalist/diver Kevin Denlay of Australia says the wreck of JAMBI MARU rests in three pieces. Her bow is severed/blown off from the fairly large upright midsection, while the stern itself is also severed and rests a little further away.
Thanks to Mr. Gilbert Casse of France and Mr. Gengoro Toda of Japan.
- Bob Hackett and Peter Cundall
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