ZATSUYOSEN!
(JUZAN MARU prewar – Peter Cundall’s Collection)
IJN JUZAN MARU :
Tabular Record of Movement
© 2015-2018 Gilbert Casse and Peter Cundall
Revision 1
5 November 1939:
Tama. Laid down by Tama Zosensho K.K. shipyard for Dairen Kisen K.K. as a 3,943-tons passenger/cargo ship.
8 August 1940:
Launched and named JUZAN MARU. [1]
20 March 1941:
Completed and registered at Dairen, Manchuria (now Dalian, northern China).
16 August 1941:
Requisitioned by the IJN.
25 August 1941:
Begins conversion to military duty at Tama Zosensho K.K. shipyard.
5 September 1941:
Registered in the IJN as an auxiliary gunboat attached to the Sasebo Naval District under instruction No. 1025. Specified to engage in minelaying activity under instruction No. 1026. Captain Tahara Susumu (39) is appointed CO.
18 September 1941:
The conversion is completed.
E September 1941:
Assigned to Vice Admiral Ukita Hidehiko’s (37) Ryojun, Manchuria (ex Port-Arthur, now Lushun, northern China) Guard District, Base Defence Unit.
21 November 1941:
Departs Ryojun.
21 ~ 25 November 1941:
Operates in northern China waters.
25 November 1941:
Arrives at Ryojun.
30 November 1941:
Departs Ryojun.
1 December 1941:
Arrives at Ching Wang Tao (now Qinhuangdao), northern China.
3 December 1941:
Departs Ching Wang Tao.
4 December 1941:
Arrives back at Ching Wang Tao.
6 December 1941:
Departs Ching Wang Tao.
7 December 1941:
Arrives at Dairen.
15 January 1942:
Assigned to Ryojun Guard District, Base Force, Base Defence Unit under Chinkai Guard District instruction No. 32.
10 February 1942:
Assigned to Ryojun Guard District, Base Force, Base Defence Unit under Chinkai Guard District instruction No. 41. Captain Tamaki Toshiharu (36) is appointed CO.
22 February 1942:
Departs Wakamatsu, Fukuoka Prefecture.
E 22 ~ 25 February 1942:
Operates off Kurokoshima, Nagasaki Prefecture.
28 February 1942:
Arrives at Shanghai.
18 May 1942:
At 1126 reports being missed by a submarine torpedo in 34-33N 138-48E.
6 June 1942:
Departs Dairen.
14 June 1942:
Arrives at Ryojun.
6 July 1942:
Departs Ryojun.
12 July 1942:
Arrives at Chinkai, Chosen (now Jinhae, South Korea).
14 July 1942:
Departs Chinkai.
16 July 1942:
Arrives at Kure.
23 July 1942:
Departs Kure.
24 July 1942:
Arrives at Sasebo.
30 July 1942:
Departs Sasebo.
31 July 1942:
Arrives at Chinkai.
4 August 1942:
Departs Chinkai.
6 August 1942:
Arrives at Ryojun.
1 October 1942:
Assigned to Ryojun Guard District, Base Force, Base Defence Unit under Chinkai Guard District instruction No. 57.
5 October 1942:
Departs Ryojun.
6 October 1942:
Arrives at Dairen.
12 October 1942:
Departs Dairen and arrives at Ryojun later in the day.
20 October 1942:
Departs Ryojun and arrives at Chinkai later that same day.
11 November 1942:
Departs Chinkai.
14 November 1942:
Arrives at Ryojun.
28 November 1942:
Departs Ryojun.
29 November 1942:
Off Dairen, seizes small ship SHIRATAKA MARU. Later in the day seizes small ship AYAME MARU in Dairen Port.
18 December 1942:
Directly assigned to Combined Fleet, Transport Unit under Navy’s instruction No. 178.
19 December 1942:
Tactically assigned to Combined Fleet, Transport Unit escort duties (‘Hei’ Transport movement) under Navy’s instruction No. 422.
24 December 1942:
Departs Dairen.
26 December 1942:
Arrives at Sasebo.
30 December 1942:
Scheduled to be fitted with one Type 93 13mm MG, one pair of another device and two pairs of TM portable wireless sets under Navy’s telegram No. 301-341.
3 January 1943:
Departs Sasebo.
4 January 1943:
Arrives at Busan (Fuzan), Chosen (now Pusan, South Korea). Embarks 462 troops and 800 equipment of 20th Division in ‘Hei’ Transport Movement 3rd Echelon convoy.
7 January 1943:
Departs Busan in convoy also consisting of IJA transport SHINKYO MARU escorted by destroyer SHIKINAMI.
15 January 1943:
Arrives at Palau, Western Carolines.
19 January 1943:
Departs Palau still in same convoy.
23 January 1943:
Arrives at Wewak, New Guinea. Disembark troops and unloads equipment. Departs later that day for Palau.
E 27 January 1943:
Arrives at Palau. Departs later for Japan.
10 February 1943:
At Seito (Tsingtao), China. Embarks troops and equipment of 41st Division in ‘Hei’ Transport Movement 4th Echelon convoy.
12 February 1943:
Departs Seito in convoy also consisting of IJA transport SHINKYO MARU and auxiliary ammunition ship ARATAMA MARU escorted by destroyers SATSUKI, FUMIZUKI and YUGURE.
21 February 1943:
Arrives at Palau.
22 February 1943:
Departs Palau in same convoy.
26 February 1943:
Arrives at Wewak. Disembark troops and unloads equipment. Departs later that day for Palau.
17 March 1943:
Arrives at Kobe.
21 March 1943:
Departs Kobe.
23 March 1943:
Arrives at Sasebo.
27 March 1943:
Departs Sasebo.
1 April 1943:
Arrives at Ryojun.
22 April 1943:
Departs Ryojun.
16 July 1943:
Arrives at Ryojun.
30 July 1943:
Departs Ryojun.
2 August 1943:
Arrives at Chinkai.
12 August 1943:
Departs Chinkai.
15 August 1943:
Arrives back at Chinkai.
19 August 1943:
Departs Chinkai.
17 September 1943:
Arrives at Seito.
20 September 1943:
Departs Seito.
28 September 1943:
Scheduled to be converted to an auxiliary transport under Navy’s secret directive No. 4917.
30 September 1943:
Arrives at Daito Wan (Bay).
1 October 1943:
Captain Tamaki is relieved from command and assigned to the Kure Naval District Office. Removed from the Navy’s list under instruction No. 2038. Registered that same day in the Navy’s list as an auxiliary transport (Otsu) category attached to the Sasebo Naval District with Sasebo as home port under instruction No. 2041. [2]
20 October 1943:
Re-rated as General Requisitioned transport.
22 October 1943:
Arrives at Sasebo. Re-rated as auxiliary transport.
4 November 1943:
Arrives at Kobe.
4 November 1943:
Begins conversion to military duty at Sasebo Naval Yard.
1 December 1943:
Departs Sasebo.
6 December 1943:
Scheduled to be fitted with one Type 3 hydrophone under Navy’s instruction No. 6083.
10 December 1943:
Arrives at Truk, Central Carolines.
15 December 1943:
At 1100, departs Truk in convoy No. 1152 also consisting of auxiliary storeship HARUNA MARU escorted by destroyers ASANAGI and OITE and subchaser CH-31.
19 December 1943:
W of Cape Matanalem, New Hanover. At 1235, the convoy is attacked by unidentified bombers at 02-41N, 148-57E, but they are driven off and inflict no damage.
20 December 1943:
At 1500, the convoy arrives at Rabaul, New Britain.
4 January 1944:
At 2200 departs Rabaul in convoy with CEYLON MARU escorted by destroyer MINAZUKI.
5 January 1944:
CEYLON MARU is detached to Kavieng.
11 January 1944:
At 1135 arrives at Saipan, Marianas.
13 January 1944:
At 1700 departs Saipan escorted by destroyer MINAZUKI.
17 January 1944:
At 1405 arrives at Truk.
22 January 1944:
At 1200 departs Truk in convoy No. 1122 also consisting of IJN requisitioned cargo ship (B-AK) MATSUTAN (SHOTAN) MARU escorted by destroyers TACHIKAZE and OITE.
24 January 1944:
OITE is detached and replaced by destroyer AKIKAZE.
28 January 1944:
At 1600, arrives at Rabaul.
7 February 1944:
Departs Rabaul in convoy No. 2083 also consisting of IJN requisitioned cargo ship (B-AK) SHIRANE MARU and IJA transport GOZAN MARU (and possibly others) escorted by destroyer TACHIKAZE.
12 February 1944:
Arrives at Truk.
6 March 1944:
At 1130, departs Truk in convoy No. 4304 also consisting of auxiliary repair ship URAKAMI MARU, IJN requisitioned cargo ship (B-AK) SHIRANE MARU and IJA transport AWAJI MARU escorted by kaibokan AMAKUSA and MIKURA, minesweeper W-21 and subchasers CH-30, CH-14 and CH-51. (The latter two escorts departed Chichi Jima on 3rd March and will join the next day the convoy at an unknown location)
E 7 March 1944:
Subchasers CH-14 and CH-51 joins as additional escort.
10 March 1944:
At 1222, arrives at Saipan.
14 March 1944:
At 1130, departs Saipan in convoy No. 4313B towing damaged auxiliary transport SANTO MARU also consisting of IJN requisitioned cargo ship (B-AK) SHIRANE MARU and civilian cargo ship (C-AK) SEIKAI MARU No. 1 escorted by subchasers CH-17 and CH-18 and minesweeper W-21. [3]
17 March 1944:
At 1200, CH-18 and CH-17 are detached from convoy No. 4313-B.
20 March 1944:
At 0700, the convoy arrives safely at Chichi-Jima, Ogasawara Gunto (Bonins).
21 March 1944:
At 1700, departs Chichi-Jima still towing SANTO MARU.
25 March 1944:
Arrives at Yokosuka.
26 March 1944:
Departs Yokosuka and arrives at Yokohama later in the day.
3 April 1944:
Departs Yokohama.
7 April 1944:
Arrives at Innoshima, Hiroshima Prefecture.
E 7 ~ 23 April 1944:
Undergoes hull repairs at the shipyard.
24 April 1944:
Departs Innoshima.
26 April 1944:
Arrives at Wakamatsu.
E 27 April 1944:
Loads coal.
28 April 1944:
Departs Wakamatsu.
29 April 1944:
Arrives at Kure.
E 30 April 1944:
Unloads coal.
May 1944:
Embarks 460 troops and loads weapons and ammunition. Departs Kure.
28 May 1944:
Departs Manila, Luzon in convoy H-27 also consisting of IJA transports SHINNO, KOHOKU, KOAN (3,183 GRT), MURORAN, TAIYU and SHIROGANESAN MARUs, KOSHU MARU No. 1 and government owned (C-AK) TEIYU (ex-Italian CARIGNANO) MARU escorted by destroyer TSUGA, patrol boat PB-102 (ex-USS STEWART, DD-224), PB-104, subchaser CH-38 and auxiliary netlayer KOREI MARU.
3 June 1944:
At 2044, arrives at Banka anchorage, NE Celebes.
4 June 1944:
At 0555, departs Banka anchorage.
8 June 1944:
At 1617, arrives at Wasile, Halmahera. Unloads cargo.
11 June 1944:
Departs Wasile.
E 14 June 1944:
Calls at Jolo, Philippines.
17 June 1944:
At 0700 departs Kau for Morotai Island escorted by auxiliary patrol boat KEIHIN MARU and auxiliary KAIO MARU No. 3.
19 June 1944:
At 1000, arrives back at Kau from Morotai escorted by minesweeper W-5, auxiliary patrol boat KEIHIN MARU and auxiliary KAIO MARU No. 3.
26 June 1944:
At 0430 departs Kau, Halmahera in unnumbered convoy also consisting of IJA transports KURAMASAN (possibly IKOMASAN) MARU and SHOEI MARU (2854 gt) and SHINSEI MARU No. 17 escorted by destroyer HOKAZE and possibly minesweeper W-22.
29 June 1944:
At 0805, auxiliary subchaser TAKUNAN MARU No. 5 joins the escort. The convoy then calls at Buli Bay, Gebe Island, Kofiao Island, Sawao and Boano Islands over the next 2 days.
30 June 1944 :
Minesweeper W-9 and auxiliary submarine chaser SHONAN MARU No. 17 join the convoy. At 1800 the convoy arrives at Boano.
1 July 1944:
Departs Boano and at 1600, arrives at Ambon, Moluccas later that day.
9 July 1944:
At 0800, departs Ambon in unnumbered convoy also consisting of auxiliary transport NICHIEI MARU escorted by auxiliary subchasers TAKUNAN MARU No. 5 and SHONAN MARU No. 17. At some point, JUZAN MARU is detached and arrives at Kaweli later that same day.
10 July 1944:
Departs Kaweli and arrives at Besubiyasu later that same day.
11 July 1944:
Departs Besubiyasu.
12 July 1944:
Arrives at Turkey Island.
13 July 1944:
Departs Turkey Island and arrives at Babalo later in the day.
14 July 1944:
Departs Babalo and arrives at Kendari, Celebes later that day.
?? July 1944:
Departs Kendari.
18 July 1944:
Arrives at Pomalaa, Celebes.
23 July 1944:
Departs Pomalaa.
25 July 1944:
Arrives at Macassar, Celebes.
26 July 1944:
Departs Macassar.
3 August 1944:
Arrives at Singapore, Malaya.
17 August 1944:
Departs Singapore in convoy SHIMI-09 also consisting of three unidentified merchant ships escorted by subchaser CH-20.
24 August 1944:
Arrives at Kuching. Patrol Boat PB-38 and kaibokan CD-14 join the escort. At 0300 departs Kuching.
25 August 1944:
At 0900 arrives at Miri, Borneo.
29 August 1944:
At 0830, departs Miri in convoy Mi-14 also consisting of auxiliary oiler OGURA MARU No. 2, IJA tanker ATAGO MARU and civilian tanker (C-AO) TOKUWA MARU, IJA shared transport A/C-AK) KENSEI MARU, IJA transports IIDA, CHUKA and SURAKARUTA MARUs escorted by kaibokan CD-14, patrol boat P-38 and subchaser CH-20.
5 September 1944:
Arrives at Manila.
20 September 1944:
At 0954, departs Manila in MATA-27B also consisting of IJN requisitioned cargo ships (B-AK) YUKIKAWA and AZUCHISAN MARUs and IJA transport JUNGEN GO (there may have been a further two unidentified merchant ships as sources are divided), escorted by destroyers AKIKAZE, YUZUKI and UZUKI and auxiliary cable layer OSEI MARU. The convoy anchors that evening in the Corregidor Channel.
21 September 1944:
At 0554, departs Corregidor Channel. From 0948 to 1048 the convoy is attacked by enemy aircraft but escapes damage, At 1800 AZUCHISAN MARU develops engine trouble and eventually returns to Manila.
22 September 1944:
At 0508, in 15-28N 118-45E JUNGEN GO is torpedoed and sunk by LtCdr (later Cdr) Lowell T. Stone’s (USNA ’29) USS LAPON (SS-269) with the loss of 20 crewmen. OSEI MARU drops seven depth charges on a contact and then returns to rescue the survivors.
25 September 1944:
At 1555, LtCdr Henry D. Sturr’s (USNA ’33) USS BECUNA (SS-319) attacks the convoy and fires three torpedoes that miss destroyer AKIKAZE. OSEI MARU drops 10 depth charges at 21-44N 118-40E.
26 September 1944:
At 1637, arrives at Takao. Departs later.
6 October 1944:
Damaged by a bomb during an airstrike. Departs Anping, Formosa (now Taiwan).
7 October 1944:
Arrives at Takao.
8 October ~ 4 November 1944:
Undergoes temporary repairs.
5 November 1944:
Repairs are completed. Departs Takao and arrives at Kirun.
6 November 1944:
Departs Kirun in convoy TAMO-28 also consisting of IJA transports TAISHO and TOYOKAWA MARUs, IJA shared transport (A/C-AK) SHUNSHO MARU, and four unidentified merchant ships escorted by kaibokan MIKURA and CD-6.
13 November 1944:
Arrives at Moji. Departs later that day.
14 November 1944:
Arrives at Niihama, Shikoku.
20 November 1944:
Departs Niihama.
21 November 1944:
Arrives at Aioi, Hyogo Prefecture. Enters drydock at Harima Zosensho K.K. shipyard.
E 21 November 1944 ~ March 1945:
Undergoes extensive repairs.
10 March 1945:
Arrives at Takao with HIROTA MARU.
28 March 1945:
Departs Kure.
31 March 1945:
Sustains a collision with HAKUYO MARU about 3 nautical miles off Motoyama, Katsura-To Buoy. Later, embarks 400 passengers and loads depth-charges (DCs) and ammunition.
11 April 1945:
At 07030, departs Moji for Shanghai in Moshi-02 convoy as only merchant ship escorted by kaibokan NOMI (F), MIYAKE, CD-31 and CD-213.
13 April 1945:
At 1400, arrives at Saishu Island and anchors, planning to depart at daybreak the next day.
14 April 1945:
Hiyo islet on NW coast of Saishu Island. At 0407, in murky weather, Cdr (later Captain/MOH) George L. Street III’s (USNA '37) USS TIRANTE (SS-420) closes the bay on the surface, noses into Saishu harbour and fires six torpedoes at the anchored convoy. Street sinks JUZAN MARU at 33-25N, 126-15E with the loss of 33 of her crew, but USS TIRANTE is sighted by flagship NOMI's lookouts.
Captain Ikeda Akira's (50) (former CO of ETOROFU), CO of the First Surface Escort Division, orders an attack. USS TIRANTE fires two torpedoes at the charging kaibokan. Both hit NOMI under the bridge detonating her shell magazine. She jack-knifes, breaks in two and sinks at 0430. Captain Ikeda is KIA. He is promoted Rear Admiral, posthumously.
CD-31 spots the submarine and attacks, but is hit by a stern torpedo from USS TIRANTE. The torpedo is a dud, but causes a fire to break out in the kaibokan's aft magazine. Later, CD-31 capsizes and sinks at 33-25N, 126-5E. After 0900, the islanders rescue CD-31 and NOMI's survivors.
Kaibokan AGUNI and CD-104 are despatched to 33-25N 126-15 to rescue survivors of JUZAN MARU, NOMI and CD-31 all sunk by USS TIRANTE that had practically destroyed convoy MOSHI-02. Between them they rescue 87 survivors from NOMI, 166 from CD-31 and 164 from JUZAN MARU.
25 May 1945:
Removed from the Navy’s list under instruction No. 471.
Authors notes :
[1] Also known as JUSAN MARU. Not to be confused with IJN requisitioned cargo ship (B-AK) (2,292 GRT, ’18).
[2] There were two categories of Zatsuyosen. (Ko) category with an IJN Captain as supervisor aboard and (Otsu) category without.
[3] SANTO MARU was torpedoed and damaged by LtCdr (later Rear Admiral) William S. Post’s (USNA '30) USS GUDGEON (SS-212) near Saipan on 29 Sep ’43.
Thanks go to Gengoro S. Toda of Japan. Thanks also go to Jeff Donahoo of Iowa for Officers’ info.
Gilbert Casse and Peter Cundall.
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