ZATSUYOSEN!
(KAISHO MARU prewar)
IJN KAISHO MARU:
Tabular Record of Movement
© 2011-2017 Gilbert Casse, Bob Hackett and Peter Cundall
Revision 3
2 October 1937:
Aioi. Laid down by Harima K.K. Zosensho shipyard as a 4,164-tons cargo ship for Kaiyo Kisen, K.K., Kobe.
10 May 1938:
Launched and named KAISHO MARU. [1]
30 June 1938:
Completed and registered at Kobe.
10 July 1941:
Requisitioned by the IJN.
20 September 1941:
Registered in the IJN as an auxiliary transport under internal order No. 1093 and attached to the Yokosuka Naval District. Her home port is Yokosuka Naval Base.
30 September 1941:
Conversion to her military role is completed at Yokohama shipyard, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries K.K.
>E October 1941:
Assigned to Yokosuka Naval District as an auxiliary transport, (Ko) category. [2]
1 December 1941:
Departs Sasebo.
E December 1941- January 1942:
Operates in the Philippines area and engages in war operations.
22 December 1941: The Invasion of Sarawak (British Borneo) :
KAISHO MARU departs Miri, Borneo for Kuching, Sarawak in an invasion convoy consisting of KATORI, HIYOSHI, HOKKAI, MYOHO, KENKON, MITAKESAN and NICHIRAN MARUs, and TONAN MARU No.3 and UNYO MARU No. 2 escorted by light cruiser YURA, DesDiv 12's SHIRAKUMO, MURAKUMO and USUGUMO and minesweepers W-3 and W-6.
The invasion convoy is transporting the Kawaguchi Detachment and the Yokosuka No. 2 Special Naval Landing Force (SNLF). TONAN MARU No. 3 is carrying the 21st Field Ordnance Depot, 1st, 2nd, 3rd & 4th Field Well Drilling Company of about 120 men, 48th Anchorage HQ, 4th Naval Construction Unit of about 260 men and materials for Seria, Luntong & Miri (oil well repairs, if needed).
CruDiv 7/1's KUMANO and SUZUYA, light cruiser KINU and destroyers FUBUKI and SAGIRI provide the covering force. West of the covering force is CruDiv 7/2's MIKUMA and MOGAMI with destroyer HATSUYUKI. Seaplane tender KAMIKAWA MARU provides air cover.
23 December 1941:
Off Kuching. At 2040, Dutch Ltz I Carel A. J. van Well Groeneveld's submarine HMNS K-XIV torpedoes and damages TONAN MARU No. 3 and HOKKAI MARU and sinks KATORI and HIYOSHI MARUs. Later that day MITAKESAN and KAISHO MARUs depart for Camranh Bay.
25 February 1942:
Arrives at Takao (Kaohsiung), Formosa (Taiwan).
27 February 1942:
Departs Takao.
1 March 1942:
S Dong Sha (Pratas) Islands. At 0630, KAISHO MARU runs aground at 20-35N, 116-49E.
9 March 1942:
At 1700, KAISHO MARU transfers ten troops to auxiliary gunboat SENYO MARU.
15 March 1942:
Arrives at Takao.
19 March 1942:
Departs Takao for Tokyo.
23 March 1942:
Arrives at Tokyo.
4 April 1942:
Departs Tokyo for Balikpapan, Borneo.
18 April 1942:
Arrives at Balikpapan.
2 May 1942:
Departs Balikpapan for Port Redon, Haiphong, French Indochina.
8 May 1942:
Arrives at Port Redon to load coal.
11 May 1942:
Departs Port Redon for Miike.
19 May 1942:
Arrives at Miike.
24 May 1942:
Departs Miike for Kure.
26 May 1942:
Arrives at Kure.
28 May 1942:
Departs Kure for Ambon, Moluccas.
1 June 1942:
Arrives at Ambon.
13 June 1942:
Departs Ambon for Macassar, Celebes.
18 June 1942:
Arrives at Macassar.
25 June 1942:
Departs Macassar for Balikpapan.
27 June 1942:
Arrives at Balikpapan.
28 June 1942:
Departs Balikpapan and arrives the same day at Davao, Philippines.
7 July 1942:
Departs Davao for Saigon, French Indochina.
17 July 1942:
Arrives at Saigon.
18 July 1942:
Departs Saigon for Shanghai, China.
28 July 1942:
Arrives at Shanghai.
1 August 1942:
Departs Shanghai for Kirun (Keelung), Formosa (Taiwan).
2 August 1942:
Arrives at Kirun.
12 August 1942:
Departs Kirun for Osaka.
16 August 1942:
Arrives at Osaka.
28 August 1942:
Departs Osaka for Harima, Hyogo Prefecture.
29 August 1942:
Arrives at Harima.
11 September 1942:
Departs Harima for Moji.
12 September 1942:
Arrives at Moji.
13 September 1942:
Departs Moji for Raichishi, Karafuto (now Aynuskoye, Sakhalin Island).
17 September 1942:
Arrives at Raichishi.
22 September 1942:
Departs Raichishi for Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture.
28 September 1942:
Arrives at Nagoya.
2 October 1942:
Departs Nagoya for Muroran, Hokkaido.
5 October 1942:
Arrives at Muroran.
6 October 1942:
Departs Muroran for Shikuka, Karafuto (now Poronayisk, Sakhalin).
8 October 1942:
Arrives at Shikuka.
14 October 1942:
Departs Shikuka for Nagoya.
20 October 1942:
Arrives at Nagoya.
27 October 1942:
Departs Nagoya and arrives the same day at Yokkaichi, Mie Prefecture.
31 October 1942:
Departs Yokkaichi for Osaka.
1 November 1942:
Arrives at Osaka.
4 November 1942:
Departs Osaka for Moji.
5 November 1942:
Arrives at Moji. Later that day departs Moji for Takao in convoy No. 183 consisting of KAISHO MARU and two unidentified merchant ships escorted by auxiliary gunboat PEKING MARU.
10 November 1942:
Arrives at Takao.
15 November 1942:
Departs Takao for Kirun.
16 November 1942:
Arrives at Kirun.
19 November 1942:
Departs Kirun for Hong Kong.
22 November 1942:
Arrives at Hong Kong.
26 November 1942:
Departs Hong Kong for Port Courbet, Honghay, French Indochina.
3 December 1942:
Arrives at Port Courbet to load some coal.
10 December 1942:
Departs Port Courbet for Takao.
14 December 1942:
Arrives at Takao.
15 December 1942:
Departs Takao and arrives the same day at Mako, Pescadores.
16 December 1942:
Departs Mako for Wakamatsu, Fukuoka Prefecture in convoy No. 208 consisting of KAISHO, SHOKEI MARUs and six unidentified merchant ships escorted by destroyer MINAZUKI.
24 December 1942:
Arrives at Mutsure and then transfers to Wakamatsu.
28 December 1942:
Departs Wakamatsu and arrives the same day at Tokuyama, Yamaguchi Prefecture.
2 January 1943:
Departs Tokuyama for Saipan, Marianas. Off Fukajima, minelayer YURIJIMA joins KAISHO MARU and escorts her south.
E 3 January 1943:
YURIJIMA is detached 90 degrees off Toi Misaki.
7 January 1943:
Arrives at Saipan.
10 January 1943:
At 0745 departs Saipan with SAIPAN MARU escorted by auxiliary subchaser KYO MARU No. 8 and arrives the same day at Tinian.
13 January 1943:
Departs Tinian for Roi-Namur, Marshalls.
19 January 1943:
Arrives at Roi-Namur.
24 January 1943:
Departs Roi-Namur for Taroa, Marshalls.
25 January 1943:
Arrives at Taroa.
30 January 1943:
Departs Taroa for Roi-Namur.
31 January 1943:
Arrives at Roi-Namur.
4 February 1943:
Departs Roi-Namur for Yokosuka.
14 February 1943:
Arrives at Yokosuka.
15 February 1943:
At 1200, departs Yokosuka for Tokuyama in convoy No. 7215 also consisting of CHOSEN, DAICHO and FUSHIMI MARUs escorted by minesweeper W-18.
18 February 1943:
Arrives at Tokuyama.
23 February 1943:
Departs Tokuyama and arrives the same day at Moji.
1 March 1943:
At 1800, departs Moji for Kwajalein, Marshalls.
E 12 March 1943:
KAISHO MARU meets up with auxiliary subchaser SHONAN MARU No. 11.
14 March 1943:
Arrives at Kwajalein.
18 March 1943:
Departs Kwajalein, operates in Marshall waters.
24 March 1943:
Arrives at Roi-Namur. Departs later and arrives the same day at Kwajalein.
26 March 1943:
Departs Kwajalein for Taroa.
27 March 1943:
Arrives at Taroa.
3 April 1943:
At 1400 departs Taroa for Jaluit escorted by auxiliary subchaser KYO MARU No. 6.
4 April 1943:
At 0330 in 06-00N 170-00E the ships are attacked unsuccessfully by an enemy submarine (USS POLLACK). At 0700 arrives at Emidj. Later that day at 1525 arrives at Jaluit.
9 April 1943:
At 1420 departs Jaluit for Nauru Island escorted by auxiliary subchaser KYO MARU No. 6.
11 April 1943:
At 0900 arrives at Nauru. KYO MARU No. 6 returns to Jaluit an hour later.
14 April 1943:
Departs Nauru for Truk.
19 April 1943:
Arrives at Truk.
26 April 1943:
Departs Truk for Yokosuka in convoy 4426 also consisting of NANKAI (NB: possibly NANKAI MARU No. 2), SHINYO and NOSHIRO MARUs escorted by destroyer ASANAGI and auxiliary netlayer OSEI MARU.
E 27 April 1942:
OSEI MARU is detached.
5 May 1943:
Arrives at Yokosuka. Probably undergoes maintenance and repairs.
20 May 1943:
Departs Yokosuka for Moji.
23 May 1943:
Arrives at Moji.
27 May 1943:
At 1000, departs Moji for Osaka.
28 May 1943:
Arrives at Osaka.
29 May 1943:
Departs Osaka for Yokosuka.
31 May 1943:
Arrives at Yokosuka.
1 June 1943:
Departs Yokosuka for Truk in convoy consisting of KAISHO, MYOKO, TAINAN and SHIBAZONO MARUs with unknown escort.
9 June 1943:
Auxiliary gunboat CHOUN MARU departs Truk and at 11-00N-149-53E meets up with convoy.
11 June 1943:
Arrives at Truk.
28 June 1943:
Departs Truk for Kwajalein in convoy No. 5284 also consisting of MITAKESAN, KAIKO and MINATO MARUs with torpedo boat HIYODORI as escort. Later the auxiliary submarine chaser SHONAN MARU No. 3 joins the convoy.
3 July 1943:
At 1240 arrives at Kwajalein. KAISHO MARU may have proceeded direct to Roi.
5 August 1943:
At 0400, departs Kwajalein for Truk, in convoy No. 6053 making 11.5 knots, also consisting of SANTOS (MANJU) and MITAKESAN MARUs escorted by subchaser CH-33.
9 August 1943:
At 1100, the convoy arrives at Truk’s N Channel.
21 August 1943:
Departs Truk for Yokosuka in fleet convoy No. 4821 also consisting of transports MANJU MARU (ex-SANTOS MARU), KENAN and MITAKESAN MARUs and colliers SOYO MARU and MIKAGE MARU No. 18 escorted by destroyers IKAZUCHI and YUZUKI and auxiliary gunboat SHOEI MARU.
22 August 1943:
About 300 nms NW of Truk. LtCdr (later KIA) Charles F. Brindupke' (USNA ‘32) USS TULLIBEE (SS-284) intercepts the convoy. Brindupke, on his first patrol as CO of USS TULLIBEE, closes to 2,000 yards. He fires three Mark-14 steam torpedoes at the nearest freighter. Two minutes later, he fires three more at another ship. One of the destroyers heads towards USS TULLIBEE's position. Brindupke takes USS TULLIBEE deep. At 1659, he hears a torpedo explosion, soon followed by two more, then breaking up noises. At 1706, listing to port, KAISHO MARU sinks rapidly by the stern at 10-13N, 147-20E. Three crewmen are KIA. Her survivors are rescued and the convoy proceeds. When Brindupke surfaces, he sees over 1,000 empty 50-gallon oil drums, but no ships.
1 November 1943:
Removed from the Navy List under internal order No. 1162.
Authors Notes:
[1] Not to be confused with IJA Transport (6070 GRT, 1918).
[2] There were two categories of Zatsuyosen. (Ko) category with an IJN Captain as supervisor aboard and (Otsu) category without.
Thanks go to Erich Muehlthaler of Germany for identifying French Indochina locations and to Gengoro S. Toda of Japan.
-Gilbert Casse, Bob Hackett and Peter Cundall
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