Japanese Auxiliary Gunboats

KOKAI HOKAN!

(KATSURA MARU, prewar)

IJN KATSURA MARU No. 2 GO:
Tabular Record of Movement

© 2020 Gilbert Casse, Berend van der Wal and Peter Cundall

August 1936:
Osaka. Laid down by Urabe Zosen Tekkosho G.K. for Marutatsu Kaiun K.K. as a 1,368-tons cargo ship.
27 January 1937:
Launched and named KATSURA MARU.
April 1937:
Completed and registered in Kobe. Her call sign is JNTL.
1 April 1939:
Merchant Captain Kawamura Kiroku is appointed Chief Equipping Officer.
14 March 1940:
Merchant Captain Hirayama Kitaro is appointed Chief Equipping Officer.
20 November 1941:
Requisitioned by the IJN. Begins conversion to military duty at Osaka Tekkojo K.K.
20 December 1941:
Hikoshima. Renamed KATSURA MARU No. 2 GO. under Navy Department instruction No. 11623-3. Registered in the IJN as an auxiliary gunboat attached to the Sasebo Naval District under instruction No. 1700. Navy (Resv) Lt Saito Yuichi is appointed CO that same day

30 December 1941:
The conversion is completed.
31 December 1941:
Attached to the Sasebo Guard Force, Oshima Base force. Departs Hikoshima.
2 January 1942:
Arrives at Sasebo.
5 January 1942:
Departs Sasebo and returns to port later that day.
15 January 1942:
Attached to the Sasebo Guard Unit, Sasebo Local Defense Squadron. Attached to the Sea Defense Force, Oshima Base Force under Sasebo Naval District Instruction No. 14. Attached to the Oshima Base Defense Unit, Sea Defense Unit under Chinkai, Chosen (now Jinhae, South Korea) Sea Defense Unit Command No. 31.
28 January 1942:
Departs Sasebo.
29 January 1942:
Arrives at Seso, Amami-Oshima.
February 1942:
Rated ship No. 3, 1st Division.
2 February 1942:
Departs Seso and returns there the same day.
5 February 1942:
Attached to the Sea Defense Unit, Oshima Defense Unit under Sasebo Naval District Instruction No. 16. Attached to the Oshima Maritime Defense Force, Sea Defense Unit under Chinkai Sea Defense Unit instruction No. 32.
7 February 1942:
Departs Seso and arrives at Naze, Amami-Oshima later that day.
8 February 1942:
Depart Naze and arrives at Seso later this day.
10 February 1942:
Departs Seso and arrives at Kuji, Amami-Oshima. Returns to Seso later that same day.
14 February 1942:
Departs Seso.
15 February 1942:
Arrives at Seso.
17 February 1942:
Departs Seso.
18 February 1942:
Arrives at Seso.
22 February 1942:
Departs Seso.
23 February 1942:
Arrives at Seso.
6 March 1944:
Departs Seso.
7 March 1944:
Arrives at Naha, Okinawa.
8 March 1942:
Departs Naha.
9 March 1942:
Arrives at Okidaito Jima. Departs later that day.
11 March 1942:
Arrives at Ishigaki, Yaeyama Islands. Departs later this day.
13 March 1942:
Arrives at Miyako Jima. Departs later that same day.
14 March 1942:
Arrives at Naha.
16 March 1942:
Departs Naha.
17 March 1942:
Arrives at Seso.
18 March 1942:
Departs Seso and returns there later this day.
21 March 1942:
Departs Seso and returns there later that day.
29 March 1942:
Departs Seso.
30 March 1942:
Arrives at Seso.
1 April 1942:
Departs Seso and arrives at Kuji later this day.
2 April 1942:
Departs Kuji and arrives at Seso later that day.
3 April 1942:
Departs Seso. At 1730, begins escorting an Army convoy. At 2300, at the west entrance to the Iki waterway, ends the escort.
6 April 1942:
Arrives at Sasebo.
9 April 1942:
Departs Sasebo.
10 April 1942:
Attached to the Sea Defense Unit, Oshima Defense Unit under Sasebo Naval District instruction No. 22.
11 April 1942:
Arrives at Seso.
15 April 1942:
Departs Seso.
16 April 1942:
Arrives at Naha.
17 April 1942:
Departs Naha.
18 April 1942:
Arrives at Ishigaki.
19 April 1942:
Departs Ishigaki and arrives at Funauki, Iromote Island later this day.
20 April 1942:
Departs Funauki.
21 April 1942:
Arrives at Miyako and departs later that day.
22 April 1942:
Arrives at Naha.
24 April 1942:
Departs Naha.
25 April 1942:
Arrives at Seso.
3 May 1942:
Departs Seso and arrives at Naze. Departs there later that day.
4 May 1942:
Arrives at Kagoshima.
8 May 1942:
Departs Kagoshima.
9 May 1942:
Arrives at Naze and departs there later this day.
13 May 1942:
Arrives at Seso.
15 May 1942:
Departs Seso and returns there later that day.
16 May 1942:
Departs Seso and returns there later this day.
24 May 1942:
Departs Seso.
25 May 1942:
Arrives at Sasebo.
8 June 1942:
Departs Sasebo.
9 June 1942:
Arrives at Seso.
10 June 1942:
Departs Seso.
14 June 1942:
Arrives at Seso.
5 July 1942:
Departs Seso.
6 July 1942:
Arrives at Naha.
10 July 1942:
Departs Naha.
11 July 1942:
Arrives at Seso.
14 July 1942:
Departs Seso.
15 July 1942:
Arrives at Seso.
20 July 1942:
Replenishes fresh water.
24 July 1942:
Departs Seso.
25 July 1942:
Arrives at Naha.
29 July 1942:
Departs Naha and returns there later that day.
30 July 1942:
Departs Naha.
31 July 1942:
Arrives at Okidaito and departs there later this day.
1 August 1942:
Arrives at Seso.
7 August 1942:
Undergoes steam pipe repair for onboard crane.
14 August 1942:
Departs Seso on an anti-submarine sweep.
17 August 1942:
Arrives at Seso.
19 August 1942:
Departs Seso to assist powerless auxiliary patrol craft TORA MARU No. 6.
21 August 1942:
Arrives at Seso.
25 august 1942:
Departs Seso on an anti-air attack shooting exercise. Returns later that day. Undergoes boat rudder repairs.
6 September 1942:
Departs Seso.
8 September 1942:
Arrives at Sasebo.
20 September 1942:
Departs Sasebo and arrives at Ushibuka later this day.
21 September 1942:
Departs Ushibuka.
22 September 1942:
Arrives at Seso.
E 23 ~ 24 September 1942:
Loads Type 96 25mm guns, Type 93 13mm MGs and “HI” Type quad. 12.7mm MGs. Embarks 230 passengers.
25 September 1942:
Departs Seso.
27 September 1942:
Arrives at Sasebo.
29 September 1942:
Departs Sasebo.
1 October 1942:
Arrives at Seso.
7 October 1942:
Departs Seso on a shooting exercise. Returns there later that day.
9 October 1942:
Departs Seso and returns there later this day.
11 October 1942:
Departs Seso.
12 October 1942:
Heads towards Okidaito but is forced to return to Seso because of bad weather. Departs Seso later that day on an anti-submarine sweep.
16 October 1942:
Arrives at Seso and departs on an anti-submarine sweep later this day.
19 October 1942:
Assists FUSHIMI MARU.
23 October 1942:
Arrives at Nago, Okinawa.
26 October 1942:
Departs Nago.
27 October 1942:
Arrives at Seso.
31 October 1942:
Loads 35-tons boiler water.
5 ~ 6 November 1942:
Undergoes boiler burners’ repairs.
10 November 1942:
Attached to the Sea Defense Force, Oshima Defense Force under Sasebo Naval District instruction No. 33.
11 November 1942:
Departs Seso.
12 November 1942:
Arrives at Okidaito Jima.
13 November 1943:
Departs Okidaito Jima and arrives at Seso later that day.
24 November 1942:
Departs Seso and returns there later this day.
1 December 1942 ~ 31 December 1942:
Undergoes various machinery repairs.
6 December 1942:
Attached to the Sea Defense Forces, Oshima Defense Forces under Sasebo Guard instruction No. 34.
17 December 1942:
Attached to Sea Defense Forces, Oshima Defense Unit under Chinkai Sea Defense Forces instruction No. 47.
1 January 1943:
Derequisitioned under instruction No. 3 and requisitioned again under instruction No. 4 later this day. Registered as an auxiliary fleet replenishment vessel (Tokusetsu Unsokan) attached to the Sasebo Naval district. Navy (Resv) Lt Yuichi Saito is confirmed as CO. The ship is at sea at the time off Amami Oshima with cargo ship (ex-auxiliary gunboat) KAHOKU MARU.
8 January 1943:
Departs Seso.
10 January 1943:
Arrives at Sasebo.
29 January 1943:
Departs Sasebo.
1 February 1943:
Arrives at Osaka.
19 February 1943:
Departs Osaka.
20 February 1943:
Arrives at Moji.
21 February 1943:
Departs Moji.
22 February 1943:
Arrives at Sasebo.
15 March 1943:
Departs Sasebo.
17 March 1943:
Arrives at Hirohata.
21 March 1943:
Departs Hirohata.
26 March 1943:
Arrives at Chinnampo, Chosen (now North Korea).
30 March 1943:
Departs Chinnampo.
3 April 1943:
Arrives at Kure.
7 April 1943:
Departs Kure.
9 April 1943:
Arrives at Yawata.
15 April 1943:
Departs Yawata.
18 April 1943:
Arrives at Chinnampo.
21 April 1943:
Departs Chinnampo.
24 April 1943:
Arrives at Kaishu (Haizhou), Chosen (now Haeju, North Korea).
26 April 1943:
Departs Kaishu.
30 April 1943:
Arrives at Osaka.
4 May 1943:
Departs Osaka.
6 May 1943:
Arrives at Wakamatsu.
8 May 1943:
Departs Wakamatsu.
12 May 1943:
Arrives at Ominato.
15 May 1943:
Departs Ominato.
19 May 1943:
Arrives at Tennei, Etorufu, Kuriles.
28 May 1943:
Departs Tennei.
31 May 1943:
Arrives at Hakodate. Navy (Resv) Lt Imai Tetsuo is appointed CO.
2 June 1943:
Departs Hakodate and arrives at Ominato later that day.
4 June 1943:
Departs Ominato.
9 June 1943:
Arrives at Musashi Bay, Paramushiro, Kuriles.
15 June 1943:
Departs Musashi Bay and arrives at Suribachi Bay, Paramushiro later this day.
17 June 1943:
Departs Suribachi Bay.
21 June 1943:
Arrives at Otaru.
22 June 1943:
Departs Otaru.
23 June 1943:
Arrives at Ominato.
28 June 1943:
Departs Ominato.
29 June 1943:
Arrives at Otaru.
30 June 1943:
Departs Otaru.
1 July 1943:
Navy (Resv) Lt Imai Tetsuo is confirmed as CO.
4 July 1943:
Arrives at Musashi Bay.
5 July 1943:
Departs Musashi Bay.
10 July 1943:
Arrives at Ominato.
15 July 1943:
Departs Ominato.
16 July 1943:
Arrives at Otaru.
18 July 1943:
Departs Otaru.
20 July 1943:
At 47-15N, 146-37E targeted by an enemy submarine’s torpedo but sustains no damage.
22 July 1943:
Arrives at Musashi Bay.
29 July 1943:
Departs Musashi Bay and arrives at Suribachi Bay later that day.
31 July 1943:
Departs Suribachi Bay.
20 September 1943:
At 1916, Lt. (later Cdr.) Vincent A. Sisler, Jr.’s USS S-28 (SS-133) sights KATSURA MARU No. 2 GO sailing alone. At 1943, he fires a spread of four torpedoes of which two hit KATSURA MARU NO. 2 GO. At 1944, Sisler observes the ship is listing 30° to starboard, down by the bow and omitting heavy brown smoke. At 1946, KATSURA MARU No. 2 GO starts sinking bow first at 49-05N, 151-45E, about 165 nautical miles SW Paramushiro, Kuriles. Five crewmen are KIA.

Authors' Notes:
Thanks go to Gengoro S. Toda of Japan.

- Gilbert Casse, Berend van der Wal and Peter Cundall.

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