RIKUGUN YUSOSEN
(KEIFUKU MARU, prewar)
KEIFUKU MARU:
Tabular Record of Movement
© 2018 Bob Hackett
18 October 1918:
Kobe. Laid down at Kawasaki Dockyard Co., Ltd. as Yard No. 430, a 5, 857-ton passenger-cargo ship for Kawasaki Shipyard Co., Ltd.
17 December 1918:
Launched and named KEIFUKU MARU.
11 January 1919:
Completed.
1 February 1920:
Sold to Kokusai Kisen K. K. (International Steamship Co.), Tokyo.
1920-1933:
In International Steamship Co.'s service.
26 August 1933:
Sold to the Daiko Shosen, K. K. line.
18 November 1941:
Requisitioned by the Imperial Army (IJA) as a transport and allotted Army No. 546.
18 February 1942:
At 0800, KEIFUKU MARU departs Mutsure in the IJA's 56th Infantry Division’s Convoy No. 2 Section also consisting of HIBURI, KAZUURA, KOTOHIRA, MYOKO, NAPLES and SANKO MARUs escorted by destroyer FUYO, auxiliary gunboat TOMITSU MARU and auxiliary minelayer KAHOKU MARU. At 1800, the convoy temporarily anchors at Toshin Bay (Tangjin Wan), Chosen (Korea).
22 February 1942:
Arrives at Takao, Formosa (Taiwan).
9 May 1942:
At 1200, KEIFUKU MARU departs Mako, Pescadores in convoy No. 206 also consisting of transports KINUGAWA, MEIYU, NANYO, TAISHO, TATSUWA, SENZAN and WAYO MARUs and stores ship SHINSEI MARU escorted by destroyer SANAE and minelayers TATSUHARU MARU and TSUBAME.
13 May 1942:
At 2330, KEIFUKU MARU is detached from the convoy and arrives at Sasebo with three other ships and SANAE. The others proceed to Mutsure.
6 January 1943:
Rabaul, New Britain. Six B-17's and six B-24 “Liberators” attack the harbor and airfields. Transport (ex-seaplane tender) KAGU MARU and transport SEIA MARU are lightly damaged as is destroyer TACHIKAZE. Two B-17's of the 43rd Bomb Group, including one carrying Brig Gen Kenneth N. Walker, Commanding General, V Bomber Command, are shot down by IJN fighters. Walker and his entire crew are KIA. Walker is awarded the MOH, posthumously.
KEIFUKU MARU is sunk at nearby Takubar. Three crewmen are KIA.
Author's Note:
Thanks go to Erich Muehlthaler of Germany.
Bob Hackett
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