RIKUGUN YUSOSEN

(KINKASAN MARU, prewar )

KINKAZAN MARU:
Tabular Record of Movement

© 2017 Bob Hackett

E 1910:
Middlesbrough, U.K. Laid down at Sir Raylton Dixon & Co., Ltd as a 4,980-ton cargo ship for Mitsui Kisen K. K., Kobe.

June 1911:
Launched and named KINKAZAN MARU.

July 1911:
Completed.

2 October 1941:
Requisitioned by the Imperial Army (IJA) and converted to a troop transport. Allotted Army No. 367.

17 February 1942:
At 0800, KINKAZAN and TAISHO MARUs depart Mutsure for Mako in No. 56 Army Division Convoy Section No. 1 also consisting of south bound AOBASAN, HARUNA, KYUSHU, NAGARA, NAKO and SAKITO MARUs south escorted by destroyer ASAGAO and KARUKAYA and minelayer HIRASHIMA.

20 February 1942:
At 1100, arrives at Mako.

6 July 1942:
At 0800, departs St Jacques escorting convoy No. 511 consisting of KINKAZAN MARU and three unidentified merchant ships escorted by destroyer ASAGAO.

9 July 1942:
At 1100, arrives at Singapore.

5 September 1942:
KINKAZAN MARU departs Mako in convoy No. 259 also consisting of TAGA MARU and three unidentified merchants escorted by destroyer KURETAKE

E 7 September 1942:
KURETAKE is detached.

10 September 1942:
The rest of the convoy arrives at Mutsure, near Moji.

17 October 1942:
At 1300, KINKAZAN MARU departs Mako escorting convoy No. 343 also consisting of FUKKAI MARUs escorted by destroyer SANAE.

23 October 1942:
At 0600 arrives at St Jacques.

25 October 1942:
At 1100, KINKAZAN MARU departs St Jacques in convoy No. 534 also consisting of FUKKAI MARU and an unidentified merchant escorted by destroyer SANAE.

28 October 1942:
Arrives at Singapore.

20 April 1943:
At 0600, KINKAZAN MARU departs Saeki, Kyushu in convoy No. 420 also consisting of KOYU and ONOE MARUs escorted by patrol boat PB-46.

28 April 1943:
At 1440, arrives at Palau.

7 June 1943:
KINKAZAN MARU departs Rabaul in convoy in O-704 also consisting of HEIMEI, KONAN and MAKASSAR MARUs escorted by subchasers CH-24. and CH-37.

13 June 1943:
SE of Palau. Convoy O-704 is intercepted by LtCdr (later Rear Admiral-Ret) Edward S. Carmick's (USNA ’30) USS SARGO (SS-188) that begins tracking the convoy. At 2200, SARGO fires two torpedoes and gets two hits that sink KONAN MARU at 06-05N, 138-25E. Four crewmen are KIA. The subchasers drop four DCs that do some damage to SARGO, but she arrives safely at Midway.

20 July 1943:
At 1200, KINKAZAN MARU departs Palau in convoy FU-006 also consisting of ERIE, INARI, KAMO, KENZAN and NISSHU MARUs escorted by patrol boat PB-46 and minesweeper W-17.

E 21 July 1943:
At 10N, PB-46 and W-17 are detached.

E 29 July 1943:
The escort of convoy FU-006 is joined by minelayer NUWAJIMA and auxiliary minesweeper TAMA MARU No. 7 at 30N, 134E. At 1500, the convoy arrives at Fukajima.

7 September 1943:
At 0700, KINKAZAN MARU departs Takao in convoy No. 768 consisting of TSUKIKAWA, SHONAN (5859 grt) and ZUISHO MARUs and two unidentified merchant ships escorted by destroyer FUYO.

10 September 1943:
At 1000, arrives at Manila.

13 September 1943:
At 1200, KINKAZAN MARU departs Manila in convoy No. 3112 also consisting of MAEBASHI MARU.

18 September 1943:
At 1600 arrives at Palau.

28 September 1943:
KINKAZAN MARU departs Palau for Rabaul in convoy SO-805 also consisting of IJA transports MAEBASHI, NISSHU, TONEI_and TOUN MARUs escorted by subchasers CH-16 and CH-38.

30 September 1943:
373 miles ESE of Palau. At 0640, LtCdr George H. Wales' (USNA ’29) USS POGY (SS-266) torpedoes and sinks MAEBASHI MARU at 01-00N, 139-28E. The IJA transport is carrying 2,367 IJA troops and other passengers, ammunition, 10 heavy vehicles, 40 oil drums, hemp rope, pontoons, etc. She takes down 1,389 troops, 13 gunners and 48 crewmen. [2]

1 October 1943:
746 miles ESE of Palau. About 1700, At 04-00N, 143-50E, LtCdr (later Rear Admiral) William T. Nelson's (USNA ’30) USS PETO (SS-265) torpedoes and sinks KINKAZAN MARU. Three crewman are KIA. PETO also torpedoes and sinks TONEI MARU. 10 crewmen are KIA.

6 October 1943:
The remainder of the convoy arrives at Rabaul.

Authors Notes:
[1] Also known as KINKASAN MARU.

Thanks go to Erich Muehlthaler of Germany.

- Bob Hackett

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