ZATSUYOSEN!
(KIRIKAWA MARU, prewar)
IJN KIRIKAWA MARU:
Tabular Record of Movement
© 2012-2015 Gilbert Casse, Bob Hackett and Peter Cundall
Revision 3
16 February 1937:
Kobe. Laid down by Kawasaki K.K. Zosensho shipyard for Kawasaki Kisen K.K. as a 3,829-ton cargo ship.
26 April 1937:
Launched and named KIRIKAWA MARU.
10 December 1937:
Completed and registered in Kobe. Her Gross Registered Tonnage (GRT) is 3,829-tons and her Net Registered Tonnage (NRT) 2,248-tons. [1]
December 1937:
Placed on Kawasaki Kisen K.K. Osaka Eastern route.
1938:
Her GRT and NRT are respectively changed to 3,836-tons and 2,250-tons.
January 1938:
Departs Osaka and arrives later at Odomari, Mie Prefecture.
25 December 1940:
Requisitioned by the IJN as a general transport (Ippan Choyosen).
27 December 1940:
Begins her conversion to her military duty at Sasebo Navy Yard.
15 January 1941:
The conversion is completed.
15 October 1941:
Registered in the IJN as an auxiliary transport, (Otsu) category and attached to the Sasebo Naval District with Sasebo as homeport under internal order No. 1256. [2]
18 October 1941:
Departs Sasebo.
E October-November 1941:
Operates in the South Seas area (Japanese mandated islands).
9 December 1941:
Arrives at Sasebo.
12 December 1941:
Departs Sasebo.
13 December 1941:
Arrives at Koniya, Amami-Oshima.
16 December 1941:
Departs Koniya.
17 December 1941:
Arrives at Naha, Okinawa.
19 December 1941:
Departs Naha.
24 December 1941:
Arrives at Oki-Daito, Daito Shoto.
25 December 1941:
Departs Oki-Daito.
27 December 1941:
Arrives at Yonakuni, Yaeyama Retto.
31 December 1941:
Departs Yonakuni.
1 January 1942:
At 0845, arrives at Iriomote, Yaeyama Retto.
4 January 1942:
At 0545, departs Iriomote and at 0950, arrives at Ishigaki, Yaeyama Retto.
5 January 1942:
At 2220, departs Ishigaki.
6 January 1942:
At 1010, arrives at Miyakojima, Miyako Retto.
7 January 1942:
At 1220, departs Miyakojima.
9 January 1942:
At 1450, arrives at Koniya.
10 January 1942:
At 1500, departs Koniya.
12 January 1942:
At 1220, arrives at Sasebo.
14 January 1942:
Assigned to personnel and supplies transport mission under Sasebo Naval District instruction No. 19.
E 14-18 January 1942:
Loads 1,000-tons of coal bound for Amoy (now Xiamen, China), 100-tons of ammunition, 1,300-tons of assorted goods, 100-tons of drummed oil bound for Mako, Pescadores, 43-tons of explosives, five aircraft bound for Takao, Formosa (now Kaohsiung, Taiwan), 100-tons of aircraft weapons, 100-tons of cement, 92 drums of aviation gasoline totaling 200-tons bound for Samah, Hainan Island, 100-tons of gasoline, 150-tons of radio equipment, 350-tons of lumber and other building materials.
15 January 1942:
Rerated as a graduated auxiliary transport under Sasebo Naval District instruction No. 14.
18 January 1942:
At 1200, departs Sasebo and arrives later that day at 2150, at Miike, Fukuoka Prefecture.
20 January 1942:
At 1155, departs Miike.
23 January 1942:
At 2345, arrives at Amoy.
26 January 1942:
At 1800, departs Amoy.
27 January 1942:
At 1115, arrives at Mako.
28 January 1942:
At 1600, departs Mako.
29 January 1942:
At 0900, arrives at Takao.
2 February 1942:
At 0900, departs Takao.
5 February 1942:
At 0630, arrives at Samah, Hainan Island.
9 February 1942:
At 0700, departs Samah for Yulin, Hainan Island, arriving there at 1100.
12 February 1942:
At 0825, departs Yulin.
21 February 1942:
At 1150, arrives at Yawata, Fukuoka Prefecture.
22 February 1942:
At 1600, departs Yawata.
23 February 1942:
At 1445, arrives at Sasebo.
26 February 1942:
Assigned to personnel and supplies transport mission under Sasebo Naval District instruction No. 116.
E 26-27 February 1942:
Embarks 394 passengers, drummed aviation gasoline totaling 700-tons, drummed gasoline totaling 68-tons, two drummed grade one fuel totaling 162-tons and 200-tons of ammunition and other sundries.
28 February 1942:
At 1310, departs Sasebo.
2 March 1942:
At 1835, arrives at Shanghai.
6 March 1942:
At 1400, departs Shanghai.
9 March 1942:
At 1130, arrives at Sasebo.
14 March 1942:
At 1305, departs Sasebo.
18 March 1942:
At 0650, arrives at Amoy.
19 March 1942:
At 0850, departs Amoy.
20 March 1942:
At 1305, arrives at Hong Kong.
22 March 1942:
At 1655, departs Hong Kong.
23 March 1942:
At 2300, arrives at Haikow (Haikou), China.
28 March 1942:
At 0730, departs Haikow.
1 April 1942:
Arrives at Takao.
4 April 1942:
At 1850, departs Takao.
9 April 1942:
At 1050, arrives at Sasebo.
10 April 1942:
Attachment confirmed to Sasebo Naval District.
12 April 1942:
At 1255, departs Sasebo.
13 April 1942:
At 0950, arrives at Shimonoseki, Yamaguchi Prefecture.
14 April 1942:
At 1600, departs Shimonoseki.
15 April 1942:
At 0905, arrives at Kure.
16 April 1942:
At 1405, departs Kure for Hiro, arriving at 1900.
22 April 1942:
At 2105, departs Hiro.
25 April 1942:
At 1955, arrives at Dairen, Manchuria (now Dalian, China).
29 April 1942:
At 1715, departs Dairen.
3 May 1942:
At 0900, arrives at Kure.
5 May 1942:
At 0500, departs Kure.
6 May 1942:
At 1550, arrives at Nagasaki.
9 May 1942:
At 0500, departs for Sasebo arriving at 1015.
11 May 1942:
At 1200, departs Sasebo.
13 May 1942:
At 1800, arrives at Kobe.
15 May 1942:
Scheduled to be fitted with one Type 92 7.7mm MG and five Type 38 Arisaka rifles under Navy secret instruction No. 5990.
17 May 1942:
At 0800, departs Kobe.
18 May 1942:
At 0815, arrives at Moji.
21 May 1942:
At 1200, departs Moji in convoy No. 116 also consisting of KANJU, MIE and HOKUSHIN MARUs escorted by destroyer SANAE, and partway by Auxiliary gunboat TOMITSU MARU, which meets the convoy later that day after departing Sasebo.
26 May 1942:
At 0745, arrives at Takao.
1 June 1942:
At 0835, departs Takao.
4 June 1942:
At 1145, arrives at Manila, Luzon. Departs later in the day at 1400, for Balikpapan, Borneo as the sole vessel in convoy No. 901 escorted by destroyer MINAZUKI and subchaser CH-3.
9 June 1942:
At 1930, arrives at Balikpapan.
12 June 1942:
Scheduled to be fitted with one 8cm/40 deck gun under Navy secret instruction No. 7246.
17 June 1942:
At 0800, departs Balikpapan.
18 June 1942:
At 1020, arrives at Sanga-Sanga, Borneo.
29 June 1942:
At 0955, departs for Loakulu, Borneo, arriving at 1315.
30 June 1942:
At 1310, departs Loakulu.
2 July 1942:
At 1955, arrives at Tarakan, Borneo.
4 July 1942:
At 0755, departs Tarakan.
11 July 1942:
At 1720, arrives at Saigon, Indochina (now Ho-Chi-Minh city, Vietnam).
14 July 1942:
At 1615, departs Saigon.
21 July 1942:
At 1805, arrives at Kirun, Formosa (now Keelung, Taiwan).
23 July 1942:
At 1400, departs Kirun.
26 July 1942:
At 2000, arrives at Shanghai.
2 August 1942:
At 0900, departs Shanghai.
4 August 1942:
At 1400, arrives at Sasebo.
6 August 1942:
At 1240, departs Sasebo.
8 August 1942:
At 0900, arrives at Osaka.
10 August 1942:
At 0800, departs Osaka.
11 August 1942:
At 1700, arrives at Yokosuka.
19 August 1942:
At 0900, departs Yokosuka.
27 August 1942:
At 1400, arrives at Wake (renamed Otori-jima after its capture).
29 August 1942:
At 1205, departs Wake.
6 September 1942:
At 0850, arrives at Rabaul, New Britain.
10 September 1942:
At 1410, departs Rabaul.
11 September 1942:
At 0825, arrives at Kavieng, New Ireland.
18 September 1942:
At 1200, departs Kavieng.
19 September 1942:
At 0545, arrives at Rabaul.
2 October 1942:
At 1600, departs Rabaul.
7 October 1942:
At 0900, arrives at Fais, eastern Carolines.
11 October 1942:
At 1200, departs Fais.
13 October 1942:
At 1730, arrives at Saipan, Marianas. That same day, nine of her crew including her Captain, suffer from malaria disease forcing the ship to stay at anchorage.
30 October 1942:
At 1600, departs Saipan with auxiliary ammunition ship KOGYO MARU, apparently without escort.
6 November 1942:
At 2130, arrives at Niihama, Shikoku.
7 November 1942:
At 1455, departs Niihama.
8 November 1942:
At 0654, arrives in the Kanmon straits.
11 November 1942:
At 0755, departs the Kanmon straits.
12 November 1942:
At 0645, arrives at Kobe.
28 November 1942:
At 1015, departs Kobe.
30 November 1942:
At 0840, arrives at Yokosuka.
10 December 1942:
At 1200, departs Yokosuka in a southbound convoy also consisting of auxiliary armed merchant cruiser BANGKOK MARU, auxiliary collier/oiler ASAKAZE MARU and auxiliary ammunition ship TATSUTAKE MARU escorted by destroyers OKIKAZE and YAMAGUMO.
16 December 1942:
At 1700, arrives at Saipan.
22 December 1942:
At 1245, arrives at Rabaul.
28 December 1942:
At 0730, departs Rabaul.
1 January 1943:
At 0830, arrives at Truk, Central Carolines escorted by auxiliary minelayer MA-3 which probably joined en route.
4 January 1943:
At 1445, departs Truk with IJA transport FUKUYAMA (ex-British FEDERLOCK) MARU and possibly others escorted by unknown escort.
9 January 1943:
At 0845, arrives at Palau, Western Carolines.
18 January 1943:
At 1000, departs Palau.
27 January 1943:
At 0900, arrives at Yokohama.
29 January 1943:
At 0730, departs for Yokosuka at 1000.
1 February 1943:
At 1400, departs Yokosuka in convoy No. 3201 also consisting of MITAKESAN MARU escorted by minesweeper W-17. At an unknown date the convoy is met by auxiliary gunboat SHOTOKU MARU.
8 February 1943:
At 11-10N 150-50E destroyer YUNAGI takes over escort from SHOTOKU MARU, that returns to Saipan.
9 February 1943:
At 1930, arrives at Truk.
13 February 1943:
At 1400, departs Truk carrying elements of the 7th Yokosuka SNLF.
17 February 1943:
At 0900, arrives at Rabaul.
25 February 1943:
At 1700, departs Rabaul escorted by minesweeper W-22.
26 February 1943:
At 2030, arrives at Shortlands, Solomons.
27 February 1943:
At 0400, depparts for Buin, Bougainville Island, Solomons, arriving at 0600. Departs at 0900 in an unidentified convoy escorted by subchaser CH-26 and minesweeper W-22 for Kolombangara, Solomons, carrying elements of the 7th Yokosuka SNLF, two 14cm guns, four 8cm guns, assorted goods, ammunition, fuel and other sundries totaling 600-tons. NE of Vella Lavella, Solomons. USN SBD "Dauntless" dive-bombers and F4U "Corsair"fighter-bombers, escorted by USAAF P-38 "Lightning" and P-40 "Warhawk" fighters, attack the convoy and heavily damage KIRIKAWA MARU, whose cargo of ammunition catches fire. Either CH-26 or minesweeper W-22 scuttles the burning ship with three shots. She sinks at 07-32S, 156-44E probably with all hands.
1 April 1943:
Removed from the Navy’s list under internal order No. 587.
Authors notes :
[1] NRT is a ship's cargo volume capacity expressed in "register tons", one of which equals to a volume of 100 cubic feet (2.83 m3). It is calculated by reducing non-revenue-earning spaces i.e. spaces not available for carrying cargo, for example engine rooms, fuel tanks and crew quarters, from the ship's gross register tonnage (GRT). Net register tonnage (NRT) is not a measure of the weight of the ship or its cargo, and should not be confused with terms such as deadweight tonnage or displacement.
[2] There were two categories of Zatsuyosen. (Ko) category with an IJN Captain as supervisor aboard and (Otsu) category without.
Thanks go to Gengoro S. Toda of Japan. Thanks go also to John Whitman of Virginia, USA for troop info.
Gilbert Casse, Bob Hackett and Peter Cundall
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