KYUHEIKAN!
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(KOGYO MARU prewar)
IJN KOGYO MARU:
Tabular Record of Movement
© 2009-2018 Bob Hackett, Sander Kingsepp and Peter Cundall.
Revision 5
16 May 1938:
Yokosuka (Uraga). Laid down at Uraga Dock Co. as a 6353-ton cargo ship for Okada Gumi K. K., Osaka.
6 June 1938:
Launched and named KOGYO MARU.
2 February 1939:
Completed.
30 August 1941:
Requisitioned by the IJN.
5 September 1941:
Registered in the Kure Naval District as an auxiliary transport ship. Recalled retired Navy Captain (later Rear Admiral) Kusakabe Enjiro (39) is appointed Supervisor.
7 September 1941:
Kobe. Begins conversion at Kawasaki shipyard.
7 November 1941:
Assigned to the IJN's Southern Forces.
26 November 1941:
Attached to the Malaya Seizure Force. Loads 150 tons of boiler oil, 300 tons of water and weapons. Assigned directly to HQ, Combined Fleet.
5 December 1941:
At Kure Navy yard. Completes conversion. Departs Kure.
12 December 1941:
Arrives at Samah, Hainan Island.
30 December 1941:
Departs Samah.
31 December 1941:
Arrives at Camranh Bay, Vichy French Indochina.
25 January 1942:
Departs Camranh Bay.
3 February 1942:
Arrives at Sasebo.
9 February 1942:
Departs Sasebo.
28 February 1942: Operation "J" - The Invasion of Java, Netherlands East
Indies:
KOGYO MARU is with Vice Admiral Takahashi Ibo's (former CO of YAMASHIRO) (36) Third Fleet's Netherlands East Indies Force and attached to Vice Admiral Ozawa
Jisaburo’s (37) Western Java Seizure Force. She participates in the invasions of Bantam Bay, near Batavia (now Jakarta), and Merak, Java.
10 April 1942: Operation "C" - The Raids in the Indian Ocean:
Attached to the Indian Ocean Raiding Force.
5 May 1942: Operation "MI" - The Battle of Midway:
KOGYO MARU is assigned in support of the operation.
7 May 1942:
Arrives at Kure.
8 May 1942:
Assigned to the main force in support of the Western Aleutian Seizure operation.
7 July 1942:
Okada Gumi is reconstituted as Okada Shosen K.K. KOGYO MARU’s port of registry is changed to Tokyo.
8 July 1942:
Departs Kure.
3 August 1942:
Arrives at Moji.
9 August 1942:
Departs Moji.
3 September 1942:
Arrives at Osaka.
15 September 1942:
Departs Kure.
23 September 1942:
Arrives at Saigon, Vichy French Indochina.
28 September 1942:
Departs Saigon.
6 October 1942:
Arrives at Nagasaki.
15 October 1942:
Departs Nagasaki.
22 October 1942:
Arrives at Saigon.
29 October 1942:
Departs Saigon.
8 November 1942:
Arrives at Osaka.
11 November 1942:
Departs Osaka.
13 November 1942:
Arrives at Kure.
2 December 1942:
Departs Kure.
4 February 1943:
An unknown officer is appointed Supervisor.
11 July 1943:
Arrives at Kure.
13 July 1943:
Departs Kure.
15 July 1943:
Arrives at Maizuru.
30 July 1943:
Departs Maizuru.
31 July 1943:
Arrives at Mutsure.
4 August 1943:
KOGYO MARU departs Mutsure in convoy No. 183 consisting of tankers SHOYO MARU, OGURA MARU No.1 and OGURA MARU No. 2, transports SAIHO, NIKKO and MANSHU MARUs and four unidentified merchant ships escorted by destroyer ASAGAO.
9 August 1943:
Arrives at Mako, Pescadores.
11 August 1943:
Departs Mako transporting Naval personnel.
28 August 1943:
Arrives at Singapore, Malaya and later that day departs in a unnamed convoy consisting of KOGYO and TATSUHARU MARUs escorted by torpedo boat KARI. The convoy carries a Naval Construction Unit destined for Car Nicobar, Andaman Islands, Indian Ocean.
29 August 1943:
Arrives at Penang, Malaya.
3 September 1943:
Departs Penang.
4 September 1943:
Arrives at Sabang, Sumatra.
15 September 1943:
Arrives at Car Nicobar.
21 September 1943:
Departs Car Nicobar.
2 October 1943:
Arrives at Saigon..
11 October 1943:
Departs Saigon.
21 October 1943:
KOGYO MARU departs Manila in a convoy consisting of NAGOYA and ARATAMA MARUs escorted by torpedo boat HAYABUSA initially to Cebu, Philippines, then to Palau.
2 November 1943:
At 1600, KOGYO MARU departs Palau in convoy No. SO-205 consisting of SHICHISEI, TESHIO, NAGOYA and ARATAMA MARUs and DAIGEN MARU No. 3 escorted by subchasers CH-22, CH-24 and CH-39.
4 November 1943:
At 1700 in 05-20N 140-00E two torpedoes miss KOGYO MARU. The escorts counter-attack and the convoy continues.
9 November 1943:
At 1940 a B-25 attacks the convoy without causing damage.
10 November 1943:
At 1200, arrives at Rabaul.
10 December 1943:
Departs Rabaul in convoy No. 2102 consisting of
KOGYO MARU and NAGOYA MARU escorted by torpedo boat OTORI.
14 December 1943:
Arrives at Truk.
21 December 1943:
Departs Truk escorted by destroyers AKEBONO, SAZANAMI and AMAGIRI.
27 December 1943:
At 0700, departs Truk in convoy No. 4227 consisting only of KOGYO MARU escorted by patrol boat PB-46 and kaibokan OKI.
5 January 1944:
Arrives at Yokosuka.
10 January 1944:
At 0700, KOGYO MARU departs Yokohama for Owase in convoy No. 7110 consisting of MISHIMA and TAIRYU MARUs and an unidentified freighter escorted by patrol boat PB-46, auxiliary minesweepers SAISHU MARU No. 6 and SAISHU MARU No. 7.
12 January 1944:
S of Daio Zaki, Honshu. At about 2300, LtCdr (later
Rear Admiral) William B. Sieglaff's (USNA ’31) USS TAUTOG (SS-199) attacks the convoy at 34-10N, 136-55E. Sieglaff fires three torpedoes at one freighter and one at another. KOGYO MARU is hit in the engine room, floods and takes on a list to port.
13 January 1944:
After 0003, patrol boat PB-46 conducts a depth-charge attack against an underwater target. At 0250, the Ise Bay Guard Unit dispatches auxiliary mine sweeper BANSHU MARU No. 18 to the area to intercept the submarine. At 0530, PB-46 takes KOGYO MARU under tow.
14 January 1944:
Returns to Owase Bay.
15 January 1944:
Arrives at Nagoya.
1 April 1944:
Transferred to the Kure Naval District as an auxiliary transport ship.
31 July 1944:
Departs Nagoya carrying aircraft spare parts for land based aircraft damaged during the Battle of the Philippine Sea.
4 August 1944:
Arrives at Kure. Loads troops and supplies for 332nd Construction Unit. KOGYO MARU embarks 447 passengers including elements of the 439-man 332nd Naval Construction Unit and its equipment consisting of one 6-ton tractor, one 10-ton tractor for carryall, two tractors for bulldozers and carryalls, one 4 cubic meter carryall, two trucks with a crane, one half-ton 4WD truck, two water-sprinkler trucks, one sawing machine car, one 8-ton rolling compaction machine, three 6-ton rolling compaction machines, one 10-ton trailer, one 4-ton trailer, 15 trucks, two dump trucks, one filter car, one 40KVA generator car, one 5-ton gasoline engine car, two 50 HP portable compressors, two 50HP fixed compressors, one 2.5HP fixed compressor, two concrete mixers, two macadam machines and other equipment.
11 August 1944:
At 1830 departs Kure.
12 August 1944:
At 1000 arrives at Wakamatsu.
13 August 1944:
At 1700 departs Wakamatsu.
15 August 1944:
At 0600, KOGYO MARU departs Moji for Takao in convoy MOTA-23 also consisting of FUKUREI, EDOGAWA, DAIJO, EIJII, MANSHU, ATSUTA, CHINA, ROZAN, EIMAN, TOYOOKA and AWAJI MARUs and YOSHIDA MARU No. 3, TOYO MARU No. 3 and an unidentified ship escorted by destroyer HATSUSHIMO, torpedo boat HIYODORI, kaibokan CD-10, CD-20, minesweeper W-20 and subchaser CH-63.
18 August 1944:
At 1000 arrives at Kagoshima.
19 August 1944:
At 0300 departs Kagoshima.
24 August 1944:
At about 0700, LtCdr Henry S. Monroe's (USNA ’33) USS RONQUIL (SS-396) torpedoes and sinks YOSHIDA MARU No. 3. 70 crewmen, 10 gunners and 96 troops out of 99 are KIA. At about the same time, Monroe torpedoes and damages FUKUREI MARU. She floods and drifts ashore where she is abandoned about three months later.
25 August 1944:
At 1400, the convoy arrives at Keelung.
27 August 1944:
At 0700 departs Keelung.
28 August 1944:
At 1700 arrives at Takao.
5 September 1944:
At 1900, KOGYO MARU departs Takao for Manila in convoy TAMA-25 also consisting of ATSUTA, EIJI, EIMAN, HOKUSEN, MANSHU, NANREI, ROZAN, SHOKOKU and TOYOOKA MARUs escorted by destroyers HATSUHARU, HIBIKI, kaibokan CD-1, CD-3, CD-7, CD-8, torpedo-boat HIYODORI, minesweeper W-20, subchaser CH-63 and auxiliary subchaser CHa-67. The convoy is carrying reinforcements, equipment and ammunition for the defense of the Philippine Islands.
6 September 1944:
At 0230, KOGYO MARU develops engine troubles and turns back.
7 September 1944:
At 0930 departs Takao again. Rejoins convoy TAMA-25 probably off Tungchiang. The convoy reforms and adopts a zig zag formation. At 1034, together with W-17 and CH-41 is detached from convoy MI-17 and they head towards Takao. The ship does not rejoin the convoy again.
8 September 1944:
At 0200 submarine chaser CH-41 meets up with convoy TAMA-25. At 1100 W-20 meets up with TAMA-25.
9 September 1944:
43 miles NW of Calayan Island. At about 0315, TOYOOKA MARU is torpedoed by LtCdr (later Rear Admiral) Charles E. Loughlin's USS QUEENFISH (SS-393). She sinks five minutes later at 19-45N, 120-55E. 1,036 soldiers and nine crewmen are killed. At 0319, MANSHU MARU is hit by a torpedo from QUEENFISH on her starboard side. She takes on a list, then two more torpedoes strike No. 3 hold and the engine room. The list increases and by 0322 sinks by the stern. She was carrying 1,492 men of the 42nd Infantry Regiment, plus her crew. 900 are killed. At 0326, drops 9 depth charges. At 0635, CD-1 and CD-3 rescue survivors. At 0738, W-17 and CH-41 start an anti-submarine sweep. At 0330 follows the fleet again and continues to escort. At 0908, 2500m from the bow a friendly aircraft drops three bombs. At 0912, drops 9 depth charges. At 1135, stops following the convoy and starts an anti-submarine sweep. At 2120, the convoy seeks temporary shelter at Aparri. At 2250, the convoy departs hugging the coast. After rescuing survivors, W-20 is detached and proceeds ahead to Santa Cruz.
10 September 1944:
At 1714 the convoy arrives at San Fernando. Meanwhile CD-28 proceeds to Lapoc Bay and is detached.
11 September 1944:
At 0553 departs San Fernando. Meanwhile at 0500 CH-41 has been detached. At 0654 W-20 is detached.
12 September 1944:
At 1930, convoy TAMA-25 anchors at Santa Cruz.
13 September 1944:
At 0640 the convoy departs Santa Cruz and at 1940, arrives in Subic Bay. It is learned the Americans have been attacking the Visayas in the Central Philippine Islands since 12 September.
14 September 1944:
At 0325, because of the danger of attacks in Manila, the convoy raises anchors and heads back north. At 1500, it arrives back at Santa Cruz. For the next two days the convoy remains on standby.
17 September 1944:
At 0655, the convoy departs. At 1850, it arrives again at Subic Bay.
18 September 1944:
At 0610, the convoy departs and arrives at Manila at 1800.
21 September 1944:
About 200 aircraft of Vice Admiral (later Admiral) Marc A. Mitscher's (USNA ’10) Task Force 38 strike Manila throughout the day. Planes from TG 38.1, TG 38.2 and TG 38.3 sink destroyer SATSUKI anchored near IRAKO with the loss of 52 of her crew. IRAKO rescues a few sailors.
Vice Admiral Mikawa Gunichi, (former CO of KIRISHIMA), (38) CINC, Southwest Area Fleet, advises the Supreme Commander of Japanese Forces in the Southern Area, Field Marshal, Count Terauchi Hisaichi, CINC, Southern Army, to transfer all supply ships from Manila to the relative security of Coron Bay off Palawan Island, Philippines. At 1715, Terauchi issues the order. At 1730, KOGYO MARU weighs anchor.
22 September 1944:
At 0300, KOGYO MARU departs Manila for Coron Bay, Calamian Islands in the Taihi (refugee) convoy with CHINZEI, BAIKAL, TAIEI, TENHI, TAITEN, OLYMPIA, EKKAI MARUs and IRAKO escorted by minelayer AOTAKA, auxiliary subchasers SHONAN MARU No. 11 and HAKKO MARU, CHa-60 and CHa-61.
23 September 1944:
At 1540, arrives at Coron Bay and drops anchor at 11-59N.120-02E. Her crew spends the night trying to camouflage the bridge and main deck.
24 September 1944:
At 0550, 96 Grumman F6F “Hellcat” fighters and 24 Curtiss SB2C “Helldiver” dive-bombers of Vice Admiral Mitscher’s Task Group 38.3’s Air Group 18 from USS INTREPID (CV-11), AG-31 from USS CABOT (CVL-28) and AG-19 based on Mitscher's flagship USS LEXINGTON (CV-16) take off to attack the anchorage at Coron Bay, Busuanga Island, Palawan, 340 miles away.
Busuanga Island. A convoy of at least 12 IJN auxiliary ships is dispersed in the coastal waters around the island. At 0855, Air Group 31’s fighter-bombers start their attack. They attack the ships in Coron Bay and the ships to the west first.
KOGYO MARU is attacked and takes several bomb hits. She sinks at 12-00N, 120-00 E. 35 crewmen are KIA. TAIEI (five crewmen, three gunners and three passengers KIA), OLYMPIA (14 crewmen, three guards and two passengers KIA) and EKKAI (ex-Panamanian MORAZAN, 44 crew and 15 passengers KIA) MARUs and IRAKO (casualties unknown) are also sunk.
10 November 1944:
Removed from the Navy List.
Author's Note:
Thanks go to the late John Whitman of VA, USA for info on the 332nd Naval Construction Unit and its equipment and to Gilbert Casse of France for his general contributions to revisions.
- Bob Hackett, Sander Kingsepp and Peter Cundall.
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