Japanese Oilers

YUSOSEN!

(KOTOKU MARU in wartime)
IJN KOTOKU MARU:
Tabular Record of Movement
© 2016 Berend van der Wal, Gilbert Casse and Peter Cundall
Revision 3

1942:
Uranosaki. Laid down by Kawaminami Kogyo K.K. shipyard as a 1,943-tons cargo ship for Daiko Shosen K.K.
10 December 1942:
Scheduled to be requisitioned by the IJN from 13 December 1942 under the Third Secret Military Preparation instructions.
January 1943:
Launched and named KOTOKU MARU. [1]
March 1943:
Completed and registered at Osaka.
31 March 1943:
Registered by the Department of the Navy as a general transport (refueling ship), attached to the Sasebo Naval district. Conversion for military duty as an oil tanker starts at Kawaminami Kogyo K.K. Urasaki shipyard.
5 May 1943:
The conversion is completed.
6 May 1943:
Departs Nagasaki and arrives at Sasebo later that day.
8 May 1943:
Departs Sasebo.
9 April 1943:
Arrives at Tokuyama.
16 May 1943:
Departs Tokuyama towing oil barge NANYU No. 22 and arrives at Hesaki later that day.
17 May 1943:
Departs Hesaki and arrives at Taura later that day. Departs Taura and arrives at Takeyuki Island later that day.
18 May 1943:
Departs Takeyuki Island.
19 May 1943:
Arrives at Nakakoshiki Ura.
21 May 1943:
Departs Nakakoshiki Ura.
27 May 1943:
Arrives at Takao, Formosa (now Kaoshiung, Taiwan).
5 June 1943:
Departs Takao.
18 June 1943:
Arrives at Horsburgh Lighthouse, eastern entrance to the Straits of Singapore.
19 June 1943:
Departs Horsburgh Lighthouse and arrives at Singapore later that day.
10 July 1943:
Departs Singapore.
12 July 1943:
Arrives at Palembang, Sumatra.
13 July 1943:
Departs Palembang.
14 July 1943:
Arrives at Horsburgh.
15 July 1943:
Departs Horsburgh and arrives at Singapore later that day.
21 July 1943:
Departs Singapore.
22 July 1943:
Arrives at Palembang.
24 July 1943:
Departs Palembang and arrives at Palembang estuary later that day.
25 July 1943:
Departs Palembang estuary.
26 July 1943:
Arrives at Singapore.
28 July 1943:
Departs Singapore.
29 July 1943:
Arrives at Palembang.
1 August 1943:
Departs Palembang.
2 August 1943:
Arrives at Palembang estuary.
2 August 1943:
Departs Palembang estuary.
3 August 1943:
Arrives at Singapore.
11 August 1943:
Departs Singapore.
12 August 1943:
Arrives at Palembang.
14 August 1943:
Departs Palembang and arrives at Palembang estuary later that day.
15 August 1943:
Departs Palembang estuary.
16 August 1943:
Arrives at Singapore.
19 August 1943:
Departs Singapore with tanker NASUSAN MARU.
20 August 1943:
Arrives at Palembang.
22 August 1943:
Departs Palembang and arrives at Palembang estuary later that day.
23 August 1943:
Departs Palembang estuary.
24 August 1943:
Arrives at Singapore.
23 August 1943:
Scheduled to be derequisitioned from 27 August 1943 (New charter planned from 31 August 1943).
27 August 1943:
Departs Singapore.
13 September 1943:
Derequisitioned and requisitioned again as a navy supply ship attached to the Sasebo Naval District.
19 September 1943:
Departs Medan, Sumatra likely with HOZAN MARU No. 1 and ARARE MARU.
21 September 1943:
Arrives at Singapore.
27 September 1943:
Departs Singapore.
7 October 1943:
At 1200, arrives at Medan.
8 October 1943:
At 0800, departs for Singapore.
17 October 1943:
At 1130, due to arrive at Singapore.
10 November 1943:
Designated the 19th Naval ship.
25 November 1943:
At 1920, arrives at Palembang from Singapore.
28 November 1943:
At 1000; due to depart Singapore for Palembang.
29 November 1943:
At 1800, arrives at Palembang.
7 December 1943:
At 1200, due to arrive at Medan from Singapore.
8 December 1943:
At 1000, departs Medan. Scheduled to be registered as a Navy supply ship under the Third Secret Military Preparation instruction No. 422.
10 December 1943:
At 0800, due to arrive at Singapore.
18 December 1943:
At 1000, arrives at Singapore from Belawan, Sumatra.
20 December 1943:
Due to depart Singapore for Medan and Belawan.
22 December 1943:
At 1000, arrives at Singapore.
29 December 1943:
At 1200, departs Singapore for Medan.
3 January 1944:
At 0900, departs Singapore.
4 January 1944:
At 1500, due to arrive at Palembang.
5 January 1944:
Due to depart for Seletar.
15 January 1944:
At 1700, departs Palembang.
17 January 1944:
At 1800, arrives at Singapore.
20 January 1944:
Arrives at Palembang with tankers CHORAN and NIKKAKU MARUs.
21 January 1944:
At 1700, due to depart Palembang for Singapore.
26 January 1944:
At 1500, due to arrive at Palembang.
30 January 1944:
Departs Singapore.
1 February 1944:
Arrives at Palembang.
12 February 1944:
At 1400, arrives at Singapore.
14 February 1944:
At 1700, due to depart Palembang for Singapore.
20 February 1944:
Scheduled to be registered as a Navy supply ship under Third Secret Military Preparation instruction No. 216.
1 March 1944:
Reported loading at Palembang.
18 March 1944:
A convoy consisting of tankers KOTOKU, KAIKO and KAISOKU MARUs is due to depart Pangkalan Susu, Sumatra at 0300 for Belawan, then Singapore.
19 March 1944:
The convoy departs Belawan with tankers KIKUSUI and KOSHIN (430 grt, ’39) MARUs, KYOEI MARU No. 6 and cargo ship SHOFUKU MARU No. 2 having joined.
22 March 1944:
At 1400, arrives at Singapore.
26 March 1944:
Due to depart Singapore for Palembang.
31 March 1944:
At 1510, arrives at Palembang from Singapore.
1 April 1944:
At 1700, departs Palembang with GYORYU MARU.
7 April 1944:
At 1900, due to depart Palembang for Singapore.
14 April 1944:
At 1700, due to depart Palembang for Singapore.
16 April 1944:
At 1700, arrives at Singapore.
18 April 1944:
A convoy consisting of tankers NICHINAN (1,945 grt), KAIKO, SHONAN and KOTOKU MARUs and KYOEI MARU No. 6 is due to depart Singapore for Pangkalan Susu.
20 April 1944:
At 1300, arrives at Pangkalan Susu.
25 April 1944:
At 1600, the same convoy departs Pangkalan Susu.
26 April 1944:
Arrives at Belawan.
1 May 1944:
At 1000 departs Singapore for Palembang with SHONAN MARU and KYOEI MARU No. 6.
2 May 1944:
At 2300, due to arrive at Palembang.
7 May 1944:
At 0900, departs Singapore for Palembang.
8 May 1944:
At 2200, arrives at Moesi River mouth, Sumatra.
9 May 1944:
Departs Palembang.
21 May 1944:
At 1200, departs Pangkalan Susu for Singapore in a convoy also consisting of NIKKAKU, SHONAN MARUs and KYOEI MARU No. 7.
23 May 1944:
At 1730, the convoy arrives at Singapore from Belawan with KAISOKU MARU and an unknown ship having joined.
25 May 1944:
The same ships are due to depart Singapore for Belawan and Pangkalan Susu.
29 May 1944:
At 0800, departs Belawan for Pangkalan Susu.
18 June 1944:
At 1300, arrives at Singapore from Palembang.
20 June 1944:
At 1000, departs Singapore in convoy SHIMI-04 consisting of MATSUMOTO, NANSEI, ZUIHO, NICHINAN (1945 grt) and NICHINAN (5175 grt) MARUs and OGURA MARU No. 2 escorted by minesweeper W-18 and auxiliary minesweepers TOSHI MARU and CHOUN MARU No. 6.
21 June 1944:
Scheduled to be registered as a Navy supply ship under Third Secret Military Preparation instruction No. 558. [2]
24 June 1944:
At 1100, arrives at Miri.
27 June 1944:
At 1650, departs Miri in convoy MI-06 consisting also of tankers OGURA MARU No. 2, YAMAMIZU MARU No. 2, MATSUMOTO, TACHIBANA, TOKUWA, CERAM, NANSEI, ATAGO, NICHINAN (1945 grt), NICHINAN (5175 grt), ZUIHO and BAIEI MARUs and UNKAI MARU No. 5 escorted by kaibokan CD-14, patrol boat PB-38 and minesweeper W-18.
E 1 July 1944:
At 1140, W-18 responds to an alarm and drops 3 depth charges. Later that day, W-18 is detached from the convoy.
2 July 1944:
At 0845, arrives at Manila. While entering port CERAM MARU collides with NANSEI MARU and is run aground to prevent sinking.
E 7 July 1944:
Departs Manila.
E 12 July 1944:
Arrives at Miri.
19 July 1944:
At 1000, departs Miri in convoy MI-10 also consisting of tankers HAKUBASAN, SHUNTEN, TAKETSU (BUTSU), MATSUMOTO, NICHINAN (1945 grt) CHIYODA, KOSHIN and SHIMOTSU MARUs and DAIZEN, HIDA, HINAGA, KENZUI, TEIFU (ex-French BOUGAINVILLE) and FUYUKAWA MARUs, WAKO GO (ex-Chinese HOHSING) and 11 unidentified ships escorted by destroyer ASAKAZE, kaibokan YASHIRO, CD-3, , auxiliary gunboats PEKING and KAZAN (HUASHAN) MARUs.
24 July 1944:
At 2030, arrives at Manila in convoy MI-10. Tankers OEI MARU and KYOEI MARU No. 6 and KAKOGAWA, TSUKUBASAN, ROKKO, RASHIN, KUROGANE, FRANCE and MYOGI MARUs and UNYO MARU No.7. join the convoy
27 July 1944:
At 1100, departs Manila in convoy MI-10.
28 July 1944:
At 1040, HAKUBASAN MARU carrying 7,351-tons of oil and 710-tons of rubber, is torpedoed by LtCdr Francis D. Walker's (USNA ’35) USS CREVALLE (SS-291) and sinks at 1305 at 16-28N, 119-38E taking down three of her crew.
E 30 July 1944:
Kaibokan CD-20 joins the escort, having departed Takao two days before.
2 August 1944:
Arrives at Takao in convoy MI-10. NICHINAN (1945 grt) and MATSUMOTO MARUs, ASAKAZE and YASHIRO are detached. FRANCE and RASHIN MARUs are probably also detached. SEIGA and HAKOZAKI MARUs join.
4 August 1944:
At 1300, departs Takao in convoy MI-10 with SHUNTEN (’28, 5623 grt, tk), CHIYODA (’43, 4701 grt, tk), SHIMOTSU (’44, 2854 grt, tk 2TM), DAIZEN (’43, 5396 grt, K), HIDA (’43, 5320 grt, K), FUYUKAWA (’44, 2845 grt, C), SEIGA (’42, 2090 grt), HAKOZAKI (’22, 10413, grt), KENZUI (’04, 4156 grt), TEIFU (’13, 7110 grt, ex BOUGAINVILLE), KOSHIN MARUs(’44, 2855 grt, tk 2TM likely or ’17, 1868 grt, or ’41, 975 grt, tk) and Wako Go (’00, 2110 grt, ex Hohsing) and 7 others, names unknown but possibly including OEI (’44, 2858 grt, tk 2TM), KAKOGAWA (’44, 6886 grt, 2A), TSUKUSUBASAN (’44, 1937 grt, 1D) and ROKKO MARUs (’23, 3038 grt) and KYOEI MARU No. 6 (’42, 1178 grt, tk) and UNYO MARU No. 7 (’43, 839 grt 1E), escorted by second class destroyer KURETAKE, Minelayer MAESHIMA, CD-3, CD-17 and CD-20, auxiliary gunboats PEKING (’37, 2288 grt), HUASHAN (KAZAN, ’26, 2103 grt, unconfirmed) and CHOJUSAN MARUs (’28, 2131 grt).
10 August 1944:
At 0200, CD-20 is detached and heads for Sasebo. At 0730, KURETAKE is detached and heads for Sasebo. At 1130, the convoy arrives at Moji.
22 August 1944:
At 1410, departs Takao in convoy TAMA-24 also consisting of TACHIBANA, TEIHOKU (ex-French PERSEE), RAKUTO, BATOPAHAT, HIOKI, GENKAI and MANSHU MARUs and tanker YAMAMIZU MARU No. 2 and YUKIKAWA MARU escorted by torpedo boat HATO, kaibokan YASHIRO, CD-8, CD-25 and CD-32 and minesweepers W-38 and W-39.
24 August 1944:
Arrives at Aparri.
25 August 1944:
Early morning, departs Aparri in ballast. Later CD-25 and GENKAI MARU are detached from the convoy and go to Pasalang Bay to offload five MTB's from the deck of damaged HAKKO MARU No. 2 sheltering in the bay with destroyer YUNAGI. YUNAGI is detached and joins convoy TAMA-24.
Off Cape Mairaira, Luzon North coast. At 1024, Cdr (later Vice Admiral) Glynn R. Donaho's (USNA ’27) USS PICUDA (SS-382) fires a spread of six torpedoes at the convoy and scores one hit on KOTOKU MARU starboard amidships. The tanker sinks in two minutes at 18-42N, 120-49E with the loss of 16 of her crew.

[1] Not to be confused with auxiliary ammunition ship (6,701 GRT, ’37).
[2] At the time of her sinking, KOTOKU MARU was under Senpaku Un’eikai (Civilian Shipping Administration) control.

Thanks go to Gengoro S. Toda of Japan.
- Berend van der Wal, Gilbert Casse and Peter Cundall.

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