Japanese Transports

ZATSUYOSEN!

(Little is known of KATSUYAMA MARU Class appearance. This drawing of KINZAN MARU is what MATSUYAMA MARU might look like noting that KINZAN MARU is of different dimensions and slightly larger tonnage and a different builder – Peter Cundall collection)

IJN MATSUYAMA MARU :
Tabular Record of Movement

© 2015 Gilbert Casse and Peter Cundall

E 1940:
Kobe. Laid down by Murakami Zosensho K.K. shipyard for Seigo Kotsuna as a 385-tons cargo ship.
24 May 1941:
Launched and named MATSUYAMA MARU.
24 July 1941:
Completed and registered at Kobe.
17 August 1941:
Requisitioned by the IJN as a general requisitioned transport (Ippan Choyosen) attached to the Kure Naval District. Departs Kure that same day.
E 18 August 1941:
Calls at Oita, Kyushu. Departs later.
25 August 1941:
Arrives at Kure.
5 September 1941:
Departs Kure.
E 6 September 1941:
Calls at Sasebo. Departs later.
21 September 1941:
Arrives at Kure.
25 September 1941:
Departs Kure.
E 26 September 1941:
Calls at Ujina, Hiroshima Prefecture and at Sasebo. Departs later.
4 October 1941:
Arrives at Kure.
9 October 1941:
Departs Kure.
E 10 October 1941:
Arrives off Murozumi, Yamaguchi Prefecture. Departs later.
11 October 1941:
Arrives at Kure.
14 October 1941:
Departs Kure.
E October ~ November 1941:
Calls at Saeki, Kyushu, Oita and Kamegawa, Oita Prefecture, Kyushu. Departs later.
10 November 1941:
Arrives at Kure.
12 November 1941:
Departs Kure.
E 13 November 1941:
Calls at Sasebo. Departs later.
21 November 1941:
Arrives at Kure.
24 November 1941:
Departs Kure.
E 25 November 1941:
Calls at Sasebo. Departs later.
30 November 1941:
Arrives at Kure.
3 December 1941:
Departs Kure.
December 1941:
Calls at Saeki and Oita. Departs later and arrives at Kure.
17 December 1941:
Departs Kure.
E 18 December 1941:
Arrives at Tokuyama, Yamaguchi Prefecture. Departs later.
20 December 1941:
Arrives at Kure.
22 December 1941:
Departs Kure.
E 23 December 1941:
Arrives at Sasebo. Departs later.
29 December 1941:
Arrives at Kure.
22 January 1942:
Departs Kure.
E January 1942:
Arrives at Ujina. Departs later.
17 March 1942:
Arrives at Kure.
8 April 1942:
Departs Kure.
E 9 April 1942:
Arrives at Onomichi, Hiroshima Prefecture. Departs there and arrives later at Kure.
26 April 1942:
Departs Kure.
E 27 April 1942:
Arrives at Sasebo. Departs later.
8 May 1942:
Arrives at Kure. Departs there later in the day.
E 9 May 1942:
Arrives at Onomichi. Departs later.
31 May 1942:
Arrives at Kure.
1 June 1942:
Departs Kure.
E 2 June 1942:
Arrives at Onomichi. Departs there and arrives later at Kure.
10 June 1942:
Departs Kure.
E 30 June 1942:
Arrives at Yokosuka.
1 July 1942:
At 0830, departs Yokosuka for Yokkaichi, Mie Prefecture in convoy also consisting of auxiliary transport TOYO MARU No. 2 and IJA transports KURETAKE and GOSEI MARUs escorted by survey ship KOMAHASHI.
2 July 1942:
Arrives at Yokkaichi. Departs later.
July 1942:
Calls at Moji, Kure and Saeki.
22 July 1942:
Arrives at Kure.
23 July 1942:
Departs Kure.
E 25 July 1942:
Arrives at Kobe. Departs later that day.
26 July 1942:
Arrives at Kure.
27 August 1942:
Departs Kure.
E August ~ September 1942:
Calls at Saeki, Kure and Onomichi.
18 September 1942:
Arrives at Kure.
19 September 1942:
Departs Kure.
21 September 1942:
That morning arrives at Sasebo.
E September ~ October ~ November 1942:
Calls at Ujina, Osaka, Saeki and at Hashirajima, Yamaguchi Prefecture.
7 November 1942:
Arrives at Kure.
8 November 1942:
Departs Kure.
E 9 November 1942:
Arrives at Hashirajima. Departs later.
30 November 1942:
Arrives at Kure.
3 December 1942:
Departs Kure.
E 4 December 1942:
Arrives at Hashirajima. Departs later.
7 December 1942:
Arrives at Kure.
17 December 1942:
Departs Kure.
E 18 December 1942:
Arrives at Saeki. Departs later.
22 December 1942:
Arrives at Kure.
January 1943:
Her owners are changed to Kutsuna Kisen K.K.
29 January 1943:
Departs Kure.
E 30 January 1943:
Arrives at Onomichi. Departs later.
3 February 1943:
Arrives at Kure.
15 February 1943:
Departs Kure.
February 1943:
Calls at Saeki and Hososhima, Miyazaki Prefecture, Kyushu.
22 February 1943:
Arrives at Kure.
1 March 1943:
Departs Kure.
E 2 March 1943:
Arrives at Onomichi. Departs later.
5 March 1943:
Arrives at Kure.
9 March 1943:
Departs Kure.
E 10 March 1943:
Arrives at Shimonoseki. Departs later.
13 March 1943:
Arrives at Kure.
18 March 1943:
Departs Kure.
E 19 March 1943:
Arrives at Onomichi. Departs later.
3 April 1943:
Arrives at Kure.
24 April 1943:
Departs Kure and arrives at Hashirajima. Departs later.
25 April 1943:
Arrives at Kure.
21 May 1943:
Departs Kure.
May 1943:
Calls at Osaka and Kobe.
28 May 1943:
Arrives at Kure.
2 June 1943:
Departs Kure and arrives at Onomichi later that same day.
5 June 1943:
Departs Onomichi and arrives at Kure later in the day.
11 June 1943:
Departs Kure and arrives at Shimonoseki later that day.
14 June 1943:
Departs Shimonoseki and arrives at Kure later that same day.
18 June 1943:
Departs Kure and arrives at Itozaki, Hiroshima Prefecture later in the day.
21 June 1943:
Departs Itozaki and arrives at Kure later that day.
22 July 1943:
Departs Kure and arrives at Onomichi later that same day.
25 July 1943:
Departs Onomichi and arrives at Kure later in the day.
31 July 1943:
Departs Kure and arrives at Onomichi later that day.
2 August 1943:
Departs Onomichi and arrives at Kure later that same day.
5 August 1943:
Departs Kure and arrives at Onomichi later in the day.
7 August 1943:
Departs Onomichi and arrives at Kure later that day. Departs later.
18 ~ 27 August 1943:
Undergoes periodic maintenance at Setoda Dock K.K. shipyard.
28 August 1943:
Departs Setoda, Hiroshima Prefecture.
1 September 1943:
Arrives at Onomichi. Departs there and arrives at Kure. That same day, her owners are changed to Tokai Kisen K.K.
8 September 1943:
Departs Kure and arrives at Onomichi later in the day.
10 September 1943:
Departs Onomichi and arrives at Kure later that day.
26 September 1943:
Departs Kure and arrives at Onomichi later that same day.
3 October 1943:
Departs Onomichi and arrives at Kure later in the day.
16 October 1943:
Departs Kure and arrives at Oita later that day.
19 October 1943:
Departs Oita and arrives at Kure. Departs there later that same day.
20 October 1943:
Departs Saeki and arrives at Kure later in the day.
21 October 1943:
Departs Kure and arrives at Saeki later that day. Departs later.
29 October 1943:
Departs Kure and arrives at Tokuyama later that same day.
31 October 1943:
Departs Tokuyama and arrives at Kure later in the day.
6 November 1943:
Departs Kure and arrives at Onomichi later that day.
9 November 1943:
Departs Onomichi and arrives at Kure later that same day.
16 November 1943:
Departs Kure and arrives at Yoshida, Shizuoka Prefecture later in the day.
19 November 1943:
Departs Yoshida and arrives at Kure later that day.
16 December 1943:
Departs Kure.
E 17 December 1943:
Arrives at Hososhima. Departs later.
24 December 1943:
Arrives at Kure.
5 January 1944:
Departs Kure.
E 6 January 1944:
Calls at Onomichi. Departs later.
26 January 1944:
Arrives at Kure.
4 February 1944:
Departs Kure.
E 5 February 1944:
Calls at Hososhima. Departs later.
12 February 1944:
Arrives at Kure.
18 February 1944:
Departs Kure.
E 19 February 1944:
Arrives at Sakaide, Kagawa Prefecture. Departs later.
21 February 1944:
Arrives at Kure.
25 February 1944:
Departs Kure.
E 26 February 1944:
Arrives at Shimonoseki. Departs later.
29 February 1944:
Arrives at Kure.
6 March 1944:
Departs Kure.
E 7 March 1944:
Arrives at Ujina. Departs later.
20 March 1944:
Arrives at Kure.
31 March 1944:
Removed from the General Requisitioned Transport list.
1 April 1944:
Registered in the IJN as an auxiliary transport (Ko) category attached to the Kure Naval District with Kure as homeport under Navy’s instruction No. 528. Assigned to Vice Admiral (Admiral posthumously) Nagumo Chuichi’s (36) Central Pacific Area Fleet. [1]
20 May 1944:
Departs Saipan, Marianas in convoy with IJA transport KAIKO MARU, auxiliary storeship TAKUNAN MARU and IJN requisitioned cargo ship (B-AK) KAMISHIMA MARU escorted by auxiliary subchaser SHONAN MARU No. 11 heading WNW at 280 degrees to escape airstrike alert.
21 May 1944:
End of alert. Reverses course.
22 May 1944:
Arrives back at Saipan.
26 May 1944:
Saipan Harbour. MATSUYAMA MARU is shelled and heavily damaged beyond repair by USN gunfire. Four crewmen are KIA. Survivors abandon the sinking transport.
3 May 1947:
Removed from the Navy’s list under instruction No. 327/2.

Authors notes :
[1] 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 also go to Jeff Donahoo of Iowa for Officers’ info.

Gilbert Casse and Peter Cundall.

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