RIKUGUN YUSOSEN

(Similar size Japanese cargo ship)

MIYO MARU:
Tabular Record of Movement

© 2014-2017 Bob Hackett

1896:
Newcastle on Tyne, England. Laid down at Wood, Skinner & Co. Ltd. as yard number 66, a 1,455-ton cargo ship for D/S A/S Helios, Drammen. Norway.

29 May 1897:
Launched and named HELIOS.

June 1897:
Completed.

1902:
Managed by Bruusgaard, Kiøsterud & Co, Drammen, Norway.

1905:
Sold to Nippon Beikoku K. K, Kobe; renamed MIYO MARU.

1911:
Sold to Satsuki Shokai Goshi Kaisha, Kobe.

1916:
Sold to Katsuda Ginjiro, Kobe.

1917:
Sold to I Hirano, Kobe.

1921 Ishikari Sikitan K. K, Amagasaki.

1922:
Sold to Hokkaido Tanko Kisen K. K., Amagasaki /Kobe.

1930:
Sold to Futaba Shokai Goshi Kaisha, Otaru.

1934:
Sold to Kwonan Kisen K. K., Tokyo.

1939:
Sold to Konan Kisen K. K, Tokyo. Managed by Hinode Kisen K. K, Tokyo.

17 January 1943:
At 1000, MIYO MARU departs Futtsu, Tokyo Bay in convoy No. 7117 also consisting of EIAN, HOKUTO, MATSU, NIKKIN and OHA (later KURASAKI) MARUs escorted by subchaser CH-32.

16 February 1943:
MIYO MARU arrives at Tokyo Bay from Shiogama in convoy No. 2216 also consisting of CHIHAYA, FUKUEI, RYUKO and SHOZAN MARUs escorted by auxiliary gunboat KASAGI MARU.

2 June 1943:
At 0715, MIYO MARU departs Takao in convoy No. 268 also consisting of BATAVIA, FUJI, HEIAN, KAYO, KOSO, REIYO, SHOJIN, TSUSHIMA, UCHIDE, WALES and YAMAHAGI MARUs escorted by patrol boat PB-36.

5 June 1943:
At 1013, TSUSHIMA MARU is hit by a dud Mark 14-3A torpedo fired by LtCdr (later Rear Admiral) Lawrence R. Daspit's (USNA ’27) USS TINOSA (SS-283), but is not damaged. PB-36 attacks with depth charges, but TINOSA escapes.

6 June 1943:
At 0925, MIYO MARU is detached for Jinsen (Inchon), Korea.

7 September 1943:
At 1400, MIYO MARU departs Saigon for Mako, Pescadore Islands in convoy No. 424 also consisting of ANKO, BELGIUM, CHINA, CHIYODA, FUKUJU, JINZAN, KAIKO, KENSEI, TEIRYU (ex-German AUGSBURG), and TOSEI MARUs escorted by patrol boat PB-2 and auxiliary gunboat KAZAN MARU

14 September 1943:
At 0800, the convoy arrives at Mako less ANKO, KAIKO, TEIRYU, TOSEI and MARUs detached earlier.

19 September 1943: At 0950, convoy No. 205 departs Mako for Moji consisting of CHINA, DENMARK, FUKUJU, HOKUAN, KYOKKO, NICHIEI, SEIZAN and TEIKO MARUs escorted by patrol boat PB-2 and auxiliary TOYO MARU No. 3.

20 September 1943:
The convoy is joined by MIYO, GINREI, KENZUI, TATSUHA, TOSEI and JINZAN MARUs.

24 September 1943:
At 1600, the convoy arrives at Moji less HOKUAN MARU detached earlier.

3 June 1944:
MIYO MARU departs Keppel Harbor, Singapore for Osaka in bauxite convoy HO-02 also consisting of CELEBES, HIOKI, HONAN, KOKUSEI, NASUSAN, NICHIWA, SEISHIN, SHONAN, TAINAN, TAMAHOKO and TEIHOKU (ex-Vichy French PERSEE) MARUs and KONAN MARU No. 1 and five unidentified ships escorted by kaibokan CD-1, CD-8, CD-15, CD-20 and minelayer AOTAKA.

MIYO MARU carries 267 Australian POWs, 190 British POWs, 266 Dutch POWs, 18 American POWs and 25 other POWs. TAMAHOKO MARU is carrying 772 Allied POWs from camps at Batavia, Java, including 42 American POWs. HIOKI MARU carries bauxite and about 450 POWs and KOKUSEI MARU carries bauxite and 456 POWs. SHONAN MARU carries bauxite. CELEBES and SEISHIN MARUs carry aviation gasoline. [1]

6 June 1944:
160 miles ESE of Cape St. Jacques, Indochina. LtCdr James W. Davis' USS RATON (SS-270) attacks the convoy. At 2225, Davis torpedoes and sinks CD-15 at 08-57N, 109-17E. 104 crewmen are KIA. CD-8 and CD-20 rescue 34 survivors. CD-1, CD-8 and CD-20 counterattack, dropping a total of 57 depth-charges. RATON is damaged, but remains on patrol.

11 June 1944:
At 1600, arrives at Manila. Several ships are detached. MIYO MARU joins bauxite convoy HO-02 from Singapore also consisting of HIOKI, KENNICHI, NASUSAN, NICHIWA, SHONAN, TAINAN, TAMAHOKO and TEIHOKU MARUs and KONAN MARU No. 1 and ten unidentified ships escorted by minelayer AOTAKA and kaibokan CD-1 and CD-20.

14 June 1944:
Convoy HO-02 departs Manila.

15 June 1944:
The convoy encounters a typhoon that badly batters MIYO MARU.

18 June 1944:
Arrives at Takao. MIYO MARU's Allied POWs from camps at Batavia, Java, including 42 American POWs, are transferred to TAMAHOKO MARU.

June 1944:
Takao. MIYO MARU undergoes storm damage repairs.

15 January 1945:
Requisitioned by the IJA and converted to a troop transport. Allotted Army No. 1346.

23 January 1945:
At 0600. MIYO MARU departs Tateyama in convoy No. 3122 also consisting of NAGATSU MARUs and Oil Tanker No. 3998 escorted by kaibokan AMAKUSA, and CD-4, subchaser CH-44 and auxiliary subchaser SHONAN MARU No. 8.

27 January 1945:
At 0530, arrives at Chichi-Jima.

28 January 1945:
At 0200, MIYO MARU departs Chichi-Jima for the home islands in convoy No. 4127 also consisting of NAGATSU MARU and OIL TANKER No. 3998 escorted by kaibokan AMAKUSA and CD-4, subchasers CH-42 and CH-44 and auxiliary subchaser SHONAN MARU No. 8.

S of Yome Jima, Bonins. After 2110, the convoy is attacked by a single Boeing B-29 "Superfortress". During the brief encounter one sailor from CD-4 is KIA.

30 January 1945:
Off Mikura Island. At 0735, Cdr John J. Foote's (USNA ‘3x) USS THREADFIN (SS-410) torpedoes and sinks ISSEI MARU (1,864-ton) at 33-30N, 135-34E. A Nakajima B5N2 "Kate" torpedo bomber of the 903rd NAG spots the submarine and alerts the convoy. CD-4 is detached and conducts a depth-charge attack, forcing THREADFIN to the dive to 462 ft.

1 February 1945:
Arrives at Tateyama.

24 August 1945:
What?

1946:
Lying off Tsuruga, Japan damaged by mine. Reported saved, subsequent fate unknown.

Author's Note:
Thanks go to Erich Muehlthaler of Germany.

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