RIKUGUN YUSOSEN
(MOMOYAMA MARU, prewar)
MOMOYAMA MARU:
Tabular Record of Movement
© 2013-2017 Bob Hackett
E 1918:
Belfast, N Ireland, United Kingdom. Laid down at Workman,
Clark & Co. Ltd., as a 5,177–ton British WW1 Type B Standard Cargo Ship for
The Shipping Controller, London, England.
1919:
Launched and named WAR LEOPARD.
1919:
Completed and managed by T. Dunlop & Sons.
1919:
Sold to Fratelli Bianchi di S, Genoa, Italy. Renamed FRATELLI
BIANCHI.
1925:
Soc di Nav per Trasporti Refrigeranti La Polare, Genoa. Renamed
VILLA ADA
1927:
Sold to Zinal Steamship Co, London. Renamed ZERIBA.
1933:
Sold to Theseus Steamship Co (Rethymnis & Kulukundis), Syra.
Renamed MOUNT CYNTHOS
1935:
Sold to Kulukundis Shipping Co, Syra
1939:
Sold to Yamashita Kisen K. K., Kobe. Renamed MOMOYAMA MARU.
25 October 1941:
Requisitioned by the Imperial Army (IJA) for service as a troop transport. Allotted Army No. 614.
17 December 1941: Operation "M" (M Sakusen) -The Invasion of the Northern
Philippines:
At 0900, MOMOYAMA MARU departs Kirun, Formosa (Keelung, Taiwan)
for Lingayen Gulf, Philippines in Rear Admiral (later Vice Admiral) Rear Admiral
Hirose Sueto (39)(former CO of HARUNA) 3rd Lingayen Invasion Unit with 21 other
IJA transports escorted by DesDiv 9's YAMAGUMO, minelayer WAKATAKA and four
smaller warships.
The Japanese main invasion at Lingayen Gulf consists of three transport
echelons. The first is composed of 27 transports from Takao under Rear Admiral
Hara Kensaburo, the second of 28 transports under Rear Admiral Nishimura and the
third under Rear Admiral Hirose. This force of 76 transports carries the main
part of LtGen Homma Masaharu's 80,000-man 14th Army.
24 December 1941:
Between 0110 and 0430, the transports land their
troops at Lingayen.
21 January 1942:
MOMOYAMA MARU departs Mutsure with transports
TATSUNO, FUSHIMI, SOMEDOMO, TAKETOYO, TOFUKU, BRAZIL, COLUMBIA, MAEBASHI, GENOA,
HOEISAN, ATSUTA, DAINICHI, TOKIWA, SYDNEY, , PACIFIC, KIZAN, REIYO and TSUYAMA
MARUs escorted by CruDiv 9's light cruiser OI, DesDiv 32's FUYO, ASAGAO and
KARUKAYA. The transports are carrying the IJA’s 2nd Infantry Division.
26 January 1942:
Arrives at Mako, Pescadores. Later, the convoy
departs for Camranh Bay, Indochina to mobilize for the Invasion of Java.
18 February 1942: Operation "J" - The Invasion of Java, Netherlands East Indies:
MOMOYAMA MARU is attached to Vice Admiral Takahashi's Third Fleet,
Southern Force, Netherlands East Indies Force in Vice Admiral Ozawa Jisaburo’s Western Java Seizure Force. Departs Camranh Bay in a convoy comprised of 56
troop transports. They carry the 2nd Infantry Division for the invasions of Merak and Bantam Bay, Java escorted by light cruisers YURA and NATORI, DesDivs
5, 6, 11, 12 and 22.
Fifteen transports go to Merak, Java including ATLAS, AKITSU, COLUMBIA, KIZAN, KOYO, HOKOKUMEI (later NIKKEI), MOMOYAMA, PACIFIC, REIYO, RYUNAN, SYDNEY,
SHINSHU and TSUYAMA MARUs. Seven transports go to Eretan Wetan. Seaplane tender SANYO MARU provides air cover. Departs Camrahn Bay.
1 March 1942:
Arrives at Merak, Java. Lands troops of the IJA’s 2nd Infantry Division.
9 March 1942:
Arrives at Bantam Bay.
13 March 1942:
Departs Bantam Bay.
16 March 1942:
Arrives at Singapore.
19 March 1942: "U" transport operation to Burma:
The First Burma Transport Convoy departs Singapore consisting of 32 ships with the main body of the 56th Division: MOMOYAMA,
AOBASAN, GENOA, GLASGOW, HAVRE, HARUNA (10,420 grt), HIBURI, HOFUKU, HOKUMEI, KAZUURA, KIZAN, KOTOHIRA, KUSUYAMA, MYOKO, NAGARA, NAKO, NAPLES, NICHIRAN,
SANKO, SAKITO, SHINAI, SHINANOGAWA, SHINRYU, SHUNSEI, SUMATRA, SYDNEY, TATEISHI, TOKIWA, TSUYAMA and YAE MARUs and two others.
25 March 1942:
The First Burma Transport Convoy arrives at Rangoon, Burma (now Yangon, Myanmar).
16 April 1942:
At 1215, MOMOYAMA MARU departs Singapore for Dairen, Manchuria in an unidentified convoy also consisting of ATLAS, FRANCE, GLASGOW, HAVRE, HEIAN, MYOKO,
RYUNAN, SANKO, TOKIWA and TSUYAMA MARUs escorted by kaibokan SHIMUSHU, torpedo boats OTORI and HIYODORI, patrol PB-35 and auxiliary gunboat DAIGEN MARU No. 7.
The convoy is transporting the IJA’s 3rd Tank Corps. The escorts protect the convoy to latitude 16N where the convoy is escorted by unknown units of the IJN's North China Area Fleet.
19 April 1942:
The convoy is joined by CALCUTTA, GENKAI and SYDNEY MARUs transporting 422 men of the IJA 36th Airfield Battalion, 50 vehicles and airfield equipment from Bangkok.
24 April 1942:
At 1018, arrives at Hong Kong. CALCUTTA MARU and her two consorts are detached for Takao. At 1855, the remainder of the convoy departs.
1 May 1942:
Most of the original convoy from Singapore arrives at Dairen.
9 December 1942:
MOMOYAMA MARU departs Saeki in Military Movement No. 8’s convoy “G” also consisting of ANNAN, BUNZAN, HOEISAN, KOSO, TAIMEI and TOKO,
MARUs escorted by patrol boat PB-46 and subchasers CH-39 and CH-37.
E 10 December 1942:
CH-39 is detached at 28N.
6 March 1943:
At 1430, MOMOYAMA MARU departs Palau in convoy "Hansa No. 1" also consisting of ASO, OYO, SYDNEY, TEIRYU and YASUJIMA MARUs and SHINSEI
MARU No. 1 carrying units of the IJA 20th Division escorted by destroyers AKIGUMO, KAZEGUMO, YUGUMO, SAMIDARE and SATSUKI.
12 March 1943:
At 0503, arrives at Hansa Bay (near Madang), Eastern New Guinea.
13 March 1943:
At 1500, departs Hansa Bay. At 1830, the convoy is attacked by five USAAF Fifth Air Force B-17 "Flying Fortress" heavy bombers at 03-05S, 143-28E.
MOMOYAMA MARU is hit by bombs. Nine crewmen are KIA.
Destroyer AKIGUMO rescues survivors and scuttles MOMOYAMA MARU with a torpedo.
14 March 1943:
At 0045, MOMOYAMA MARU sinks at 02-45S, 143-20E.
Author's Note:
Thanks to Erich Muehlthaler of Germany.
Bob Hackett
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