RIKUGUN YUSOSEN
(NAGANO MARU, prewar)
NAGANO MARU:
Tabular Record of Movement
© 2014-2016 Bob Hackett
12 October 1916:
Nagasaki. Laid down at Mitsubishi Zosensho, K. K. as Yard No. 267, a 3,810-ton freighter for the Nippon
Yusen Kaisha (NYK) Line of Tokyo.
25 April 1917:
Launched and named NAGANO MARU.
21 May 1917:
Completed.
3 December 1921:
NAGANO MARU arrives at Ellis Island from Kobe via Algiers.
7 July 1937: The Marco Polo Bridge Incident ("First China Incident"):
Hun River, Lukuokiao, China. Imperial Japanese Army (IJA) troops on night maneuvers at the Marco Polo Bridge fire blank
cartridges. Chinese troops across the river think they are under attack. They fire live rounds back, but do not cause
injuries. At morning roll call, the Japanese discover a soldier missing and assume the Chinese have captured him. The
Japanese demand entry to the Peiping (Beijing) suburb of Wanping to look for the soldier, but the Chinese refuse.
The Japanese then shell the city. An undeclared war on China begins.
12 September 1937:
NAGANO is requisitioned by the Imperial Japanese Army (IJA) and converted to a troop transport to carry troops to China for
the war in Manchuria. Alloted IJA No. 368.
12 December 1937:
Released by the IJA and returned to civilian service.
26 June 1938:
Re-requisitioned by the IJA.
15 January 1939:
Released by the IJA and returned to civilian service.
16 June 1941:
Requisitioned by the Imperial Navy (IJN).
10 September 1941:
Released by the IJA and returned to civilian service.
17 October 1941:
Re-requisitioned by the IJA. Retains IJA No. 368.
8 December 1941:
The Pacific War begins.
13 December 1941: The Invasion of Malaya: -“E” Operation (E Sakusen):
At 0830, NAGANO MARU departs Camranh Bay, Indochina in the IJA 5th Infantry Division Transportation Movement. NAGANO MARU is in TransDiv3 with CHIFUKU,
FUSO, SHIRAHA, SHINKAHA MARUs and SHINSEI MARU No. 1.
16 December 1941:
Arrives at Singora, Siam (now Songhkla, Thailand).
1942:
Transferred to the Imperial Army (IJA). Allotted Army No. ???
5 April 1942:
NAGANO MARU departs Lingayen for Cebu, Philippines in an invasion convoy with BORNEO, INDIA, TAIRYU, MEXICO, TOTTORI and RISSHUN MARUs
escorted by light cruiser KUMA, DesDiv2’s YUDACHI and MURASAME, gun boat BUSHO MARU and auxiliary subchasers KIYO MARU No. 12 and KIYO MARU No. 13.
The convoy carries 4,852 men of MajGen Kawaguchi 's Detachment including the 35th Infantry Brigade HQ and the 124th Infantry Regiment, one platoon of the 16th Reconnaissance Regiment, 4th Company, 22nd Field Artillery Regiment, 2nd Company, 21st Field Heavy Artillery Battalion, the main force of the 44th Anchorage HQ, 1 platoon of the 23rd Independent Engineer Regiment [type “E”], 1 company (less 2 platoons) of the 26th Independent Engineer Regiment [type “D”] and part of the Logistics Units. .
10 April 1942:
The convoy arrives at Cebu. NAGANO and BORNEO MARUs
land troops at Argao, Cebu Island consisting of the 124th Infantry Regimental HQ, 1st Battalion, 124th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Battalion (less 7th Co), 124th Infantry Regiment, Rapid-fire Gun Company (less one platoon), main force of Regiment Signal Unit, one platoon of the brigade radio signal unit, one armored car platoon of the 16th Reconnaissance Regiment, 4th Company, 22nd Field Artillery Regiment, one platoon of the 14th Army Road Construction Unit, part of the 14th Army Propaganda Section, 2nd Company, 21st Field Heavy Artillery Battalion and a temporarily formed anti-air machine cannon unit.
Meanwwhile INDIA, MEXICO, RISSHUN, TAIRYU and TOTTORI MARUs begin landing troops at Cebu City.
26 April 1942:
The invasion convoy departs Cebu for Mindanao, Philippines including landing Support Units, the main force of the 44th Anchorage HQ, one platoon of the 23rd Independent Engineer Regiment [type “E”], one company (less 2 platoons) of the 26th Independent Engineer Regiment [type “D”] escorted by DesDiv2 (less 2 destroyers) MURASAME and SAMIDARE,
29 April 1942:
Moro Gulf. The convoy arrives at Cotabato, Mindanao and with four Daihatsus and 2 boats with engines, lands part of the Detachment including the 3rd Battalion HQ, 3rd Battalion (less 11th and 12th Companies, 1/4 IIIMG), 2 platoons of the brigade signal unit, part of the 67th Line-of-communications Hospital, the main force of the Detachment Landing at Parang with 8 Daihatsus and 6 Shohatsus, 124th Infantry Regiment HQ, 1st Battalion, 124th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Battalion (minus 12th Co), 124th Infantry Regiment, one armored car platoon of the 16th Reconnaissance Regiment, one platoon of the 14th Army Road Construction Unit, 4th Company, 22nd Field Artillery Regiment, 2nd Company, 21st Field Heavy Artillery Battalion and a temporarily formed anti-air machine cannon unit.
9 May 1942:
Mindanao is secured.
5 July 1942:
NAGANO MARU departs Mako in convoy No. 230 also
consisting of SHOYO MARU and thirteen unidentified merchant ships escorted by auxiliary gunboats PEKING and CHOHAKUSAN MARUs.
11 July 1942:
Arrives at Mutsure.
17 January 1943:
NAGANO MARU departs Saeki in convoy "U "also consisting of INDUS, KIRIHA, MEIKAI, MOMOHA, NAGANO and YAMATO MARUs escorted by patrol boat PB-31 and subchaser CH-36.
1E 19 January 1943:
At 29 degrees N, the escorts are detached from the
convoy.
28 March 1943: At 2000, NAGANO MARU departs Rabaul for Palau in a convoy also consisting of DENMARK, KUROHIME, MAYA, TAIKO and YAMATO MARUs escorted by
subchasers CH-16 and CH-24.
29 March 1943:
Late in the afternoon, LtCdr (later Captain) Arnold H. Holtz's (USNA ’31) USS TUNA (SS-203) sights the convoy, two escorts and two
aircraft overhead. Holtz tracks the convoy into and through the night.
30 March 1943:
NE of Manus Island. At 0750, Holtz fires three torpedoes at the largest ship. Two hit and sink KUROHIME MARU at 00-35N,
147-55E. 27 passengers and nine crewmen are KIA.
12 May 1943:
At 1100, NAGANO MARU departs Palau for Rabaul in convoy P-512 also consisting of ENGLAND, DAINICHI and KONAN MARUs escorted by subchaser
CH-22.
17 May 1943:
At 1800, LtCdr (later Rear Admiral) Edward C. Stephan's (USNA ’29) USS GRAYBACK (SS-208) torpedoes and sinks troop transport ENGLAND
MARU at 00-45S, 148-30E. 232 of the 1500 troops aboard and 13 crewmen are KIA.
19 May 1943:
At 1800 arrives at Rabaul.
3 June 1943:
At 0930, NAGANO MARU departs Rabaul in a convoy also consisting of DAINICHI, GENMEI, GLASGOW, KENRYU and SAMARANG MARUs escorted by
subchasers CH-22 and CH-38.
11 June 1943:
Arrives at Palau.
21 June 1943:
NAGANO MARU departs Palau for Hansa Bay, New Guinea in troop convoy convoy “Hansa No. 4” also consisting of DENMARK, KANKO, YUBAE MARU
and SHINYU MARUs escorted by destroyers AMATSUKAZE and URAKAZE. The convoy carries units of the IJA 20th Division.
27 June 1943:
Arrives at Hansa Bay near Wewak. Lands troops and equipment.
2 July 1943:
Arrives back at Palau.
20 July 1943:
At 0800, NAGANO MARU departs Palau in convoy "Hansa No. 5" also consisting of ADEN, DENMARK, HANKOW (KANKO) and YUBAE MARUs and SHINTO MARU No. 1 escorted by minelayer SHIRATAKA and subchaser CH-34.
25 July 1943:
At 0125, arrives at Hansa Bay.
31 July 1943:
At 1151, arrives at Palau.
20 August 1943:
NAGANO MARU departs Palau in convoy "Wewak No. 7" also consisting of ADEN, HANKOW (KANKO), NAGATO, SHINYU and YUBAE MARUs escorted by subchasers CH-26 and CH-34.
23 August 1943:
The convoy is ordered back to Palau because of increased Allied air activity over Wewak.
28 August 1943:
At 0945, convoy "Wewak No. 7" again departs Palau,
less YUBAE MARU.
2 September 1943:
At 0045, the convoy anchors at Wewak. Later that day, the convoy is attacked by about 30 B-25 “Mitchell” medium bombers escorted
by P-38 “Lightning” fighters. NAGATO and HANKOW MARUs are sunk and NAGANO and ADEN MARUs are damaged. That same day the convoy departs Wewak, less NAGANO MARU that remains behind,.
4 September 1943:
NAGANO MARU is again bombed and becomes unnavigable.
Oiler KYOEI MARU No. 2 takes her under tow.
6 September 1943:
Arrives at Hollandia (now Jayapura), New Guinea.
7 October 1943:
NAGANO MARU departs Hollandia in a convoy also consisting of KAMOI, TONEGAWA and UCHIDE MARUs and SHINSEI MARU No. 5.
9 October 1943:
NAGANO MARU departs Palau in convoy "Hollandia No. 1" also consisting of KAMOI, TONEGAWA and
UCHIDE MARUs and SHINSEI MARU No. 5 escorted by subchasers CH-34.
10 October 1943:
Subchaser CH-35 joins the escort.
11 October 1943:
Arrives at Palau.
12-14 January 1944:
NAGANO MARU departs Truk for Satawan escorted by destroyer TACHIKAZE.
14 January 1944:
Arrives back at Truk.
February 1944:
NAGANO MARU departs Truk for Morotok to supply its airfield.
17 February 1944:
Arrives back at Truk.
17-18 February 1944: American Operation "Hailstone" - The Attack on Truk:
Vice Admiral (later Admiral) Marc A. Mitscher’s Task Force 58’s five fleet carriers and four light carriers, supported by six battleships, ten cruisers and
28 destroyers, launch air attacks on Japanese ships in the lagoon, airfields and shore installations. They sink 31 transports and 10 naval vessels (two cruisers,
four destroyers and four auxiliary vessels), destroy nearly 200 aircraft and damage severely about 100 more.
NAGANO MARU is observed firing on an attacking USN fighter sweep .She is strafed on the first raid and bombed on the second attack. Several near misses
severely damage her. NAGANO MARU is abandoned and sinks on the first day of the operation.
24 February 1944:
Captain Ogawa Kunikatsu and 59 crewmen are picked up by destroyer FUJINAMI and taken to Palau.
Author’s Note:
Thanks go to Erich Muehlthaler of Germany and the late John Whitman.
Bob Hackett
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