YUSOSEN!



(Wartime Standard Merchant Tanker 1TL)

IJN NAMPO MARU:

Tabular Record of Movement

© 2008-2018 Bob Hackett and Peter Cundall.

Revision 4

3 December 1942:
Aioi. Laid down at Harima Zosensho as a 10,033-ton Standard Merchant 1TL tanker for Iino Kaiun K. K., Tokyo.

14 May 1943:
Launched and named NAMPO MARU. [1]

29 July 1943:
Completed.

25 August 1943:
At 0900, NAMPO MARU departs Moji in convoy HI-07 consisting of tankers ITSUKUSHIMA, GOYO, OMUROSAN and NANEI MARUs and cargo-passenger ship USSURI MARU escorted by kaibokan ETOROFU.

29 August 1943:
Arrives at Takao.

30 August 1943:
Arrives at Mako. ETOROFU is detached and replaced by kaibokan SADO.

8 September 1943:
Arrives at Saigon, delayed by the slow speed of NANEI MARU.

9 September 1943:
Departs Saigon.

12 September 1943:
Convoy HI-07 arrives at Singapore.

24 September 1943:
Requisitioned by the IJN.

25 September 1943:
Arrives at Tokuyama Naval Fuel Depot.

29 September 1943:
Departs Tokuyama then later that day departs Moji in convoy TE-01 also consisting of NIPPO, ICHIYO, ZUIHO, NICHIRAN, IKOMA and HAKONE MARUs escorted by the Kaibokan SADO.

3 October 1943:
Arrives at Mako.

6 October 1943:
At 0900 departs Mako in convoy No. 328 also consisting of ICHIYO, BOKUYO (MUTSUYO), HAVRE (5652 gt), YASUJIMA, CHIYODA, REIYO, FUKUYAMA, KYOKUZAN, TEIFU (ex French BOUGAINVILLE), MISAKI, SHINRYU, HAKONE, ZUIHO, NICHIRAN, IKOMA, HAWAII, DURBAN, BELGIUM, ZUIYO, ZUISHO, TACHIBANA MARUs, probably SAINEI MARU and two unidentified merchant ships escorted by destroyer FUYO and auxiliary gunboat PEKING MARU.

11 October 1943:
FUYO is detached to Saigon. Nineteen merchant ships including FUKUYAMA, KYOKUZAN, SUGIYAMA, DURBAN, CHIYODA and REIYO MARUs detach either at St. Jacques or later at Saigon.

14 October 1943:
Arrives at Singapore.

15 October 1943:
Registed in the IJN as a specially installed transport (oil supply) (Otsu) category in the Yokosuka Naval District under internal order No. 2169.

17 October 1943:
Departs Singapore.

18 October 1943:
Arrives Balikpapan, Borneo.

21 October 1943:
Departs Balikpapan.

23 October 1943:
Arrives at Singapore.

25 October 1943:
Department of the Navy assignment.

3 November 1943:
Departs Singapore.

7 November 1943:
Arrives at Balikpapan.

14 November 1943:
At 1700, NAMPO MARU departs Balikpapan in convoy No.2611 also consisting of tankers SHINSHU, TOA, SHINKOKU and NIPPON MARUs, transport KOYU MARU and one unidentified merchant ship escorted by old destroyer WAKATAKE and auxiliary submarine chaser CHa 37. Later from near Palau destroyers HIBIKI and HANAKAZE, and initially subchaser CH-5 take over and continue escort of TOA, SHINKOKU, NAMPO and NIPPON MARUs.

21 November 1943:
At 0530, the convoy arrives Truk.

1 December 1943:
Departs Truk.

13 December 1943:
Arrives at Balikpapan.

22 December 1943:
Departs Balikpapan.

25 December 1943:
Arrives at Singapore.

30 December 1943:
Departs Singapore in convoy (possibly designated T convoy) also consisting of TATSUHARU MARU and tankers NICHIRIN and NICHINAN (5175 gt) MARUs and OSE.

3 January 1944:
At 0210 in 08-10N 112-43E while sailing line astern with OSE leading, the convoy is attacked by an unidentified submarine with two torpedoes missing the fourth ship in the line.

8 January 1944:
Arrives at Takao.

10 January 1944:
The same ships leave Takao as Special Convoy T still escorted by the OSE.

15 January 1944:
Arrives at Moji.

16 January 1944:
Arrives at Tokuyama.

21 January 1944:
Departs Tokuyama. Arrives at Kudamatsu.

26 January 1944:
Departs Kudamatsu.

27 January 1944:
Arrives at Sasebo.

28 January 1944:
Arrives at Tokuyama.

29 January 1944:
Departs Tokuyama.

1 February 1944:
At 0700, MATSUWA departs Moji escorting convoy HI-41 consisting of transports AWA, ASAMA, TEIA (ex-French Liner ARAMIS) and NANKAI MARUs and oiler NAMPO MARU plus another unidentified ship probably tanker MIRI MARU.

2 February 1944:
At 0730, minesweeper W-27 joins the escort.

3 February 1944:
At 0200, minesweeper W-27 is detached.

11 February 1944:
At 1430, arrives at Singapore.

13 February 1944:
At 1600, NAMPO MARU departs Singapore for Moji in convoy HI-40 consisting of tankers NANEI, KOKUEI, ICHIYO, NICHIRIN and ASAMA MARUs escorted by kaibokan SHIMUSHU.

19 February 1944:
South China Sea, 300 miles W of Luzon. Captain (later Rear Admiral-Ret) Thomas M. Dykers’ (USNA ’27) USS JACK (SS-259) attacks HI-40 and sinks KOKUEI and NANEI MARUs at 14-34N, 114-11E, NICHIRIN MARU at 15-40N, 115-48E and ICHIYO MARU at 15-46N, 115-57E. Losses respectively are six of KOKUEI MARU’s crewmen, 55 of NANEI MARU’s crew and five gunners, 48 of NICHIRIN MARU’s crewmen and 28 of ICHIYO MARU’s crewmen.

24 February 1944:
20 miles E of Formosa. At 0336, Cdr John A. Moore’s (USNA ’32) USS GRAYBACK (SS-208) torpedoes and sinks oiler NAMPO MARU at 24-20N, 122-25E and slightly damages transport ASAMA MARU at 24-28N, 122-21E. SHIMUSHU counterattacks unsuccessfully.

31 March 1944:
Removed from the Navy List under internal order No. 508.

Author's Notes:
[1] Also called NANPO MARU or NANHO MARU in some records.

Thanks go to Gilbert Casse of France.

- Bob Hackett and Peter Cundall.

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