Tabular Record of Movement
© 2011-2018 Gilbert Casse, Bob Hackett and Peter Cundall
Revision 3
19 April 1937:
Launched and named NANIWA MARU.
30 June 1937:
Completed and registered in Kobe.
E 1937-1940:
Placed on Taihei Kisen’s Kobe ~ New Zealand commercial service.
20 October 1938:
Departs Osaka.
1 December 1938:
Arrives at Dunedin, New Zealand.
11 April 1941:
Requisitioned by the IJN.
15 October 1941:
NANIWA MARU is registered in the Yokosuka Naval District as an auxiliary transport under internal order No. 1256. Her home port is Yokosuka Naval Base.
E November 1941:
Attached to the Yokosuka Naval District as an auxiliary transport, (Ko) category. Merchant marine Captain J. Yasuda is assigned to NANIWA MARU. [1]
3 December 1941:
Departs Truk for Palau, Carolines.
7 December 1941:
Arrives at Palau.
9 December 1941:
Departs Palau.
23 December 1941:
Arrives at Saipan, Marianas.
28 December 1941:
Departs Saipan and arrives the same day at Rota Island, Marianas.
31 December 1941:
Departs Rota for Yokosuka.
7 January 1942:
Arrives at Yokosuka. Later, departs and arrives the same day at Yokohama.
11 January 1942:
Departs Yokohama and arrives the same day at Tokyo.
15 January 1942:
Departs Tokyo, makes a call at Tateyama, Chiba Prefecture and departs later in the day for Davao, Philippines.
22 January 1942:
Arrives at Davao.
3 February 1942:
Departs Davao for Bangka Island (now Pulau Bangka), Celebes (now Sulawesi) with TENRYU MARU escorted by auxiliary gunboat OKUYO MARU.
5 February 1942:
Arrives at Bangka Island.
11 February 1942:
At 1400 departs Bangka for Ambon, Moluccas in convoy also consisting of KIKU, GIYO, TENRYU, CHOZAN and KOSEI MARUs escorted by destroyer AMATSUKAZE and auxiliary gunboat OKUYO MARU.
13 February 1942:
Meets up with water tanker ASAYAMA MARU.
14 February 1942:
At 1200 arrives at Ambon.
17 February 1942:
Departs Ambon for Kupang, SW tip of Timor with TENRYU and ZENYO MARUs. These ships form the 2nd echelon of the first landing group. Direct escort is provided by patrol boats PB-1 and PB-2 and destroyers TOKITSUKAZE and AMATSUKAZE.
18 February 1942:
AMATSUKAZE apparently detaches to escort auxiliary seaplane carrier KUNIKAWA MARU.
20 February 1942:
Arrives at Kupang.
1 March 1942:
Patrol boat PB-1 departs Kupang for Kendari, Celebes escorting LYONS, TENRYU and NANIWA MARUs. At some point the ships are joined by PB-2 and LYONS MARU is detached and KATSURAGI MARU joins.
3 March 1942:
Arrives at Kendari.
9 March 1942:
Departs Kendari for Rota.
17 March 1942:
Arrives at Rota.
24 March 1942:
Departs Rota for Osaka.
2 April 1942:
Departs Osaka for Moji.
3 April 1942:
Arrives at Moji.
6 April 1942:
Departs Moji for Yokkaichi, Mie Prefecture.
8 April 1942:
Arrives at Yokkaichi.
9 April 1942:
Departs Yokkaichi for Truk.
20 April 1942:
Arrives at Truk.
8 May 1942:
Departs Truk for Fais (Fuhaesu), Carolines.
11 May 1942:
Arrives at Fais.
16 May 1942:
Departs Fais for Miyakojima-ku, Osaka Prefecture.
24 May 1942:
Arrives at Miyakojima-ku.
27 May 1942:
Departs Miyakojima-ku for Muroran, Hokkaido.
28 May 1942:
Arrives at Muroran.
30 May 1942:
Departs Muroran for Tokyo.
2 June 1942:
Arrives at Tokyo.
6 June 1942:
Departs Tokyo for Palau. The ship sails in convoy with tanker OGURA MARU No.3 (bound for Kure) and GOSEI MARU (bound for Nagoya) escorted by destroyer HATAKAZE. At some point off the Honshu coast NANIWA MARU
is detached and steams unescorted.
14 June 1942:
Arrives at Palau.
21 June 1942:
Departs Palau and arrives the same day at Garasumao, Babeldaob (Babelthuap) Island, Palaus.
28 June 1942:
Departs Garasumao for Moji.
5 July 1942:
Arrives at Moji.
9 July 1942:
Departs Moji and arrives the same day at Kure.
15 July 1942:
Departs Kure and arrives the same day at Tsukumi, Oita Prefecture.
18 July 1942:
Departs Tsukumi for Osaka.
19 July 1942:
Arrives at Osaka.
22 July 1942:
Departs Osaka for Truk.
3 August 1942:
About 40 nms W of West Channel Truk. NANIWA MARU is attacked by LtCdr (later Rear Admiral) William S. Stovall’s (USNA ‘29) USS GUDGEON (SS-211). About 0400, Stovall torpedoes and hits NANIWA MARU. She sinks
by the bow at 07-17N, 150-46E. 27 crewmen and four passengers are KIA.
25 August 1942:
Removed from the Navy List under internal order No. 1581.
-Gilbert Casse, Bob Hackett and Peter Cundall
