Tabular Record of Movement
© 2018 Bob Hackett
1920:
Tacoma, WA. Laid down by Todd Drydock & Construction Corp. as a 4,743-ton cargo ship for stock. 1920:
Launched and named RED HOOK. 30 June 1920:
Completed. 1922:
Sold to an unknown firm. Renamed COMMERCIAL TRAVELER. Assigned to MGL Shipping Ltd. 1929:
Sold to C. Nelson Co., Seattle, WA. Renamed NELSON TRAVELER. 1936:
Sold to Swayne & Holt (Gulf Pacific Line), Seattle, WA. Renamed POINT ESTERO. 1939:
Sold to Cia Maritima Istmenia, Ltd., Panama. Renamed ESTERO. 1941:
Sold to Yamashita Kisen, K.K., Kobe, Japan. Renamed NARUO MARU. E 1943:
Requisitioned by the Imperial Army (IJA) as a Haitosen - Army/Civilian (A/C-AK) shared employment cargo ship. Allotted IJA No. 5028. 2 February 1943:
At 1215, NARUO MARU departs Yokosuka in convoy No. 1202 also consisting of BOKUYO and FUKUSEI MARUs and DAIBOSHI MARU No. 6 escorted by minesweeper W-18. 21 April 1943:
At 0600, NARUO MARU departs Imari Wan (Bay) in convoy SA-9 also consisting of CHUKA, FUKUEI, KOZAN, MIIKESAN, MURORAN, RYOYO and UJINA MARUs escorted by minelayer KAMOME. 23 April 1943:
Arrives at Hua Niao Shan, China where some merchants are detached. Later that day, the remainder of the convoy arrives at Shanghai. 3 June 1943:
NARUO MARU departs northern Kyushu for Shanghai in convoy Shi-310 also consisting of DAIYA, GYOTEN, KANSAI, REKIZAN, ROKKO, TOTAI, UNZEN and YAMAYURI MARUs and KOTO MARU No. 2 GO escorted by minelayer TAKASHIMA. 5 June 1943:
Arrives at Shanghai. 1 February 1944:
At 1150, NARUO MARU departs Shanghai in convoy MO-106 also consisting of AOKI, UGA, MALAY, MUNETAKA MARUs and WAKAMATSU MARU No. 6 escorted by minesweeper W-15. 3 February 1944:
At 1715, the convoy anchors near Mokpo, SW Korea. 28 March 1944:
Requisitioned by the Imperial Army (IJA). Allotted IJA No. 882. 5 April 1944:
At 0530, NARUO MARU departs Moji escorting ore convoy TE-03 consisting of KINREI, SHORYU, DAIBU, YULIN, DAIYOKU and TOYOHI MARUs and non ore ships under the same convoy number ASO, JINJU, NARUO (ex Panamanian ESTERO), SORACHI, BRAZIL MARUs and YOSHIDA MARU No. 3 together with five unidentified merchant escorted by kaibokan CD-1, torpedo boat HATSUKARI, auxiliary gunboat KAZAN (HUASHAN) MARU and minesweeper W-18. 14 April 1944:
At 1700, arrives at Takao. Most of the non ore carrying vessels are detached. 19 April 1944:
At 0800, NARUO MARU departs Takao in an amalgamation of three convoys TASA-17, TE-03 and No. 82 consisting of tanker TENSHIN MARU and cargo ships DAIBU, FRANCE, KINREI, SHORYU, YULIN, TOYOHI, HOKKA, DAIYOKU, WAKO GO, JINJU, RAKUZAN, SEISHO, IKOMASAN, KAIKO, OAKITA, YOSHUN, HIROTA and NINGPO MARUs escorted by kaibokan CD-1, torpedo boat HATSUKARI, auxiliary gunboat KAZAN MARU and minesweeper W-18. 21 April 1944:
At 1000, the convoys split. Ore convoy TE-03 escorted by CD-1 and KAZAN MARU head for Yulin, Hainan Island. Convoys TASA-17 and No. 82 escorted by torpedo boat HATSUKARI and minesweeper W-18 head for St Jacques, Vichy French Indochina. 2 June 1944:
At 0800, NARUO MARU departs Moji in convoy MOTA-21 (part 1), also consisting of AZUCHISAN, CLYDE, HAMBURG, HAVRE, IKOMASAN, KINE, SEKIHO, SHINSHO, TAMA, TATSUAKI, TAIAN, TSUYAMA and YAGI MARUs, KOTO MARU No. 2 GO, SHINSEI MARU No. 5 and seven unidentified merchants escorted by kaibokan CD-14, subchasers CH-23 and CH-56, auxiliary subchasers CHa-90 and CHa-95. 3 June 1944:
KOTO MARU No. 2 joins from Karatsu Wan (Bay). 7 June 1944:
At 0900, an enemy submarine is sighted at 28-18N, 123-03E. Later that day TAMA MARU is detached for Kirun, Formosa (Keelung, Taiwan). 9 June 1944:
At 0900, an enemy submarine is sighted at 24-50N, 120-30E. 10 June 1944 :
At 0630, arrives at Takao, Formosa. At 1200, NARUO MARU departs Takao in convoy MOTA-21 (part 2) also consisting of CLYDE, HAMBURG, HAVRE, IKOMASAN, SEKIHO, SHINSHO, TAIAN, TATSUAKI, TSUYAMA and YAMAHAGI MARUs, SHINSEI MARU No.5 and one unidentified merchant escorted by kaibokan CD-14 and subchaser CH-23. 13 June 1944:
At 2000, arrives at Manila. 27 June 1944:
NARUO MARU departs Manila for Kau, Halmahera Island in convoy H-30 also consisting of CLYDE, HAMBURG, HAVRE, SHINSHO and TATSUAKI MARUs and SHINSEI MARU No. 5. 11 July 1944:
At 1830, NARUO MARU departs Kau for Manila in convoy M-26 also consisting of CHINKAI, CLYDE, HAMBURG MARUs and SHINSEI MARU No. 5 escorted by minesweeper W- 5 and subchaser CH-60. 13 July 1944:
At 1830, the convoy arrives Bitung NE Celebes. 10 November 1944:
NARUO MARU departs Miike, Kyushu for Manila in convoy MOMA-07 also consisting of FUKUYO, GYOKUYO, JINYO, KENJO, MIHO, MINO, SHINFUKU, SHIROUMA (HAKUBA) and TATSUAKI (TATSUSHO) MARUs and KONAN MARU No. 1 escorted by kaibokan CD-8, CD-9, CD-28, CD-54, auxiliary subchaser CHa-24 and an unidentified warship. 11 November 1944:
Near Cape Ose Sea, Goto Archipelago. At 0906, Cdr (later Rear Admiral-Ret) Charles E. Loughlin’s (USNA '33) USS QUEENFISH (SS-393) fires four torpedoes and hits MIHO MARU in the bow. Unable to keep up with the convoy, she heads for Sasebo. The escorts drop 55 depth-charges on QUEENFISH, but she remains undamaged. 12 November 1944:
248 miles SW of Nagasaki. At 0420, LtCdr (later Rear Admiral/MOH) Eugene B. Fluckey’s (USNA '35) USS BARB (SS-220) torpedoes NARUO MARU at 31-30N 125-57E. Hit by one or more torpedoes, she blows up and sinks instantly. She was carrying army troops and 20,000 shells.. 490 troops, 131 gunners and 72 crewmen are KIA.
Author's Note:
Thanks go to Erich Muehlthaler of Germany. Bob Hackett
