Japanese Oilers

YUSOSEN!

(NASUSAN MARU, prewar)

NASUSAN MARU:
Tabular Record of Movement

© 2011 Bob Hackett

5 March 1931:
Tamano. Laid down at Mitsui Bussan K. K. as a 4,402-ton cargo ship for Mitsui Bussan K. K., Kobe.
15 August 1931:
Launched and named NASUSAN MARU. [1]
29 September 1931:
Completed.
10 June 1932:
Departs Kobe.
10 July 1932:
Arrives at Australia.
July 1932:
Departs Australia transporting wheat to Japan.
1936:
Transports lumber from Sakhalin Island, Kuriles.
11 February 1936:
Arrives at Takao, Formosa (Taiwan) carrying 4,000 tons of bauxite ore from Bintan Island, Dutch East Indies for a new jointly-owned Mitsui, Mitsubishi, Sumitomo and Furukawa production plant to provide aluminum for Japan’s aircraft manufacturing industry. Technical assistance is rendered by Adolf Hitler’s Germany.
20 July 1941:
Requisitioned by the IJN.
15 October 1941:
Attached to the Yokosuka Naval District as an auxiliary transport (charter).
30 October 1941:
Departs Yokosuka.
E 6 November 1941:
Arrives at Saipan, Marianas.
3 December 1941:
Departs Saipan.
7 December 1941:
Arrives at Truk, Carolines.
26 December 1941:
Departs Truk.
29 December 1941:
Arrives at Saipan.
31 December 1941:
Departs Saipan.
1 December 1941:
Arrives at Rota, Marianas.
6 January 1942:
Departs Rota.
13 January 1942:
Arrives at Yokosuka.
14 January 1942:
Departs Yokosuka. Later that day, arrives at Yokohama.
16 January 1942:
Departs Yokohama. Later that day, arrives at Yokosuka.
25 January 1942:
Departs Yokosuka.
28 January 1942:
Arrives at Chichi-jima and departs that same day.
31 January 1942:
Arrives at Saipan.
4 February 1942:
Departs Saipan.
8 February 1942:
Arrives at Truk.
20 February 1942:
Departs Truk.
28 February 1942:
Arrives at Rabaul, New Britain.
3 March 1942:
Departs Rabaul.
March 1942:
Runs aground off Fujishima archipelago.
22 March 1942:
Arrives at Truk.
3 April 1942:
Departs Truk.
8 April 1942:
Arrives at Palau, Carolines.
10 April 1942:
Released by the IJN and returned to her owners.
12 April 1942:
Departs Palau.
24 April 1942:
Arrives at Yokosuka.
17 September 1942:
Departs Wakamatsu, Hokkaido.
20 September 1942:
Arrives at Qinhuangdao, North China.
22 September 1942:
Departs Qinhuangdao.
28 September 1942:
Arrives at Kawasaki, Wakamatsu.
5 October 1942:
Departs Wakamatsu.
6 October 1942:
Departs the Keihin region (Tokyo, Kawasaki and Yokohama industrial area) via Osaka for Bintan.
16 November 1942:
Arrives at Mako.
18 November 1942:
Departs Mako.
24 November 1942:
Arrives at Moji.
26 November 1942:
Departs Moji.
2 December 1942:
Arrives at Yokosuka Naval Base.
3 December 1942:
Requisitioned by the IJN. Attached to the Yokosuka Naval District as an oil supply transport. Begins conversion to an emergency oiler at Yokosuka Naval Base.
2 January 1943:
Completes conversion. Returned to her owners on the same day. She is under civilian control until her loss.
6 January 1943:
Departs Yokosuka.
9 January 1943:
Arrives at Moji.
11 January 1943:
Departs Moji.
13 January 1943:
Arrives at Yokosuka.
14 January 1943:
Departs Yokosuka.
17 January 1943:
Arrives at Takao.
18 January 1943:
Departs Takao.
24 January 1943:
Arrives at St. Jacques, Indochina.
25 January 1943:
Departs St. Jacques.
28 January 1943:
Arrives at Singapore, Malaya.
29 January 1943:
Arrives at Saigon.
25 February 1943:
Departs Singapore.
6 March 1943:
Departs Saigon.
18 March 1943:
Arrives at Kure.
20 March 1943:
Departs Kure.
22 March 1943:
Arrives at Yokosuka.
23 March 1943:
Yokosuka. Begins repairs.
26 May 1943:
Completes repairs.
28 May 1943:
Departs Yokosuka.
1 June 1943:
Arrives at Sasebo.
22 June 1943:
NASUSAN MARU departs Yawata, Kyushu for Takao, Formosa in convoy No. 169 consisting of SEISHIN, KINREI, HOKUAN and RYUOSAN MARUs and oiler OSE escorted by torpedo boat HAYABUSA.
24 June 1943:
W of Amami O-shima, Ryukuyus. At 1124, LtCdr Charles O. Triebel’s USS SNOOK (SS-279) torpedoes and damages OSE severely at 28-50N, 126-56E.
27 June 1943:
Arrives at Takao.
29 June 1943:
Departs Takao. Later that day, arrives at Mako.
30 June 1943:
Departs Mako, Pescadores.
7 July 1943:
Arrives at St. Jacques.
9 July 1943:
Departs St. Jacques.
12 July 1943:
Arrives at Singapore.
17 July 1943:
Departs Singapore.
18 July 1943:
Arrives at Palembang, Sumatra, Dutch East Indies. Loads fuel oil. [2]
20 July 1943:
Departs Palembang.
23 July 1943:
Arrives at Singapore. Discharges fuel oil.
27 July 1943:
Departs Singapore.
28 July 1943:
Arrives at Palembang. Loads fuel oil.
31 July 1943:
Departs Palembang.
3 August 1943:
Arrives at Singapore. Discharges fuel oil.
8 August 1943:
Departs Singapore.
9 August 1943:
Arrives at Palembang. Loads fuel oil.
11 August 1943:
Departs Palembang.
14 August 1943:
Arrives at Singapore. Discharges fuel oil.
19 August 1943:
Departs Singapore.
20 August 1943:
Arrives at Palembang. Loads fuel oil.
26 August 1943:
Departs Palembang.
29 August 1943:
Arrives at Singapore. Discharges fuel oil.
3 September 1943:
Departs Singapore.
5 September 1943:
Arrives at Palembang. Loads fuel oil.
11 September 1943:
Departs Palembang.
13 September 1943:
Arrives at Singapore. Discharges fuel oil.
2 December 1943:
Arrives at Singapore.
7 December 1943:
Departs Singapore.
9 December 1943:
Arrives at Palembang. Loads fuel oil.
11 December 1943:
Departs Palembang.
13 December 1943:
Arrives at Singapore. Discharges fuel oil.
17 December 1943:
Departs Singapore.
19 December 1943:
Arrives at Palembang. Loads fuel oil.
22 December 1943:
Departs Palembang.
24 December 1943:
Arrives at Singapore. Discharges fuel oil.
28 December 1943:
Departs Singapore.
30 December 1943:
Arrives at Palembang. Loads fuel oil.
1 January 1944:
Departs Palembang.
3 January 1944:
Arrives at Singapore. Discharges fuel oil.
7 January 1944:
Departs Singapore.
8 January 1944:
Arrives at Palembang. Loads fuel oil.
10 January 1944:
Departs Palembang.
12 January 1944:
Arrives at Singapore. Discharges fuel oil.
16 January 1944:
Departs Singapore.
17 January 1944:
Arrives at Palembang. Loads fuel oil.
20 January 1944:
Departs Palembang.
21 January 1944:
Arrives at Singapore. Discharges fuel oil.
24 January 1944:
Departs Singapore.
26 January 1944:
Arrives at Palembang. Loads fuel oil.
28 January 1944:
Departs Palembang.
30 January 1944:
Arrives at Singapore. Discharges fuel oil. Begins repairs to the engine room.
12 February 1944:
Departs Singapore.
13 February 1944:
Arrives at Palembang. Loads fuel oil.
19 February 1944:
Departs Palembang.
124 February 1944:
Arrives at Balikpapan. Discharges fuel oil.
1 March 1944:
Departs Balikpapan.
3 March 1944:
Arrives at Tarakan.
5 March 1944:
Departs Balikpapan.
7 March 1944:
Arrives at Tarakan.
8 March 1944:
Departs Tarakan.
10 March 1944:
Arrives at Balikpapan.
18 March 1944:
Departs Balikpapan.
20 March 1944:
Arrives at Tarakan.
22 March 1944:
At 0745, PB-102 departs Tarakan with subchaser CH-4 escorting a convoy consisting of NASUSAN, SEITO, ANJO and SHONAN MARUs. At 2240, the convoy is attacked by a submarine. PB-102 evades two incoming torpedoes from starboard side.
24 March 1944:
At 1150, arrives at Balikpapan.
25 March 1944:
Arrives at Tarakan.
27 March 1944:
Arrives at Balikpapan.
2 April 1944:
Departs Balikpapan.
4 April 1944:
Arrives at Tarakan.
8 April 1944:
Departs Tarakan.
10 April 1944:
Arrives at Balikpapan.
1 May 1944:
At 0820, NASUSAN MARU departs Balikpapan in the "TSURUMI convoy" also consisting of Naval fleet oiler TSURUMI escorted by patrol boat PB-2 and auxiliary subchaser CHa-41.
3 May 1944:
At 1904, arrives at Tarakan.
7 May 1944:
Departs Tarakan.
10 May 1944:
Arrives at Balikpapan.
23 May 1944:
Departs Balikpapan.
25 May 1944:
Arrives at Tarakan.
30 May 1944:
Departs Tarakan.
2 June 1944:
Arrives at Zamboanga, Philippines.
4 June 1944:
Departs Zamboanga.
5 June 1944:
Arrives at Cebu, Philippines.
8 June 1944:
Arrives at Manila.
11 June 1944:
Manila. NASUSAN MARU joins bauxite convoy HO-02 from Singapore, also consisting of TAMAHOKO, TAINAN, MIYO, KENNICHI, SHONAN, TEIHOKU (ex-Vichy French PERSEE), NICHIWA and HIOKI MARUs and KONAN MARU No. 1 and ten unidentified ships escorted by minelayer AOTAKA and kaibokan CD-1 and CD-20.
TAMAHOKO MARU loads 7,500 tons of copper.
14 June 1944:
Convoy HO-02 departs Manila.
15 June 1944:
The convoy encounters a typhoon that badly batters MIYO MARU.
18 June 1944:
Arrives at Takao. MIYO MARU's Allied POWs from camps at Batavia, Java, including 42 American POWs, are transferred to TAMAHOKO MARU.
20 June 1944:
NASUSAN MARU departs Takao for Moji in convoy HO-02, now consisting of TEIHOKU (ex-Vichy French PERSEE), TAMAHOKO, KENNICHI and TAINAN MARUs and seven other unidentified ships escorted by minelayer AOTAKA and kaibokan CD-1 and CD-20 and an unidentified whaling ship.
24 June 1944:
Koshiki Straits, 40 miles SW of Nagasaki, Kyushu. At 2350, LtCdr (later Rear Admiral-Ret/MOH) Richard H. O’Kane’s USS TANG (SS-306) attacks the convoy. At 2354, O’Kane torpedoes NASUSAN MARU. Hit in the engine room, she sinks at 32-24N, 129-38E. 11 crewmen are KIA.
At about the same time, USS TANG also torpedoes and sinks TAMAHOKO MARU at 32-24N, 129-38E. The whaling ship picks up some survivors, but 35 crewmen and 560 POWs are lost including 15 American soldiers and sailors.
Next, O’Kane’s USS TANG torpedoes and sinks KENNICHI MARU at 32-24N, 129-38E. 36 crewmen are KIA.
Finally, at 2355, USS TANG hits TAINAN MARU in the stern with two torpedows. She is carrying 454 passengers, most probably troops of an unknown unit(s). She sinks at 32-24N, 129-38E. 39 crewmen an an unknown number of passengers are KIA. CD-1 attempts to counterattack, but is not fast enough to pursue USS TANG.

Authors' Note:
[1] Also known as NASUZAN MARU.
[2] Loading and unloading of fuel oil and gasoline noted at various ports in this TROM is speculative rather than factual.

- Bob Hackett

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