Japanese Army Auxiliary Transports

RIKUGUN YUSOSEN

(NORWAY MARU, prewar)

NORWAY MARU:
Tabular Record of Movement
© 2013 Bob Hackett

22 December 1919:
Kobe. Laid down at Kawasaki Dockyard Company, Ltd. as Yard No. 496, a 5,832-ton passenger-cargo ship for Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha (K Line), K. K.
18 March 1920:
Launched and named NORWAY MARU.
23 April 1920:
Completed and placed on K Line’s service.
31 July 1922:
NORWAY MARU arrives at Ellis Island, New York.
1925:
Placed on K Line’s “Around-the-World” service.
March 1936:
Placed on K Lines’ Central, South American and United States West Coast route.
19 February 1942:
Requisitioned by the Imperial Navy (IJN) and operated with a civilian crew (Ippan Choyosen)(B-AK).
12 May 1942:
Released by the IJN back to her owners.
25 June 1942:
NORWAY MARU departs Tokyo for Ominato, northern Honshu in an unnumbered convoy also consisting of IJA transports FUKUEI and KATSURAGISAN MARUs and civilian cargo SEIKAI and HEIWA MARUs escorted by destroyer OKIKAZE.
E 26 June 1942:
OKIKAZE is detached.
27 June 1942:
Arrives at Ominato.
17 February 1943:
Convoy No. 2217A enroute from Hokkaido to Tokyo consisting of NORWAY and IBURI MARUs escorted by torpedo boat MANAZURU is joined by transport SANTO MARU.
20 February 1943:
Arrives at Tokyo.
22 May 1943:
NORWAY MARU departs Kobe in convoy No. 8522 also consisting of KIMISHIMA MARU and four unidentified ships escorted by torpedo-boat MANAZURU.
23 May 1943:
17 nms from Oyama. At 1300, KIMISHIMA MARU strikes a mine and sustains engine damage. She is taken in tow by NORWAY MARU.
24 May 1943:
Arrives at Nagoya.
10 July 1943:
At 1153, NORWAY MARU departs Saigon and later that day departs St Jacques in convoy No. 409 consisting of ARGUN, FUKUYO, HITORA (ex-Panamanian RAMONA), KOZUI, NORFOLK, NORWAY and TATSUNO MARUs and four unidentified merchants escorted by subchaser CH-9.
16 July 1943:
Arrives at Takao.
8 October 1943:
At 1400, NORWAY MARU departs Takao for Moji in convoy No. 210 also consisting of HOKKO, KISO, KOKKO, KOSHIN, MALTA, TOKUSHIMA, SHINNO, YAMABATO and YULIN MARUs escorted by destroyer HASU and patrol boat PB-36.
E 11 October 1943:
Off Niu Shan Islands. HASU is detached.
15 October 1943:
Arrives at Moji, less SHINNO and YAMABATO MARUs detached earlier.
5 November 1943:
Requisitioned by the Imperial Army (IJA and alloted Army No. 446.
15 November 1943:
NORWAY MARU departs Moji in convoy No. 114 also consisting of BIZEN, SHINNO, SHOHEI, SYDNEY and YASUKUNI (5794 GRT) MARUs and tankers TONAN and ZUIYO MARUs and two unidentified ships escorted by kaibokan KANJU.
20 November 1943:
Arrives at Takao.
28 November 1943:
At 1700, NORWAY MARU departs Takao in convoy No. 780 consisting of cargo ships BIZEN, CHIYO, KINSHU, NICHIWA, NIPPONKAI, RYUYO, RYUUN, TOSEI and YAMAHAGI MARUs and tankers SAN DIEGO MARU and OGURA MARU No. 1 and four unidentified ships escorted by destroyer FUYO and kaibokan KANJU.
3 December 1943:
At 1400 arrives Manila.
26 January 1944:
NORWAY MARU departs Manila in convoy H-15 also consisting of NIKKI MARU escorted by subchaser CH-36
29 January 1944:
Arrives at Zamboanga, Philippines and departs later that day.
2 February 1944:
At 1300, arrives at Wasile, Halmahera.
6 February 1944:
At 0645, NORWAY MARU departs Kau, Halmahera in a convoy also consisting of SHINSEI MARU No. 17 escorted by minelayer AOTAKA.
8 February 1944:
At 1820 arrives at Ambon, Ceram Island, Moluccas.
29 February 1944:
At 0733, NORWAY MARU departs Ternate escorted by minesweeper W-4.
1 March 1944:
Arrives at Kau Bay, Halmahera.
9 March 1944:
At 0600, NORWAY MARUs departs Wasili in convoy M-14 also consisting of CELEBES and TATSUJU MARUs escorted by patrol boat PB-103, auxiliary subchaser KYO MARU No. 12 (as far as Sarangani Island) and auxiliary NITTO MARU No. 17 (as far as the Talaud Islands). At 1400, PB-103 experiences malfunctions and the convoy anchors off Kau.
11 March 1944:
At 0715, after repairs to PB-103, the convoy departs Kau for Wasili. The convoy's escort is joined by auxiliary netlayer TOKO MARU No. 1. At 1322, arrives at Wasile where the convoy's escort is joined by auxiliary netlayer TOKO MARU No. 1. At 1710, the convoy departs Wasile.
12 March 1944:
SW of the Talaud Islands. The convoy sights a surfaced enemy submarine, but no attacks are received.
14 March 1944:
At 1230, the convoy anchors off Zamboanga, Mindanao. At 1850, the convoy departs.
11 March 1944:
At 0715, after repairs to PB-103, the convoy departs Kau for Wasili, Halmahera. The escort is joined by auxiliary netlayer TOKO MARU No. 1.
14 March 1944:
Cebu Sea. TEIYU MARU (ex-Italian CARIGNANO) joins the convoy.
15 March 1944:
At 1230, arrives at Zamboanga, Mindanao and departs at 1850.
19 March 1944:
At 0004, off Cape Santiago, Luzon, the convoy is attacked by an unidentified submarine, but no damage is incurred. At 1858, arrives at Manila.
10 April 1944:
Arrives at Singapore.
19 April 1944:
NORWAY MARU departs Manila in convoy MASA-04 also consisting of HOZAN MARU escorted by subchaser CH-21.
April 1944:
Subchaser CH-19 joins the convoy.
24 April 1944:
At 1700, arrives at Saigon.
6 May 1944:
NORWAY MARU departs Saigon in a convoy also consisting of MURORAN MARU with unknown escort.
13 May 1944:
Arrives at Manila.
3 June 1944:
NORWAY MARU departs Manila in convoy MATA-22 also consisting of DAISEI, KINREI and MIIKESAN MARUs and three unidentified ships escorted by destroyer KURETAKE, kaibokan CD-11, auxiliary minelayer CHOAN MARU and an unidentified warship.
6 June 1944:
Convoy MATA-22 arrives at Takao.
27 August 1944: At 0800, NORWAY MARU departs Moji for Miri, Borneo in convoy MI-17 also consisting of cargo ships AMAHI, ARAOSAN, BAIKAL, DAITEN, HOKUREI, NICHIZUI, SHUYO and SORACHI MARUs and SHINYO MARU No. 8 and tankers NITTETSU and SHIMOTSU MARUs and three unidentified ships. escorted by destroyers KURETAKE and SHIOKAZE, kaibokan CD-18, minelayer YURIJIMA and minesweeper W-17.
1 September 1944:
Mako, Pescadores. SORACHI and NITTETSU MARUs and one unidentified ship are detached. An unidentified ship joins the convoy. Minelayer AOTAKA, minesweeper W-20 and subchaser CH-41 join the escort.
4 September 1944:
At 1000, the convoy departs Mako for Manila.
6 September 1944:
At 1500, arrives at Aparri, Luzon. W-17, W-20 and CH-41 are detached.
10 September 1944:
Arrives at Manila. NORWAY, AMAHI, ARAOSAN, BAIKAL, DAITEN and HOKURE MARUs, YURIJIMA and minelayer and kaibokan CD-18 are detached.
21 September 1944:
Manilla Bay, Philippines. Anchored NORWAY MARU is hit by bombs from aircraft of Vice Admiral (later Admiral) Marc A. Mitscher’s (USNA '10) Task Groups 38.1, 38.2, and 38.3 aircraft and sunk at 14-35N, 120-55E.

Author's Note:
Thanks go to Erich Muehlthaler of Germany.

-Bob Hackett

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