Japanese Oilers

YUSOSEN!

(Oiler by Takeshi Yuki scanned from "Color Paintings of Japanese Warships")

IJN OGURA MARU No. 3:
Tabular Record of Movement

© 2008-2018 Bob Hackett and Peter Cundall.

Revision 7

1915:
Glasgow, Scotland. Laid down at Barclay, Curle & Co. Ltd. (Yard No. 538) as MASULA for the British India Steam Navigation Co., but is bought by British Admiralty on the stocks. Converted from a cargo liner to a Royal Navy fleet auxiliary tanker and renamed OLIGARCH. The firm of Lane & McAndrew is appointed manager.
1916:
Launched and renamed LIMELEAF.
December 1916:
Completed. The nominal owner is the Shipping Controller, London.
December 1919:
Sold to N.V. Insulinde Tank Stoomboot Mij., of Bandung, Java and renamed CALIFORNIA.
1925:
Sold to the British Molasses Co. Ltd., London and renamed ATHELRILL.
1926:
British Molasses Co. is restyled as United Molasses Co. ATHELRILL is sold to Nippon Tanker K.K., Tokyo and renamed KOYO MARU.
13 September 1926:
Yokohama Dockyard. A gas explosion occurs. Later, KOYO MARU is repaired. Transports oil from California to Japan.
1931:
Renamed OGURA MARU No.3 by Ogura Sekiyu K. K. (Petroleum Corporation), Yokohama. [1]
1941:
The Japanese government merges Ogura Petroleum with Nippon Oil K. K.
24 March 1942:
Requisitioned by the IJN.
10 April 1942:
Registered in the IJN under internal order No. 663 as an auxiliary oiler, (Ko) category and attached to the Yokosuka Naval District with Yokosuka as homeport.
13 April 1942:
Captain Sakai Takeo (39)(former CO of NACHISAN MARU) is appointed Supervisor.
23 April 1942:
Departs Yokosuka.
25 April 1942:
Arrives at Kure.
27 April 1942:
Departs Kure.
1 June 1942: Reserve Captain (Rear Admiral, posthumously) Fukuzawa Tetsushiro (36) is appointed Supervisor of OGURA MARU No. 3.
6 June 1942:
Departs Tokyo Bay in a coastal convoy also consisting of GOSEI and NANIWA MARUs escorted by the destroyer HATAKAZE. At some point after departure NANIWA MARU detaches and heads south to Palau. OGURA MARU No. 3 is bound for Kure.
27 August 1942:
Transits the Bungo Straits and heads south.
23 October 1942:
Departs Palau in a convoy also consisting of KIKUKAWA and TAIFUKU MARUs escorted by destroyer HATAKAZE.
28 October 1942:
Arrives at Rabaul.
1 November 1942:
Departs Truk for Shortland in convoy with NISSHIN MARU and Naval oiler NARUTO escorted by destroyer YUZUKI.
4 November 1942:
At 01-00S 152-35E YUZUKI is detached.
5 November 1942:
At 1215 at Shortland refuels destroyer KUROSHIO.
6 November 1942:
Between 0816 and 1326 at Shortland refuels heavy cruiser SUZUYA.
8 November 1942:
From 1125 at Shortland OGURA MARU No. 3 and NISSHIN MARU refuel destroyers of 31 DG, 24 DG and 10 DG. At 1500 refuels destroyer KUROSHIO.
28 November 1942:
Departs Palau.
6 December 1942:
Arrives at Balikpapan, Borneo.
22 December 1942:
At 1800, arrives at Manila with KUNISHIMA MARU.
30 December 1942:
At 0630, departs Palau for Tarakan, Borneo.
4 January 1943:
At 1200, arrives at Tarakan.
18 January 1943:
Arrives at Yokosuka.
19 January 1943:
Yokosuka. Undergoes repairs.
28 January 1943:
Captain Fukuda Kinzo (37)(former CO of HAKKAISAN MARU) is appointed Supervisor.
10 April 1943:
Departs Yokohama.
27 April 1943:
Departs Takao.
4 June 1943:
Arrives at Takao.
6 June 1943:
At 0900 departs Takao for Moji in convoy No. 269 also consisting of passenger/cargo ships TATSUWA, NACHISAN, NITTATSU, HOKUAN MARUs, IJA passenger-cargo ship NEKKA MARU, passenger ship KASHIMA MARU and three unidentified merchant ships escorted by auxiliary gunboat HUASHAN (KAZAN) MARU.
7 June 1943:
Collides with auxiliary transport TATSUWA MARU at 24-05N, 122-59E. However, damage is light and both ships resume their course to Kirun, Formosa (now Keelung, Taiwan) where they arrives later that day at 1600.
17 June 1943:
Departs Kirun.
23 June 1943:
Arrives at Kure.
1 July 1943:
Departs Kure. Later that day arrives at Kasadojima.
6 August 1943:
Departs Kasadojima, arrives the same day at Tokushima.
11 August 1943:
Departs Tokushima.
26 August 1943:
At 1130 departs Manila in convoy No. 917 also consisting of TAIAN (5410), TAIRYU, CHIYODA, KYOEI, MATSUMOTO, SHUNTEN MARUs and FUSHIMI MARU No. 3, escorted by destroyer ASAKAZE. The convoy is bound for Balikpapan and at an unidentified point MATSUMOTO, SHUNTEN and CHIYODA MARUs and FUSHIMI MARU No. 3 are detached.
30 August 1943:
At 2200 OGURA MARU No 3 separates from convoy for Tarakan.
4 October 1943:
At 1430, arrives at Tarakan.
18 October 1943:
At 0800, old destroyer WAKATAKE departs Balikpapan with subchaser CH-4 and auxiliary subchaser CHa-41 escorting convoy No. 2609 consisting of transports EIKO, DAI, KENZAN, MACASSAR, HIMALAYA, SENKO and DAIGEN MARU No. 3 and naval oiler TSURUMI and tanker OGURA MARU No. 3.
20 October 1943:
DAI MARU breaks down and is assisted by CHa-41.
21 October 1943:
At 1000, KENZAN and DAI MARUs and CHa-41 are detached for Menado. At 1100 EIKO MARU suffers a breakdown and WAKATAKE stands by ship until both rejoin the convoy at 1230. 22 October 1943: At 0800, SENKO MARU is detached. Soon after MACASSAR MARU suffers a breakdown and CH-4 remains in attendance for 10 minutes until the vessel is able to rejoin. At an unknown date and time CH-4 is detached.
25 October 1943:
At 2120, arrives at Palau.
E 5 November 1943:
OGURA MARU No. 3 departs Palau for Truk with tanker HAKUBASAN MARU in convoy No. 8505 escorted by destroyer TACHIKAZE.
11 November 1943:
Arrives at Truk. Transfers 1127 tons fuel oil to cruiser CHIKUMA.
24 November 1943:
At 1200, OGURA MARU No. 3 departs Truk with tanker HAKUBASAN MARU in convoy No. 7242 escorted by subchaser CH-28.
29 November 1943:
At 0800, arrives at Palau.
13 December 1943:
At 0730, OGURA MARU No. 3 departs Palau in convoy No. 2515 also consisting of tankers FUJISAN MARU, HAKUBASAN MARU and small cargo ship SHOYU MARU bound for Tarakan, Borneo. SHINKOKU MARU and ammunition ship ARATAMA MARU are bound for Balikpapan, Borneo escorted by patrol boat PB-2 and auxiliary subchasers CHa-26 and CHa-27.
17 December 1943:
At 1700, subchaser CH-6 joins the escort. At midnight, OGURA MARU No. 3, the subchaser and the Tarakan-bound ships split away from the convoy.
E 21 December 1943:
Departs Tarakan in a convoy also consisting of tankers SHOYU and FUJISAN MARUs.
E 22 December 1943:
Off Mangakalihat meets up with patrol boat PB-102 (ex USS STEWART).
23 December 1943:
At 2000 arrives at Balikpapan.
26 December 1943:
OGURA MARU No. 3 departs Balikpapan as only merchant ship in convoy No. 2614 escorted by patrol boat PB-2.
28 December 1943:
Recalled Captain Niimi Kazutaka (40)(former CO of TAMA) is posted CO of OGURA MARU No. 3.
30 December 1943:
At 0740, NIPPONKAI MARU joins the convoy.
31 December 1943:
At 1800, subchaser CH-33 joins convoy No. 2614 at sea.
January 1944:
OGURA MARU No. 3 is sold to Kyodo Kigyo K. K.
1 January 1944:
Arrives at Gadarak, Palau. That same day, OGURA MARU No. 3 is directly attached to the Combined Fleet.
2 January 1944:
Departs Gadarak and anchors within Palau atoll.
3 January 1944:
At 0730, departs Palau for Truk in convoy No. 8031 consisting of OGURA MARU No. 3 escorted by subchasers CH-33, CH-24 and CH-39.
9 January 1944:
At 1300 arrives at Truk.
20 January 1944:
At 1300 OGURA MARU No. 3 departs Truk for Palau in convoy No.7202 also consisting of KYOEI MARU No. 2 escorted by destroyer HAMANAMI and subchasers CH-24, CH-30, CH-33 and CH-39.
26 January 1944:
Arrives at Palau.
30 January 1944:
At 0850, OGURA MARU No. 3 departs Palau for Tarakan in convoy NE-002 with KYOEI MARU No. 2 escorted by patrol boat PB-36 and auxiliary subchasers CHa-22 and CHa-15.
31 January 1944:
CHa-22 is detached for Palau.
2 February 1944:
At 1300, auxiliary subchaser CHa-15 is detached for Davao, Philippines.
5 February 1944:
Arrives at Tarakan.
8 February 1944:
Departs Tarakan with tanker KYOEI MARU No. 2.
17 February 1944:
OGURA MARU No. 3 departs Balikpapan for Palau with tanker KYOEI MARU No. 2 escorted by subchaser CH-5 and auxiliary gunboat PEKING MARU.
23 February 1944:
Off Halmahera, Moluccas, Dutch East Indies. At about 2300, LtCdr (later Rear Admiral) James C. Dempsey's (USNA ’31) USS COD (SS-224) makes a surface attack, torpedoes and sinks OGURA MARU No. 3 at 04-23N, 129-05E. Captain Niimi and 16 crewmen are KIA. Niimi is promoted Rear Admiral, posthumously.
31 March 1944:
Removed from the Navy List under internal order No. 508.

Author's Notes:
[1] The kanji for Ogura is the same as Kokura. Kokura near Moji, on the Shimonoseki Straits, has long been an oil tank farm location. It is possible that although western records, almost without exception, record the name as Ogura the correct name may be Kokura.
Thanks go to Gilbert Casse of France for reviewing this TROM, Sander Kingsepp of Estonia and Matt Jones of Ohio for CO infotmation.
- Bob Hackett and Peter Cundall.

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