RIKUGUN YUSOSEN

(WOYO MARU (later OYO MARU, prewar)

OYO (ex-WOYO) MARU:
Tabular Record of Movement

© 2013 Bob Hackett

27 July 1920:
Tsurumi, Yokohama. Laid down at the Asano Shipyard as Yard No. 36, a 5,458-ton cargo ship for Toyo Kisen Kaisha, K.K. (TKK) (Oriental Steamship Co. Ltd).

25 July 1921:
Launched and named WOYO MARU. [1]

23 September 1921:
Completed and place in TKK's service.

5 February 1922:
Arrives at Ellis Island, New York from Hull, England.

16 April 1923:
Arrives at Ellis Island from Hong Kong.

8 December 1923:
Arrives at Ellis Island from Hong Kong, Kobe, Yokohama via Surabaya, Java, Marseilles, France, and Gibraltar.

10 March 1926:
TKK is taken over by the Nippon Yusen Kaisha (NYK) Line.

23 August 1930:
Tokyo. As a result of the world-wide Depression, Toyo Kisen Kaisha decides to tie-up all nine of its ships including OYO MARU.

31 March 1932:
WOYO MARU departs Sydney, Australia under TKK’s Captain Matsuye for Kobe, via Keelung and Hong Kong.

17 January 1934:
Arrives at Vancouver, B.C., Canada.

8 September 1936:
WOYO MARU departs Singapore via Penang, Malaya and Colomo, Ceylon (Sri Lanka) for Bombay, Bhavnagar and Karachi, India.

8 September 1936:
Renamed OYO MARU.

26 September 1941:
Requisitioned by the Imperial Army (IJA) and converted to a troop transport. Assigned Army No. 185.

18 December 1941: The Invasion of the Philippines -“M” Operation (M Sakusen):
At 1700, OYO MARU departs Takao, Formosa for Lingayen Gulf, Philippines in Rear Admiral (later Vice Admiral) Rear Admiral Hara Kensaburo's (37)(former CO of TAKAO) 1st Lingayen Invasion Unit with 27 other IJA transports escorted by DesRon 5's light cruiser NATORI, DesDiv 5's ASAKAZE, HARUKAZE and MATSUKAZE, DesDiv 22's FUMIZUKI, MINAZUKI, NAGATSUKI and SATSUKI, minesweepers W-15 and W-16 and subchasers CH-1, CH-2, CH-3 CH-13, CH-14 and CH-15.

The Japanese main invasion at Lingayen Gulf consists of three transport echelons and carries the main part of LtGen Homma Masaharu's 80,000-man 14th Army. The first echelon is composed of 27 transports from Takao under Rear Admiral Hara , the second echelon of 28 transports under Rear Admiral (later Vice Admiral) Nishimura Shoji (39) and the third echelon of 21 transports from Keelung under Rear Admiral (later Vice Admiral) Hirose Sueto (39).

24 December 1941:
Lingayen Gulf. Between 0110 and 0430, the Lingayen Invasion Convoy lands troops at Lingayen.

25 December 1941:
Lingayen. Auxiliary gunboat TAIKO MARU collides with OYO MARU. TAIKO MARU suffers damage to her forecastle.

9 February 1942: Operation "L" (L Sakusen) -The Invasions of Muntok, Banka Island and Palembang, Sumatra, Netherlands East Indies (NEI):
OYO MARU departs Camranh Bay, Indochina in an invasion convoy consisting of transports ALASKA, ANYO, KINUGAWA, MANSEI, SADO, TACOMA and TAJIMA MARUs escorted by Rear Admiral (later Vice Admiral) Hashimoto Shintaro’s (41) DesRon 3 light cruiser SENDAI, DesDiv 11's FUBUKI, HATSUYUKI and SHIRAYUKI, DesDiv 20’s AMAGIRI, YUGIRI and ASAGIRI, MinSwpDiv 1’s W-1, W-2,W-3,W-4 and W-5 and SubChasDiv 11’s CH-7 and CH-8. Air cover is provided by floatplane fighters from seaplane tenders SAGARA and KAMIKAWA MARUs.

The convoy carries seven companies of the 229th Regiment of the IJA 38th Division, a mountain gun battery of the 10th Independent Mountain Artillery Battalion, an engineer company of the 38th Engineer Regiment and men of the 38th Medical Unit.

14 February 1942: The invasion convoy successfully lands its troops on Sumatra. OYO MARU suffers slight damage in an air attack, probably by RAAF Lockheed “Hudson” light bombers.

30 March 1942:
OYO MARU departs Mako via Kirun for Ujina in a convoy also consisting of BUJUN, SEIAN and TACHIBANA MARUs escorted by auxiliary gunboat CHOHAKUSAN MARU

1 October 1942:
OYO MARU departs Batavia, Java for Singapore.

January 1943:
OYO MARU departs Rabaul via Shortlands to Kolombangara, Solomons carrying 987 soldiers and munitions.

6 March 1943:
At 1430, OYO MARU departs Palau in convoy "Hansa No. 1" also consisting of ASO, MOMOYAMA, SYDNEY, TEIRYU and YASUJIMA MARUs and SHINSEI MARU No. 1 escorted by destroyers AKIGUMO, KAZEGUMO, YUGUMO, SAMIDARE and SATSUKI.

12 March 1943:
At 0503, arrives at Hansa Bay (near Madang), Eastern New Guinea.

13 March 1943:
At 1500, departs Hansa Bay. At 1830, the convoy is attacked by five B-17 "Flying Fortress" heavy bombers at 03-05S, 143-28E. MOMOYAMA MARU is hit by bombs. Nine crewmen are KIA.

14 March 1943:
At 0045, MOMOYAMA MARU sinks.

18 March 1943:
At 0730, arrives at Palau.

9 April 1943:
OYO MARU departs Kobe in convoy No. 8409 also consisting of cargo/transports KATSURAGISAN, RYUA, TAISHU, TEISHO (ex-German HAVENSTEIN) and WAKATAKE MARUs and HAKUTETSU MARU No. 7 and SHINSEI MARU No. 18, tanker KYOEI MARU No. 5 escorted by minesweeper W-5.

11 April 1943:
Arrives at Yokosuka.

20 April 1943:
Released by the IJA back to her owners.

11 December 1943:
At 0900, OYO MARU departs Takao for Moji in convoy No. 226 also consisting of ATLAS, AMERICA, ENJU, HANAGAWA, HIDA and NEIKAI MARUs escorted by patrol boat PB-36.

17 December 1943:
Convoy No. 226 arrives at Moji, less ENJU MARU detached at Okinawa due to engine trouble.

7 May 1944:
Requisitioned by the Imperial Navy (IJA) as a Navy Requisitioned Ship (B-AK) and operated by a civilian crew.

11 June 1944:
At 1530, OYO MARU departs Moji in convoy MI-07 consisting of GYOKUYO, KAKOGAWA, KAMO, KOKKO, MATSUURA, MINO, MYOGI, NISHI (ex British KALGAN), SHINKOKU, TAIKAI and YULIN MARUs and tankers CHIHAYA, KOEI, RYUSHO, SAKURA, SAN LUIS and TAIEI MARUs, landing ship KORYU (SS 1) and seven unidentified merchants escorted by destroyers ASAGAO and ASAKAZE, kaibokan YASHIRO, CD-2 and auxiliary minesweeper TAKUNAN MARU No. 3. Immediately after leaving port, KOEI MARU develops engine problems and returns to port.

15 June 1944:
At 1040, anchors at Oshima Strait, Amami-Oshima, Ryukyus.

16 June 1944:
Departs Oshima Strait.

17 June 1944:
MATSUURA and KAMO MARUs are detached with destroyer ASAGAO and head for Kirun.

18 June 1944:
At 1300, arrives at Takao. Later that day, OYO MARU departs Takao in convoy TAMA-21 also consisting of SHIMPO, TAMA, TOSHO MARU (towing midget submarine HA-53), YAGI,MARUs and an unidentified merchant ship escorted by destroyer KURETAKE, subchaser CH-19 and auxiliary subchaser CHa-94.

24 June 1944:
Arrives at Manila.

27 June 1944:
At 1530, OYO MARU departs Manila in convoy MI-07 also consisting of MATSUURA, KAMO, SHIMPO SHINKOKU, NISHI, MINO, TAIKAI, KAKOGAWA, MYOGI MARUs and tankers CHIHAYA, KOEI, RYUSHO, SAN LUIS and TAIEI, MARUs and eleven unidentified merchant ships escorted by destroyers ASAGAO and ASAKAZE, kaibokan YASHIRO, CD-2 and auxiliary minesweeper TAKUNAN MARU No. 3.

2 July 1944:
Arrives at Miri.

30 June 1944:
At 1000, OYO MARU departs Cebu, Philippines in convoy SEPA-01/SEDA- 01 also consisting of AZUCHISAN and TAMA MARUs escorted by kaibokan CD-6, CD-16 and CD-19 and subchasers CH-12 and CH-35.

1 July 1944:
OYO and AZUCHISAN MARUs detached for Davao with CD-19. TAMA MARU is detached for Palau with CD-16, CD-6, CH-12 and CH-35.

25 July 1944:
At 0155, OYO departs Davao for Zamboanga, Philippines in convoy Z-258 also consisting of AZUCHISAN, KITAGAMI, RYUKA and TATSUHARU MARUs and HISHI MARU No. 2, KYOEI MARU No. 2 and LST No. 127 escorted by kaibokan CD-6, CD-16, minelayer W-30, subchasers CH-49, CH-58, auxiliary subchaser KYO MARU No. 12, auxiliary netlayer TOKACHI MARU, auxiliaries TOKO MARU and HIYODORI MARU No. 2. The convoy is also provided air cover.

27 July 1944:
At an unknown point OYO MARU is detached from convoy Z-258 . At 0920, OYO MARU and auxiliary subchaser CHa-74 join convoy MI-08 that departed Manila for Moji on 10 July kaibokan escorting consisting of ARABIA, HAKUSHIKA (HAKUROKU), MANILA, MIRI, RYUSHO and TATSUBATO, MARUs and tankers CHIHAYA, NITTETSU, RYUSHO, SAN DIEGO, SANKO (YAMAKO), SAN LUIS, TAKETSU (BUTSU) and YAMAMIZU MARUs and KYOEI MARU No. 6 escorted by kaibokan CD-1, CD-18, CD-28, torpedo boat SAGI, minesweeper W-17, minelayer ENOSHIMA and subchaser CH-61.

At 1605, the convoy arrives at Takao.

12 August 1944:
At 0600, OYO MARU departs Manila for Moji in convoy MASA-10 also consisting of DURBAN, TEIRITSU (ex-Vichy French LECONTE DE LISLE), RISSHUN and YAMABUKI MARUs escorted by minesweeper W-18, subchasers CH-19, CH-32 and four small unidentified auxiliary gunboats. After leaving Manila the convoy stops at Lucanin, Bataan Peninsula.

13 August 1944:
At 2000, the convoy departs for Saigon, but the weather worsens and the convoy returns to Lucanin.

14 August 1944:
At 1700, the convoy restarts its journey.

20 August 1944:
At 1810, the convoy anchors in Camrahn Bay.

21 August 1944:
At 0800, the convoy departs Camrahn Bay. At 0952, LtCdr Michael P. Russillo's (USNA ’27) USS MUSKALLUNGE (SS-262) fires torpedoes at the convoy. One is spotted heading for DURBAN MARU. She avoids this torpedo, but another strikes No. 4 hold and she begins to flood. At 1100, Abandon Ship is ordered.. The escorts drop 46 depth-charges, but MUSKALLUNGE remains undamaged. As DURBAN MARU is sinking slowly, plans are made to remove some of her ammunition cargo after towing her to the beach. OYO MARU returns to effect the tow, but suddenly DURBAN MARU’s bow rises upwards and she sinks at 1400 at 1l-45N, 109-46E. 509 of 3,354 military passengers and six crewmen are KIA.

21 August 1944:
Arrives at Saigon, Indochina.

3 October 1944:
At 1500, OYO MARU departs Cap St Jacques in convoy SAMA-13 consisting of HEIAN, MIKASA MYOGI,and TEIYU (ex-Italian CARIGNANO) MARUs escorted by minelayer YURASHIMA and minesweeper W-18. That evening, a strong wind blows OYO, HEIAN and MYOGI MARUs ashore. The remainder of the convoy returns to St Jacques while the escorts assist refloating the three ships which then return to St Jacques for minor repairs.

16 October 1944:
At 1343, the same convoy again departs St Jacques.

16 October 1944:
YURIJIMA is detached from the convoy and replaced by minesweeper W-17.

21 October 1944:
Arrives at Miri.

20 October 1944:
In the early morning, LtCdr John C. Martin's (USNA ’34) USS HAMMERHEAD (SS-364) torpedoes OYO MARU, loaded with 6700 tons of rice, and UGO MARU carrying 4500 tons of rice. Both sinks at 04-45N 113-30E. Three crewmen on OYO MARU and one passenger and 24 crewmen on UGO MARU are KIA.

Author's Notes:
[1] Also known as OYOH MARU.

Thanks go to Erich Muehlthaler of Germany.

Bob Hackett

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