ZATSUYOSEN!
( PARAN MARU photographed underwater as found in the late 1980s – Peter Cundall collection)
IJN PARAN MARU:
Tabular Record of Movement
© 2015-2020 Gilbert Casse and Peter Cundall
Revision 2
E 1926:
Kowloon, Hong Kong. Laid down by Whampoa Dock Co. Ltd. for M.J. Ossorio as a 562-tons cargo ship.
E 1927:
Launched and named PALAWAN.
Dec 1927:
Completed and registered at Manila.
1930:
Her owners are changed to M/S “Palawan” Inc.
1933:
Call sign KZDQ.
1937:
Undergoes main engine overhaul.
1941:
Her owners are changed to Madrigal & Company, Manila.
29 December 1941:
Scuttled in Manila Bay, Luzon, P.I.
9 February 1942:
Taken over by Japanese Forces.
1942:
Renamed PARAN MARU. Call sign is changed to JWAY. [1]
30 March ~ 26 May 1942:
Undergoes repairs by the IJN’s 103rd Repair Unit.
20 May 1942:
Assigned to Airforce Base troop transport mission.
27 May 1942:
Repairs are completed. Departs Manila.
30 May 1942:
Arrives at Takao, Formosa (now Kaohsiung, Taiwan). Departs there later in the day.
31 May 1942:
Arrives at Mako, Pescadores.
8 June 1942:
Departs Mako and arrives at Takao later that day.
10 June 1942:
Departs Takao.
2 July 1942:
At 1345 arrives Roi.
13 July 1942:
At 0400 departs Roi with SOYO MARU that soon after is detached.
14 July 1942:
Arrives Taroa.
19 July 1942:
At 1320 departs Taroa.
20 July 1942:
At 0510 arrives at Wotje. At 1105 departs Wotje.
21 July 1942:
At 0710 arrives at Roi-Namur, Marshalls.
23 July 1942:
At 0400 departs Roi and arrives at Kwajalein at 1000.
24 July 1942:
At 1000 departs Kwajalein and arrives at Roi at 1430.
12 August 1942:
At 0400 departs Roi-Namur with GOSHU MARU.
13 August 1942:
At 1600 arrives at Taroa, Marshalls.
15 August 1942:
At 0400 departs Taroa.
16 August 1942:
At 0700 arrives at Imieji anchorage, Jaluit, Marshalls.
27 August 1942:
At 0400 departs Imieji.
28 August 1942:
At 1530 arrives at Makin, Gilberts.
3 September 1942:
At 0400 departs Makin.
4 September 1942:
At 0900 arrives at Imieji.
6 September 1942:
At 0400 departs Imieji.
7 September 1942:
At 0930 arrives at Roi-Namur.
14 September 1942:
At 1530, departs Roi-Namur.
18 September 1942:
At 1300 arrives at Makin.
21 September 1942:
At 0800 departs Makin.
22 September 1942:
At 1400 arrives at Jaluit.
24 September 1942:
At 0400 departs Jaluit.
25 September 1942:
At 1200 arrives at Roi-Namur.
2 October 1942:
At 0450 departs Roi-Namur.
4 October 1942:
At 1000 arrives at Wake (renamed Otori-Shima after its capture).
5 October 1942:
At 1200 departs Wake.
10 October 1942:
At 0500 arrives at Taroa.
11 October 1942:
At 0700 departs Taroa.
12 October 1942:
At 0500 arrives at Mili, Marshalls. At 1500 departs Mili (Mille).
13 October 1942:
At 0500 arrives at Majuro, Marshalls.
18 October 1942:
At 1500 departs Majuro.
19 October 1942:
At 0800 arrives at Mili.
25 October 1942:
At 1300 departs Mili.
26 October 1942:
At 0700 arrives at Imieji.
28 October 1942:
At 1200 departs Imieji and at 1320 arrives at Jaluit.
29 October 1942:
At 0600 departs Jaluit.
31 October 1942:
At 0400 arrives at Makin.
1 November 1942:
Assigned to transport IJN 4th Kokutai personnel under Southeast Area Fleet order.
9 November 1942:
At 0500 departs Makin.
10 November 1942:
At 1200 arrives at Imieji.
11 November 1942:
At 0700 departs Imieji.
13 November 1942:
At 1330 arrives at Roi.
24 November 1942:
At 0400 departs Roi and at 0800 arrives at Kwajalein.
26 November 1942:
At 0400 departs Kwajalein and at 0830 arrives at Roi.
29 November 1942:
At 0400 departs Roi and at 0900 arrives at Kwajalein.
1 December 1942:
At 0400 departs Kwajalein.
2 December 1942:
At 1000 arrives at Jaluit.
4 December 1942:
At 0400 departs Jaluit.
5 December 1942:
At 1330 arrives at Roi.
31 December 1942:
Departs Kwajalein and later that day arrives at Roi.
1 January 1943:
Registered in the IJN as an auxiliary transport attached to the Sasebo Naval District with Sasebo as homeport under Navy’s instruction No. 8. Assigned to Vice Admiral Kusaka Jinichi’s (37) Southeast Area Fleet.
15 January 1943:
Assigned to Southeast Area Fleet, 11th Air Fleet as an auxiliary transport (Otsu) category. [2]
17 January 1943:
Arrives at Taroa.
19 January 1943:
Departs Taroa.
20 January 1943:
Arrives at Emidj.
22 January 1943:
Departs from Emidj and later that day arrives at Jaluit.
24 January 1943:
Departs Jaluit.
25 January 1943:
Arrives at Kwajalein.
27 January 1943:
Departs Kwajalein and arrives at and departs from Roi-Namur.
28 January 1943:
Calls at Taroa. Departs later.
3 February 1943:
Departs Roi and arrives at Ebeye.
14 February 1943:
Arrives at Kure.
15 February 1943:
Assigned to transport IJNAF 2nd Kokutai personnel under Air Force Base secret instruction No. 19.
28 February 1943:
Arrives at Roi, Marshalls. Departs later and arrives at Kwajalein.
March 1943:
Assigned to transport IJN troops and supplies under Airforce Base secret instruction.
1 March 1943:
Departs Roi-Namur.
3 March 1943:
Arrives at Taroa.
5 March 1943:
Departs Taroa.
6 March 1943:
Calls at Kwajalein. Departs there later that day.
7 March 1943:
Arrives at Roi-Namur.
9 March 1943:
Departs Roi-Namur and arrives at Kwajalein later that same day. Departs later.
13 March 1943:
Departs Kwajalein and later that day arrives at Roi.
24 March 1943:
Departs Roi-Namur and arrives at Kwajalein later in the day.
26 March 1943:
Departs Kwajalein and later that day arrives at Roi.
29 March 1943:
Departs Roi-Namur and arrives at Kwajalein later in the day.
30 March 1943:
Departs Kwajalein.
31 March 1943:
Arrives at Emidj.
3 April 1943:
Departs Emidj and arrives at Makin.
6 April 1943:
Departs Makin.
7 April 1943:
Arrives unknown location- Naval code PXH.
8 April 1943:
Arrives at Taroa.
9 April 1943:
Arrives at unknown location Naval code PN.
10 April 1943:
Departs unknown location PN.
11 April 1943:
Arrives at Kwajalein.
12 April 1943:
Departs Kwajalein and arrives same day at Roi.
15 April 1943:
At 0400, departs Roi-Namur with auxiliary storeship MINATO MARU.
26 April 1943:
Arrives at Yokohama.
28 September 1943:
At 1300, departs Yokosuka in convoy No. 3928 also consisting of IJA transport KINKASAN MARU escorted by auxiliary subchaser CHa-35 bound for Chichijima.
5 October 1943:
Arrives at Saipan from Chichijima.
9 October 1943:
Departs Saipan in convoy with IJN requisitioned transport (B-AK) TAIYO MARU.
20 October 1943:
At 0400, departs Truk in convoy No. 5203 also consisting of auxiliary storeship MINATO MARU and IJN requisitioned transport (B-AK) TAIYO MARU escorted by auxiliary subchaser CHa-19.
25 October 1943:
At 1200, expected to arrive at Kwajalein.
31 October 1943:
At 1000, departs Kwajalein and arrives at Roi-Namur at 1500.
2 November 1943:
At 0330, departs Roi-Namur in convoy with auxiliary transport KATORI MARU and IJN requisitioned cargo ship (B-AK) TATEYAMA MARU escorted by auxiliary minesweeper TAMA MARU No. 3 and auxiliary subchasers No. 21 and TAKUNAN MARU No. 3.
3 November 1943:
At 1300, arrives at Maleolap, Marshalls.
7 November 1943:
At 0600, departs Maleolap.
8 November 1943:
At 1330, arrives at Roi-Namur.
9 November 1943:
At 0950, departs Roi-Namur and arrives at Kwajalein later that same day. Departs later.
18 December 1943:
Arrives at Kwajalein from Wotje.
24 December 1943:
Arrives at Kwajalein from Roi-Namur.
6 January 1944:
At 0400, departs Kwajalein escorted by auxiliary subchaser CHa-33 and possibly CHa-25.
7 January 1944:
At 0500, due to arrive at Wotje.
8 January 1944:
Arrives at Maleolap.
9 January 1944:
Departs Maleolap.
10 January 1944:
PARAN MARU, auxiliary subchaser Cha-33 and one unidentified escort arrives at Kwajalein.
11 January 1944:
Transfers from Kwajalein to Roi-Namur.
30 January 1944: Operation Flintlock:
Major General Holland M. Smith, USMC’s Marines and Army troops land on atolls of Kwajalein and Majuro. Operation is under Vice Admiral (later Admiral) Raymond A. Spruance (USNA ’06) overall command of Central Pacific force TF 50 consisting of Rear Admiral (later Admiral) Richmond K. Turner’s (USNA ’08) Southern Attack force TF 51, Rear Admiral (later Admiral) Richard L. Connolly’s (USNA ’14) Northern Attack Force TF 53, Rear Admiral (later Admiral) Harry W. Hill’s (USNA ’11) Reserve Force and Majuro Attack Group TF 51.2. Landings are supported by Vice Admiral (later Admiral) Marc A. Mitscher’s (USNA ’10) carrier-based aircraft TF 58 and Vice Admiral (later Admiral) John H. Hoover’s (USNA ’06) land-based aircraft TF 57.
Near northern tip of Bigej Island, Kwajalein Atoll. At 1039, PARAN MARU is shelled and sunk by USN gunfire of USS HARRISON (DD-573) guided by spotter aircraft from cruiser USS SAN FRANCISCO (CA-38). Casualties are unknown.
10 December 1944:
Removed from the Navy’s list under instruction No. 1348.
Authors notes :
[1] Also known as PALAWAN MARU.
[2] There were two categories of Zatsuyosen. (Ko) category with an IJN Captain as supervisor aboard and (Otsu) category without.
Thanks go to Gengoro S. Toda of Japan.
Gilbert Casse and Peter Cundall.
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