RIKUGUN YUSOSEN

(ROKKO MARU, prewar)

IJA Transport ROKKO MARU: Tabular Record of Movement

© 2014-2017 Bob Hackett

3 July 1922:
Nagasaki. Laid down at Mitsubishi as Yard No. 388, a 3,028-ton passenger-cargo ship for the Nippon Yusen Kaisha (NYK) Line of Tokyo.

5 February 1923:
Launched and named ROKKO MARU. [1]

15 March 1923:
Completed.

1937: Second Sino – Japanese War.
Chartered to the Imperial Army (IJA).

18 November 1937:
ROKKO MARU departs Ujina for Moji

19 November 1937:
Arrives at Moji and departs for Manchuria.

22 November 1937:
Arrives at Dalian, Manchuria and departs.

23 November 1937:
Arrives at Qinhuangdao, China.

24 November 1937:
Departs Qinhuangdao for Moji carrying wounded troops.

27 November 1937:
Arrives at Moji and departs

28 November 1937:
Arrives at Osaka.

2 January 1938:
ROKKO MARU departs Ujina for Moji .

3 January 1938:
Arrives at Moji and departs.

6 January 1938:
Arrives at Qinhuangdao.

7 January 1938:
Departs Qinhuangdao for Moji carrying wounded troops.

10 January 1938:
Arrives at Moji and departs.

11 January 1938:
Arrives at Osaka.

17 January 1938:
ROKKO MARU departs Ujina for Moji .

18 January 1938:
Arrives at Moji and departs.

21 January 1938:
Arrives at Qinhuangdao.

23 January 1938:
Departs Qinhuangdao for Moji carrying wounded.

26 January 1938:
Arrives at Moji and departs

27 January 1938:
Arrives at Osaka.

E 1938:
Returned to her owners.

1939:
Sold to Toa Kaiun K. K., Tokyo.

19 September 1941:
Requisitioned by the Imperial Army (IJA) as a troop transport. Allotted IJA No. 210.

30 July 1942:
ROKKO MARU departs Imari for Shanghai in a convoy also consisting of MITO, SURABAYA, ROKKO, KANKYO and PACIFIC MARUs escorted by minelayers KAMOME and TSUBAME and auxiliary minelayer KAHOKU MARU.

1 August 1942:
At 1745, arrives at Woosung and later that day arrives at Shanghai.

15 March 1943:
ROKKO MARU departs Moji for Takao, Formosa (Kaohsiung, Taiwan) in convoy No. 137 also consisting of transports CHIYO, HIBI, HIROTA, HOKKO and SHOKO (MATSUE) MARUs escorted by patrol boat PB-36.

19 March 1943:
HIROTA MARU is detached for Kirun (Keelung).

20 March 1943:
Arrives at Takao.

3 June 1943:
ROKKO MARU departs northern Kyushu for Shanghai in convoy Shi-310 also consisting of DAIYA, GYOTEN, KANSAI, NARUO (ex Panamanian ESTERO), REKIZAN, TOTAI, UNZEN and YAMAYURI MARUs and KOTO MARU No. 2 GO escorted by minelayer TAKASHIMA

5 June 1943:
Arrives at Shanghai.

23 June 1943:
At 0815, ROKKO MARU departs Takao for Moji in convoy No. 275 also consisting of transports TEIKO (ex-Vichy French D’ARTAGNAN) and TEIKAI (ex-German FULDA) MARUs and MAEBASHI, SEKKO, CHOJUN, RISSHUN and YASUKUNI MARUs and tanker SAN LUIS MARU and escorted by patrol boat PB-36.

29 June 1943:
At 0850, arrives at Moji.

28 September 1943:
ROKKO MARU departs Takao escorting convoy No. 771 consisting of ASAKA, DELAGOA and HOFUKU MARUs and two unidentified merchant ships escorted by destroyer WAKATAKE.

2 October 1943:
Arrives at Manila.

22 October 1943:
ROKKO MARU departs Singapore in convoy No. 630 also consisting of HIBI and RYUKO (2962 GRT) MARUs and two unidentified merchant ships escorted by kaibokan WAKIMIYA. The convoy splits into two parts shortly after leaving port.

25 October 1943:
The first part arrives at St Jacques , Vichy French, Indochina (Vung Tau, Vietnam).

26 October 1943:
The second part arrives at St Jacques.

19 November 1943:
ROKKO MARU departs Manila in convoy No. 874 also consisting of HINODE, MURORAN, SHONAN, SHUNKO MARUs and TACHIBANA (6521 GRT) MARUs, OGURA MARU No. 2 and SHINSEI MARU No. 1 and two unidentified merchants escorted by kaibokan ETOROFU and auxiliary minesweeper CHOUN MARU No. 21.

24 November 1943:
Arrives at Takao.

26 November 1943:
ROKKO MARU departs Takao in convoy No. 222 also consisting of landing craft depot ship AKITSU MARU and cargo/transports HAKONE, HAWAII, HOTEN, NITTATSU, SEINAN and SHUNKO (SUNKO), MARUs and OGURA MARU No.2 escorted by torpedo boat TOMOZURU.

27 November 1943:
Formosa Strait. At 0800, the convoy is attacked by China-based North American “Mitchell” B-25s that badly damage HAKONE MARU at 25-04N 119-40E. TOMOZURU is also strafed and damaged. NITTATSU and HAWAII MARUs assist. NITTATSU MARU attempts to tow HAKONE MARU, but at 1715, she sinks without casualties.

3 December 1943:
Arrives at Moji.

7 January 1944:
At 1500, ROKKO MARU departs Moji for Takao convoy No. 127 also consisting of ASUKA, YAHIKO, GETSUYO, HOKOKU, IKUTAGAWA (ex-Italian RAMB II) KINREI and NIKKI MARUs escorted by destroyer KARUKAYA and minesweeper W-27

10 January 1944:
At about 1230, on the surface in heavy weather, LtCdr (later Cdr) Royce L. Gross' (USNA ‘30) USS SEAWOLF (SS-197) attacks the convoy. Gross torpedoes and damages YAHIKO MARU, then torpedoes ASUKA MARU that sinks at 1239. KARUKAYA and GETSUYO MARU, working in the storm, rescue 105 survivors. GETSUYO MARU tows YAHIKO MARU towards Naha, Okinawa, but SEAWOLF tracks them. At about 2300, Gross again torpedoes YAHIKO MARU. She sinks immediately. SEAWOLF hits GETSUYO MARU with two torpedoes and she sinks at 2345. 16 crewmen and four passengers are KIA

15 January 1944:
At 1110, the convoy arrives at Naha. At 1930, the same day, the convoy departs now consisting of KINREI, HOKOKU, IKUTAGAWA, NIKKI and ROKKO MARUs escorted by destroyers KARUKAYA and KURI and minesweeper W-27.

18 January 1944:
At 1455, arrives at Takao.

23 January 1944:
ROKKO MARU departs Takao in a combined convoy consisting of "Y" convoy of BELGIUM and WAKA MARUs escorted by torpedo boat KARI, convoy No. 354, consisting of JUYO, YOSHU, SHIKISAN and WAZAN (ex British VITORLOCK) MARUs escorted by destroyer KARUKAYA and convoy TE-01 consisting of KINREI and TOYOKUNI MARUs and four unidentified merchant ships escorted by destroyer SHIOKAZE.

24 January 1944:
The "Y" convoy is detached for Hong Kong.

11 April 1944:
At 0330, ROKKO MARU departs Wasile, Halmahera in a convoy consisting of TENSHO and ROKKO MARUs with an unknown escort.

12 April 1944:
At 1700 arrives at Sorong , New Guinea.

13 April 1944:
At 0526, ROKKO MARU departs Sorong, for Manokwari, New Guinea in a convoy also consisting of TENSHO MARUs escorted by mineseeper W-4.

16 April 1944:
At 1100 arrives at Manokwari.

31 May 1944:
ROKKO MARU departs Wasile in a also convoy consisting of DAIYU, ETAJIMA KURAMASAN and TOUN MARUs and SHINSEI MARU No. 1 escorted by minelayer AOTAKA and minesweeper W-4.

18 June 1944:
ROKKO MARU departs Manila in convoy MI-05 also consisting of cargo/transports ARIMASAN, DAIZEN, HIDA, HINAGA, MIIKESAN, NICHIYO, NIPPO (ex-Chinese NINGPO), TATSUJU, TEIFU (ex French BOUGAINVILLE), SEIWA and SURAKARUTA MARUs, fleet oiler NOTORO and tankers ATAGO, AYANAMI, BAIEI, CERAM, JINEI, KENZUI, OEI, SAN DIEGO, TACHIBANA, and TOKUWA MARUs and YAMAMIZU MARU No. 2, and KYOEI MARU No. 8 escorted by kaibokan CD-14 and CD-18, torpedo boat SAGI, patrol boat PB-38, minesweeper W-17, auxiliary subchasers CHa-22 and CHa-95 and two unidentified warships.

23 June 1944:
At 1257, arrives at Miri.

25 June 1944:
At 1915, ROKKO MARU departs Miri for Singapore in convoy MISHI-03 consisting of cargo/transports ARIMASAN, DAIZEN, HIDA, HINAGA, KENZUI, MANILA, NIPPO, SEIWA, SURAKARTA, TATSUTAMA (ex-American SS Admiral Y. S. WILLIAMS), TEIFU (ex-Vichy French BOUGAINVILLE) and TOA MARUs, fleet oiler NOTORO and tankers SAN DIEGO, NICHIYO, JINEI, BAIEI, FUYUKAWA and AYANAMI MARUs and KYOEI No. 8 escorted by kaibokan CD-18, torpedo boat SAGI, minesweeper W-17, subchaser CH-21 and auxiliary minesweepers CHOUN MARU No. 6 and TOSHI MARU No. 2.

28 June 1944:
South China Sea, off Singapore. At 2100, Cdr (later Rear Admiral) Rueben T. Whitaker’s (USNA '34) USS FLASHER’s (SS-249) radar picks up the convoy. Whitaker, operating in relatively shallow water (150 feet), decides to wait until after the moon sets to make a surface attack on the convoy’s two largest ships.

29 June 1944:
At 0111, Whitaker torpedoes freighter NIPPO MARU and oiler NOTORO. At 0117, two or three torpedoes hit NIPPO MARU and two or three torpedoes hit NOTORO. NIPPO MARU breaks in two and sinks by the bow. NOTORO remains afloat, but goes dead in the water. The escorts begin blindly dropping depth charges. Whitaker, still on the surface, leaves the area on four engines.

30 June 1944:
Arrives at Singapore.

2 July 1944:
ROKKO MARU departs Singapore in convoy SHISA-23 also consisting of, KIYO and YUKI MARUs escorted by subchaser CH-21.

6 July 1944:
Arrives at St Jacques. Later that day, arrives at Saigon.

11 July 1944:
ROKKO MARU departs Saigon in convoy SAMA-09 also consisting of MIKASA and YUKI MARUs escorted by subchaser CH-21 and auxiliary gunboat CHOJUSAN MARU.

17 July 1944:
Arrives at Manila.

27 July 1944:
At 1100, ROKKO MARU departs Manila in convoy MI-10 also consisting of DAIZEN, FRANCE, FUYUKAWA HIDA, HINAGA, KAKOGAWA, KUROGANE, MAEJIMA MYOGI, MARUs RASHIN and TSUKUBASAN MARUs and UNYO MARU No. 7 and tankers CHIYODA, HAKUBASAN, SHUNTEN, TAKETSU, OEI and SHIMOTSU (BUTSU) MARUs and KYOEI MARU No. 6 and 19 unidentified ships escorted by destroyer ASAKAZE, kaibokan YASHIRO and CD-3 and auxiliary gunboats KAZAN (HUASHAN) and PEKING MARUs.

28 July 1944:
At 1040, HAKUBASAN MARU is torpedoed by LtCdr Francis D. Walker's (USNA ‘35) USS CREVALLE (SS-291) and sinks at 1305 at 16-28N, 119-38E.

2 August 1944:
Arrives at Takao, Formosa (Kaohsiung, Taiwan).

8 September 1944:
Off Honshu. LtCdr William N. Deragon’s (USNA ‘34) USS PIPEFISH (SS-388) torpedoes and slightly damages ROKKO MARU at 32-49N, 154-22E. Picket boat KYOWA MARU No. 3 counter-attacks unsuccessfully.

5 October 1944:
ROKKO MARU departs Takao for Kirun, Formosa, but is bombed and sunk NW of Takao by American aircraft. 90 men are KIA.

Author's Note:
[1] Not to be confused with auxiliary patrol boat ROKKO MARU

Thanks go to Erich Muehlthaler of Germany.

Bob Hackett

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