Japanese Transports

ZATSUYOSEN!
(SEIZAN MARU, prewar)

IJN SEIZAN MARU:
Tabular Record of Movement

© 2014 Gilbert Casse, Bob Hackett and Peter Cundall

E 1917:
Osaka. Laid down by Namura Zosen Tekkosho G.K. shipyard for Sawaguchi Kisen G.K. as a 955-tons cargo ship.
January 1918:
Launched and named SHINSHU MARU No. 2.
E 1918:
Completed and registered in Nishinomiya, Hyogo Prefecture.
19 September 1924:
Her owners are restyled to Sawaguchi Kisen K.K.
1 January 1925:
Her port of registry is Nishinomiya.
21 February 1927:
Her port of registry is changed to Fuchu, Kyoto Prefecture.
2 March 1927:
Her owners are changed to Utsubo Shosen K.K.
1 April 1927:
Her port of registry is changed to Nishinomiya.
1932:
Her owners are changed to Yamamoto Uyu. She is renamed SEIZAN MARU
[1] 1935:
Her owners are restyled to Yamamoto Kisen K.K.
8 October 1941:
Requisitioned by the IJN as general requisitioned transport (Ippan Choyosen) attached to the Yokosuka Naval District.
11 December 1941:
Departs Kure.
12 December 1941:
Arrives at Yawata, Fukuoka Prefecture.
15 December 1941:
Departs Yawata.
21 December 1941:
Arrives at Chinnampo, Chosen (now North Korea).
25 December 1941:
Departs Chinnampo.
30 December 1941:
Arrives at Tanggu, China.
3 January 1942:
Departs Tanggu.
9 January 1942:
Arrives at Sasebo.
12 January 1942:
Departs Sasebo.
13 January 1942:
Arrives at Moji.
15 January 1942:
Departs Moji.
18 January 1942:
Arrives at Yokkaichi, Mie Prefecture.
23 January 1942:
Departs Yokkaichi.
4 March 1942:
Arrives at Suminoe, Hyogo Prefecture.
5 March 1942:
Departs Suminoe.
8 March 1942:
Arrives at Kure.
11 March 1942:
Departs Kure.
14 March 1942:
Arrives at Suminoe.
15 March 1942:
Departs Suminoe.
18 March 1942:
Arrives at Kure.
19 March 1942:
Departs Kure.
22 March 1942:
Arrives at Suminoe.
23 March 1942:
Departs Suminoe.
27 March 1942:
Arrives at Kure.
28 March 1942:
Departs Kure.
1 April 1942:
Arrives at Suminoe.
2 April 1942:
Departs Suminoe.
5 April 1942:
Arrives at Kure.
7 April 1942:
Departs Kure.
8 April 1942:
Arrives at Hikoshima, Shimonoseki Prefecture. Departs later.
2 May 1942:
Arrives at Tanggu. Departs later.
19 May 1942:
Arrives at Ryojun (ex-Port-Arthur), Manchuria (now Lushun, northern China).
20 May 1942:
Departs Ryojun.
21 May 1942:
Arrives at Dairen (now Dalian), Manchuria.
23 May 1942:
Departs Dairen.
26 May 1942:
Arrives at Kure.
29 May 1942:
Departs Kure and arrives at Hiroshima later in the day.
30 May 1942:
Departs Hiroshima and arrives at Yawata later that same day.
1 June 1942:
Departs Yawata.
4 June 1942:
Arrives at Chinnampo.
7 June 1942:
Departs Chinnampo.
10 June 1942:
Arrives at Kenjiho, Chosen (now North Korea).
14 June 1942:
Departs Kenjiho.
15 June 1942:
Arrives at Kure.
20 June 1942:
Departs Kure.
21 June 1942:
Arrives at Yawata.
27 June 1942:
Departs Yawata.
1 July 1942:
Arrives at Yingkou, northern China.
6 July 1942:
Departs Yingkou.
10 July 1942:
Arrives at Kure.
15 July 1942:
Departs Kure.
16 July 1942:
Arrives at Sasebo.
20 July 1942:
Departs Sasebo.
21 July 1942:
Arrives at Kure.
26 July 1942:
Departs Kure.
27 July 1942:
Arrives at Sasebo.
3 August 1942:
Departs Sasebo.
4 August 1942:
Arrives at Kure.
10 August 1942:
Departs Kure.
12 August 1942:
Arrives at Miike, Fukuoka Prefecture.
14 August 1942:
Departs Miike.
16 August 1942:
Arrives at Toba, Mie Prefecture.
18 August 1942:
Departs Toba and arrives at Yokkaichi later in the day.
21 August 1942:
Departs Yokkaichi.
23 August 1942:
Arrives at Tokuyama, Yamaguchi Prefecture.
25 August 1942:
Registered in the IJN as an auxiliary transport, (Otsu) category attached to the Sasebo Naval District with Sasebo as homeport under instruction No. 1582.
[2] 7 September 1942:
Begins her conversion to military duty at the Sasebo Naval yard.
26 September 1942:
Arrives at Kure.
27 September 1942:
Resumes her conversion at the Kure Naval yard.
20 October 1942:
The conversion is completed.
5 November 1942:
Departs Kure.
12 November 1942:
Arrives at Kirun, Formosa (now Keelung, Taiwan).
15 November 1942:
Departs Kirun.
19 November 1942:
Arrives at Takao (now Kaohsiung), Formosa.
23 November 1942:
Departs Takao.
27 March 1943:
Departs Ambon, Moluccas.
30 March 1943:
Arrives at Menado, Celebes (now Manado, Sulawesi).
22 May 1943:
Departs Ambon.
25 May 1943:
Arrives at Menado.
27 July 1943:
Departs Surabaya, Java.
3 August 1943:
Arrives at Kendari, Celebes. Departs at 1800 in convoy with auxiliary transport ANAN MARU (ex-Philippine ANAKAN) escorted by auxiliary subchaser SHONAN MARU No. 17.
6 August 1943:
At 0730, arrives at Ambon.
20 August 1943:
About five nautical miles SE Tulloch Cape, Borneo East coast. About 1700, LtCdr (later Captain) George W. Lautrup’s (USNA ’34) USS GAR (SS-206) attacks and hits SEIZAN MARU. The transport explodes and breaks in two, sinking rapidly at 01-00N, 119-00E with the loss of 12 crewmen.
1 November 1943:
Removed from the Navy’s list under instruction No. 1321.

Authors' Notes :
[1] Not to be confused with IJA transport No. 97 (3,017 GRT ’21), IJA shared transports No. 5546 (2,018 GRT ’18) and No. 5063 (4,233 GRT ’18) or civilian cargo ship (418 GRT ’42).
[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, Bob Hackett and Peter Cundall

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