Japanese Oilers

RIKUGUN HAITOSEN!

(Type 1TM Standard Tanker underway)

SHINEI MARU:
Tabular Record of Movement
© 2010-2018 Bob Hackett and Peter Cundall.
Revision 3

6 October 1943:
Laid down at Mitsubishi Heavy Industries’ shipyard as a 5,135-ton Type 1TM Standard Tanker for Nitto Kisen Kusagawa Kiyoshi (Nitto Steam Ship Co.), Tokyo.
30 December 1943:
Launched and named SHINEI MARU.
3 February 1944:
Completed. SHINEI MARU is placed under Senpaku Uneikai (Civilian Administration) control and allotted to the Imperial Army with Army No. 5113, later No. 5135.
8 February 1944:
Departs Yokohama.
11 February 1944:
Arrives at Ujina.
14 February 1944:
Departs Ujina and later that day arrives at Iwakuni.
18 February 1944:
Departs Iwakuni and later that day arrives at Ujina.
19 February 1944:
Departs Ujina.
20 February 1944:
Arrives at Kobe and departs later that day.
23 February 1944:
Arrives at Kawasaki.
26 February 1944:
Transfers from Kawasaki to Yokohama.
7 March 1944:
Departs Yokohama.
12 March 1944:
Arrives at Moji.
23 March 1944:
At 2200 SHINEI MARU departs Moji for Takao in convoy MOTA-13 also consisting of tankers and cargo ships YOKO, HIGANE, BIZEN, SHOKA, MATSUMOTO, PACIFIC, HENGSHAN (KOZAN), YOKO and YULIN MARUs and TOYO MARU No. 2 and YAMAMIZU MARU No. 2 escorted by kaibokan KURAHASHI and subchaser CH-26.
30 March 1944:
At 0800 arrives at Takao.
3 April 1944:
At 1400 departs Takao in convoy TASA-16 also consisting of ANKO, RYUKO, YULIN, NIKKIN, CHIHAYA and SHOKEI MARUs escorted by destroyer ASAGAO. En route the convoy is briefly joined by submarine chaser CH-41.
10 April 1944:
Arrives at St Jacques.
14 April 1944:
Departs St Jacques in convoy SASHI-17 also consisting of TEIRITSU (ex French LECONTE DE LISLE), and CHIHAYA MARUs without escort.
16 April 1944:
Arrives at Pattani.
19 April 1944:
Departs Pattani.
23 April 1944:
Arrives at Singapore.
26 April 1944:
Departs Singapore.
27 April 1944:
Arrives at Palembang.
29 April 1944:
Departs Palembang.
1 May 1944:
Arrives at Singapore. Transfers to Lingga and refuels cruiser TONE.
7 May 1944:
At 1900, SHINEI MARU departs Singapore convoy SHIMI-02 also consisting of tankers EIYO, CHIHAYA, and NICHINAN (5175 gt) MARUs and TONAN MARU No. 2 and cargo ships DURBAN, CHINA, FUKUJU and KUNIYAMA MARUs escorted by subchaser CH-19 and minesweeper W-8.
11 May 1944:
Anchors briefly at Cape Kidurang.
12 May 1944:
At 1005, arrives at Miri, Borneo.
13 May 1944:
At 1800 departs Miri in convoy MIMA-10 also including SAN LUIS MARU, CHINA, DURBAN, TAKETOYO, FUKUJU MARUs and five unidentified merchant ships escorted by destroyers HARUKAZE and ASAKAZE, kaibokan CD-11 and submarine chaser CH-19.
19 May 1944:
At 1700 arrives at Manila.
24 May 1944:
Departs Manila in convoy MATA-20 also consisting of KUNIYAMA, FUKUJU, TAKETOYO, TENSHIN, CHINA, CHIHAYA, and EIYO MARUs escorted by kaibokan CD- 11, destroyers HARUKAZE and ASAKAZE, and auxiliary gunboats CHOHAKUSAN and TOMITSU MARUs.
28 May 1944:
Arrives at Takao.
30 May 1944:
Departs Takao in convoy TAMO-20 also consisting of TAKETSU (BUTSU), DURBAN, TAKETOYO, FUKUJU, HORAI, KOSHIN, CHIHAYA, EIYO MARUs and fourteen unidentified merchant ships escorted by the destroyers ASAKAZE, HARUKAZE, kaibokan CD-2, gunboat ATAKA and auxiliary gunboat TOMITSU MARU.
3 June 1944:
Arrives alone at Shanghai.
5 June 1944:
The convoy arrives at Moji. SHINEI MARU has separated en route.
6 June 1944:
SHINEI MARU departs Shanghai.
10 June 1944:
Arrives at Moji.
11 June 1944:
Departs Moji.
17 June 1944:
Arrives at Ujina.
19 June 1944:
Departs Ujina.
20 June 1944:
At 1930, SHINEI MARU departs Moji for Singapore in convoy HI-67 also consisting of oilers, OTORISAN, SARAWAK and MIRI MARUs and NICHINAN MARU No. 2 and transports MANJU, NANKAI, KINUGASA, ASAKA, ASAHISAN, GOKOKU and HAKOZAKI MARUs escorted by destroyer KURETAKE, kaibokan KURAHASHI, HIRADO, CD-5 and CD-13, minelayer SHIRATAKA and subchaser CH-61.
E 26 June 1944:
Destroyer ASAGAO and kaibokan CD-2 join the escort of convoy HI-67.
29 June 1944:
LtCdr later Captain) Anton R. Gallaher's (USNA ’33) USS BANG (SS-385) torpedoes and damages MIRI and SARAWAK MARUs at 17-13N. 118-18E. Both tankers are hit in the bow, but each manages to proceed to Manila.
30 June 1944:
The main convoy arrives at Manila. MIRI, SARAWAK, GOKOKU and ASAHISAN MARUs are detached.
3 July 1944:
At 0600, SHINEI MARU departs Manila for Singapore in convoy HI-67 also consisting of tankers OTORISAN, GOKOKU, MIRI, SARAWAK and NICHINAN MARU No. 2 and transports MANJU, NANKAI, KINUGASA, ASAKA and HAKOZAKI MARUs escorted by destroyers ASAGAO and KURETAKE and kaibokan HIRADO, KURAHASHI, CD-2 and CD-13, minelayer SHIRATAKA and subchaser CH-61.
9 July 1944:
Convoy HI-67 arrives at Singapore at 1640.
9 August 1944:
SHINEI MARU departs Manila en route to Takao in convoy MATA-26 also consisting of tanker TAKETSU (BUTSU) MARUs and cargo ships IKOMASAN, AKISHIMA, KENEI, HINAGA, KACHOSAN, RASHIN and ASAKA MARUs together with twelve unidentified ships escorted by kaibokan MATSUWA, YASHIRO, CD-5, CD-6, CD-9, CD-16, and subchaser CH-58.
10 August 1944:
Off Cape Bolinao, NW coast of Luzon, Philippines. At 0940, LtCdr (later Captain) Enrique D. Haskins’ (USNA ’33) USS GUITARRO (SS-363) detects a large unidentified convoy with surface and air escorts coming up from the south along the coastline. At 1029 (H), Haskins maneuvers from beachside and launches four stern torpedoes at a KATORI-class light cruiser and an overlapping merchant ship. Haskins last torpedo hits SHINEI MARU. She explodes and burns as USS GUITARRO dives to avoid depth charges. SHINEI MARU sinks at 16-15N, 119-45E. Only one crewman is KIA.
USS GUITARRO suffers minor exterior damage and depart the area. [1]

Authors’ Note:
[1] Haskins claimed two hits on the light cruiser, but received no credit post-war. Based on his ID of a “KATORI-class light cruiser”, the convoy may have been HI-70 which departed Singapore for Moji at 2100 on 4 Aug '44 consisting of five tankers and three cargo ships escorted by light cruiser KASHII, escort carrier SHINYO, destroyer SHIMOTSUKI and kaibokan CHIBURI, SADO, CD-13 and CD-19 arriving at Moji at 1430 on 15 Aug '44, but there is no known Japanese documentation of his attack to support this speculation.
Thanks go to Gilbert Casse of France.

- Bob Hackett and Peter Cundall.

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