RIKUGUN YUSOSEN

(Sister KIRISHIMA MARU No. 6, prewar)

IJA/IJN SHINSEI MARU:
Tabular Record of Movement

© 2014-2016 Bob Hackett

5 October 1916:
Uraga. Laid down at Uraga Dockyard Co., Ltd. as Yard No. 134, a 4,734-ton cargo ship for Kishimoto Kisen, K. K., Nishinomiya.

10 March 1917:
Launched and named SHINSEI MARU.

30 April 1917:
Completed and registered in Hyogo Prefecture. Her total registered tonnage is 4,733 and her registered net tonnage is 3,417.

9 December 1933:
Employed as a joint factory ship.

28 October 1936:
SHINSEI MARU moves to common fishery work.

24 April 1937:
Requisitioned by the Imperial Army (IJA). Allotted Army ship number 358. Transfers to Japan Marine Fisheries.

11 December 1937:
Her total registered tonnage is changed to 4,746.

1940:
Her total registered tonnage is changed to 4,758 and her registered net tonnage and her registered net tonnage to 3,396:

16 October 1941:
Re-requisitioned by the IJA. That same day, departs Tokyo.

31 October 1941
Arrives at Saigon.

2 November 1941:
Departs Saigon.

16 November 1941:
Arrives at Ujina.

17 November 1941:
Departs Osaka.

17 December 1941: Operation "M" (M Sakusen) -The Invasion of Lamon Bay, S Luzon, Philippines:
At 1500, SHINSEI MARU departs Koniya, Amami Oshima, Ryukuyus for Lamon Bay in an Invasion Force also consisting of IJA transports BENGAL, DAINICHI, DURBAN, KAIMEI, KAYO, KITANO, KOFUKU, LISBON, NAGATO, NICHIREN, RYOKA, RYUYO, SHINSHU (4182 GRT), TAIAN, TATSUNO, TOFUKU, TOYAMA and TOYOHASHI MARUs and TAMON MARU No. 5.

The Army force consists of Gen (later Field Marshal) Count Terauchi Hisachi’s Southern Expeditionary Army. Its 14th Army, under LtGen Homma Masaharu, fields MajGen Morioka Susumu's Invasion Unit of about 7,000 troops consisting of elements of the 16th Infantry Division: 20th Infantry Regiment, 22nd Field Artillery Regiment, HQ and II Battalion, 16 HQ Company, 16th Engineer Battalion, 16th Recon Battalion, 3/45 AA Company, 16th Transport, 16th Signal Company, 16th Medical Unit and 16th Veterinary Unit. Two AA and one Signals regiments are stationed on transports.

The naval force consists of Vice Admiral (later Admiral) Kondo Nobutake's (35)(former CO of KONGO) Southern Force, Philippines Invasion Group that includes Vice Admiral Takahashi Ibo’s (35)(former CO of YAMASHIRO) Third Fleet.

Rear Admiral (later Vice Admiral) Kubo Kyuji’s (38) (former CO of KAGA) Invasion Unit consists of his 1st Base Force HQ, in light cruiser NAGARA, 1st Quartermaster Ports and Docks Unit and 1st Naval Signal Unit, aboard HAKUSAN MARU, 1st Naval Guard Unit, aboard KIMISHIMA MARU, 1st Naval Survey Unit in SENKO MARU and Captain (later Vice Admiral) Mori Kunizo's (40)(former CO of SATA) Sasebo No. 1 and 2 Combined Special Naval Landing Force (SNLF) aboard MYOKO MARU.

The convoy’s escort consists of light cruiser NAGARA (F), heavy cruiser ASHIGARA, destroyers TOKITSUKAZE, YUKIKAZE, KAWAKAZE, SUSUKAZE, UMIKAZE, YAMAKAZE, minelayer AOTAKA, minesweepers W-7 and W-8, auxiliary gunboat/minelayer IKUSHIMA MARU, auxiliary gunboats BUSHO, KEIKO, KANKO and MYOKEN MARUs, auxiliary subchasers SHONAN MARU No. 17 and TAKUNAN MARU No. 5 and auxiliary netlayer FUKUEI MARU No. 15.

24 December 1941:
At 0200, the Invasion Force arrives at Lamon Bay. The landings proceed without strong opposition.

29 December 1941:
Departs Lamon Bay.

1 January 1942:
Arrives at Ujina

17 January 1942:
Departs Ujina.

30 January 1942:
Arrives at Qingdao, China. Engages in coast defense duty.

7 February 1942:
Departs Ujina.

9 February 1942:
Arrives at Takao.

18 February 1942:
Departs Takao

19 February 1942:
Arrives at Saigon

26 February 1942:
Departs Saigon.

March 1942:
Arrives at Ujina.

8 April 1942:
Arrives at Singapore.

18 April 1942:
Departs Singapore.

22 April 1942:
Arrives at Rangoon, Burma (now Yangon, Myanmar).

25 April 1942:
Departs Rangoon.

1 May 1942:
Arrives at Takao.

9 May 1942:
At 1200, auxiliary store ship SHINSEI MARU departs Mako in convoy No. 206 also consisting of auxiliary transport TATSUWA and WAYO MARUs, auxiliary minelayer TATSUHARU MARU, IJA transports SENZAN, KEIFUKU, NANYO, TAISHO and KINUGAWA MARUs and unidentified MEIYU MARU escorted by destroyer SANAE and minelayer TSUBAME.

13 May 1942:
Arrives at Sasebo. Her total registered net tonnage is changed to 3,395.

5 June 1942:
Released back to her owners.

5 October 1942:
SHINSEI MARU departs Shanghai carrying at least 840 British prisoners-of-war (POWs). [1]

8 October 1942:
Arrives Moji. Disembarks POWs.

20 February 1943:
Requisitioned by the Imperial Navy (IJN). Attached to the Yokosuka Guard Office and rated a Kyukate-sen (auxiliary supply ship)(XAF).

22 February 1943:
Departs Nagoya for Osaka.

23 February 1943:
Departs Osaka for Sasebo Navy Yard.

27 February 1943:
Sasebo. Begains conversion.

28 February 1943:
Sold to Japan Marine Fisheries.

26 March 1943:
Sasebo Navy Yard. Completes construction and conversion.

3 April 1943:
Departs Sasebo Navy Yard for Nagasaki.

5 April 1943:
Nagasaki. Starts construction at Mitsubishi Heavy Industries’ Shipyard & Machinery Works.:

7 April 1943:
Completes construction.

26 May 1943:
Departs Nagasaki for Yokosuka

31 May 1943:
Arrives at Yokosuka

13 June 1943:
SHINSEI MARU departs Yokosuka in convoy No. 3613B also consisting of auxiliary transport SANSEI MARU escorted by torpedo boat HIYODORI.

22 June 1943:
Arrives at Saipan

23 June 1943:
Departs Saipan

27 June 1943:
Arrives at Truk.

27 July 1943:
Departs Truk.

8 August 1943:
Arrives at Yokosuka.

27 August 1943:
Departs Yokosuka for Truk, Carolines in convoy No. 3827B.

28 August 1943:
At 0445, LtCdr Thomas L. Wogan's (USNA '30) USS TARPON (SS-175) fires four torpedoes and gets one hit on stores ship SHINSEI MARU at 33-39N, 139-298E. Wogan sees the hit forward of the bridge and her mast blown away. The convoy returns to Tokyo Bay.

30 August 1943:
Arrives at Tateyama.

2 September 1943:
Arrives at Yokosuka

20 September 1943:
Departs Yokosuka for Yokohama

30 September 1943:
Yokohama. Drydocked at Asano Zosensho K. K. dockyard. Begins battle damage repairs

11 August 1944:
SHINSEI MARU is attached to the Third Fleet, Combined Fleet.

15 August 1944:
SHINSEI MARU is attached to the Southwest Fleet, Combined Fleet .

24 August 1944:
Asano Dockyard. Completes damage repair and departs Yokohama.

9 September 1944:
At 1200, SHINSEI MARU departs Moji for Miri, Borneo. in convoy MI-19 also consisting of cargo ships ARISAN, DAIBIN, DAIA, ENOURAU, HAKUSHIKA, MATSUURA, NIKKO, TASMANIA , TEIFU, SHUNSHO and YULIN MARUs and tankers CHIHAYA, DAIMEI, IWAKUNI, KENZUI, MITSU and SAN DIEGO MARUs escorted by kaikoban ETOROFU, SHONAN, CD-6 and CD-16, torpedo boat SAGI and auxiliary gunboat CHOHAKUSAN MARU.

10 September 1944:
At 1212, LtCdr's Edward E. Shelby's USS SUNFISH (SS-281) torpedoes and sinks CHIHAYA MARU at 33-49N, 127-41E. The convoy immediately retires to Chinto (Chin Hajo Island) where it regroups. The escorts launch a concerted, but unsuccessful attempt to find the submarine.

12 September 1944:
Convoy MI-19 departs Chinto.

16 September 1944:
At Yulin, Hainan Island. Kaibokan ETOROFU is detached to join the escort of convoy HI-72/ MAMO-03 which suffered a series of devastating attacks in the South China Sea.

17 September 1944:
Convoy MI-19 splits. SHUNSHO, NIKKO, MATSUURA, ENOURA and KENZUI MARUs are detached for Keelung escorted by kaibokan SHONAN.

18 September 1944:
The rest of the convoy arrives at Takao. DAIBIN and SAN DIEGO MARUs are detached as are kaibokan CD-5, CD-16, SHONAN, torpedo boat SAGI and auxiliary gunboat CHOHAKUSAN MARU. Cargo ship KENEI MARU joins the convoy.

30 September 1944:
At 1200, SHINSEI MARU departs Takao in convoy MI-19 also consisting of ARISAN, DAIA, DAIMEI, HAKUSHIKA, IWAKUNI, KENEI, MITSU, TASMANIA, TEIFU and YULIN, MARUs escorted by kaibokan CD-18, CH-19 CD-26 and subchaser CH-19. SAN DIEGO MARU rejoins the convoy after it departs.

2 October 1944:
Arrives at Aparri and departs same day at 2300.

3 October 1944:
At 1500, arrives at Lapoc.

4 October 1944:
At 0600, departs Lapoc. At 1700, arrives at North San Fernando.

5 October 1944:
At 0600, departs North San Fernando.

6 October 1944:
At 0600, arrives at Manila.

1 October 1944:
At 1700, SHINSEI MARU departs Takao in convoy TAMA-28 also consisting of CHOSAN, FUSHIMI, FUYUKAWA, KIZAN, MACASSAR, MURORAN, TAISEI and TSUYAMA MARUs and two unidentified merchant ships escorted by kaibokan DAITO and YASHIRO, patrol boat PB-104, subchaser CH-21, auxiliary gunboat KAZAN (HUASHAN) MARU and auxiliary subchasers CHa-87 and CHa-92.

2 October 1944:
Luzon Strait. At about 2200, during a storm, Cdr Frank C. Acker's (USNA ’32) USS POMFRET (SS-391) torpedoes and sinks TSUYAMA MARU at 20-51N, 121-31. TSUYAMA MARU was carrying 1,600 men of the 2nd Mobile Infantry Regiment, 2nd Tank Division. 1,273 troops and two crewmen are KIA. POMFRET also torpedoes and damages MACASSAR MARU at 21-02N, 121-36.

6 October 1944:
Kaibokan YASHIRO suffers generator problems and is detached.

7 October 1944:
At about 0500, LtCdr Henry C. Stevenson's (USNA ’30) USS ASPRO (SS-309) torpedoes MACASSAR MARU carrying 10th Sea Raiding Battalion (IJA soldiers). She sinks at 17-30N, 119-53E. Four soldiers, one gunner and three crewmen are KIA.

8 October 1944:
At 1745, arrives at North San Fernando. FUSHIMI MARU is detached.

11 October 1944:
At 0600, departs North San Fernando. At 1748, arrives at Masinloc anchorage.

12 October 1944:
At 1320, departs Masinloc.

13 October 1944:
At 0400, arrives at Manila.

17 October 1944:
Departs Manila Bay

20 October 1944:
Arrives at Bacuit Bay, Palawan Island.

21 October 1944:
Arrives at Gaya Bay, north Borneo..

24 October 1944:
Departs Gaya Bay.

26 October 1944:
Arrives at Labuan.

27 October 1944:
Departs Labuan and arrives at Brunei, Borneo.

28 October 1944:
Arrives at Miri, Borneo.

3 November 1944:
Arrives at Singapore.

18 November 1944:
At 0645, SHINSEI MARU departs Singapore for Manila in convoy SHIMA-05 consisting of MANILA, KENEI and TASMANIA MARUs and tanker AYANAMI MARU and two unidentified merchant ships escorted by kaibokan KURAHASHI, CD-31, CD-32 and subchaser CH-56.

24 November 1944:
The convoy arrives at Miri, Borneo and departs at 1710. KENEI MARU and the two unidentified merchant ships remain behind at Miri.

25 November 1944:
At 0535, LtCdr John R. Madison's (USNA ’37) USS MINGO (SS-261) torpedoes MANILA MARU and gets three hits. Loaded with ammunition and gasoline, MANILA MARU explodes and sinks at 05-42N, 113-15E. 97crewmen, 51 gunners and four passengers are KIA and her cargo of gasoline and 10 Daihatsu barges is lost. The escorts do not counter-attack.

29 November 1944:
The remainder of SHIMA-05 arrives at Manila.

3 January 1945:
Departs Takao, Formosa in convoy SAMA-14 .

4 January 1945:
Arrives at Nan'ao Island, China.

5 January 1945:
Loads 1,372 tons of grain and departs.

7 January 1945:
Formosa Straits, South China Sea. USAAF 14th Air Force B-24 “Liberator” heavy bombers sink SHINSEI MARU at 22-40N, 118-45E. Casualties are unknown.

5 February 1945:
Removed from the Navy List.

Author's Note:
[1] Sources vary from 840 to 936 POWs carried by SHINSEI MARU.

Thanks go to the late John Whitman of Virginia and to Erich Muehlthaler of Germany. .

Bob Hackett

Back to IJA Transports