RIKUGUN YUSOSEN
(Similar size ship)
SHIROTAE MARU:
Tabular Record of
Movement
© 2017-2018 Bob Hackett
1943:
Shanghai. Laid down at Gangnam Shipyard, operated by Mitsubishi Jukogyo K.K., as a 2,812-ton cargo ship for Nippon Yusen Kaisha (NYK Line) K.K., Tokyo.
30 November 1943:
Launched and named SHIROTAE MARU.
25 January 1944:
Completed.
19 March 1944:
Requisitioned by the Imperial Japanese Army (IJA). Alloted IJA No. 1200.
21 April 1944:
SHIROTAE MARU departs Moji in convoy MOTA-18 also consisting of BELGIUM, KENNICHI, KUROGANE, NANREI, PEKING, SAN DIEGO, SHIROGANESAN, TAKEGAWA, TSUSHIMA, WALES and YAMAHAGI MARUs escorted by destroyer HARUKAZE and minesweeper W-17.
27 April 1944:
Arrives at Takao.
9 May 1944:
At 0330, SHIROTAE MARU departs Manila in convoy H-25 also consisting of FUKUYO, KENNICHI, KUROGANE, MANSHU, PEKING, TSUSHIMA and YAMAHAGI MARUs escorted by patrol boat PB-103 (ex-USS FINCH, AM-9).
15 May 1944:
At 0940, arrives at Kau. At 1200, departs Kau and at 1255 arrives at Malifut.
17 May 1944:
At 0800, departs Malifut and at 1043, arrives at Wasile, Halmahera Island.
26 May 1944:
At 1350, SHIROTAE MARU departs Wasile for Manila in combined convoys M-20 and M-21 also consisting of FUYO, FUKUYO, KENNICHI, KUROGANE, MANSHU, PEKING, TATSUMA, TENSHO, TSUSHIMA and YAMAHAGI MARUs escorted by patrol boat PB-103.
30 May 1944:
At 0845, arrives at Zamboanga, Mindanao and departs later that day.
1 June 1944:
At 0740, arrives at Cebu and departs later that day.
3 June 1944:
At 2100, arrives at Manila.
30 June 1944:
At 0600, SHIROTAE MARU departs Keelung for Moji in convoy TAMO-20B also consisting of KAMO, KONZAN, MANSHU, TASMANIA, TOUN and YAMAHAGI MARUs escorted by kaibokan ETOROFU and CD-17 and minesweeper NUWAJIMA.
3 July 1944:
East China Sea. At 2300, LtCdr Donald F. Weiss' (USNA '29) USS TINOSA (SS-283) attacks the convoy and torpedoes and sinks KAMO MARU. 415 troops, 3 passengers, 7 gunners and 74 crewmen are KIA. TINOSA also torpedoes and sinks KONZAN MARU west of Kyushu at 32-25N, 128-50E. 23 crewmen are KIA.
4 July 1944:
At 1930, arrives at Moji.
26 July 1944:
At 0600, SHIROTAE MARU departs Imari Bay in convoy MI-13 also consisting of ATLAS, CHINA, DURBAN, HIGANE, HIYORI, KIZAN, KUNIYAMA, KOKUSEI, MATSUURA, RISSHUN and URAL MARUs and SHINSEI MARU No. 1 and tankers ATAGO, KYOEI, SHINCHO, TEIKON and TOKUWA MARUs and OGURA MARU No. 2 escorted by kaibokan MATSUWA and CD-14, patrol boat P-38, minesweeper W-18, auxiliary minesweeper TAKUNAN MARU No. 3, auxiliary gunboat CHOHAKUSAN MARU and auxiliary patrol boats EIFU, FUYO, KASUGA and NUNOBIKI MARUs.
31 July 1944:
Convoy MI-13 arrives at Takao. SHIROTAE, CHINA and MATSUURA MARUs are detached.
17 August 1944:
At 1900, SHIROTAE MARU departs Kagoshima in convoy KATA-717 also consisting of BRAZIL, DAIBOSHI, DAISHIN, DAITOKU, DAIYA, ESASHI, HIKOSAN, HOKUYU, KORYU, KOTSU, MAKO, MIKAGE, TAIKYU, SHINKO, UJINA, UNTEN and WASHIN MARUs and HOEI MARU No. 2, IJN transport T.135 and three unidentified merchants en route to Koniya or Kagoshima, some direct and some via Naha, escorted by kaibokan CD-30 torpedo boat TOMOZURU, minelayers NIIZAKI, NUWAJIMA and TSUBAME, subchasers CH-17, CH-18 and CH-49, auxiliary minesweepers HIMESHIMA, SEKI and TAIAN MARUs and TOSHI MARU No. 7 and CHOUN MARU No. 8, auxiliary patrol boats CHITOSE and HOEI MARUs, CHOUN MARU No. 13, TAISEI MARU No. 5 and TAKUNAN MARUs No. 1 and No. 3 and SHONAN MARU No. 16.
19 August 1944:
At 1200, arrives at Naha.
29 September 1944:
At 1500, SHIROTAE MARU departs Moji in convoy MOTA-27 also consisting of EIMAN, EIWA, HAMBURG, KINE, KISHUN, MEIRYU, MITSUKI, SAGAMIGAWA, SHINETSU, SHINWA, YAMAHAGI, YAMAKO (SANKO) and YASUKUNI MARUs and TAMON MARU No. 15 and two unidentified ships escorted by kaibokan CD-130, torpedo boat HATO and auxiliary subchasers CHa-151, CHa-163.
5 October 1944:
At 0630, arrives at Takao. Disembarks troops and cargo.
12 October 1944:
Mako, Pescadores. Vice Admiral (later Admiral) Marc A. Mitscher’s (USNA ’10) Task Force 38 launches heavy air strikes on Formosa. TF 38’s carrier-based aircraft sink MITSUKI MARU at 23-30N, 119-34E. Two soldiers and four crewmen are KIA.
Off Penghu, Formosa. SHIROTAE MARU, at anchorage, is bombed and sunk by Task Force 38's aircraft at 23-30N, 119-34E. 78 men (all hands) are KIA.
Author's Note:
Thanks go to Erich Muehlthaler of Germany.
Bob Hackett
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