RIKUGUN YUSOSEN
(Standard Type 1E Shofuku Maru No. 2 sunk off Sorong, New Guinea)
SHOYU MARU:
Tabular Record of Movement
© 2014-2017 Bob Hackett
1943:
Osaka. Laid down by Nakata Zosensho K. K. for Towa Kisen K. K. of
Kobe, as an 853-ton Standard Type 1E cargo ship.
1943:
Launched and named SHOYU MARU.
October 1943:
Completed.
21 November 1943:
Requisitioned by the Imperial Japanese Army and alloted IJA No. 1172.
17 November 1943:
At 0950, SHOYU MARU departs Palau in convoy No.
8175 also consisting of fleet oilers SATA and TSURUMI and tankers KYOEI and SEIAN
MARUs escorted by destroyer AMATSUKAZE, subchaser CH-33 and auxiliary subchaser
CHa-27.
20 November 1943:
At 2000, auxiliary subchaser CHa-27 is detached
and returns to Palau.
24 November 1943:
At 0840, arrives at Truk
1 December 1943:
At 0700, SHOYU MARU departs Truk in a convoy also
consisting of fleet oiler SATA, tankers NANPO and SEIAN MARUs escorted by
destroyers YAMAGUMO and AKIGUMO as far as Palau where subchaser CH-6 takes over
escort to Balikpapan.
7 December 1943:
Arrives at Palau.
13 December 1943:
At 0730, SHOYU MARU departs Palau in convoy No. 2515
also consisting of tankers FUJISAN and HAKUBASAN MARUs and OGURA MARU No. 3
bound for Tarakan, Borneo and tanker SHINKOKU MARU and ammunition ship ARATAMA
MARU bound for Balikpapan, Borneo. The convoy is escorted by patrol boat PB-2
and auxiliary subchasers CHa-26 and CHa-27.
17 December 1943:
At 1700, subchaser CH-6 joins the escort. At
midnight, SHOYU MARU and tankers FUJISAN and HAKUBASAN MARUs and OGURA MARU No.
3 and subchaser CH-6 are detached for Tarakan, Borneo..
E 19 December 1943:
Arrives at Tarakan.
14 January 1945:
SHOYU MARU departs Surabaya in a convoy also
consisting of ANAN, DAI, EBISU, HOSEI, KAKO and NITTEI MARUs and SANKO MARU No.
11 escorted by patrol boat PB-108, auxiliary minesweeper WA-103 and auxiliary
subchaser CHa-106.
17 January 1945:
At 1350, subchaser CH-56 joins the convoy. At 2300,
NITTEI MARU is detached for Bandjermasin, Borneo..
18 January 1945:
At 1430, arrives at Dato Island. At 2330, PB-36 joins
convoy.
19 January 1945:
At 0600, departs Dato Island.
20 January 1945:
At 0800, auxiliary minesweeper WA-3 joins the convoy.
21 January 1945:
At 1740, arrives at Makassar, Celebes.
4 March 1945:
At 1200, SHOYU MARU departs Surabaya, Java for Makassar
in a convoy also consisting of NAGARA and NANMEI MARUs escorted by auxiliary
gunboat MANYO MARU and auxiliary subchasers SHONAN and CHa-104.
Java Sea. At about 2230, LtCdr Paul C. Stimson’s (USNA ‘36) USS SEA ROBIN
(SS-407) fires three torpedoes and hits gunboat MANYO MARU starboard side. Her
cargo of ammunition explodes and she sinks by the stern at about 2234 at 05-50S,
113-46E. About half of her passengers and crew are KIA.
5 March 1945:
NNE of Surabaya. At 0550, SEA ROBIN fires three
torpedoes and gets one hit that sinks SHOYU MARU at 05-23S-114-06E. One gunner
and 12 crewmen are KIA.
At 0607, SEA ROBIN fires three torpedoes at cargo ship NAGARA MARU, but
all miss. SEA ROBIN fires three more torpedoes at her and gets one hit that
sinks NAGARA MARU. Four crewmen are KIA.
Author's Note:
[1] Not to be consfused with the 7,498-ton tanker SHOYU MARU or 4,408-ton cargo ship SHOYU MARU.
Thanks go to Erich Muehlthaler of Germany.
Bob Hackett
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