Japanese Oilers

YUSOSEN!

(SHOYU MARU drawing – Peter Cundall collection)

IJN SHOYU MARU:
Tabular Record of Movement
© 2015-2018 Berend van der Wal, Gilbert Casse and Peter Cundall

Revision 1

24 February 1941:
Tamano. Laid down by Mitsui Zosen Shipbuilding & Engineering K. K. for Matsuoka Kisen K.K. as a 4,408-tons Peacetime B type cargo ship for Matsuoka Kisen K.K. of Fuchu.
10 October 1942:
Launched and named SHOYU MARU. [1]
15 December 1942:
Completed and requisitioned by the IJN as a general requisitioned transport (Ippan Choyosen) assigned to the Kure Naval District. Conversion to an emergency tanker begins at Mitsui Zosen Shipbuilding & Engineering K. K., Tamano shipyard.
30 December 1942:
The conversion is completed. Departs Tama.
31 December 1942:
Arrives at Kure. Loads consignment and canteen goods.
5 January 1943:
Departs Kure.
6 January 1943:
Arrives at Miike. Loads charcoal.
9 January 1943:
Departs Miike and arrives at Sasebo later that day. Loads briquettes and ammunition.
11 January 1943:
Loads 192 mail bags. Departs Sasebo.
15 January 1943:
Arrives at Takao. Departs later that same day in convoy No. 362 also consisting of SHOEI (2764 gt) and RONSAN MARUs and four unidentified merchant ships without escort.
20 January 1943:
Arrives at St. Jacques.
21 January 1943:
Departs St. Jacques in convoy No. 552 also consisting of SHOEI (2764 gt) and RONSAN MARUs and one unidentified merchant ship without escort.
25 January 1943:
Arrives at Singapore. Unloads briquettes and ammunition. Loads heavy oil.
30 January 1943:
Unloads 192 mail bags. Departs Singapore.
2 February 1943:
Arrives at St. Jacques.
3 February 1943:
Departs Cap St. Jacques in convoy No. 470 consisting of tankers MANJU and SHUNTEN MARUs and OGURA MARU No. 2 and DURBAN MARU and two unidentified ships escorted by auxiliary gunboat PEKING MARU.
10 February 1943:
Arrives at Takao.
11 February 1943:
Embarks two passengers. Departs Takao in convoy No. 230 consisting of tankers MANJU, NICHIRIN and SHUNTEN MARUs and OGURA MARU No. 2, cargo ships KAYO, HOFUKU, DURBAN and SHINWA MARUs and one unidentified merchant ship with auxiliary gunboat HUASHAN (KAZAN) MARU as escotrt until ship is detached later that day. The convoy splits in two shortly after sailing with the slower ships in one section.
17 February 1943:
Arrives at Osaka. Unloads heavy oil.
26 February 1942:
Disembarks two passengers. Departs Osaka in convoy No. 8226 also consisting of KINSHU, SAISHU, YOZAN, KOSHU and KOSHIN MARUs escorted by torpedo boat MANAZURU.
27 February 1943:
Arrives at Yokkaichi. Loads heavy oil.
2 March 1943:
Departs Yokkaichi.
3 March 1943:
Arrives at Yokosuka. Unloads heavy oil.
9 March 1943:
Departs Yokosuka.
11 March 1943:
Arrives at Shimotsu. Loads heavy oil.
13 March 1943:
Departs Shimotsu.
15 March 1943:
Arrives at Yokosuka. Unloads heavy oil.
18 March 1943:
Departs Yokosuka.
30 March 1943:
Arrives at Miike. Loads charcoal.
1 April 1943:
Departs Miike and meets up with convoy No. 143 also consisting of TAKETSU (BUTSU) MARU, TAIKO MARU and four unidentified merchant ships escorted by destroyer MIKAZUKI.
5 April 1943:
At 1520 arrives at Takao. Life boat training.
7 April 1943:
Departs Takao in convoy No. 383 also consisting of NICHINAN MARU (5175 gt) and three unidentified merchant ships without escort.
12 April 1943:
Arrives at St Jacques. Loads five mail bags.
14 April 1943:
Departs St Jacques and returns to port that same day.
19 April 1943:
Unloads five mail bags. At 1400 departs St Jacques again in convoy No. 573 also consisting of TAKETOYO MARU and six unidentified merchant ships escorted by destroyer SHIOKAZE.
23 April 1943:
Arrives at Palembang. Loads heavy oil.
28 April 1943:
Departs Palembang.
30 April 1943:
Arrives at Singapore.
4 May 1943:
Loads seven consignment goods and embarks a Captain. Departs Singapore in convoy No. 687 also consisting of tankers EIYO, TEIKON (ex-German WINNETOU) and CHIYODA MARUs and one unidentified merchant ship without escort.
7 May 1943:
Arrives at St Jacques. Disembarks the Captain.
10 May 1943:
Life boat training. Departs St. Jacques in convoy No. 494 also consisting of YAMAKO (SANKO) MARU and eight unidentified merchant ships without escort.
16 May 1943:
Arrives at Takao. Unloads seven consignment goods.
18 May 1943:
Loads hemp, aircraft weapons and charcoal. Departs Takao in convoy No. 263 consisting of auxiliary transport KOTO MARU No. 2 GO and six unidentified merchant ships escorted by kaibokan SADO.
23 May 1943:
Arrives at Kobe.
25 May 1943:
Departs Kobe.
27 May 1943:
Arrives at Tsurumi. Unloads heavy oil and aircraft weapons.
31 May 1943:
Departs Tsurumi and arrives at Yokohama later in the day.
1 June 1943:
Unloads grade B type heavy oil. Departs Yokohama.
2 June 1943:
Arrives at Kobe. Unloads hem and loads automotive equipment. Docks at the Mitsui Engineering & Shipbuilding K.K. Kobe shipyard for maintenance and repairs.
13 June 1943:
Repairs are completed. Departs Kobe.
14 June 1943:
Arrives at Kure. Loads an aircraft frame and mail.
16 June 1943:
Departs Kure.
18 June 1943:
Arrives at Miike. Loads charcoal.
19 June 1943:
Departs Miike.
20 June 1943:
Arrives at Sasebo. Loads a car.
25 June 1943:
Departs Sasebo towing oil barge NANYU No. 27 escorted by auxiliary netlayer KUMANO MARU.
27 June 1943:
Arrives at Kagoshima.
29 June 1943:
Departs Kagoshima. The towing cable breaks.
2 July 1943:
Arrives at Naha.
21 July 1943:
Departs Naha still towing oil barge NANYU No. 27.
25 July 1943:
Arrives at Takao.
26 July 1943:
Departs Takao in convoy No. 762 also consisting of TSURUMI, NANMAN, TAIKOKU, RONSAN MARUs and four unidentified merchant ships escorted by torpedo boat SAGI and meteorological vessels KAIYO No. 1 and KAIYO No. 2.
29 July 1943:
At 0355, in position 15-25N, 119-22E N of Palauig Point KAIYO No. 1 runs aground. The ship is refloated at 1115 and towed to Cavite for repairs.
30 July 1943:
Arrives at Manila.
1 August 1943:
Departs Manila still towing oil barge NANYU No. 27 in convoy No. 916 also consisting of IJN requisitioned emergency tanker (B-AO) TATSUNO MARU, IJA shared tanker A/C-AO) TACHIBANA MARU and IJA transports NACHISAN, NANREI and NISHIYAMA (3016 GRT) (SEIZAN) MARUs escorted by torpedo boat HAYABUSA. At some point SHOYU and TATSUNO MARUs are detached, the latter arriving at Tarakan on 6 August and the former arriving at Balikpapan on 8 August.
3 August 1943:
Palawan Passage, Philippines. At 1714, LtCdr (later Cdr) Russell Kefauver's (USNA ’33) USS TAMBOR (SS-198) attacks the convoy at 09-54N, 117.37E with a salvo of four torpedoes.
At 1730, SHOYU MARU is hit by two dud torpedoes at 09-53N, 117-37E. The other two torpedoes miss and Kevaufer fails to damage a ship. The convoy drops 11 DCs, but USS TAMBOR evades undamaged.
8 August 1943:
Arrives at Balikpapan. Oil barge NANYU No. 27 is delivered. Unloads confidential documents, mail and consignment goods.
13 August 1943:
At 2356, sustains an airstrike without damage.
16 August 1943:
Sustains another airstrike and is damaged by straffing or near misses.
17 August 1943:
Sustains another airstrike without further damage.
20 August 1943:
Loads fuel until 0823.
21 August 1943:
Completes unloading of fuel, factory machinery and other sundries.
24 August 1943:
Starts repairs.
29 August 1943:
Starts preparation for towing damaged tanker TATSUNO MARU. Loads military aircraft equipment.
31 August 1943:
Repairs are completed.
10 September 1943:
Departs Balikpapan towing TATSUNO MARU.
12 September 1943:
Arrives at Kota Bharu.
15 September 1943:
Departs Kota Bharu.
19 September 1943:
Arrives at Surabaya outer port.
4 November 1943:
At 0830, departs Balikpapan in convoy No. 2610 also consisting of fleet oiler SATA and oilers SEIAN and KYOEI MARUs escorted by destroyer SANAE and auxiliary subchaser CHa-37. During the voyage, cargo ship KENZAN MARU joins the convoy.
10 November 1943:
At 1800 arrives at Palau.
17 November 1943:
At 0950 departs Palau in convoy No. 8175 also consisting of fleet oilers SATA and TSURUMI and oilers SEIAN and KYOEI MARUs, escorted by destroyer AMATSUKAZE, subchaser CH-33 and auxiliary subchaser Cha-27. About 1400, an unidentified submarine is detected. The escorts conduct an unsuccessful depth charge attack.
20 November 1943:
At 2000, escort auxiliary subchaser Cha-27 is detached and returns to Palau.
24 November 1943:
At 0840 arrives at Truk.
1 December 1943:
At 0700, departs Truk in convoy No. 7014 consisting of fleet oiler SATA and oilers NANPO and SEIAN MARUs escorted by destroyers YAMAGUMO and AKIGUMO as far as Palau.
7 December 1943:
At 0800 arrives at Palau.
13 December 1943:
At 0715, departs Palau in convoy No. 2515 consisting of ammunition ship ARATAMA MARU and auxiliary oiler SHINKOKU MARU bound for Balikpapan and tankers FUJISAN and HAKUBASAN MARUs and OGURA MARU No. 3, bound for Tarakan, 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, CH-6 and the Tarakan-bound ships split away from the convoy. Arrives at Tarakan.
E 21 December 1943:
Departs Tarakan in a convoy also consisting of tankers FUJISAN MARU and OGURA MARU No. 3.
E 22 December 1943:
Off Mangakalihat the convoy meets up with patrol boat PB-102 (ex-USS STEWART).
23 December 1943:
At 2000, arrives at Balikpapan.
16 January 1944:
At 1800 departs Tarakan.
18 January 1944:
LtCdr (later Rear Admiral-Ret) Walter T. Griffith’s (USNA ’34) USS BOWFIN (SS-287) torpedoes and sinks SHOYU MARU off the West coast of Palawan in position 00-18N, 118-37E. 37 crewmen are KIA.

Authors notes :

(1) Not to be confused with IJA transport No. 1172 (E Type 853 GRT '43)
Thanks go to Gengoro S. Toda of Japan.

Berend van der Wal, Gilbert Casse and Peter Cundall.

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