RIKUGUN YUSOSEN
(TAIAN MARU, prewar)
IJA TAIAN MARU:
Tabular Record of
Movement
© 2018 Bob Hackett
E1916:
Seattle, WA. Laid down at Skinner & Eddy Corp., as Yard No. 2, a 5,655-ton cargo ship for Stolt-Nielsen B. & Sønner A/S, Haugesund, Norway
E 1916:
Launched and named HANNA NIELSEN.
1916:
Completed.
1926:
Sold to Taiyo Kaiun K. K. (Ocean Transport Co., Ltd) of Kobe, Japan. Renamed TAIAN MARU and operated by Simomura Kisen, K. K.
****Ask Eric
July 1937:
The Second Sino-Japanese War begins. ? TAIAN MARU is chartered by the Imperial Army (IJA) as a troop ship.?
8 October 1937: The Invasion of Hangzhou Bay:
TAIAN MARU departs Moji in an invasion convoy also consisting of 21 other transports escorted by five destroyers. TAIAN MARU carries the IJA 18th Division's 114th Infantry Regiment 1st and 3rd companies, half of the 1st machine gun company and half of the infantry gun company.
9 October 1937:
TAIAN MARU arrives in the Goto Islands. The troops are disembarked and trained in landing and land combat.
2 November 1937:
TAIAN MARU departs the Goto Islands with the invasion convoy for Hangzhou Bay, an inlet of the East China Sea, S of Shanghai, China.
3 November 1937:
S of Cheju Island. The convoy makes a rendezvous with ships carrying the 6th Division. By now, the entire invasion force consists of 110 or more ships.
4 November 1937:
The invasion force enters Hangzhou Bay.
5 November 1937:
East China Sea. The 2nd Squad of the invasion convoy, led by destroyer MIKAZUKI, consists of transports TAIAN, BEIJING, FUSHIMI, HORAI, JUYO, KARAFUTO, KURETAKE, MEIKO, SHINYO, SHIN YUBARI, SHINSEI, and YAMATO MARUs arrives at Hangzhou Bay. At dawn, the 2nd Squad lands the 18th division's troops.
*****
194?:
Requisitioned by the Imperial Army (IJA) as a troop transport. Allotted IJA No. ???
15 June 1943:
???
At 0650, TAIAN MARU departs Sasebo in convoy No. 166 also consisting of transports CEYLON, ISUZU, NORFOLK and SHOGEN MARUs and oilers CHIYODA, CHIHAYA GOYO, HAKKO, KIYO, NICHIRIN and TACHIBANA MARUs escorted by patrol boat PB-36.
18 June 1943:
???
At 1000, TAIAN MARU is detached for Kirun (Keelung), Formosa.
21 September 1943:
At 1300, TAIAN MARU (5655 grt) departs Yokohama for Truk in convoy No. 3921 also consisting of HIYOSHI, KIKUKAWA and YAMAKUNI MARUs, repair ship HAKKAI MARU and oiler MIKAGE MARU No. 18 escorted by kaibokan FUKUE and OKI. The convoy stops at Tateyama.
22 September 1943:
At 0430, the convoy departs Tateyama with minesweeper W-27 as an additional escort.
E 23 September 1943:
Minesweeper W-27 is detached and returns to Tateyama.
6 October 1943:
TAIAN MARU departs Takao for Manila in convoy No. 772 also consisting of DAINICHI MARU and OSAKA MARUs and two other ships escorted by an unknown torpedo boat. DAINICHI MARU carries 2274 men of the 11th Independent Garrison Unit and 14th Army Workshop and their equipment. TAIAN MARU carries the 63rd Independent Vehicle Battalion, Educational Flight Regiment No. 112, the Patient Transportation Corps and others.
8 October 1943:
Luzon Strait. At about 0100, LtCdr Charles H. Andrews’ (USNA ’30) USS GURNARD (SS-254) attacks the convoy on the surface. Andrews fires 4 torpedoes by radar at TAIAN MARU and gets two hits that break off her bow. She sinks at 18-48N, 119-21E. 45 military and 32 crewmen are KIA. Next, Andrews torpedoes and sinks DAINICHI MARU at 18-48N, 119-21E. 2,025 military and 64 crewmen are KIA.
Author's Note:
[1] Also known as DAIAN MARU.
Thanks go to Erich Muehlthaler of Germany.
Bob Hackett
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129.2 x 16.5 x 7.3 m 1 steam turbine, 477 n.h.p. speed: 11 knots