KYURYOSEN!
(TAIYO MARU, prewar – Peter Cundall Collection)
IJN TAIYO MARU:
Tabular Record of Movement
© 2019 Gilbert Casse, Berend van der Wal and Peter Cundall
8 June 1935:
Laid down by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries for K.K. Hayashikane Shoten as a 657-tons deep sea trawler.
3 September 1935:
Launched and named TAIYO MARU. [1]
25 October 1935:
Completed and registered at Shimonoseki. Her Gross Registered Tonnage (GRT) and Net Registered Tonnage (NRT) respectively are 657-tons and 442-tons. [2]
30 October 1935:
K.K. Hayashikane Shoten receives a steamer trawl fishing permit (No. 1) available for 10 years. Operation area include: South China Sean S of 20N Latitude.
Harvesting ports are: Tokyo, Osaka, Shimonoseki and Nagasaki.
23 September 1937:
Steamer trawl fishing permit is suspended.
1937:
Her GRT and NRT are respectively changed to 670-tons and 408-tons. [2]
27 April 1938:
K.K. Hayashikane Shoten receives a steamer trawl fishing permit (No. 1) available from 1 May ’38 to 29 Oct ‘45. Operation area include: South China Sean S of 20N Latitude.
Harvesting ports are: Tokyo, Osaka, Shimonoseki and Nagasaki.
1 November 1938 ~ 13 January 1939:
Chartered to Taiyo Hogei K.K.
25 October 1939 ~ 8 March 1940:
Chartered to Taiyo Hogei K.K.
29 July 1941:
At Kwajalein, Marshalls provisions auxiliary gunboat NAGATA MARU with 3.9-ton fresh food, 10.3-ton supplies and 0.3-ton taste food.
E 3 December 1942:
Departs Palau with YOSHINOGAWA MAEU as an addition to the C convoy of No. 8 Military Movement consisting of MINRYO, SORACHI and HIBURI MARUs escorted by destroyer OITE from 14-00N, 142-10E. The C section sails to Saipan first and is met en route to Rabaul, New Britain by the Palau contingent.
9 December 1942:
Arrives at Rabaul.
27 January 1943:
Departs Kobe in convoy No. 8127 also consisting of MISHIMA, FUKUURA, CHIYO, TOSEI and MASAKI MARUs and ONO MARU No. 18 escorted by torpedo boat CHIDORI. TAIYO MARU is bound for Yokosuka.
29 January 1943:
Attached to the Yokosuka Naval district as an IJN requisitioned stores ship (B-AF).
6 February 1943:
Departs Yokosuka.
17 February 1943: BR>
Arrives at Brown Atoll (Eniwetok, now Eniwetak), Marshalls and departs there later this day.
19 February 1943:
Arrives at Kwajalein.
21 February 1943:
Departs Kwajalein and arrives at Roi-Namur, Kwajalein Atoll later that day.
22 February 1943:
Departs Roi-Namur.
23 February 1943:
Arrives at Wotje, Marshalls and departs there later this day.
24 February 1943:
Arrives at Taroa, Maloelap, Marshalls.
25 February 1943:
Departs Taroa.
26 February 1943:
Arrives at Mili (Mille), Marshalls and departs there later that day.
27 February 1943:
Arrives at Jaluit, Marshalls.
2 March 1943:
Departs Jaluit for Yokosuka.
14 March 1943:
Arrives at Yokosuka.
31 March 1943:
Her owners are changed to Nishi Taiyo Gyogyo K.K.
21 May 1943:
Departs Yokosuka in convoy No. 3521 as sole ship escorted by torpedo boat HIYODORI.
26 May 1943:
Departs Saipan, Marianas in convoy No. 3521 now also consisting of IJN auxiliary transport TAITO MARU escorted by torpedo boat HIYODORI and auxiliary subchaser KYO MARU No. 8.
E 28 May 1943:
KYO MARU No. 8 is detached and returns to Saipan.
31 May 1943:
At 0500, arrives in convoy No. 3521 at Truk, Central Carolines.
1 June 1943:
At 0600, departs Truk.
4 June 1943:
Arrives at Brown Is.
5 June 1943:
At 0930, departs Brown.
7 June 1943:
At 0600, arrives at Kwajalein.
10 June 1943:
Departs Kwajalein.
19 June 1943:
Arrives at Yokosuka.
28 June 1943:
Departs Yokosuka.
3 July 1943:
Arrives at Marcus Island (renamed Minami Torishima) and departs there later this day.
7 July 1943:
Arrives at Wake (renamed Otorishima) and departs there later that day.
10 July 1943:
Arrives at Brown and departs there later this day.
12 July 1943:
Arrives at Kwajalein.
15 July 1943:
Departs Kwajalein.
25 July 1943:
Arrives at Yokosuka.
14 August 1943:
Departs Yokosuka with YOKO MARU and possibly others.
17 August 1943:
Arrives at Chichi-jima, Ogasawara Gunto (Bonins).
19 August 1943:
Departs Chichi-jima.
23 August 1943:
Arrives at Marcus and departs there later that day.
27 August 1943:
Arrives at Wake.
28 August 1943:
Departs Wake.
31 August 1943:
At 0600, arrives at Kwajalein.
6 September 1943:
Departs Kwajalein.
16 September 1943:
Arrives at Yokosuka.
23 September 1943:
Departs Yokosuka in convoy No. 3923 with an unidentified merchant ship escorted by auxiliary subchasers CHa-19 and CHa-27.
26 September 1943:
Arrives at Chichi-jima.
28 September 1943:
Depart Chichi-jima still in convoy No. 3923.
3 October 1943:
Arrives at Saipan.
9 October 1943:
Departs Saipan still in convoy No. 3923 escorted now only by auxiliary subchaser CHa-19.
12 October 1943:
Arrives at Truk.
20 October 1943:
Departs Truk in convoy No. 5203 also consisting of PARAN MARU (ex-US Philippine owned PALAWAN) and MINATO MARUs escorted by auxiliary subchaser CHa-19.
25 October 1943:
Arrives at Kwajalein.
6 November 1943:
Departs Kwajalein.
17 November 1943:
Arrives at Yokosuka.
17 December 1943:
Departs Yokosuka likely with auxiliary stores ships HOKO and CHIYO MARUs and auxiliary transport HYAKUFUKU MARU escorted by auxiliary minesweeper Wa-14.
20 December 1943:
Arrives with the convoy at Chichi-jima. The slower HYAKUFUKU MARU arrives the next day.
21 December 1943:
HYAKUFUKU MARU and WA-14 detach. Likely departs Chichi-Jima in a convoy with HOKO MARU and CHIYO MARU with unknown if any escort.
25 December 1943:
Arrives with the convoy at Saipan.
26 December 1943:
Departs Saipan in convoy No. 1210 with HOKO and CHIYO MARUs and now also consisting of auxiliary stores ship SHINYO MARU escorted by auxiliary minesweeper FUMI MARU No. 2 and auxiliary subchaser KYO MARU No. 8. [3]
28 December 1943:
At 1200, auxiliary netlayer KOKO MARU and auxiliary minesweeper Wa-6 are scheduled to meet up with the convoy and replace FUMI MARU No. 2 and KYO MARU No. 8 as escorts. FUMI MARU No. 2 and KYO MARU No. 8 will return to Saipan.
29 December 1943:
At 1217, the convoy reports a torpedo attack in 07-57N, 147-46E but it causes no damage.
30 December 1943:
Scheduled to arrive at 1530, in the convoy at Truk South Channel.
20 January 1944:
Departs Truk in convoy No. 5202 consisting also of auxiliary transport AKIBASAN MARU escorted by subchaser CH-33 and auxiliary minelayer URARA MARU.
26 January 1944:
At 0500, arrives in convoy No. 5202 at Kwajalein with additional escort of auxiliary patrol boat EBON MARU.
28 January 1944:
Arrives at Roi-Namur. Unloads food into a lighter at Roi Island roadstead.
28 ~ 1 February 1944:
Strafed by USN aircraft near Eller Island, Kwajalein atoll and subsequently is beached at Eller Island. Two unidentified tugs or picket boats converted to towing or harbor craft are also strafed and beached at Eller Island. One of the ships, probably TAIYO MARU, is observed carrying mines. These are dumped overboard to prevent detonation during strafing. The 110 sailors of the three ships escape ashore and create a defensive position.
2 February 1944:
Minesweepers USS YMS-90 and USS YMS-383 shell one of the two beached Japanese towing or harbor craft.
5 February 1944:
US Army, 17th. Infantry regiment, 2nd. Battalion lands on Eller Island and encounters MG fire from the three beached merchant ships.
6 February 1944:
While on a routine patrol USS YMS-90 is ordered by USS LCI-438 to assist in the capture of Eller Island. She provides fire support for troops landing on Eller Island and fires with her MGs on the beached TAIYO MARU. Destroyer USS HOEL (DD-533) is also called to give fire support but while on her way to Eller Island is informed by a shore fire control party that her assistance is no longer necessary and returns to Kwajalein anchorage. Eller Island is secured later this day. TAIYO MARU crew of 30 and 80 additional, mine-handling personnel and crew from the other two ships are KIA. In total 101 Japanese are killed and one is taken prisoner on Eller Island. The remaining nine dead are found on TAIYO MARU.
Authors' Notes:
[1] Not to be confused with IJA shared passenger-cargo transport (14,503 GRT, ’10).
[2] NRT is a ship's cargo volume capacity expressed in "register tons", one of which equals to a volume of 100 cubic feet (2.83 m3). It is calculated by subtracting non-revenue-earning spaces i.e. spaces not available for carrying cargo, for example engine rooms, fuel tanks and crew quarters, from the ship's gross register tonnage (GRT). Net register tonnage (NRT) is not a measure of the weight of the ship or its cargo, and should not be confused with terms such as deadweight tonnage or displacement.
[3] The 901 air Kokutai reports on 27 December 1943 that it provided air cover for a convoy consisting of six ships that departed Saipan probably late on 26 December 1943. The convoy likley consisted of CHIYO, HOKO and TAIYO MARUs and three unidentified vessels. Depending whether or not escorts are included in this total number, these unidentified vessels could be auxiliary stores ship SHINYO MARU with escorts auxiliary minesweeper FUMI MARU No. 2 and auxiliary subchaser KYO MARU No. 8 or SHINYO MARU and IJA auxiliary transport MOMOKAWA MARU and one unidentified vessel. SHINYO MARU supposedly departed Saipan at 1300 on 26 December and arrives 0715 at Truk on 31 December 1944. MOMOKAWA MARU supposedly departed Saipan at 27 December 1943 escorted by minelayer NASAMI and arrives at Truk on 31 December 1943. Authors assume escorts were included in the report about the six ship convoy.
Thanks go to Gengoro S. Toda of Japan.
- Berend van der Wal, Gilbert Casse and Peter Cundall.
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