RIKUGUN YUSOSEN
(TAKAMISAN MARU, prewar)
TAKAMISAN MARU:
Tabular Record of Movement
© 2017-2018 Bob Hackett
15 June 1927:
Okayama. Laid down by Mitsui & Co., Ltd. Shipbuilding Department, Jade Plant as Yard No. 133, a 1,992-ton cargo ship for Mitsui & Co., Ltd. of Kobe.
8 February 1928:
Launched and named TAKAMISAN MARU.
8 June 1928:
Completed.
15 October 1941:
Requisitioned by the Imperial Army (IJA). Allotted IJA No. 29.
28 December 1942:
Transferred to Mitsui Shipbuilding, Tokyo after its establishment.
15 April 1943:
N Kyushu. At 0600, TAKAMISAN departs Imari Bay for Woosung in convoy SA-6 also consisting of ANNAN, BOKO (ex British SAGRES), CHINA, MISHIMA, SAINEI, TAIJIN, YASUKUNI MARUs, YAMATO MARU No. 3 and BANSHU MARU No. 33 escorted by minelayer TSUBAME.
17 April 1943:
At about 0200, arrives at Hua Niao Shan. Some merchants are detached.
April 1943:
Arrives at Woosung.
30 April 1943:
LtCdr (later Rear Admiral) Charles O. Triebel's (USNA '29) USS SNOOK (SS-279) lays 24 Mark 10 mines.
30 May 1943:
Mouth of Yangtze River. TAKAMISAN MARU is en route in convoy SA-25 also consisting of HAKOZAKI, MALAY, MUNAKATA, TAMAHIME, WAZAN (ex-British VITORLOCK) MARUs and TAMON MARU No. 8 escorted by subchaser KAII. The convoy is attacked by LtCdr Anthony H Dropp's (USNA '32) USS SAURY (SS-189). TAKAMISAN MARU is torpedoed and sinks at 31-20N 122-39E. [1]
KAII rescues survivors. Destroyer KURI joins the hunt for the submarine with KAII.
Author's Note:
[1] Sources vary about the cause and date of the sinking. Some say on 29 May 1943, TAKAMISAN MARU struck one of the mines laid by USS SNOOK and sank at 31-20N 122-34E. Others say on 30 May 1943, at 1350, TAKAMISAN MARU struck the mine and sank.
Thanks go to Erich Muehlthaler of Germany.
Bob Hackett
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