RIKUGUN HAITOSEN
(TAKEKAWA MARU, prewar)
IJA Transport TAKEKAWA MARU:
Tabular Record of Movement
© 2011-2017 Bob Hackett
1 September 1938:
Yokohama. Laid down at Tsurumi Seitetsu Zosen K. K. as Yard No. 381, a 1,931 ton cargo ship for Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha, Ltd., Tokyo
21 December 1938:
Launched and named TAKEGAWA MARU.
4 April 1939:
Completed.
4 October 1941:
Requisitioned by the Imperial Army (IJA) as a troop transport. Allotted IJA No. 809.
19 February 1944:
At 1500, TAKEGAWA MARU departs Mutsure for Takao, Formosa in convoy MOTA-05 also consisting of HOREI, GYOKO, NICHIREI, TEIKON (ex-German WINNETOU) and SHONAN MARUs and two unidentified merchant ships escorted by kaibokan IKI.
23 February 1944:
At 0510, LtCdr Ralph M. Metcalf’s (USNA '35) USS POGY (SS-266) torpedoes TEIKON MARU, but she does not sink. A few minutes later, Metcalf also torpedoes HOREI MARU that goes dead in the water. IKI does not counter-attack. SHONAN MARU takes HOREI MARU in tow, but she sinks off Naha harbor, Okinawa. That same day, GYOKO MARU is attacked by ten aircraft and sunk.
26 February 1944:
The remainder of the convoy arrives at Takao, Formosa.
7 March 1944:
TAKEGAWA MARU departs Takao for Palau in convoy Nishi-Matsu No. 1-TAPA-04 also consisting of ATSUTA, GOZAN, SHIRAHAMA, TAISEI and TETSUYO MARUs and four unidentified merchants escorted by destroyers ASAGAO and HAMANAMI and torpedo boat SAGI.
14 March 1944:
Arrives at Palau.
17 March 1944:
At 0900, TAKEGAWA MARU departs Palau with torpedo boat SAGI and auxiliary subchaser CHa-22 escorting convoy PATA-05 consisting of HOKKAI, NANREI, OSAKA and , PEKING MARUs escorted by destroyer ASAGAO
E 21 March 1944:
80 nm from Palau. ASAGAO is detached to return to Palau.
E 24 March 1944:
Arrives at Takao.
21 April 1944:
TAKEGAWA MARU departs Moji for Takao in convoy MOTA-18 also consisting of BELGIUM, KENNICHI, KUROGANE, NANREI, PEKING, SAN DIEGO, SHIROGANESAN, SHIROTAE, TSUSHIMA, WALES and YAMHAGI MARUs escorted by destroyer HARUKAZE and minesweeper W-17.
27 April 1944:
Arrives at Takao.
28 April 1944:
At 1300, TAKEGAWA MARU departs Takao for Manila in convoy TAMA-17 also consisting of BELGIUM, HAKKA (SHIRAKAWA), NISSAN, NITTATSU, PEKING, SHIROGANESAN, TSUSHIMA, SAN LUIS, WALES, YAMAHAGI and YASHIMA MARUs escorted by destroyer HARUKAZE, minesweeper W-17 and auxiliary gunboat CHOHAKUSAN MARU.
29 April 1944:
Destroyer ASAKAZE joins the escort.
South China Sea. W of Luzon Strait. At 2155, LtCdr Anton R. Gallaher's (USNA ’33) USS BANG (SS-385) torpedoes and sinks TAKEGAWA MARU at 19-20N, 118-50E. Seven crewmen are KIA.
-Bob Hackett
Author's Note:
Thanks go to Gilbert Casse of France, Erich Muehlthaler of Germany and Gengoro S. Toda of Japan.
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