KYUSUISEN!
(TATEYAMA MARU prewar – Peter Cundall Collection)
IJN TATEYAMA MARU:
Tabular Record of Movement
© 2016-2018 Berend van der Wal, Gilbert Casse and Peter Cundall
Revision 2
3 February 1937:
Tamano. Laid down by Mitsui Bussan Zosenbu K.K for Baba Shoji K.K as a 3,787-tons passenger/cargo ship. [1]
11 May 1937:
Launched and named TATEYAMA MARU. [1]
12 June 1937:
Completed and registered at Tokyo.
E 1937:
Chartered to Mitsui Bussan K.K.
25 August 1941:
Requisitioned by the IJN.
20 September 1941:
Registered as an auxiliary water tanker attached to the Yokosuka Naval District under instruction No. 1093. Starts conversion for military duty at Nihonkokan K.K. Tsurumi shipyard. That same day Captain (later Rear Admiral) Ozawa Kakusuke (34) is appointed supervisor.
15 October 1941:
The conversion is completed.
15 ~ 25 October 1941:
Attached to Vice Admiral (later Admiral) Inoue Shigeyoshi’s (37) 4th Fleet Supply Unit fleet as an auxiliary water tanker (Ko) category. [2]
25 October 1941:
Departs Yokosuka for Minto Reef, Eastern Carolines.
5 November 1941:
At Minto Reef, replenishes auxiliary gunboat DAIDO MARU with water.
E November 1941:
Departs Minto Reef for Rabaul.
4 February 1942:
At Rabaul. Auxiliary gunboats NIKKAI and SEIKAI MARUs come alongside and are replenished with boiler water.
5 February 1942:
Rabaul, comes alongside to port of the minelayer TSUGARU and replenishes 58t fresh water. Departs later.
1 March 1942:
Departs Truk, Central Carolines.
4 March 1942:
Arrives at Kavieng, New Ireland and departs there later that day.
5 March 1942:
Arrives at Rabaul.
7 March 1942:
Replenishes auxiliary gunboat SEIKAI MARU with water.
8 March 1942:
Replenishes auxiliary gunboat NIKKAI MARU with boiler water and departs Rabaul later that day.
15 March 1942:
Arrives at Saipan, Marianas.
19 March 1942:
Departs Saipan.
22 March 1942:
Arrives at Truk.
24 March 1942:
Departs Truk.
28 March 1942:
Arrives at Rabaul.
1 April 1942:
Replenishes auxiliary gunboat SEIKAI MARU with water.
2 April 1942:
Replenishes auxiliary gunboats NIKKAI and KEIJO MARUs with boiler water.
23 April 1942:
Replenishes auxiliary aircraft transport MOGAMIGAWA MARU with water.
E April 1942:
Departs Rabaul.
29 June 1942:
Departs Yokosuka for Rabaul. [3]
17 August 1942:
Arrives at Wotje, Marshalls.
20 August 1942:
Replenishes auxiliary patrol craft KAZU MARU No. 3 with water.
E August 1942:
Departs Wotje.
2 September 1942:
At 1230, departs Kwajalein, Marshalls for Wotje.
7 September 1942:
Replenishes auxiliary patrol craft FUKUYOSHI MARU No. 5 and ASHITAKA MARU No. 5 with water.
E 7 September 1942:
Departs Wotje.
11 September 1942:
At 0930, arrives at Kwajalein. Loads water.
13 September 1942:
At 1540, departs Kwajalein. Arrives later at Truk.
28 September 1942:
At 0430, arrives at Kwajalein.
6 October 1942:
Departs Truk in a convoy also consisting of IJN auxiliary transport MUKO MARU, escorted by auxiliary gunboat CHOUN MARU.
9 October 1942:
Arrives at Saipan. Thereafter returns to Truk.
1 December 1942:
Rerated an auxiliary water tanker (Otsu) category. Captain Ozawa disembarks and is assigned to the Yokosuka Naval District. [2]
8 March 1943:
Departs Truk.
10 March 1943:
Arrives at Ponape, Eastern Carolines.
25 March 1943:
Departs Ponape.
28 March 1943:
At 1450, arrives at Kwajalein.
E April 1943:
Departs Kwajalein.
11 May 1943:
At 0830, arrives at Kwajalein.
18 May 1943:
At 1011, departs Kwajalein.
20 May 1943:
At 1518, arrives at Kwajalein.
23 May 1943:
At 0400, departs Kwajalein.
26 May 1943:
At 0400, arrives at Kwajalein.
6 June 1943:
At 0350, departs Kwajalein.
11 June 1943:
At 0915, arrives at Kwajalein.
20 June 1943:
Supplies auxiliary patrol craft OHARA MARU with fresh water.
22 June 1943:
Supplies auxiliary patrol craft OHARA MARU with fresh water.
25 June 1943:
At 1257, departs Kwajalein for Emiedj, Marshalls.
28 June 1943:
Supplies auxiliary patrol craft OHARA MARU with fresh water.
E 28 June 1943:
Departs Emidj.
30 June 1943:
At 0430, arrives at Kwajalein.
5 July 1943:
Departs Kwajalein.
6 July 1943:
Arrives at Jaluit, Marshalls.
8 July 1943:
At 0600 departs Jaluit in a convoy also consisting of oiler HISHI MARU No. 2 escorted by auxiliary minelayer now sub chaser SHONAN MARU No. 3 and auxiliary submarine chaser SHONAN MARU No. 11.
10 July 1943:
Arrives at Tarawa, Gilberts.
11 July 1943:
Departs Tarawa.
12 July 1943:
Arrives at Makin, Gilberts.
13 July 1943:
Departs Makin.
14 July 1943:
Arrives at Jaluit.
26 August 1943:
Departs Jaluit.
27 August 1943:
Arrives at Kwajalein.
9 September 1943:
Departs Kwajalein.
10 September 1943:
At 1450, arives at Wotje escorted by auxiliary subchaser TAKUNAN MARU No. 7.
13 September 1943:
Departs Wotje and arrives at Maloelap, Marshalls later that day.
4 October 1943:
Departs Maloelap.
5 October 1943:
Arrives at Kwajalein.
5 ~ 30 October 1943:
Attached to Marshall defense troops, water supply unit under secret instruction No. 10.
31 October 1943:
Departs Kwajalein and arrives at Roi, Marshalls later that day. Starts replenishing auxiliary transport KATORI MARU with 78t water.
1 November 1943:
Completes replenishment of auxiliary transport KATORI MARU.
2 November 1943:
Departs Roi in convoy with PARAN (ex Philippine PALAWAN) and KATORI MARUs escorted by auxiliary submarine chasers, CHa-21 and TAKUNAN MARU No.7 and auxiliary minesweeper TAMA MARU No.3. These ships remained together throughout the round trip
3 November 1943:
Arrives at Maloelap.
7 November 1943:
Departs Maloelap.
8 November 1943:
Arrives at Roi.
9 November 1943:
Departs Roi and arrives at Kwajalein later in the day. The convoy is dissolved. Departs later.
23 November 1943:
Departs Truk.
1 December 1943:
Arrives at Kwajalein and unloads cargo.
4 December 1943:
Kwajalein. Aircraft from Rear Admiral (later Vice Admiral) Charles A. Pownall's (USNA ’10) Task Force 50’s USS YORKTOWN (CV-10), USS LEXINGTON (CV-16) and light carrier USS INDEPENDENCE (CVL-22) attack Kwajalein and Wotje Atolls. They damage auxiliary aircraft transport FUJIKAWA MARU, light cruisers NAGARA and ISUZU, auxiliary transports EIKO, KINEZAKI and KENBU MARUs and auxiliary collier/oiler MIKAGE MARU No. 18 and sink auxiliary collier/oiler ASAKAZE MARU (19 crewmen KIA), auxiliary subchaser TAKUNAN MARU No. 7 (5 crewmen KIA) and small guardboat MIKUNI MARU No. 5 (unknown casualties).
5 December 1943:
About 16 nautical miles of East Rochi Reef. Aircraft from aircraft carriers USS LEXINGTON (CV-16) and USS INDEPENDENCE (CVL-22) bomb and sink TATEYAMA MARU at 09-00N, 166-30E with the loss of five crewmen.
5 February 1944:
Removed from the Naval list under internal order No. 305.
Authors notes :
[1] Not to be confused with IJA transports No. 800 (1,991 GRT, ’37) and No. 1347 (1,148, ’41).
[2] There were two categories of Kyusuisen. (Ko) category with an IJN Captain as supervisor aboard and (Otsu) category without.
[3] A convoy left Yokosuka 1 July 1942 consisting of TATEYAMA MARU (NB 3 ships of this name and kanji and exact identity unknown), YAMASHIRO MARU, INARI MARU and SHINYUBARI MARU escorted by auxiliary cruiser NOSHIRO MARU bound for Saipan, Ponape and Truk. It is possible this TATEYAMA MARU was a part of the convoy.
Thanks go to Gengoro S. Toda of Japan.
Berend van der Wal, Gilbert Casse and Peter Cundall.
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