ZATSUYOSEN!
(TATSUHO MARU prewar)
IJN TATSUHO MARU:
Tabular Record of Movement
© 2011-2020 Gilbert Casse, Bob Hackett and Peter Cundall
Revision 1
2 August 1937:
Laid down by Mitsubishi Jukogyo K.K, Zosensho Kobe shipyard as a 6,334-ton cargo ship for Tatsuuma G.K., Nishinomiya.
19 January 1938:
Launched and named TATSUHO MARU.
30 April 1938:
Completed and registered in Nishinomiya.
E 1938:
Placed on Tatsuuma’s commercial service. Calls at Keihin (Tokyo–Kawasaki–Yokohama area), Hanshin (Osaka–Kobe area) in Japan and at Kirun (now Keelung), Tainan and Takao (now Kaohsiung) in Formosa (now Taiwan).
17 April 1941:
Requisitioned by the IJN.
10 May 1941:
Registered in the IJN as an auxiliary transport, (Ko) category under internal order No. 500 and attached to the Kure Naval District. Her home port is Kure Naval Base. [1]
4 October 1941:
Conversion to her military auxiliary transport role completed.
8 December 1941: The Pacific War Begins:
TATSUHO MARU is at Takao.
23 December 1941:
Departs Samah, Hainan Island, China for Camranh Bay, French Indochina where she arrives at an unknown date.
6 January 1942:
Departs Camranh Bay.
14 January 1942:
At 1135 arrives at Port Redon.
20 January 1942:
At 2030 arrives at Haikow.
24 January 1942:
At 0915 arrives at Kirun.
E April 1942:
Departs Eniwetok Atoll, Marshalls to mainland Japan.
22 June 1942:
Comes alongside auxiliary gunboat SEIKAI MARU and transfers some coal.
2 July 1942:
Comes alongside SEIKAI MARU again and transfers some more coal until 3 July.
E July-August 1942:
Departs Rabaul.
E August 1942:
Loads 10,000 gallons of aviation gasoline and departs Tokuyama. Arrives at Moji at an unknown date.
19 August 1942:
Departs Moji in convoy No. 152 bound for Mako also consisting of OLYMPIA MARU and three unidentified merchant ships without escort. TATSUHO MARU’s ultimate destination is Menado, Celebes.
E 20-21 August 1942:
TATSUHO MARU suffers engine trouble and straggles behind the convoy.
22 August 1942:
About 18 nms N of Formosa, she is intercepted by LtCdr Arthur H. Taylor’s (USNA '27) USS HADDOCK (SS-231). At 1310, Taylor torpedoes and hits TATSUHO MARU port side in her No. 4 hold at 25-52N, 121-29E. Set afire, she sinks by the stern in five minutes. 26 passengers and 12 crewmen are KIA.
15 September 1942:
Removed from the Navy List under internal order No. 1711.
Authors Notes:
[1] There were two categories of Zatsuyosen. (Ko) category with an IJN Captain as supervisor aboard and (Otsu) category without.
Thanks go to Gengoro S. Toda of Japan.
Gilbert Casse, Bob Hackett and Peter Cundall
Back to
IJN Transports Page
