KAKYAKUSEN
(WAR PIGEON later TEIYU MARU)
Freighter TEIYU MARU:
Tabular Record of Movement
© 2010-2016 Bob Hackett and Peter Cundall.
Revision 4
E 1917:
Stockton-on-Tees, England. Laid down by Ropner & Sons, Ltd. as a 5,272-ton Standard WWI cargo ship for the War Controller, London.
10 June 1918:
Launched and named WAR PIGEON.
September 1918:
Completed and managed by Bell, Symondsen & Co.
1920:
Sold to Società Anonima Lloyd Sabaudo based in Genoa, Italy. Renamed CARIGNANO.
8 February 1920:
Departs Sydney, Australia for Genoa and Antwerp, Belgium.
7 October 1920:
Arrives at Colombo, Ceylon (Sri Lanka).
29 August 1922:
Departs Aden en route from Genoa to Australia.
20 September 1923:
Arrives at Fremantle, Australia from Genoa.
6 October 1926:
Arrives at Sydney carrying 129 Italian immigrants.
1932:
As a result of the worldwide Great Depression and widespread unemployment of Italian ships, Lloyd Sabaudo and the major Italian shipping companies of Navigazione Generale Italiana Line (NGI) and the Cosulich Line are combined into one state controlled syndicate named Società Italia Flotte Reuniti.
CARIGNANO is transferred from Lloyd Sabaudo to the Italia Line based at Genoa.
1934:
Transferred to Lloyd Triestino Line based at Trieste.
13 August 1935:
CARIGNANO is cleared to depart Singapore for Sumatra.
1937:
Società Italia Flotte Reuniti recovers from the Depression and repays the Italian Government bonds which had supported it. It becomes a Limited Company named Italia Società Anonima di Navigazione. Lloyd Triestino is incorporated into the new company.
10 June 1940:
Rome. Benito Mussolini, dictator of Italy, declares war on France and Great Britain.
1942:
Chartered to Teikoku Senpaku Kaisha (Imperial Steamship Co.) wholly owned by the Japanese Government on a “bareboat” (no crew) basis. Renamed TEIYU MARU. Assigned signal letters JACT.
9 September 1943: Fascist Italy Surrenders:
Italy declares an armistice.
At Osaka TEIYU MARU is seized by Japan.
13 November 1943:
Departs in convoy O-106 consisting of TEIYU, BRAZIL, TOYOKAWA, KOYU, FRANCE, YAMAZURU and UCHIDE MARUs and SHINTO MARU No. 1 escorted by an unknown escort.
26 November 1943:
Arrives at Palau.
2 December 1943:
Departs Palau in convoy So-105 consisting of TEIYU, BRAZIL, TOYOKAWA, KOYU, FRANCE, and UCHIDE MARUs, and SHINTO MARU No. 1 escorted by unknown escort.
E 9 December 1943:
FRANCE MARU is detached for Kavieng, New Ireland.
10 December 1943:
Arrives at Rabaul.
December 1943:
Departs Rabaul for Palau.
5 January 1944:
Arrives at Palau.
5 January 1944:
At 0700, convoy No. FU-502 consisting of TEIYU and SHOHO MARUs departs Palau for Saeki escorted by patrol boat PB-31 and auxiliary subchaser CHa-32. At 2000, CHa-32 is detached to return to Palau.
13 January 1944:
At 1330, auxiliary minesweeper TAMA MARU No. 6 joins the escort.
14 January 1944:
Arrives at Saeki.
19 January 1944:
Arrives at Osaka.
4 February 1944:
Departs Moji in convoy MOTA-01 consisting of TEIYU, MALTA, SHINKOKU, ZUIYO, HOZAN and TENSHIN MARUs and one unidentified merchant ship escorted by destroyer MINEKAZE and auxiliary gunboat CHOHAKUSAN MARU.
10 February 1944:
At 0415 in position 23-12N, 121-30E MINEKAZE and MALTA MARU, the latter carrying 800 passengers, are torpedoed and sunk by LtCdr (later Rear Admiral-Ret) Ralph M. Metcalf's (USNA ’35) USS POGY SS-266). 99 sailors including her CO, LtCdr Imaizumi Masajiro (62) on MINEKAZE are KIA. 33 crewmen on MALTA MARU are KIA. SHINKOKU MARU is also damaged in the same attack and runs aground.
11 February 1944:
At 1300 SHINKOKU MARU is refloated and later the ship arrives at Takao.
14 February 1944:
Arrives first at Kirun and then quickly departs and later that day arrives at Takao.
18 February 1944:
At 1700 arrives at Takao from Kirun.
22 February 1944:
Departs Takao in convoy TAMA-05 consisting of TEIYU, TAIKOKU, FUYO, HOZAN, CHINKAI, ZUIYO, FUJIKAWA, KACHOSAN MARUs, NISSHO MARU No.16 escorted by minesweeper W-17, auxiliary netlayer TOKACHI MARU, auxiliary TERUKUNI MARU and two other small escorts.
26 February 1944:
At 1800 arrives at Manila.
9 March 1944:
At 0600, convoy M-14 consisting of NORWAY, TATSUJU and CELEBES MARUs departs Wasili, Halmahera escorted by patrol boat PB-103, auxiliary subchaser CHa-12 and auxiliary NITTO MARU No. 17. PB-103 experiences some malfunctions and the convoy anchors off Kau, Halmahera.
11 March 1944:
At 0715, after repairs to PB-103, the convoy departs Kau for Wasili, Halmahera. The convoy's escort is joined by auxiliary netlayer TOKO MARU No. 1.
14 March 1944:
Cebu Sea. TEIYU MARU joins the convoy.
15 March 1944:
At 1230, arrives at Zamboanga, Mindanao. Departs at 1850.
19 March 1944:
At 0400, off Cape Santiago, Luzon, the convoy is attacked by an unidentified submarine, but no damage is incurred. Later that day, arrives at Manila.
10 April 1944:
Arrives at Singapore.
27 April 1944:
At 1400 departs Singapore in convoy SHISA-18 also consisting of MURORAN, TATEISHI and TSURUSHIMA MARUs without escort.
1 May 1944:
At 1000 arrives at St Jacques.
6 May 1944:
Departs Saigon in convoy also consisting of MURORAN and NORWAY MARUs with submarine chasers CH-41 and CH-43 as escorts.
7 May 1944:
At 1300 departs St Jacques.
13 May 1944:
Arrives at Manila.
28 May 1944:
At 1300, TEIYU MARU departs Manila in convoy H-27 also consisting of SHINNO, KOHOKU, KOSEI, MURORAN, TAIYU, SHIROGANESAN and JUZAN MARUs escorted by destroyer TSUGA, patrol boat PB-102 (ex-USS STEWART, DD-224), PB-104, subchaser CH-38 and auxiliary netlayer KOREI MARU.
3 June 1944:
At 2044, arrives at Banka anchorage, NE Celebes.
4 June 1944:
At 0555, departs Banka anchorage.
8 June 1944:
At 1617, arrives at Wasile, Halmahera.
16 June 1944:
At 0600 departs Halmahera in M series convoy (likely M-23 ad M-24 combined) consisting of TEIYU, GENKAI, ATSUTA, PACIFIC, HINODE, TSUKUBASAN, BELGIUM, KANKYO, YUKI and MURORAN MARUs escorted by kaibokan CD-3, minesweepers W-5 (to Menado only) and W-28 (that joined later) and submarine chasers CH-41 and CH-46.
24 June 1944:
Departs Manila.
27 June 1944:
Arrives at Miri, Borneo.
15 July 1944:
Arrives at Cebu from Jolo.
26 July 1944:
At Singapore.
16 August 1944:
At 0900 departs Miri in convoy MISHI-06 also consisting of HARIMA, TENSHIN, CHILE, AYAYUKI, AYAGUMO, AYAGIRI, RYOFU, IMAHARU MARUs, SHINSEI MARU No. 17, and KYOEI MARU No. 6 escorted by destroyers ISOKAZE and HAMAKAZE. The convoy sails at 8.5 knots.
20 August 1944:
At 1500 due to arrive at Singapore.
3 October 1944:
At 1500, TEIYU MARU departs Cap St. Jacques in convoy SAMA-13 consisting of MYOGI, HEIAN, MIKASA, UGO and OYO MARUs escorted by minelayer YURIJIMA and minesweeper W-18. That evening as the ships travel close to shore, a strong wind blows MYOGI, HEIAN and OYO MARUs ashore. The remainder of the convoy returns to St. Jacques while the escorts assist refloating the three ships which return to St. Jacques for minor repairs.
16 October 1944:
YURIJIMA is detached from the convoy and replaced by minesweeper W-17.
21 October 1944:
Arrives at Miri.
25 October 1944:
TEIYU MARU departs Miri in a convoy also consisting of MYOGI, HEIAN and MIKASA MARUs escorted by kaibokan CD-18, CD-26 and patrol boat PB-105.
2 November 1944:
Arrives at Manila.
13 November 1944:
Manila. More than 350 carrier planes of Rear Admiral (later Admiral) Frederick C. Sherman’s (USNA ’10) (in command in the temporary absence of Vice Admiral (Admiral posthumously) John S. McCain)(USNA ’06) (former CO of USS LEXINGTON, CV-2) Task Force 38’s task groups 38.1's USS HORNET (CV-12), USS MONTEREY (CVL-26) and COWPENS (CVL-25), TG 38.3's USS ESSEX (CV-9), USS TICONDEROGA (CV-14) and USS LANGLEY (CVL-27) and TG 38.4's USS ENTERPRISE (CV-6) and USS SAN JACINTO (CVL-30) attack shipping and port facilities.
TF 38’s planes sink TEIYU MARU just off the south western end of Pier No.7. 17 crewmen are KIA. The raid also sinks light cruiser KISO (89 men KIA), destroyers HATSUHARU (12 men KIA) and OKINAMI (14 men KIA) and eight other merchant ships.
Thanks to Mr. Gilbert Casse of France for assistance.
Bob Hackett and Peter Cundall.
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Ex-Axis Merchant Ships in Japanese Service
