Japanese Oilers

YUSOSEN!

(TOEN MARU, ex-British AUNGBAN, prewar )
IJN TOEN MARU:
Tabular Record of Movement
© 2009-2021 Bob Hackett and Peter Cundall
Revision 7

February 1917:
Laid down as a 5,125-ton tanker for Burmah Oil Company Co. Ltd. (later BP), Newcastle at Palmers' Shipyard, Hebburn, England. [1]
30 August 1917:
Launched and named AUNGBAN.
February 1918:
Completed and registered at Newcastle. Her gross registered (GRT) tonnage and net registered tonnage (NRT) respectively are 5,125-tons and 3,006-tons. Her call sign is JNWM. [2]
1920:
Port of registry is changed to Rangoon, Burma.
1934:
Her call sign changes to VWCR.
February 1937:
Sold to Okada Seiicha, Osaka for demolition.
7 July 1937: The Marco Polo Bridge (The "First China Incident"):
Hun River, Lugouqiao, China. Japanese troops on night maneuvers fire blank cartridges. Nearby Chinese troops fire back, but do not cause injuries. At morning roll call, the Japanese discover a soldier missing and assume the Chinese captured him. They demand entry to a Peking suburb to look for the soldier. The Chinese refuse. The Japanese then shell the city and an undeclared war on China begins.
10 November 1937:
Arrives at Osaka for demolition.
16 November 1937:
The Japanese Government forbids demolition. A paper transfer occurs to the Naval Affairs bureau and the ship is allocated the name HIGASHINO MARU that appears to be a paper renaming only, pending determination of ownership.
9 February 1938:
Capt. Yuge Torao is appointed Commanding Officer.
13 February 1938:
Purchased by the Okada group (Okada Gumi) of Osaka. Renamed TOEN MARU. Port of registry is changed to Osaka. Her GRT and NRT are respectively changed to 5,232-tons and 3,579-tons. Her call sign changes to JZPL . [2]
22 February 1938:
Arrives at Sasebo.
28 March 1938:
Requisitioned by the IJN as a charter oil supply boat. 7 May 1938:
At 1254 auxiliary gunboar KAZAN (HUA SHAN) MARU detaches from TOEN MARU.
15 May 1938:
Anchors at Amoy (Xiamen), China.
15 June 1938:
At the Wan Shan Islands. Light cruiser NAGARA lies alongside.
10 February 1939:
Arrives at Chengmai Bay, Hainan Island, China.
11 February 1939:
Anchors.
6 March 1939:
Arrives at Waichow, Hainan Island, China and departs later this day.
19 December 1939:
Supplies auxiliary survey ship KYODO MARU No. 36 with 135-tons of coal and 90-tons of boiler water.
19 December 1939 ~ 16 January 1940:
Departs Yangpu for Samah (Sanya) Hainan Island, China.
16 January 1940:
Supplies auxiliary survey ship KYODO MARU No. 36 with 250-tons of coal and 85-tons of boiler water.
8 February 1940:
Supplies auxiliary survey ship KYODO MARU No. 36 with 220-tons of coal and 140 -tons of boiler water.
3 March 1940:
Supplies auxiliary survey ship KYODO MARU No. 36 with 270-tons of coal, 145-tons of boiler water and about three months of stored goods.
29 March 1940:
Supplies auxiliary survey ship KYODO MARU No. 36 with 240-tons of coal and 165-tons of boiler water.
29 March 1940 ~ 20 April 1940:
Departs Samah for Takao, Formosa (now Kaoshiung, Taiwan)
20 April 1940:
Departs Takao for Samah in support of operations in southern China.
22 April 1940:
Supplies auxiliary survey ship KYODO MARU No. 36 with 290-tons of coal and 155-tons of boiler water.
E 1 May 1940:
Departs Samah.
3 May 1940:
Arrives at Takao.
8 May 1940:
Departs Takao for Haikou, Hainan Island, China.
16 May 1940:
Supplies auxiliary survey ship KYODO MARU No. 36 with 120-tons of coal and 100-tons of boiler water.
E 1 June 1940:
Departs Haikou.
3 June 1940:
Arrives at Takao.
9 June 1940:
Departs Mako, Pescadores (now Magong, Penghu Islands, Taiwan) for the Southern Channnel of the Hainan Strait.
20 June 1940:
Supplies auxiliary survey ship KYODO MARU No. 36 with 180-tons of coal and 160-tons of boiler water.
25 June 1940:
Departs the Southern Channnel of the Hainan Strait.
26 June 1940:
Arrives at Takao.
3 July 1940:
Departs Mako for Haikou.
11 July 1940:
Auxiliary survey ship KYODO MARU No. 36 lies alongside.
12 July 1940:
Supplies auxiliary survey ship KYODO MARU No. 36 with 300-tons of coal and 132-tons of boiler water.
E 19 July 1940:
Departs Haikou for Mako.
21 July 1940:
Arrives at Mako.
26 July 1940:
Departs Mako in support of operations in southern China.
3 August 1940:
Arrives at Sasebo.
7 September 1940:
Departs Sasebo in support of operations in southern China.
20 September 1940:
Departs Samah.
24 September 1940:
Arrives at Mako.
26 September 1940:
Departs Mako in support of operations in southern China.
8 October 1940:
Arrives at Takao.
11 October 1940:
Departs Takao Takao for the Wanshan Islands.
19 October 1940:
Destroyer HARUKAZE lies alongside and is resupplied.
19 October ~ 29 October 1940:
Departs the Wanshan Islands for Amoi (now Xiamen), China.
29 October 1940:
Destroyer HARUKAZE lies alongside and is refueled with heavy oil.
29 October ~ 28 November 1940:
Departs Amoi.
29 November 1940:
Arrives at Takao.
6 December 1940:
Departs Mako in support of operations in southern China.
31 December 1940:
Arrives at Takao.
8 January 1941:
Departs Mako in support of operations in southern China.
24 January 1941:
Arrives at Mako.
26 January 1941:
Departs Mako for south China area.
26 February 1941:
Arrives at Takao.
2 March 1941:
Departs Mako in support of operations in southern China.
15 March 1941:
Arrives at Takao.
19 March 1941:
Departs Mako for Lingding (Lintin now ) Island (now Ling Ting Tao), Pearl River estuary, NW of Lantau Island, China.
9 April 1941:
Auxiliary survey ship KYODO MARU No. 36 lies alongside. Supplies her with 100-tons of boiler water. Departs Lingding Island.
10 April 1941:
Arrives at Takao.
18 April 1941:
Departs Mako for Haikou.
8 May 1941:
Supplies auxiliary survey ship KYODO MARU No. 36 with 80-tons of boiler water.
8 May ~ 19 May 1941:
Departs Haikou.
20 May 1941:
Arrives at Takao.
24 May 1941:
Departs Mako in support of operations in southern China.
15 June 1941:
Arrives at Takao.
20 June 1941:
Departs Mako in support of operations in southern China.
27 June 1941:
Arrives at Mako.
1 August 1941:
Departs Mako in support of operations in southern China.
10 August 1941:
Arrives at Takao.
19 September 1941:
Departs Sasebo for operations in the south China area.
11 October 1941:
Arrives at Takao.
15 October 1941:
Registered in Sasebo Naval District as a specially installed transport ship (oil supply).
16 October 1941:
Departs Mako in support of operations in southern China.
13 November 1941:
Arrives at Sasebo.
18 November 1941:
Begins conversion to a fleet oiler.
1 December 1941:
Attached to South China Unit under South China Unit Order No. 18.
6 December 1941:
Completes conversion. Attached to the China Area fleet as an Otsu category auxiliary transport. Rated a fleet post and oil supply boat. Assigned to replenish China Area Fleet units in the Hong Kong area. [3]
17 December 1941:
Departs Sasebo.
23 December 1941:
At 1000 arrives at Ling Ting Tao (Lingding Is), NW of Lantau Island.
23 December 1941 ~ 3 January 1942:
Engaged in replenishment.
25 December 1941: Fall of Hong Kong:
Major General Christopher M. Maltby, British Indian Army, advises Governor Sir Mark A. Young to surrender the outnumbered British garrison because of lack of food and water. At 1800, Young surrenders the Crown Colony to LtGen Sakai Takashi, C-in-C, 23rd Army. That night, nearly 6,500 British and Commonwealth troops go into captivity.
1 January 1942:
TOEN MARU departs Ling Ting Tao. SW of Hong Kong TOEN MARU hits a British mine that blows off her bow. She is beached to prevent sinking. MOJI MARU is assigned to lighten the ship of its heavy fuel oil cargo; but high winds and strong currents mean MOJI MARU frequently has to operate in areas not yet swept of mines.
3 January 1942:
SW of Hong Kong. In heavy seas, MOJI MARU enters an unswept area, strikes a mine and sinks.
6 January 1942:
Tug KURE No. 5 refloats TOEN MARU. Arrives at Hong Kong later this day. Rated as a Hong Kong Area Unit under South China Unit wireless order No. 88.
January-June 1942:
Hong Kong. Drydocks at the Taikoo Dockyard and is repaired by the No.2 Naval Working Department.
15 February 1942:
Rated as a Hong Kong Area Unit under South China Unit Order No. 5.
1 April 1942:
Rated as a Hong Kong Area Unit under South China Unit Order No. 10.
15 May 1942:
Supplied with 1 single type 92 7.7mm type A MG under Instruction No. 5990.
15 June 1942:
Repairs are completed.
E 16 June 1942:
Departs Hong Kong.
18 June 1942:
Arrives at Takao.
20 June 1942:
Reassigned to the the Combined Fleet Second Southern Expeditionary Fleet. Departs Takao and later that day arrives at Mako.
28 June 1942:
At 0630 departs Mako for Manila, Philippines escorted by auxiliary gunboat KISO MARU. The ships sail at 8 knots.
30 June 1942:
At 0900 off Cape Bolinao, Philippines, KISO MARU is detached.
1 July 1942:
Due to arrive at Manila.
7 July 1942:
Okada Gumi is reconstituted as Okada Shosen K.K. TOEN MARU’s port of registry is changed to Tokyo.
18 July 1942:
At 0955 in 04.09S 118.23E TOEN MARU is attacked by an enemy submarine. Auxiliary submarine chaser SHONAN MARU No. 2 goes to the vessel's aid. TOEN MARU is undamaged.
3 August 1942:
TOEN MARU escorted by auxiliary subchaser SHONAN MARU No. 1 departs Ambon, Maluku Islands, Netherlands East Indies (now Indonesia).
9 August 1942:
At 0545 130 degrees 17 Ri off Tarakan Lighthouse minesweeper W-16 is escorting tanker TOEN MARU when the tanker is missed by a spread of torpedoes.[4]
25 August 1942:
Reassigned to the Combined Fleet Southwest Area Fleet. Torpedo Boat HATSUKARI begins escorting TOEN MARU.
11 October 1942:
Departs Surabaya, Java, Netherlands Indies (now Indonesia).
12 October 1942:
Arrives back at Surabaya.
15 October 1942:
Arrives at Ambon.
30 October 1942:
Departs Surabaya.
6 November 1942:
Arrives at Ambon.
10 November 1942:
Arrives at Surabaya.
29 November 1942:
Arrives at Kendari, Celebes, Netherlands East Indies (now Sulawesi, Indonesia).
1 December 1942:
Departs Kendari escorted by auxilary minelayer Ma-4. (Another source indicates sailing between Celebes, Netherlands Indies (now Indonesia) and Balikpapan, Borneo, Netherlands East Indies (now Kalimantan, Indonesia) on this date, suggesting Ambon leg shown below may have been skipped)
3 December 1942:
Due to arrive at Ambon.
5 December 1942:
Due to depart Ambon for Balikpapan. [5]
27 December 1942:
TOEN MARU’s crew returns to Japan
Late December 1942:
Okada Shosen, the ship's owners, request the Navy Ministry to return TOEN MARU, but the Navy declines on the grounds of a shortage of tankers. [2]
14 January 1943:
Departs Surabaya manned by Navy personel.
23 January 1943:
Arrives at Surabaya.
6 February 1943:
Departs Surabaya.
February 1943:
At Kau Bay, Halmahera, Maluku Islands, Netherlands East Indies (now Indonesia). Okada Shosen again requests the Navy Ministry to return TOEN MARU, but the Navy again declines.
19 February 1943:
Arrives at Surabaya.
1 March 1943:
Departs Surabaya.
2 March 1943:
Macassar Strait, Netherlands East Indies (now Indonesia). LtCdr (later Cdr) William J. Millican’s (USNA ‘33) USS THRESHER (SS-200) is patrolling on the surface when his lookouts sight smoke on the horizon. Millican closes until he can make out a tanker and a freighter. Millican submerges and fires four torpedoes. One hits, but is a dud. A second hits TOEN MARU in the stern and she sinks at 03-29S, 117-17E with the loss of 28 crewmen. Millican fires his last torpedo at the freighter, but her lookouts spot its wake and she takes evasive action. An unidentified escort arrives and keeps USS THRESHER down while the freighter escapes.
20 April 1943:
Removed from the Navy List.

[1] The ship was unusual for her time in having the bridge completely aft with the engine, with a profile similar to modern tankers of today, rather than the traditional three island type.
[2] NRT is a ship's cargo volume capacity expressed in "register tons", one of which equals to a volume of 100 cubic feet (2.83 m3). It is calculated by subtracting non-revenue-earning spaces i.e. spaces not available for carrying cargo, for example engine rooms, fuel tanks and crew quarters, from the ship's gross register tonnage (GRT). Net register tonnage (NRT) is not a measure of the weight of the ship or its cargo, and should not be confused with terms such as deadweight tonnage or displacement.
[3] There were two categories of Yusosen. (Ko) category with an IJN Captain as supervisor aboard and (Otsu) category without.
[4] 1 Ri is approx. 3.927km or 2.44 miles.
[5] Allan Alsleben obtained an interview with the owners of TOEN MARU in 1988. It seems in all TOEN MARU was used for approximately 30 days out of some 180. The agreement with the Navy had been for the return of the ship by the end of 1942, but the Navy didn't honor the agreement. Okada Shosen did get the log from the 21st Base Force Harbormaster's Office of the dates she was out of port, but the destinations were censored. During the 1945 Firestorms over Tokyo, the Okada's lost most of the paperwork.
In 1947, Okada Shosen was able to recover most of the records from the Minister of Transportation. The consensus on TOEN MARU's censored war time route and destinations was that it was from Surabaya calling on Balikpapan or Tarakan, Kau Bay, Ambon and Kendari, then returning to Surabaya.
Thanks for assistance with this TROM goes to Allan Alsleben of Oregon, Berend van der Wal of Netherlands and Gilbert Casse of France. Thanks also go to Gengoro S. Toda of Japan. Photo credit goes to Gilbert Casse of France.
- Bob Hackett and Peter Cundall.

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