RIKUGUN YUSOSEN
(TSUSHIMA MARU, prewar)
TSUSHIMA MARU:
Tabular Record of Movement
© 2014-2016 Bob Hackett
1914:
Port Glasgow, Greenock, Scotland. Laid down by Russell & Co. as
Yard No 666, a 6,754-ton cargo ship for the Nippon Yusen Kaisha, K. K. (NYK) Line
of Tokyo.
9 August 1914:
Launched and named TSUSHIMA MARU
December 1914:
Completed.
22 August 1918:
Arrives at Ellis Island, New York from Kobe.
16 August 1919:
Arrives at Ellis Island from Kobe.
E 30 November 1920:
TSUSHIMA MARU departs Singapore for Japan ports
via Hong Kong and Shanghai.
19 March 1922:
Arrives at Ellis Island from Calcutta, Colombo, Ceylon
(Sri Lanka) and Port Said, Egypt.
1938:
Renamed TUSIMA MARU
21 September 1941:
Requisitioned by the Imperial Army as a troop
transport. Assigned IJA No. 886.
18 December 1941: The Invasion of the Northern Philippines:
At 1200,
TSUSHIMA MARU departs Mako, Pescadores for Lingayen Gulf, Philippines in Rear
Admiral (later Vice Admiral) Rear Admiral Nishimura Shoji's (39)(former CO of
HARUNA) 2nd Lingayen Invasion Unit with 27 other IJA transports escorted by
DesRon 2's light cruiser NAKA, DesDiv 9's ASAGUMO, MINEGUMO, NATSUGUMO,
minesweepers W-9, W-10, W-11, W-12, W-17 and W-18 and subchasers CH-4, CH-5,
CH-6, CH-10, CH-11, CH-12, CH-16 , CH-17 and CH-18.
The Japanese main invasion at Lingayen Gulf consists of three transport
echelons. The first is composed of 27 transports from Takao under Rear Admiral
Hara Kensaburo, the second of 28 transports under Rear Admiral Nishimura and the
third of 21 transports from Keelung under Rear Admiral Hirose Sueto. This force
of 76 transports carries the main part of LtGen Homma Masaharu's 80,000-man 14th
Army.
24 December 1941:
TSUSHIMA MARU and Rear Admiral Nishimura's 2nd
Lingayen Invasion Unit arrive at Lingayen Gulf between 0110 and 0430. At 0530,
LtGen Dobashi's 2nd Lingayen Invasion Unit begins landing troops.
9 February 1942: Operation "L" - The Invasion of Palembang:
TSUSHIMA
MARU departs Camranh Bay for Palembang in the Bangka-Palembang, Sumatra invasion
invasion convoy consisting of ARGUN, BUYO, GINYO, HIROKAWA, INABASAN, KENZUI,
LIMA, MACASSAR, MEIGEN, RAKUYO, SHINSEI and SINGAPORE (later SHONAN)
MARUS and supply ship NOJIMA escorted by light (training ) cruiser KASHII (F),
DesDiv 20's ASAGIRI, and YUGIRI, kaibokan SHIMUSHU, minelayer HATSUTAKA,
mineweeper W-6 and subchaser CH-9.
14 February 1942:
Six Bristol "Blenheim" light bombers of Royal Air
Force No. 211 Squadron attack the convoy and sink transport INABASAN MARU and
damage several others.
16 February 1942:
The transports land troops near Palembang, Sumatra,
Netherlands East Indies (Indonesia).
5 May 1942:
Released back to her owners and becomes a shared employment Army/Civilian (A/C) Haitosen. Assigned IJA No. 5016;
6 January 1943:
TSUSHIMA MARU arrives at Tokyo Bay from Hokkaido in
convoy No. 2106 also consisting of BIYO and NIKKO MARUs escorted by mineweeper
W-17
6 March 1943:
TSUSHIMA MARU departs Moji in convoy No. 134 also
consisting of HAWAII, MIKASA and YAMAHAGI MARUs escorted by destroyer SANAE.
11 March 1943:
Arrives at Takao.
1 May 1943:
TSUSHIMA MARU departs Mako, Pescadores in convoy No. 389 also consisting of HOKUROKU, RAKUYO, TOKIWA and TONAN MARUs and an unidentified ship unescorted .
7 May 1943:
Arrives at St Jacques (Vung Tau), Vichy Ftrench Indochina (Vietnam).
2 June 1943:
At 0715, TSUSHIMA MARU departs Takao in convoy No. 268
consisting of BATAVIA, FUJI, HEIAN. KAYO, KOSO. MIYO, REIYO, SHOJIN UCHIDE,
WALES and YAMAHAGI MARUs escorted by patrol boat PB-36.
5 June 1943:
At 1013, TSUSHIMA MARU is hit by a dud Mark 14-3A
torpedo from LtCdr (later Rear Admiral) Lawrence R. Daspit's (USNA ’27) USS
TINOSA (SS-283), but is undamaged. PB-36 attacks with depth charges, but USS
TINOSA escapes.
6 June 1943:
At 0925, MIYO MARU is detached for Jinsen (Inchon).
7 June 1943:
At 0740, arrives at Moji.
24 June 1943:
At 1630, TSUSHIMA MARU departs Tomie, Goto Retto for
Shanghai in convoy Shi-414 also consisting of DAIYA, JUNYO, KINRYO, KITSURIN,
KOKKO, MALAY, MISAKI, NANKA, NICHINAN, SAINEI, TAITO, TOTAI, and TOYOURA MARUs
escorted by destroyer MINEKAZE and minelayer TAKASHIMA.
26 June 1943:
At 1430, arrives at Hua Niao Shan, China. TSUSHIMA MARU is detached from the convoy and heads south with MISAKI, NICHINAN and SAINEI MARUs.
5 September 1943:
At 1500, TSUSHIMA MARU departs Moji for Takao in
convoy No. 194 also consisting of JUYO, KYOKUTO, MURORAN, SANKISAN, WAZAN (ex
British VITORLOCK), YULIN and ZUIYO MARUs and an unidentified merchant escorted
by destroyer SANAE.
7 September 1943:
At 0115, on her first war patrol, LtCdr Ian C.
Eddy‘s (USNA ’30) USS PARGO (SS-264) attacks the convoy on the surface using
radar bearings. Eddy fires six torpedoes at the convoy, but gets no hits.
11 September 1943:
At about 1200 arrives at Mako, Pescadores. Later
that day, the convoy departs and arrives at Takao.
28 October 1943:
Re-requisitioned by the IJA as troop transport No. 886.
7 January 1944:
TSUSHIMA MARU departs Ambon in a convoy also
consisting of OAKITA MARU and tanker KINREI MARU escorted by auxiliary
minesweeper Wa-9.
17 January 1944:
At 0800, TSUSHIMA MARU departs Wasile, Halmahera
Island in convoy M-9 also consisting of MIKASA. NISSHU, SHOGEN, TAIZAN, TSUSHIMA
and YUSEI MARUs escorted by patrol boat PB-105 and auxiliary subchaser KYO MARU
No. 12.
21 January 1944:
At 0700, arrives at Cebu.
3 March 1944:
At 0400, TSUSHIMA MARU departs Pusan. She carries the IJA 8th Expeditionary Unit, 2nd Independent Garrison Headquarters, Korea Army
3rd Battalion, 73rd Infantry, 19th Division,3rd Battalion, 75th Infantry, 19th Division,3rd Battalion, 76th Infantry, 19th Division, 3rd Battalion, 25th Mountain Artillery, 19th Division,
3rd Company, 19th Engineers, 19th Division,Headquarters, 2nd Battalion, 25th AAA Regiment, 5th Company, 2nd Battalion, 25th AAA Regiment and 9th Company, 3rd Battalion, 25th AAA Regiment (searchlight)
12 March 1944:
At 0400, TSUSHIMA MARU departs Tokyo in convoy
"Higashi Matsu No. 2" also consisting of TAKAOKA, HIBI, TAJIMA, MIHO, AWA,
DAITEN, RYUKA, TAMAHOKO, KOKUYO, TSUSHIMA and ATLANTIC MARUs and SHINSEI MARU
No. 1 escorted by light cruiser TATSUTA, destroyers NOWAKI, ASAKAZE, YUNAGI and
UZUKI, kaibokan HIRADO and minelayers KYOSAI and SOKUTEN.
13 March 1944:
40 miles NNE of Hachijo-jima. At 0310, LtCdr Malcom E.
Garrison's new USS SAND LANCE (SS-381) sets up and fires four stern torpedoes at
the convoy. Two hit and sink TATSUTA at 32-52N 139-12E. The other two hit and
sink transport KOKUYO MARU carrying 1,029 troops. SAND LANCE undergoes an
18-hour attack by the escorts. SAND LANCE, a thick-skinned BALAO-class, dives to
550-feet and escapes 105 depth charges. Minesweeper W-20 is ordered to the area
of the sinking.
19 March 1944:
At 1400, arrives at Saipan.
21 April 1944:
TSUSHIMA MARU departs Moji in convoy MOTA-18 also
consisting of BELGIUM, KENNICHI, KUROGANE, NANREI, PEKING, SHIROGANESAN,
TAKEGAWA, SAN DIEGO, SHIROTAE, WALES and YAMHAGI MARUs escorted by destroyer
HARUKAZE minesweeper W-17.
27 April 1944:
Arrives at Takao.
28 April 1944:
At 1300, TSUSHIMA MARU departs Takao for Manila in
convoy TAMA-17 also consisting of BELGIUM, HAKKA (SHIRAKAWA), NISSAN, NITTATSU,
PEKING, SAN LUIS, SHIROGANESAN, TAKEGAWA, WALES YAMHAGI and YASHIMA, MARUs
escorted by destroyer HARUKAZE minesweeper W-17 and auxiliary gunboat CHOHAKUSAN
MARU.
Convoy TAMA-17A consisting of NANSHIN MARU No. 6 and two unidentified
merchant ships steams close to convoy part of the way and is afforded escort
protection.
29 April 1944:
Destroyer ASAKAZE joins the escort. 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. Also lost are 17 Daihatsu barges
and two lighters.
30 April 1944:
At 0430, Gallaher torpedoes and sinks NITTATSU MARU,
carrying 250 tons coal at 19-22N, 118-45E. Four crewmen are KIA.
2 May 1944:
Arrives at Manila.
9 May 1944:
At 0330, TSUSHIMA MARU departs Manila in convoy H-25 also consisting of MANSHU, PEKING, YAMAHAGI, SHIROTAE, KUROGANE, KENNICHI and FUKUYO MARUs.
escorted by patrol boat PB-103 (ex-USS FINCH, AM-9).
15 May 1944:
At 0940, arrives at Kau. At 1200 departs Kau and at 1255 arrives at Malifut.
17 May 1944:
At 0800, departs Malifut and at 1043 arrives at Wasile, Halmahera Island.
26 May 1944:
At 1350, TSUSHIMA MARU departs Wasile for Manila in combined convoys M-20 and M-21 also consisting of FUYO, FUKUYO,
KENNICHI, KUROGANE, MANSHU, PEKING, SHIROTAE, TATSUMA, TENSHO and YAMAHAGI MARUs
escorted by patrol boat PB-103.
30 May 1944:
At 0845, arrives at Zamboanga, Mindanao and departs later that day.
1 June 1944:
At 0740, arrives at Cebu and departs later that day.
3 June 1944:
At 2100, arrives at Manila.
1 August 1944:
At 1100, TSUSHIMA MARU departs Moji in convoy MO-05
also consisting of , ETAJIMA, GYOKU, HIROTA, KAZUURA, TATSUJU and YAMAHAGI,
MARUs escorted by destroyer HIBIKI, minelayer SHIRATAKA, minesweeper W-20 and
auxiliary minesweeper Wa-2
5 August 1944:
Arrives safely at Kinmu Bay, Okinawa.
6 August 1944:
At 0900 departs Kinmu Bay. At 1302, arrives at
Nakagusuku Bay, Okinawa.
7 August 1944:
At 0800, departs Nakagusuku Bay. At 1305 arrives at
Naha.
8 August 1944:
Departs Naha.
10 August 1944:
Arrives at Lu Hu Shan, China.
11 August 1944:
At 1108, arrives at Moji and later at Kure
.
16 August 1944:
At 1835, TSUSHIMA MARU departs Kure for Naha, Okinawa
in convoy No. 609 also consisting of and GYOKU and KAZUURA MARUs escorted by
destroyers TSUGA and HASU and kaibokan UJI. The convoy is carrying about 6,000
troops of the 62nd Infantry Division and over 900 horses for its Field Heavy
Artillery.
19 August 1944:
Arrives at Naha.
21 August 1944:
At 1835, TSUSHIMA MARU departs Naha for Moji in
convoy NAMO-103 also consisting of GYOKU and KAZUURA MARUs escorted by destroyer HASU and gunboat UJI. TSUSHIMA MARU is evacuating 1,788 passengers including 826 school children from Okinawa
and carrying another 1,529 passengers and crewmen.
22 August 1944:
Ryukyu Islands. Cdr John Corbus’ USS BOWFIN (SS-287) attacks the convoy. At 2212, Corbus torpedoes and sinks unlit and unmarked TSUSHIMA MARU at 29-32N, 129-33E.
Fearing submarine attack, no ships in the convoy stop to rescue survivors in the water. 1529 passengers including 682 children are killed and 21 gunners and 24 crewmen are KIA. Later, only 59 of the children are saved.
Corbus makes four other attacks and fires numerous torpedoes. UJI and HASU do not counter-attack.
Author's Notes:
Thanks go to the late John Whitman for info on IJA troops and to Erich Muehlthaler of Germany.
- Bob Hackett
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