Imperial Japanese Army Transports

RIKUGUN YUSOSEN

(UGO MARU, prewar)

IJA/IJN Transport UGO MARU: Tabular Record of Movement
© 2014-2016 Bob Hackett
Revision 1

14 December 1919:
Laid down at Uraga dock. Co., Ltd. as Yard No. 169, a 3,684-ton cargo ship for the Noguchi Kisen (steamship) Co. of Kobe.
16 April 1920:
Launched and named UGO MARU.
16 May 1920:
Completed.
1925:
Chartered to Taiyo Kisen, K. K. Carries coal from Kyushu and logs from Sakhalin to Yokohama.
1929:
Chartered to the Imperial Army (IJA),
22 March 1929:
UGO MARUdeparts Osaka for Dalian (Dairen), Manchuria. She carries elements of the IJA 16th Division including the 20th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Company anf 16th Engineer Battalion
27 March 1929:
Arrives at Dalian.
10 April 1929:
UGO MARU departs Toba for Dalian. She carries elements of the IJA 16th Division including the 33rd Infantry Regiment
16 April 1929:
Arrives at Dalian.
21 November 1929:
Off Hokkadio. UGO MARU is carrying a full load of gunpowder in a storm when a fire breaks out. The fire is quickly extinguished, but UGO MARU grounds on a rock.
November 1933:
Sold to Kita Nihon Kisen and placed on their Osaka ~ Otaru route.
11 April 1934:
Sold to Kobe Marine Land Transportation Fire Insurance Co., Ltd. of Otaru.
July 1937:
The Second Sino-Japanese War begins. UGO MARU is chartered by the Imperial Army (IJA) as a troop ship.
13 September 1937:
UGO MARU departs Moji for secret location "A" in a convoy also consisting of transports GYOKO, HANGKOW, KIMI, MEIGEN, OME, SAMARANG, TAKAO, TATESHI, TONE, UME and YUKI MARUs. UGO MARU carries 314 men and 264 horses of the 6th Field Medium Artillery Brigade including 14th Field Medium Artillery Regiment (15cm howitzer).
14 September 1937:
Arrives at secret location "A" and begins unloading.
E 1938:
Released by the IJN and returned to her owners.
3 October 1940:
Requisitioned by the Imperial Navy (IJN) as an Ippan Choyosen and converted to an auxiliary transport (B-AK).
30 September 1941:
Released by the IJN back to her owners. That same day, she is requisitioned by the Imperial Army (IJA). Alloted IJA No. 200
14 May 1942:
At 1400, UGO MARU departs Futtsu, Tokyo Bay in an unnumbered northbound convoy also consisting of IBURI, KATSURAGI MARU and KINSEN MARUs escorted by hydrographic survey ship KOMAHASHI. Later that day, KOMAHASHI is detached for Yokosuka.
17 May 1942:
Arrives at Ominato.
22 December 1942:
UGO MARU departs Muroran also consisting of EIYO, HANASAKI, KAIKO, MIYAZAKI, SHINFUKU and YUZAN (6380 gt) MARUs escorted by auxiliary gunboat DELHI MARU.
23 December 1942:
UGO MARU departs Hakodate in northbound convoy No. 82.
26 December 1942:
Arrives at Shibaura.
25 December 1942:
Arrives at Shibaura.
28 December 1942:
UGO MARU departs Shibaura for Yamada Bay, Iwate Prefecture in southbound convoy No. 80 also consisting of KAIKO and SHOEI (3,083 GRT), YUZAN MARU (6,380 GRT) and SHINYO MARU No. 8 escorted by auxiliary gunboat DELHI MARU.
1 January 1943:
Arrives in Yamada Bay.
2 January 1943:
Departs Yamada Bay for Muroran.
3 January 1943:
Arrives at Muroran.
12 March 1943:
Released by the IJA and returned to her owners.
27 March 1943:
UGO MARU departs Saeki in the No. 8 Military Movement’s “Convoy J2” also consisting of JINZAN, KACHOSAN, KOSO, and SHICHISEI MARUs. NASAMI, escorted by patrol boat PB-31 and auxiliary minesweeper TAKUNAN MARU No. 3
E 28 March 1943:
At latitude 29N, the escorts are detached.
6 April 1943:
UGO MARU departs Palau for Wewak in convoy “Wewak No. 2” also consisting of SHINSEI MARU No. 1. UGO MARU carries men of the IJA 20th Division. MYOKO MARU steams with the convoy for mutual protection. Along the way, subchaser CH-16 joins the convoy as escort.
11 April 1943:
The convoy arrives safely at Wewak. Passengers disembark and materials are unloaded.
20 April 1943:
Departs Wewak for Palau.
24 April 1943:
Arrives at Palau.
16 November 1943:
Ownership of UGO MARU is transferred to the Osaka Shosen Kaisha (OSK Line), K. K. of Kobe in accordance with the terms of a merger.
20 January 1944:
At 0900, UGO MARU departs Manila for Kau, Halmahera in convoy H-14 also consisting of ADEN, KENWA, KUROGANE, MOJI, MITSUKI, RYOCHI and TONEGAWA MARUs escorted by patrol boat PB-103 and subchaser CH-46.
22 January 1944:
At 1150, arrives at Cebu, Philippines.
23 January 1944:
At 0900, departs Cebu.
27 January 1944:
At 1456, arrives at Kau.
23 March 1944:
At 1230, UGO MARU departs Saint Jacques for Manila in convoy SAMA-03 also consisting of IJA transports DAKAR and MIYAURA MARUs. The convoy steams with convoy SATA-12 consisting of transports ARABIA HAWAII, NORFOLK and YOSHU MARUs and survey ship RYOFU MARU escorted by subchasers CH-21 and CH-41.
27 March 1944:
The escorts are detached.
29 March 1944:
At 0800, arrives at Manila.
30 March 1944:
At 1545, departs Manila for Takao still in unchanged convoy SATA-12 escorted by an unknown warship.
4 April 1944:
Arrives at Takao.
20 September 1944:
At 0610, UGO MARU departs Bataan in Manila Bay for Cape St. Jacques, Indochina in convoy MASA-11 also consisting of, FRANCE, MIKASA, MYOGI and MARUs and convoy MAYU-08 bound Samah, Hainan Island consisting of BINGO and NICHIZUI MARUs escorted by minelayer YURISHIMA, minesweepers W-18 and W-101, auxiliary subchasers KAIKO MARU and CHa-67 and auxiliary transport UJINA MARU.
22 September 1944:
At 0900, Convoy MASA-11 splits off from MAYU-08.
26 September 1944:
At 0140, convoy MASA-11 arrives at Cape St. Jacques.
3 October 1944:
At 1500, UGO MARU departs Cap St Jacques in convoy SAMA-13 consisting of HEIAN, MIKASA, MYOGI, TEIYU (ex-Italian CARIGNANO) and OYO MARUs escorted by minelayer YURASHIMA and minesweepers W-17 and W-18. UGO MARU is carrying 4,500 tons of rice. That evening, as the ships travel close to shore, a strong wind blows HEIAN, MYOGI and OYO MARUs ashore. The remainder of the convoy returns to St Jacques. The escorts assist re-floating the three ships which then return to St Jacques for minor repairs.
16 October 1944:
YURIJIMA is detached from the convoy and replaced by minesweeper W-17. At 1343, convoy SAMA-13 again departs St Jacques.
20 October 1944:
15 nms N of Miri, Borneo. At 0337, UGO MARU and OYO MARU, loaded with 6700 tons of rice, are both torpedoed and sunk by LtCdr John C. Martin's (USNA ’34) USS HAMMERHEAD (SS-364) at 04-45N 113-30E. 24 of the crew on UGO MARU, and one passenger and three crewmen of OYO MARU are KIA.

Author's Note:
Thanks go to Erich Muehlthaler of Germany.

Bob Hackett

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