KYUTANYUSEN!
(YODOGAWA MARU, prewar)
IJN YODOGAWA MARU:
Tabular Record of Movement
© 2016-2018 Gilbert Casse and Peter Cundall
Revision 2
27 September 1938:
Yokohama. Laid down by Mitsubishi Jukogyo K.K. shipyard for Toyo Kaiun K.K. as a 6,450-tons cargo ship.
16 February 1939:
Launched and named YODOGAWA MARU.
5 April 1939:
Completed and registered at Tokyo.
E 1940:
Chartered to Mitsui Bussan K.K.
27 January 1940:
Departs Kobe.
1940:
Calls at Rangoon, Burma (Now Yangon, Myanmar) ~ Madras, India and Persia.
2 September 1941:
Mukojima. Conversion to a collier/oiler begins at Mukojima Dock K.K. shipyard.
20 September 1941:
Requisitioned by the IJN and registered that same day as an auxiliary collier/oiler attached to the Kure Naval District with Kure as homeport under Navy’s instruction No. 1093. Assigned directly to the Combined Fleet as an auxiliary collier/oiler (Ko) category. Captain (Reserve) Naito Jun is appointed supervisor. [1]
15 October 1941:
The conversion is completed.
November 1941:
Loads 6,000-tons of coal, 93-tons of lubricating oil, 1,900-tons of diesel oil and 60-tons of aviation gasoline to be delivered to forward bases.
22 November 1941:
Departs Kure.
E 29 November ~ 5 December 1941:
Operates in the South China Seas area.
4 December 1941:
At 0600, departs Samah (Hainan Island, China).
8 December 1941:
Arrives at Mako, Pescadores. Departs later.
24 December 1941:
At Lingayen Gulf, Luzon, Philippines. Comes alongside and supplies coal to auxiliary gunboat NAMPO MARU. Later that same day, refuels auxiliary gunboat KISO MARU.
26 December 1941:
At 1225 departs Santo Tomas in convoy with KOAN and SENDAI MARUs and ten unidentified merchant ships escorted by auxiliary gunboats TAIKO, MANYO, OKUYO and KAMITSU MARUs.
28 December 1941:
At 1810 arrives at Takao, Formosa (now Kaohsiung, Taiwan).
1 January 1942:
At 0800 departs Takao in a convoy also consisting of KOAN, SENDAI, KOSEI, ASAYAMA, KIKU MARUs and KUREHA MARU No. 1 escorted by auxiliary gunboats TAIKO, MANYO, OKUYO and KAMITSU MARUs.
3 January 1942:
At 2039 arrives at Camiguin Island, Philippines. Departs later that day at 2400.
8 January 1942:
At 1030 arrives at Davao, Mindanao. Later that day comes alongside and supplies coal to auxiliary gunboats MANYO and TAIKO MARUs.
13 January 1942:
Departs Davao.
15 January 1942:
Arrives at Tarakan.
18 January 1942:
Departs Davao.
24 February 1942:
At Balikpapan, Borneo. Supplies coal to auxiliary gunboat TAIKO MARU.
27 February 1942:
Departs Balikpapan and arrives at Adang Bay, Borneo later that day.
28 February 1942:
Departs Adang Bay.
1 March 1942:
Arrives off Takisung, Borneo.
2 March 1942:
Departs Takisung waters.
3 March 1942:
Arrives at Kragan, Java.
6 March 1942:
Comes alongside and supplies coal to auxiliary gunboat TAIKO MARU.
8 March 1942:
Departs Kragan, Java.
17 March 1942:
Arrives at Takao.
25 March 1942:
Departs Takao.
E 29 March 1942:
Arrives at Balikpapan.
6 April 1942:
Departs Balikpapan.
7 April 1942:
Arrives at Macassar, Celebes (now Sulawesi).
8 April 1942:
Comes alongside and supplies coal to auxiliary gunboat OKUYO MARU.
10 April 1942:
Assigned to Vice Admiral Takahashi Ibo’s (36) Southwest Area Fleet.
23 April 1942:
Departs Macassar.
3 May 1942:
Transits Bungo Suido with ammunition ship NICHII MARU. Later that day arrives at Kure.
10 June 1942:
Departs Kure.
18 June 1942:
Arrives at Truk, Central Carolines. Supplies 250-tons of coal to auxiliary hospital ship ASAHI MARU.
19 June 1942:
Supplies 350-tons of coal to auxiliary hospital ship ASAHI MARU.
E July 1942:
Departs Truk.
15 July 1942:
Arrives at Muroran, Hokkaido. Departs later.
14 August 1942:
At 1400, departs Mako in convoy No. 249 also consisting of four unidentified merchant ships escorted by torpedo boat HAYABUSA.
19 August 1942:
At 1000, arrives at Mutsure.
11 September 1942:
Scheduled to end supply missions to Navy vessels after the end of current supply mission, under Combined Fleet instructions No. 282.
21 September 1942:
Arrives at Yokohama.
25 September 1942:
Captain Naito is relieved by Captain Takeda Kiyogo (38).
28 September 1942:
Transfers from Yokohama to Yokosuka.
2 October 1942:
Departs Yokosuka.
4 October 1942:
Arrives at Tokuyama, Yamaguchi Prefecture.
9 October 1942:
Departs Tokuyama.
10 October 1942:
Arrives at Kure.
12 October 1942:
Departs Kure.
20 October 1942:
Arrives at Truk.
25 October 1942:
Departs Truk.
29 October 1942:
Arrives at Rabaul, New Britain. Departs later in early November.
1 November 1942:
Currently assigned to troop and supplies missions to the Southeast Force Bases.
10 December 1942:
Arrives at Yokosuka.
1 January 1943:
Currently assigned to transport Aviation personnel and supplies.
30 January 1943:
Departs Yokosuka.
31 January 1943:
Arrives at Yokkaichi, Mie Prefecture.
3 February 1943:
Departs Yokkaichi.
14 February 1943:
Currently assigned to Airforce Base to transport aviation supplies under Airforce Base secret instruction No. 19.
28 March 1943:
Arrives at Yokosuka.
6 April 1943:
Departs Yokosuka.
7 April 1943:
Arrives at Nagoya.
9 April 1943:
Departs Nagoya.
10 April 1943:
Arrives at Yokosuka.
12 April 1943:
Departs Yokosuka and arrives at Kisarazu, Chiba Prefecture later that same day.
14 April 1943:
Departs Kisarazu in convoy No. 3414A also consisting of auxiliary seaplane tender KUNIKAWA MARU and possibly others with unknown escort.
25 April 1943:
Departs Truk.
28 April 1943:
Arrives at Rabaul.
9 May 1943:
At 1530, departs Rabaul for Palau, Western Carolines in convoy R-09 also consisting of auxiliary storeship CHOKO MARU, IJA transports YAMABUKI, FUKKO, NIKKI and TATEISHI MARUs and civilian cargo ship (C-AK) BANSHU MARU No. 15 escorted by subchasers CH-23 and CH-38. The convoy sails at 9 knots.
11 May 1943:
NE of Manus, Admiralties. At 0730, LtCdr (later Rear Admiral) Edward C. Stephan's (USNA ’29) USS GRAYBACK (SS-208) fires a spread of six torpedoes and scores two hits on YODOGAWA MARU. She is set afire and sinks at 00-40N, 148-55E with the loss of two of her crew.
15 July 1943:
Removed from the Navy’s list under instruction No. 1455.
Authors' Notes:
[1] There were two categories of Kyutanyusen. (Ko) category with an IJN Captain as supervisor aboard and (Otsu) category without.
Thanks go to Gengoro S. Toda of Japan.
- Gilbert Casse and Peter Cundall.
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