KYUNANSEN

© 2009-2010 Bob Hackett and Peter Cundall

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26 May 1927:
Aioi. Laid down at Kobe Steel as a 807-ton salvage vessel for Teikoku Salvage K.K..

30 October 1927:
Launched and named YUSHO MARU. [1]

25 January 1928:
Completed.

26 October 1930:
Departs Kobe on naval maneuvers.

1934:
Ownership transfers to Nipponkai Nankyo.

2 September 1937:
Kowloon Bay, Hong Kong . During a typhoon, Nippon Yusen Kaisha’s (NYK) (Japan Mail Steamship Co.) 16,975-ton liner ASAMA MARU is driven aground by the storm.

12 September 1937:
YUSHO MARU engages in refloating ASAMA MARU.

12 July 1940:
Owner becomes Japan Salvage Co.

14 December 1941:
At the Sasebo Navy yard start of equipment construction.

18 December 1941:
Requisitioned by the IJN. Departs Moji.

19 December 1941:
Arrives at the Sasebo Navy Yard.

20 December 1941:
Begins conversion to a an auxiliary salvage vessel. Registered in the Sasebo Naval District.

26 December 1941:
The conversion is completed.

27 December 1941:
Departs Sasebo. That same day in the South China Sea, 30 nms SW of Hong Kong, LtCdr David A. Hurt’s USS PERCH(SS-176) torpedoes and blows the bow off supply ship NOJIMA (NOSHIMA) at 22-14N, 115-13E. NOJIMA is beached.

30 December 1941:
YUSHO MARU arrives at Mako.

31 December 1941:
Departs Mako. YUSHO MARU is assigned directly to the Combined Fleet. That same day, at Lingayen, Philippines, coast defense ship IZUMO hits a mine and is damaged.

1 January 1942:
30 nms SW of Hong Kong. YUSHO MARU arrives at Chuan Wei Bay and engages in life-saving service for transport NOJIMA.

28 January 1942:
Departs Chuan Wei Bay towing NOJIMA.

29 January 1942:
Arrives at Hong Kong.

2 February 1942:
Departs Hong Kong.

4 February 1942:
Arrives at Lingayen.

5 February 1942:
Departs Lingayen towing coast defense ship IZUMO.

9 February 1942:
Arrives at Hong Kong. Later, IZUMO undergoes battle-damage repairs.

14 February 1942:
Off Davao, Philippines. LtCdr (later Rear Admiral) Chester C. Smith’s USS SWORDFISH (SS-176) torpedoes and damages AMAGISAN MARU.

17 February 1942:
YUSHO MARU departs Hong Kong.

23 February 1942:
Arrives at Davao and engages in life saving service for transport AMAGISAN MARU.

28 February 1942:
Submarine I-5 runs aground on a reef in the north passage of Staring Bay, Celebes.

5 March 1942:
YUSHO MARU arrives at Davao.

8 March 1942:
Arrives at Makassar, Celebes.

9 March 1942:
Departs Makassar.

10 March 1942:
YUSHO MARU arrives at Staring Bay and successfully salves I-5 from the reef. I-5 then undergoes repairs by SubRon 2's tender SANTOS MARU.

26 March 1942:
Departs Staring Bay.

28 March 1942:
Arrives at Makassar.

2 April 1942:
Departs Makassar.

5 April 1942:
Arrives at Surabaya, Java. YUSHO MARU’s crew participates in an investigation and processing of a boat sinking.

10 April 1942:
Attached to the Department of the Navy's 11th special construction section.

6 January 1943:
YUSHO MARU is ordered on completion of current duties to salvage YOSHIDA MARU No. 1 and then continue to salvage damaged ships at Ambon.

6 January 1943:
Near Kai Island, Banda Sea. Torpedo boat TOMOZURU is damaged in an attack by USAAF aircraft and goes dead in the water.

9 January 1943:
Departs Surabaya.

11 January 1943:
Arrives at Zandbuis Banken (Pulau Sadapur), 07-45S, 117-14E, Groote Paternoster Eilanden (Kepulauan Tengah), in the Banda Sea area.

15 January 1943:
Departs Zandbuis Banken towing TOMOZURU.

16 January 1943:
Arrives at Ambon, Moluccas, NEI.

26 January 1943:
Departs Ambon.

6 February 1943:
Arrives at Surabaya.

6 March 1943:
Departs Surabaya.

11 March 1943:
Arrives at Ambon.

13 March 1943:
Departs Ambon.

15 March 1943:
Arrives at Babo, Maccluer Gulf, Dutch New Guinea.

28 March 1943:
Departs Babo.

29 March 1943:
Arrives at Bula, Ceram (Seram), S of Halmahera, Moluccas.

1 April 1943:
Departs Bula.

2 April 1943:
Arrives at Ambon.

8 April 1943:
Departs Ambon with IJN transport HOKUSHU MARU escorted by auxiliary subchaser TAKUNAN MARU No. 5 and auxiliary gunboat OKUYO MARU.

15 April 1943:
Arrives at Surabaya with IJN transport HOKUSHU MARU escorted by auxiliary subchaser TAKUNAN MARU No. 5 and auxiliary gunboat OKUYO MARU.

5 May 1943:
Departs Surabaya.

7 May 1943:
Arrives at Djakarta, Java. Drydocked. Undergoes repairs.

2 June 1943:
Completes repairs.

3 June 1943:
Departs Djakarta.

15 June 1943:
Arrives at Surabaya.

1 July 1943:
Makassar Strait. LtCdr Harry Hull's USS THRESHER (SS-200) torpedoes and damages destroyer HOKAZE that is grounded in Sibaya harbor, Celebes, to prevent sinking and to permit salvage.

4 July 1943:
YUSHO MARU departs Surabaya.

13 July 1943:
Arrives at Sibaya harbor, Palu Bay.

19 July 1943:
Departs Sibaya harbor with HOKAZE.

22 July 1943:
Arrives at Makassar.

31 July 1943
Departs Makassar with HOKAZE.

August 1943:
YUSHO MARU arrives at Surabaya with HOKAZE. The destroyer undergoes repairs.

11 August 1943:
Arrives at Makassar.

12 August 1943:
YUSHO MARU arrives at the site (05-30S, 120-48E) where the day before LtCdr John A. Tyree’s USS FINBACK (SS-230) torpedoed and damaged 6,343-ton auxiliary vessel TATSUMIYA MARU bound for Singapore.

15 August 1943:
Arrives at Makassar with TATSUMIYA MARU.

19 August 1943:
Departs Makassar.

23 August 1943:
Arrives at Surabaya with TATSUMIYA MARU.

4 September 1943:
Departs Surabaya. In Surabaya's North Channel, YUSHO MARU strikes a mine, but is salvaged by OKUYO MARU that takes her under tow.

5 September 1943:
Makassar Strait. On the way back to Surabaya while under tow, YUSHO MARU strikes another mine and sinks at 05-00S, 119-00E.

1 November 1943:
Removed from the Navy List. [2]

16 May 1944:
Salvage Ship ARABATO MARU (ex-Dutch GMM ALBATROS) begins salvage work on YUSHO MARU.

12 July 1944:
YUSHO MARU is successfully refloated.

3 October 1944:
ARABATO MARU tows YUSHO MARU into Surabaya. [3]

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Authors' Note:
[1] Also rendered YUSYO MARU.

[2] Some sources incorrectly list YUSHO MARU as sunk by bombs off Formosa in 1944.

[3] Postwar, YUSHO MARU does not appear on the list of vessels captured by the Allies in former Allied territory. It is probable that the wreck was deemed a constructive total loss and scrapped.

- Bob Hackett and Peter Cundall.

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