Japanese Oilers

YUSOSEN!

(Oiler by Takeshi Yuki scanned from "Color Paintings of Japanese Warships")

IJN ASHIZURI:
Tabular Record of Movement
© 2005-2009 Bob Hackett and Peter Cundall.

8 July 1941:
Nagasaki. Laid down at Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. shipyard as a 7, 951-ton aviation gasoline tanker.

1 March 1942:
Named ASHIZURI.
16 May 1942:
Launched. Captain Kuribayashi Kesakiti is posted the Commanding Officer.
30 January 1943:
Completed and registered in the Yokosuka Naval District. Classified as a transport warship.
10 February 1943:
Attached directly to the Combined Fleet.
3 March 1943:
Departs Kobe for Balikpapan, Borneo.
30 March 1943:
Arrives at Tokuyama; unloads fuel oil then moves to Yokohama.
15 June 1943:
Departs Sasebo for Balikpapan.
1 July 1943:
Departs Singapore.
4 July 1943:
At 1230, arrives at Palembang, Sumatra.
18 August 1943:
Arrives at Osaka.
24 August 1943:
At 1400, ASHIZURI departs Singapore in convoy HI-06 consisting of oilers TATEKAWA MARU and RYUEI MARUs and YAMAMIZU MARU No. 2 and KAGU MARU escorted by MATSUWA.
3 September 1943:
At 0930, arrives at Moji, then departs for Tokuyama.
15 September 1943:
ASHIZURI departs Moji for Singapore with destroyer SANAE escorting convoy SA-13 consisting of TEIKO, SEISHIN, USSURI and TEIFU MARUs. En route south heavy weather is encountered and the convoy is dispersed.
22 September 1943:
ASHIZURI departs Singapore with subchaser CH-19 escorting convoy SA-12 consisting of transports TEIKO and USSURI MARUs and tankers SEISHIN and KIRISHIMA MARUs.
25 September 1943:
Alerted by nearby USS BILLFISH (SS-286) on her first war patrol, LtCdr Joseph H. Willingham's USS BOWFIN's (SS-287) lookouts sight the convoy. At 1310, BOWFIN, also on her first war patrol, torpedoes and sinks tanker KIRISHIMA MARU at 09-53N 112-10E. CH-19 counterattacks, but is unsuccessful.
24 October 1943:
At 0700, departs Tokuyama for Yokosuka.
4 November 1943:
Departs Yokosuka for Moji to assemble in a convoy for Singapore.
10 November 1943:
ASHIZURI departs Mutsure for Singapore with patrol boat PB-36 escorting convoy SA-17 consisting of tankers KYOKUTO, OKIGAWA and MIRI MARUs, troop transports NIGITSU and MAYASAN MARUs and cargo-passenger ship USSURI MARU.
14 November 1943:
Arrives at Takao. Steams to Mako later that day.
17 December 1943:
Nagasaki. Drydocked. Undergoes repairs.
20 December 1943:
Undocked.
31 December 1943:
At 0600, convoy HI-29 departs Moji consisting of tankers KUROSHIO and (ex cargo) GOYO MARUs, cargo passenger ships KACHIDOKI (ex-PRESIDENT HARRISON) and ASOSAN MARUs escorted by kaibokan SADO. That same day, ASHIZURI and sister fleet oiler SHIOYA depart Sasebo and join the convoy.
4 January 1944:
At 1600, convoy HI-29 arrives at Takao. ASHIZURI and SHIOYA are detached.
6 January 1944:
At 1315, ASHIZURI, fleet oiler SHIOYA and tanker OKIKAWA MARU depart Takao in the Rinji (special) M convoy escorted by kaibokan SADO and patrol boat PB-36. This convoy accompanies convoy HI-29 to Manila.
9 January 1944:
At 1530, convoy HI-29 arrives at Manila. The Rinji M convoy is detached.
10 January 1944:
At 1840, ASHIZURI, SHIOYA and OKIKAWA MARU depart Manila escorted by patrol boat PB-36.
13 January 1944:
At 1840, arrives at Tarakan, Borneo.
14 January 1944:
At 0340, departs Tarakan.
15 January 1944:
At 1450, arrives at Balikpapan. SHIOYA is detached.
26 January 1944:
ASHIZURI and OKIKAWA MARU arrive at Singapore.
2 February 1944:
At 1300, ASHIZURI departs Singapore with kaibokan KANJU escorting convoy HI-38 consisting of transports KAGU, KACHIDOKI (ex-PRESIDENT HARRISON), tankers AMATSU, OTOWASAN, OMINESAN, NICHINAN and OKIKAWA MARUs.
8 February 1944:
At 1700, arrives at Takao.
9 February 1944:
At 1000, departs Takao.
13 February 1944:
At 1430, arrives at Moji.
19 February 1944:
Arrives at Tokuyama. Discharges her cargo of light oil.
21 February 1944:
Departs Moji for Manila, Takao and Balikpapan transporting gasoline to Saipan.
30 March 1944:
Arrives at Yap Island, Carolines.
22 April 1944:
At 0615, ASHIZURI departs Manila with patrol boat PB-38 escorting convoy MI-02 (outward) consisting of tankers TACHIBANA, NITTETSU, HAKUBASAN, SANKO (YAMAKO), TAKETSU (BUTSU), MATSUMOTO MARUs and YAMAMIZU MARU No. 2 and OGURA MARU No. 1.
23 April 1944:
At 2000, arrives at Pagdanan Bay, Palawan.
25 April 1944:
At 1925, arrives at Marudu Bay, North Borneo.
26 April 1944:
At 0800, departs Marudu Bay. At 1755, arrives at Jesselton, Borneo.
27 April 1944:
At 0915, departs Jesselton.
28 April 1944:
At 0045, arrives Brunei Bay, Borneo. Later that day, arrives at Miri at 1325.
12 May 1944:
Departs Saipan for Balikpapan with auxiliary gasoline tanker TAKASAKI after delivering 3700 kiloliters of gasoline for the First Air Fleet.
1 June 1944:
Departs Yap for Balikpapan.
5 June 1944:
Sulu Sea. N end of Sibutu Passage, off Tawi Tawi, Philippines. LtCdr Frank G. Selby’s USS PUFFER (SS-268) attacks a convoy of three tankers. Selby torpedoes and sinks both ASHIZURI and TAKASAKI at 06-33N, 122-55E.
10 July 1944:
Removed from the Navy List.

- Bob Hackett and Peter Cundall.

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