RIKUGUN YUSOSEN
(CHOJUN MARU, prewar)
CHOJUN MARU:
Tabular Record of Movement
2014-2016 Bob Hackett
E 1918:
Osaka. Laid down at Fujinagata shipyard as a 2,213 ton cargo ship for
the Dalian (Dairen) Steamship Co., Ltd. of Dairen, Manchuria.
7 July 1918:
Launched and named CHOJUN MARU.
19 September 1918:
Completed
7 March 1926:
Kanmon Strait, Shimonoseki. CHOJUN MARU collides with
NICHINAN MARU and is beached.
17 March 1926:
CHOJUN MARU is refloated.
April 1926:
Hikoshima. Undergoes repairs at Mitsubishi shipbuilding.
1 October 1941:
Requisitioned by the Imperial Army (IJA) and converted
to a troop transport. Alloted IJA No. 138.
18 December 1941: The Invasion of the Philippines - "Operation M" (M
Sakusen):
At 1700, CHOJUN MARU departs Takao, Formosa for Lingayen Gulf,
Philippines in Rear Admiral (later Vice Admiral) Rear Admiral Hara Kensaburo's
(37)(former CO of TAKAO) 1st Lingayen Invasion Unit with 27 other IJA transports
escorted by DesRon 5's light cruiser NATORI, DesDiv 5's ASAKAZE, HARUKAZE and
MATSUKAZE, DesDiv 22's FUMIZUKI, MINAZUKI, NAGATSUKI and SATSUKI, minesweepers
W-15 and W-16 and subchasers CH-1, CH-2, CH-3 CH-13, CH-14 and CH-15.
The Japanese main invasion at Lingayen Gulf consists of three transport
echelons and carries the main part of LtGen Homma Masaharu's 80,000-man 14th
Army. The first echelon is composed of 27 transports from Takao under Rear
Admiral Hara , the second echelon of 28 transports under Rear Admiral (later
Vice Admiral) Nishimura Shoji (39) and the third echelon of 21 transports from
Keelung under Rear Admiral (later Vice Admiral) Hirose Sueto (39).
24 December 1941:
Lingayen Gulf. Between 0110 and 0430, the Lingayen
Invasion Convoy lands troops at Lingayen.
30 April 1943:
Released back to her owners.
23 June 1943:
At 0815, CHOJUN MARU departs Takao for Moji in convoy No.
275 also consisting of transports TEIKAI (ex-German FULDA) and TEIKO (ex-Vichy
French D'ARTAGNAN) MARUs and MAEBASHI, SEKKO, ROKKO, RISSHUN and YASUKUNI MARUs
and tanker SAN LUIS MARU escorted by patrol boat PB-36.
29 June 1943:
At 0850, arrives at Moji.
29 August 1943:
Off the port of Pusan, Korea. CHOJUN MARU collides
with KOKURYU MARU. As a result, CHOJUN MARU sinks at 34-28N, 128-55E.
Author's Note:
Thanks go to Erich Muehlthaler of Germany.
Bob Hackett
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