KOSEKI UMPANSEN

(A Type 1K ore carrier underway)

DAIKYO MARU:
Tabular Record of Movement


© 2011 Bob Hackett

1943:
Innoshima. Laid down at Hitachi Zosen K. K. as a 5,244-ton Type 1K Standard Merchant cargo ship (ore carrier) for Osaka Shosen (OSK) K.K., Osaka.

E 1944:
Launched and named DAIKYO MARU.

February 1944:
Completed.

11 September 1944:
At 1500, DAIKYO MARU departs Moji for Takao in convoy MOTA-26 also consisting of GASSAN, SEIZAN, HAKUSAN, HOTEN, MURORAN, MANILA, MACASSAR, DAIIKU, NANKING, FUYUKAWA, PEKING, DAIZEN, HIDA and JUNHO MARUs and NICHIYU MARU No. 2 and tanker DAISHO MARU escorted by destroyer HARUKAZE, kaibokan CD-9 and CD-26 and subchaser CH-56

16 September 1944:
GASSAN, SEIZAN and HAKUSAN MARUs split from the convoy and later that day arrive at Keelung, Formosa.

17 September 1944:
At 1300, arrives at Takao.

14 January 1945:
At 0700, DAIKYO MARU departs Moji in convoy MOTA-32 also consisting of TENSHO, SAMARANG, AIZAN, SHUNSHO and DAISHUN MARUs, and TAMON MARU No. 16 and five unidentified merchants escorted by destroyer SHIOKAZE, kaibokan MANJU, CD-31, CD-132, CD-144 and subchasers CH-19 and CH-57 The convoy hugs the continental coast as it heads south. DAIKYO MARU carries 558 troops, six Daihatsu and two Shohatsu landing craft, railway sleeper cars and stores.

21 January 1945:
Arrives at Sanmen Bay, China.

22 January 1945:
Early in the morning, convoy MOTA-32 departs Sanmen Bay. At 1600, arrives at Namkwan (now Namquan) Bay and joins convoy TAMO-38 sheltering there consisting of DAINAN, BINGO, TOYOKAWA, RASHIN, SHINNO and TATSUWA MARUs and NICHIYU No. 7. MOTA-32 anchors in five columns nearest the bay entrance.

23 January 1945:
Namkwan Harbor, NE of Fuzhou. At 0402, LtCdr (later Rear Admiral/MOH) Eugene B. Fluckey's (USNA '35) USS BARB (SS-220) discovers the anchored ships and skillfully enters the bay. At 0402, Fluckey fires a full salvo of torpedoes. DAIKYO MARU is hit and her cargo of munitions detonates in a massive explosion. She sinks a 27-02N, 120-27E. 360 troops, 56 crewmen and 28 gunners are KIA and the eight landing craft are also lost.

Author’s Note:
[1] Also known as TAIKYO MARU.

Photo credit and thanks go to Gilbert Casse of France.

-Bob Hackett

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