YUSOSEN!

(Standard 2AT Tanker KENJO MARU by Ueda Kihachiro)

ENRYAKU MARU
Tabular Record of Movement

© 2011-2012 Bob Hackett


1944:
Tamano. Laid down at the Mitsui Zosen K. K. shipyard as a 6,925-ton Type 2A Standard Cargo Ship for Nippon Yusen K.K., (NYK) Tokyo.

1944:
Converted to a Standard 2AT Tanker while on the ways.

1944:
Launched and named ENRYAKU MARU

31 August 1944:
Completed.

18 October 1944:
At 0700, ENRYAKU MARU departs Imari Bay, near Sasebo, for Cap St. Jacques, Indochina and Miri, Borneo in convoy MI-23 consisting of MUNAKATA, HIKACHI (NISSHO), MATSUMOTO, KOSHIN, EININ, RITSUEI, YAMASONO, EBARA, ENREKI, SHOEI, HIROTA, UNZEN, YOKAI and SHIROTAE MARUs and YUZAN MARU No. 2 and survey ship HAKUSA escorted by kaibokan CD-14, CD-20, CD-34, CD-38, CD-39, CD-46 and patrol boats PB-38 and P-102 (ex-USS STEWART, DD-224).

20 October 1944:
Anchors in Raro Bay, Chosen (Korea).

22 October 1944:
At the Shushan anchorage, E of Shanghai.

24 October 1944:
75 miles ENE of Foochow, China. At 1000, HIROTA, UNZEN and YOKAI MARUs are detached for Takao escorted by PB-38 and PB-102.

25 October 1944:
Formosa Strait. At 0208, Cdr (later Rear Admiral-Ret) Richard H. O’Kane’s USS TANG (SS-306), running on the surface, torpedoes and sinks EBARA and MATSUMOTO MARUs at 25-04N, 119-35E. TANG commences another attack, but one of her remaining torpedoes commences a circular run. CD-34’s lookouts spot the torpedo and witness an explosion which sinks the submarine. Nine American submariners are found drifting on the surface including Captain O’Kane. CD-34 rescues the survivors and later claims to have sunk TANG, but, in fact, the submarine was sunk by TANG's very last torpedo - a defective Mark-18 torpedo. CD-34 is detached with the POWs for Takao, Formosa.

27 November 1944:
At 0205, ENRYAKU MARU departs Singapore in convoy SHISA-30 also consisting of EININ, TOHO, FUJISAN, HIKACHI (NISSHO), TATSUMIYA, YAMAKUNI and DAISHU MARUs escorted by kaibokan CD-27, minesweeper W-34, subchasers CH-34 and CH-35 and auxiliary gunboat HUASHAN (KAZAN) MARU.

30 November 1944:
Arrives at St Jacques.

March 1945:
Converted for dry cargo service.

24 June 1945:
At 1930, ENRYAKU MARU departs Gainichiwan (Yongil Bay), Chosen (Korea) in convoy SEINAI-04 also consisting of YAMANAMI and MATSUURA MARUs escorted by kaibokan YASHIRO, CD-2 and CD-13.

26 June 1945:
At 0758, arrives at Hagi.

27 June 1945:
At 1045, arrives Maizuru. The convoy is dissolved.

18 September 1945:
Off Fushiki. ENRYAKU MARU is grounded in a typhoon and abandoned.


-Bob Hackett


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