YUSOSEN!

(FUJISAN MARU as an Iino Shoji tanker)

IJN FUJISAN MARU:
Tabular Record of Movement


© 1998-2020 Bob Hackett and Peter Cundall
Revision 10


28 August 1930:
Aioi. Laid down by Harima Sanbashi (Harima Pier Co.) as Hull No. 179, a 9,517-ton merchant tanker for Iino Shoji Kisen Kaisha K. K., Fuchu.

31 May 1931:
Launched and named FUJISAN MARU

27 August 1931:
Completed with GRT and NRT respectively of 9,517-tons and 5,435-tons and begins service with Iino Shoji's tanker fleet.

September 1931:
Completes her maiden voyage transporting heavy oil from the Oha (now Russian Okha) oil field at North Sakhalin to Tokuyama.

1931:
On Iino Shoji's North American-Japan oil transport service. Completes eight voyages: four for the IJN, one for Mitsui Bussan, two for Mitsubishi Sekiyu and one for Nippon Sekiyu.

1932:
Completes 11 voyages: eight for the IJN, two for Mitsui Bussan and one for Nippon Sekiyu.

1933:
Completes 13 voyages: five for the IJN, two for Mitsui Bussan, two for Maruzen Sekiyu, two for Ogura Sekiyu and one for Hayayama Sekiyu.

1934:
Completes 11 voyages: eight for the IJN, two for Mitsui Bussan and one for Nippon Sekiyu.

1935:
Her GRT and NRT are changed respectively to 9,520-tons and 5,439-tons [1]. Completes 11 voyages: nine for the IJN, one for Mitsui Bussan and one for Nippon Sekiyu.

1936:
Completes nine voyages: seven for the IJN, one for Mitsui Bussan and one for Nomura Jimusho.

1937:
Completes eight voyages; seven for the IJN and one for Nippon Sekiyu.

1938:
Her GRT is changed to 9,524-tons [1]. Completes 10 voyages; seven for the IJN and three for Chosen Sekiyu.

1939:
Completes seven voyages; five for the IJN, two for Mitsui Bussan and one for Daido Kaiun.

1940:
Her GRT and NRT are changed respectively to 9,527-tons and 5,438-tons [1]. Completes eight voyages; two for the IJN, one for Mitsui Bussan, three for Toa Sekiyu and two for Chosen Sekiyu.

1941:
Completes four voyages: one for the IJN and three for Toa Sekiyu Kyokai.

13 June 1941:
Owner Iino Shoji restyles its name to Iino Kaiun Kaisha, Ltd.

22 November 1941:
Requisitioned by the IJN and registered (commissioned) in the IJN as a Converted Merchant Transport (Oil Supply) in the Kure Naval District. An unknown merchant marine captain is appointed Supervisor.

2 December 1941:
Begins conversion at the Sanoyasu Dockyard. Two 120-mm HA guns and two 25-mm AA guns are fitted and depth charge rails installed. A hydrophone (or passive sonar) is fitted.

7 December 1941: Operation "Z" - The Attack on Pearl Harbor:
FUJISAN MARU participates in the replenishment of submarines assigned to the attack .

8 December 1941:
Arrives at Kure.

10 December 1941:
Navy LtCdr Satoshi Kikuta is appointed Supervisor.

24 December 1941:
The conversion is completed. Spends the whole of January at Kure.

31 December 1941:
Anchors in Kanogawa . Attached to the Combined Fleets Sixth Fleet as an A class transport ship. Navy (Resv) Watanabe Yoshiya is appointed CO.

January 1942:
Attached to the advance units supply unit.

5 February 1942:
Departs Kure for Palau via Yokosuka.

E 5 ~ 6 February 1942:
Assigned to transport weapons and munitions under General Fleet instruction No. 20.

7 February 1942:
Arrives at Yokosuka.

10 February 1942:
Under command of the Southern forces commander departs Yokosuka for Palau.

16 February 1942:
Palau. Submarines I-1, I-2 and I-3 arrive and are refueled by FUJISAN MARU. The next day, the submarines depart for Staring Bay, Celebes.

21 February 1942:
Arrives at Staring Bay for the Second Indian Ocean Operations Second Supply Units supply mission.

7 March 1942:
Arrives at Kure.

20 March 1942:
Attached to the Sixth Fleet (Submarines).

1 May 1942:
Arrives at Yokosuka.

5 May 1942:
Transfers from Yokosuka to Yokohama.

20 May 1942:
Attached to Northern Forces under Combined Fleet instruction No. 151.

23 May 1942:
At 0900 departs Yokohama and at 1100 arrives at Yokosuka.

26 May 1942: Operation "MI" - The Battle of Midway:
Oilers FUJISAN and NISSAN MARUs and three cargo ships depart Ominato for the Aleutians with Vice Admiral Hosogaya Boshiro's (36) (former CO of MUTSU) Northern Force's Main Body's CruDiv 5's NACHI (F) and destroyers INAZUMA and IKAZUCHI accompaning Rear Admiral (later Vice Admiral) Kakuta Kakuji's (39)(former CO of NAGATO) Second Carrier Striking Force's CarDiv 4's JUNYO and RYUJO, CruDiv 4's TAKAO and MAYA, and destroyers AKEBONO, USHIO, SHIOKAZE and SAZANAMI.

29 May 1942: Operation "AL" - The Seizure of Attu and Kiska:
Rear Admiral (later Vice Admiral) Omori Sentaro's (41) (former CO of ISE) Adak-Attu Invasion Force departs Mutsu Bay consisting of DesRon 1's light cruiser ABUKUMA, DesDiv 21's HATSUHARU, HATSUSHIMO, WAKABA and NENOHI, seaplane tender KIMIKAWA MARU, transport KINUGASA MARU and minelayer MAGANE MARU.

Admiral Omori’s Adak-Attu Invasion Force accompanies Captain (later Rear Admiral) Ono Takeji's (44) Kiska Invasion Force: CruDiv 21’s TAMA and KISO, destroyers HIBIKI, AKATSUKI and HOKAZE, auxiliary cruiser ASAKA MARU and transports HAKUSAN and KUMAKAWA MARUs.

At 0800 FUJISAN MARU departs Yokosuka.

30 May 1942:
At 43-40N 147-03 undertakes refuelling operations.

1 June 1942:
The Invasion Force arrives at Paramushiro. Departs the same day.

3 June 1942:
The Second Carrier Striking Force detaches and launches air attacks against American installations in the Aleutians at Dutch Harbor and Unalaska Island.

6 June 1942:
The Second Carrier Striking Force rejoins the Northern Force to cover the invasion of Attu and Kiska Islands.

BatDiv 3/1's HIEI and KONGO, CarDiv 3's ZUIHO and seaplane carrier KAMIKAWA MARU detach from Vice Admiral (later Admiral) Kondo Nobutake's (35) (former CO of KONGO) Midway Invasion Force with Rear Admiral (later Vice Admiral) Abe Hiroaki's (39) (former CO of FUSO) CruDiv 8's TONE and CHIKUMA and join the Second Carrier Striking Force SW of Aleutians.

7 June 1942:
Vice Admiral Hosogaya's Fifth Fleet captures Attu and Kiska.

18 June 1942:
Kiska. An LB-30 "Liberator", three B-17 "Flying Fortresses" and four B-24 "Liberators" of the USAAF's 11th Air Force bomb the harbor and sink oiler NISSAN MARU with the loss of only one crewman. FUJISAN MARU arrives at Attu Island, departs later this day.

20 June 1942:
At 2000 arrives at Attu Island.

3 July 1942:
Agattu Island. A flight of seven USAAF B-24s bomb MacDonald Bay anchorage harboring FUJISAN MARU, seaplane tender KAMIKAWA MARU, cargo ship KIMIKAWA MARU and six destroyers; all three large ships suffer light damage. At 0858 FUJISAN MARU heads to sea.

13 July 1942:
At 1700 arrives at Ominato.

16 July 1942:
At 0600 departs Ominato.

19 July 1942:
At 1200 arrives at Shimushu.

23 July 1942:
At 0430 departs Shimushu.

26 July 1942:
At 1640 arrives at Ominato.

7 August 1942: American Operation “Watchtower” – The Invasion of Guadalcanal, British Solomons:
Rear Admiral (later Admiral) Richmond K. Turner's (USNA ’08) Amphibious Task Force 62, covered by Vice Admiral (Admiral posthumously) Frank J. Fletcher’s (USNA ’06) Task Force 61 and Rear Admiral (later Admiral) John S. McCain's (USNA ’06) Task Force 63’s land-based aircraft, lands Maj Gen (later Gen/MOH/Commandant) Alexander A. Vandergrift’s 1st Marine Division on Florida, Tulagi, Gavutu, Tanambogo and Guadalcanal opening the campaign to retake the island.

At 1205 FUJISAN MARU departs Ominato.

8 August 1942:
At 0950 arrives at Ishikari Wan.

10 August 1942:
At 0500 departs Ishikari Wan towing destroyer KASUMI.

11 August 1942:
Assigned to end towing destroyer KASUMI at Ishikari Bay and start towing destroyer SHIRANUI. To tow her to Maizuru and then return to Mutsu Bay under Northern Forces instruction No. 453.

13 August 1942:
At 1000 arrives at Maizuru.

14 August 1942:
At 0840 departs Maizuru.

16 August 1942:
At 1110 arrives at Ominato.

20 August 1942:
Reassigned to the Combined Fleet.

25 August 1942:
At 1400 departs Ominato for Rabaul escorted by destroyer HATSUHARU, probably only part way (until 1 September).

September 1942: Operation "KA" - The Reinforcement of Guadalcanal:
Shortland. FUJISAN MARU is attached to Vice Admiral Mikawa's Gunichi's (38) Eighth Fleet. She refuels warships involved in the Solomons campaign and is bombed and damaged at an unspecified date.

6 September 1942:
At 1730, minesweeper W-22 comes alongside to port. At 1755, starts supplying her with 21-tons of heavy oil. At 1800, starts supplying her with 17-tons of boiler water. At 1820 completes heavy oil supply and at 1825 completes boiler water supply. At 1826, W-22 departs.

7 September 1942:
Rabaul. Transfers 800 tons of fuel oil to auxiliary seaplane tender KIYOKAWA MARU.

24 September 1942:
At 0455, minesweeper W-22 comes alongside. From 0515 till 0535 supplies her with 15-tons of heavy oil. Thereafter W-22 departs.

25 ~ 30 September 1942:
Departs Rabaul.

6 October 1942:
Arrives at Kure

19 October 1942:
Departs Kure

15 November 1942:
Arrives at Kure.

23 November 1942:
Departs Kure.

25 November 1942:
Joined by minelayer NUWAJIMA off Fukajima and escorted south.

E 26 November 1942:
NUWAJIMA is detached 90 degrees off Toi Misaki.

2 December 1942:
FUJISAN MARU arrives at north entrance to Truk Atoll.

10 December 1942:
Shortland. FUJISAN and TOA MARUs are attacked by 11 USAAF B-17 bombers and six fighters and damaged. Minelayer TSUGARU comes alongside burning FUJISAN MARU to help extinguish the fires. 30 sailors are KIA and her diesels are wrecked.

12 December 1942:
Transfers comfort bags to auxiliary seaplane carrier SANYO MARU. [2]

22 December 1942:
Shortland. FUJISAN MARU transfers her cargo of oil to TOA MARU. Later, FUJISAN MARU steams to Rabaul where she probably undergoes temporary repairs by repair ship YAMABIKO MARU.

10 January 1943:
Auxiliary netlayer UJI MARU conducts an advance sweep for FUJISAN MARU at Jaluit which is expected later that day.

16 January 1943:
Arrives at Yokosuka.

19 January 1943:
At 1320, departs Yokosuka and arrives at Yokohama at 1500 the same day. Enters dry dock for repairs.

28 March 1943:
Repairs are completed.

29 March 1943:
Departs Yokosuka.

25 April 1943:
Arrives at Yokkaichi.

30 April 1943:
At 1200, departs Yokkaichi.

6 May 1943:
Arrives at Mako.

E 7 May 1943:
Departs Mako.

10 May 1943:
Arrives at Palembang.

12 May 1943:
Departs Palembang.

19 May 1943:
At 1630, arrives at Singapore.

20 May 1943:
At 1600, departs Singapore for Palembang.

28 May 1943:
At 1800, departs Singapore for Balikpapan.

8 June 1943:
Alongside pier No. 4 at Tarakan.

11 June 1943:
At Balikpapan.

15 June 1943:
At 0730, convoy No. 853 consisting of oilers FUJISAN and KYOEI MARUs and cargo ship ROKKOSAN MARU escorted by destroyer WAKATAKE departs Manila.

18 June 1943:
At 0730, arrives at Takao.

25 June 1943:
At 0639 FUJISAN MARU and HOKUROKU MARU arrive at Manila presumably from Takao.

28 June 1943:
At 1300 FUJISAN MARU and HOKUROKU MARU depart Manila escorted by the old destroyer ASAGAO.

29 June 1943:
Navy LtCdr Satoshi Kikuta is appointed CO.

30 June 1943:
Arrives at Takao.

3 July 1943:
Departs Takao in F convoy also consisting of one unidentified merchant ship escorted by the old destroyer ASAGAO.

4 July 1943:
After No. 172 convoy is attacked nearby the convoy seeks shelter in the Nansei Shoto.

7 July 1943:
F convoy arrives at Moji. FUJISAN MARU may have detached en route.

14 July 1943:
FUJISAN MARU arrives at Truk. Transfers 1230 tons fuel oil to light cruiser NAKA and 1327 tons fuel oil to light cruiser ISUZU. Also from 1700 till 2224 refuels light cruiser NAGARA.

23 July 1943:
Navy LtCdr Takayama Chuzo is appointed CO. At 1230 departs Truk in convoy No. 7233 also consisting of tankers TOA and NICHIEI MARUs escorted by TAMANAMI and submarine chaser CH-28. Transports 1900 soldiers of the 122nd Regiment and the 65th Brigade Corps.

24 July 1943:
At 0845, TAMANAMI ends escort and detaches.

27 July 1943:
At 1020 arrives at Palau.

24 August 1943:
Departs Manila in convoy No. 8283 (NB convoy number only from Palau-Truk leg) consisting of fast oilers FUJISAN and TOA MARUs. In addition to an oil cargo it is believed FUJISAN MARU carried 700 small mines as deck cargo.

27 August 1943:
Arrives at Palau. Naval oiler TSURUMI and destroyer TAMANAMI join the convoy.

28 August 1943:
Departs Palau in convoy No. 8283.

31 August 1943:
Target ship YAKAZE departs Saipan to join convoy 8283 consisting of fast oilers FUJISAN and TOA MARUs and Naval oiler TSURUMI escorted by destroyer TAMANAMI.

1 September 1943:
YAKAZE meets up with convoy No. 8283 at 1100 and starts escorting it.

2 September 1943:
Arrives at Truk. Transfers 480 tons fuel oil to heavy cruiser TONE and 410 tons to heavy cruiser CHIKUMA.

3 September 1943:
At 1500 departs Truk in convoy with auxiliary submarine tender HIE MARU escorted by light cruisers NAKA and ISUZU.

7 September 1943:
At 0700 arrives at Kwajalein. Transfers 740 tons of fuel oil to NAKA amd 785 tons fuel oil to ISUZU.

10 September 1943:
At Kwajalein transfers 300 tons fuel oil to light cruiser NAKA.

16 September 1943:
At Kwajalein transfers 800 tons fuel oil to light cruiser NAKA.

25 September 1943:
At 0700 departs Kwajalein in convoy No. 7131 consisting of FUJISAN MARU and passenger ship HIE MARU escorted by light cruisers NAKA and ISUZU to Jaluit.

26 September 1943:
At 0515 arrives at Jaluit.

29 September 1943:
At 0600 departs Jaluit still in convoy.

3 October 1943:
Arrives at Truk.

13 October 1943:
Departs Truk by the N Channel escorted by torpedo boat OTORI.

15 October 1943:
Arrives at Saipan.

29 October 1943:
At 1415, arrives at Palembang.

November 1943:
FUJISAN MARU is assigned to the No. 2 Replenishment Unit of the "Diversion Attack Force", part of the 2nd Fleet's Support Force, comprising the "Surprise Attack Force" in the "Z" Operation. [3]

18 November 1943:
Arrives at Truk's N Channel, escorted by destroyer INAZUMA.

24 November 1943:
At Kwajalein transfers 1147 tons fuel oil to heavy cruiser CHIKUMA.

3 December 1943:
Arrives at Ponape escorted by destroyer KAZAGUMO.

7 December 1943:
At 0430, departs Truk in convoy No. 7072 consisting of fast oilers FUJISAN and SHINKOKU MARUs escorted by patrol boat PB-102 (ex-USS STEWART, DD-224) and destroyers TAMANAMI and SHIMAKAZE. The destroyers escort the convoy as far as latitude 135E.

11 December 1943:
Arrives at Palau.

13 December 1943:
At 0730, departs Palau in convoy No. 2515 consisting of oilers FUJISAN, SHINKOKU and HAKUBASAN MARUs OGURA MARU No. 3 and small cargo ship SHOYU MARU bound for Tarakan. SHINKOKU MARU and ammunition ship ARATAMA MARU are bound for Balikpapan escorted by patrol boat PB-2 and later auxiliary subchasers CHa-26 and CHa-27.

14 December 1943:
At 1615, auxiliary subchasers CHa-26 and CHa-27 join the escort.

17 December 1943:
At 1700, SubChaser CH-6 joins the escort. At midnight, the subchaser and the Tarakan-bound ships split away from the convoy.

19 December 1943:
At 1045, arrives at Balikpapan.

E 21 December 1943:
Departs Tarakan in a convoy also consisting of tankers SHOYU and FUJISAN MARUs.

E 22 December 1943:
Off Mangakalihat meets up with patrol boat PB-102 (ex USS STEWART).

23 December 1943:
At 2000 arrives at Balikpapan.

24 December 1943:
Departs Surabaya for Balikpapan to load aviation fuel for Rabaul.

29 December 1943:
At 0800, FUJISAN, AKEBONO and SHINKOKU MARUs escorted by patrol boat PB-102 depart Balikpapan via Palau for Truk.

2 January 1944:
Patrol boat PB-102 is detached from the convoy which sails on temporarily unescorted. At 05.00N-128.00E PB-102 is replaced by destroyer HAYANAMI and possibly UZUKI.

Later, FUJISAN, AKEBONO and SHINKOKU MARUs join a westbound convoy.

3 January 1944:
At 0328, AKEBONO MARU is torpedoed by LtCdr (later Cdr) James W. Davis' (USNA ’30) USS RATON (SS-270). The ship remains afloat, damaged but still underway. At 1130, destroyers HAYANAMI and UZUKI join the convoy from Palau. HAYANAMI escorts AKEBONO MARU to Palau separately while UZUKI and the other two oilers steam ahead to Palau.

4 January 1944:
Arrives at Palau.

5 January 1944:
Departs Palau with SHINKOKU and AKEBON MARUs escorted by destroyer UZUKI. Later, destroyer TACHIKAZE also departs Palau and at 0700 joins the convoy.

10 January 1944:
Arrives at Truk still in convoy. Transfers 1490 tons of fuel to heavy cruiser TONE.

13 January 1944:
Departs Truk for Tarakan.

January 1944:
Arrives at Tarakan. Loads crude oil.

January 1944:
Arrives at Balikpapan. Unloads crude oil and loads heavy oil. Departs for Truk.

16 January 1944:
Arrives at Truk. Begins unloading heavy oil.

19 January 1944:
At 1230 departs Truk in a convoy consisting of fast oilers FUJISAN and SHINKOKU MARUs with destroyers SHIGURE and HARUSAME as escorts.

25 January 1944:
A surfaced enemy submarine is discovered. SHIGURE and HARUSAME attack the submarine with depth charges.

27 January 1944:
Arrives at Tarakan.

29 January 1944:
At 1930, departs Tarakan in a convoy consisting of FUJISAN and SHINKOKU MARUs escorted by DesDiv 27's SHIGURE and HARUSAME.

31 January 1944:
At 1030, arrives at Balikpapan.

2 February 1944:
At 2050, SHIGURE discovers a surfaced enemy submarine. At 2100, SHIGURE attacks the submarine with depth charges.

3 February 1944:
At 1058, departs Balikpapan in a convoy consisting of FUJISAN and SHINKOKU MARUs and passenger-cargo AMAGISAN MARU transporting avgas escorted by SHIGURE and HARUSAME and the General Escort Command's destroyer OITE.

10 February 1944:
Arrives at Ulithi Atoll and one, or both, oilers unload some fuel.

11 February 1944:
At 1200, the convoy departs.

14 February 1944:
Arrives at Truk. Begins unloading heavy oil.

17 February 1944: American Operation "Hailstone" - The Attack on Truk:
Vice Admiral (later Admiral) Marc A. Mitscher’s (USNA ’10) Task Force 58's five fleet carriers and four light carriers, supported by six battleships, ten cruisers and 28 destroyers, launch air attacks on airfields, shore installations and ships in the lagoon. Mitscher launches 30 strikes of at least 150 aircraft each. Beginning at dawn, the strikes are launched about every hour for two days.

Captain Watanabe Yoshio's (50) FUJISAN MARU is moored to the fuel pier on the south side of Dublon Island. Planes from USS INTREPID (CV-11) report her getting underway at the time of their attacks on Dublon and Eten Island. FUJISAN MARU makes for Truk's North Pass where she is attacked by Douglas SBD "Dauntless" dive-bombers from USS BUNKER HILL(CV-17).

FUJISAN MARU is hit by a single 1,000-lb bomb as she proceeds through the pass to the sea. The hit causes a large fire. All of TF 58's air groups begin attacking ships grouped N to NW of North Pass. In view of these attacks, Captain Watanabe reverses course and returns to the lagoon.

18 February 1944:
At dawn, SBD dive-bombers from USS ENTERPRISE (CV-6) arrive over the anchorage and spot FUJISAN MARU between Moen and Dublon Islands underway on an east bound course. The SBDs drop three bombs and score a hit on her stern depth charge storeroom and two near misses. Fires rage and FUJISAN MARU's engine room is heavily damaged. She loses headway, stops and begins to founder.

At 1100, Abandon Ship is ordered. FUJISAN MARU sinks by the stern and settles on the bottom listing to port at a 45-degree angle at a depth of 200 feet. Captain Watanabe survives, but two of his crew and two soldiers aboard the ship are killed in the attacks.

During the raids, TF 58 sinks 31 merchant transports and 10 naval vessels, destroys nearly 200 aircraft and damages severely about 100 more. Truk is eliminated as a major fleet anchorage for the IJN.

30 March 1944:
Removed from the Navy List.


Author's Notes:
[1] NRT is a ship's cargo volume capacity expressed in "register tons", one of which equals to a volume of 100 cubic feet (2.83 m3). It is calculated by subtracting non-revenue-earning spaces i.e. spaces not available for carrying cargo, for example engine rooms, fuel tanks and crew quarters, from the ship's gross register tonnage (GRT). Net register tonnage (NRT) is not a measure of the weight of the ship or its cargo, and should not be confused with terms such as deadweight tonnage or displacement.

[2] Imonbukuro, bags containing female figures used as mascot, made by women and sent to military personnel.

[3] Admiral Koga devised Operation "Z" to concentrate the Combined Fleet's naval strength to confront and annihilate the US Pacific Fleet. The moment for decisive action by this force was to come when US Forces penetrated the Philippine Sea, approached the Marianas or the Palaus, or reached the coast of northern New Guinea.

Thanks go to Sander Kingsepp of Estonia and Gilbert Casse of France.

- Bob Hackett and Peter Cundall.


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