Japanese Army Auxiliary Transports

RIKUGUN YUSOSEN

(Sister TAIZAN MARU, prewar)

IJA/IJN GOZAN MARU:
Tabular Record of Movement
© 2014-2016 Bob Hackett

1919:
Tokyo. Laid down at Ishikawajima Shipyard as Yard No. 315, a 3,200-ton cargo ship for Suzuki Shoten K. K., Yokohama.
December 1919:
Launched and named GOZAN MARU
1919:
Completed.
1919:
Sold to Hashimoto Kisen, K. K. of Uraga.
1920:
Sold to Kokusai Kisen (International Steamship Co.) K. K. of Wakayama and Nishitomida.
28 March 1932:
Sold to Kuribayashi Shosen, K. K. of Tokyo.
1935:
Gross registered tonnage is changed to 3,218-tons.
7 July 1937: The Marco Polo Bridge (The First "China") Incident:
Lugouqiao, China. Japanese troops on night maneuvers at the bridge fire blank cartridges. Chinese troops fire back, but do not cause injuries. The Japanese discover a soldier missing and demand entry to Beijing to look for him, but the Chinese refuse. The Japanese shell the city and an undeclared war on China begins.
E 1938:
GOZAN MARU is chartered by the Imperial Army (IJA).
6 May 1938:
GOZAN MARU departs Wusung (near Shanghai) carrying the 14th Division's 1st Battalion, 15th Infantry Regiment and 5th and 6th Companies, 50th Infantry Regiment.
9 May 1938:
Lands troops at Dalian, Manchuria.
E 1939:
Probably returns to her owners.
15 November 1941:
Requisitioned by the Imperial Army (IJA). Alloted IJA No. 707. Departs Takao, Formosa (Kaohsiung, Taiwan).
19 November 1941:
Arrives at Huangpu, near Shanghai.
21 to 25 November 1941:
Assigned to coastal defense duties.
30 November 1941:
Departs Huangpu,
3 December 1941:
Arrives at Saigon, Vichy French, Indochina (Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam).
13 December 1941:
Departs Saigon.
13 January 1942:
Arrives at Singora, Siam (Songhkla, Thailand)
1 February 1942:
Departs Singora.
6 February 1942:
Arrives at Saigon.
10 February 1942:
Departs Saigon.
13 February 1942:
Arrives at Singora.
21 February 1942:
Arrives at Saigon.
3 March 1942:
Departs Saigon.
4 March 1942:
Departs Camranh Bay, Vichy French, Indochina (Vietnam).
21 March 1942:
Arrives at Saigon.
28 March 1942:
Departs Saigon.
1 April 1942:
Arrives at unknown Bantani location.
4 April 1942:
Departs Bantani.
9 April 1942:
Arrives at Saigon.
21 April 1942:
Departs Saigon.
25 April 1942:
Arrives at Bantani .
6 May 1942:
Departs Bantani.
7 May 1942:
Arrives at Osaka.
13 June 1942:
Released by the IJA back to her owners.
28 December 1942:
At 1230, departs Futtsu (near Tokyo Bay) in convoy No. 78 also consisting of KINSEN and TAISEI (2523 GRT) MARUs escorted by destroyer NAMIKAZE.
30 December 1942:
Arrives at Muroran.
13 January 1943:
GOZAN MARU departs Tokyo Bay for Hokkaido in convoy No. 1113 A also consisting of auxiliary collier/oiler ASAKAZE MARU, transports INARI, NIKKO and SANTO MARUs escorted by minesweeper W-18.
21 March 1943:
At 0733, GOZAN MARU departs Muroran, Hokkaido for Yokohama in convoy No. 2321 also consisting of FUKI, KOWA, SEIRYU, SHIGANOURA, SHINFUKU and SHOZAN MARU escorted by minesweeper W-24. That day, SEIRYU MARU and BANEI MARU No. 15 are detached for Hakodate, Hokkaido.
24 March 1943:
At 0530, arrives at Kunisaki where the convoy is dissolved.
14 October 1943:
Requisitioned by the Imperial Navy (IJN) as an Ippan Choyosen (B-AK) under the jurisdiction of the Maizuru Naval District.
November 1943:
Kure. Loads 4,500 tons of briquettes.
5 November 1943:
Arrives at Maizuru from Kure.
November 1943:
Kure. Loads 3,500 tons of briquettes.
10 November 1943:
Arrives at Wonsan, Korea from Kure.
November 1943:
Manila for property 1,000m 3, personnel about 700 people equipped
21 November 1943:
Arrives at Kure.
23 November 1943:
Arrives at Sasebo. Loads 10 training aircraft, 350m 3 of weapons, 163 torpedoes and 250 mines.
28 November 1943:
Departs Sasebo.
5 December 1943:
Arrives at Mako (Makung), Pescadore.
7 December 1943:
Arrives at Takao.
17 December 1943:
At 1330, GOZAN MARU departs Takao in convoy No. 782 also consisting of RAIZAN, SHOZUI and TAITO MARUs and an unknown number of unidentified merchant ships escorted by destroyer FUYO, subchaser CH-46 auxiliary minesweeper Wa-7 and auxiliary gunboat BUSHO MARU.
20 December 1943:
At 0915 (JST) LtCdr Frank G. Selby's (USNA’33) USS PUFFER (SS-268) torpedoes and hits FUYO's stern with two torpedoes. She sinks in two minutes in 14-45N, 119.45E. Her commander Lt.Kakumo is among the survivors rescued by the escorts. Losses are unknown.
At 0950, PUFFER again attacks the convoy. GOZAN MARU reports torpedo tracks at 14-40N, 119.55E, but one prematures and the other four miss. CH-46 and Wa-7 counter-attack while BUSHO MARU retires with the convoy. Later that day the convoy arrives at Manila. Unloads military materials, weapons and munitions.
27 December 1943:
Departs Manila.
30 December 1943:
Arrives at Takao.
3 January 1944:
GOZAN MARU departs Takao in convoy No. 232 also consisting of AKAGISAN, DAIHO, HASSHU (ex-MIJER), KENSEI (ex-British HIN SANG), KINE, KOHO, SAN DIEGO ,TAIKAI (3812 GRT), and YOZAN MARUs and three unidentified merchants escorted by kaibokan TSUSHIMA and MIYAKE.
10 January 1944:
At 1830, arrives at Moji.
11 January 1944:
Arrives at Osaka. Unloads military material.
15 January 1944:
Departs Osaka.
16 January 1944:
Arrives at Moji.
January 1944:
Loads cement bags.
20 January 1944:
Departs Moji.
25 February 1944:
Arrives at Tokyo. Unloads cement.
February 1944:
Undergoes construction and repair.
10 February 1944:
Departs Tokyo.
15 February 1944:
Arrives at Kure.
February 1944:
Embarks military personnel and loads weapons and munitions.
20 February 1944:
Departs Kure.
26 February 1944:
GOZAN MARU departs Moji escorting convoy MOTA-06 also consisting of DAISEI, ISHIKARI, LONDON, NICHIAN, NICHIYO, SAN PEDRO, SHIRAHAMA and TOYOKUNI MARUs and fleet storeship MUROTO escorted by kaibokan AWAJI.
29 February 1944:
Anchors at Ssu Chiao Shan.
March 1944:
Departs Ssu Chiao Shan and arrives at Kirun, Formosa (Keelung, Taiwan).
4 March 1944:
Departs Kirun and arrives at Takao.
7 March 1944:
GOZAN MARU departs Takao for Palau in convoy Nishi-Matsu No. 1-TAPA-04 also consisting of ATSUTA, SHIRAHAMA, TETSUYO, TAISEI and TAKEGAWA MARUs and four unidentified merchants escorted by destroyers ASAGAO and HAMANAMI and torpedo boat SAGI
14 March 1944:
Arrives at Palau.
22 March 1944:
Departs Palau and arrives at Ngardmau. Loads 4,000-tons of bauxite.
27 March 1944:
Departs Palau and arrives at Palau.
30 March 1944: American Operation “Desecrate One”:
Palau, Carolines. The anchorage is attacked by F6F "Hellcats", SBD "Dauntless", TBF "Avenger" and SB2C "Helldiver" carrier aircraft from Task Group 58. 1's USS ENTERPRISE (CV-6), USS BELLEAU WOOD (CVL-24) and USS COWPENS (CVL-25), TG 58. 2's USS BUNKER HILL (CV-17), USS HORNET (CV-12), USS MONTEREY (CVL-26) and USS CABOT (CVL-28) and TG 58. 3's USS YORKTOWN (CV-10), USS LEXINGTON (CV-16), USS PRINCETON (CVL-23) and USS LANGLEY (CVL-27).
Urukhapel Island, Malakai Harbor, Palaus. ENTERPRISE and BUNKER HILL’s aircraft bomb and damage GOZAN MARU.
31 March 1944:
Planes from YORKTOWN bomb and damage GOZAN MARU with several near misses. Dive bombers and TBF torpedo planes from LEXINGTON finally hit and sink GOZAN MARU.

Author's Note:
Thanks go to Erich Muethlthaler of Germany.

-Bob Hackett

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