Tabular Record of Movement
© 2008-2010 Bob Hackett and Peter Cundall.
10 May 1944:
Kobe. Laid down at Kawasaki Shipbuilding as a 9,898-ton Standard
Merchant 1TL tanker for Nippon Kaiyo Gyogyo K.K., Tokyo
17 September 1944 :
Launched and named HASHIDATE MARU.
31 October 1944:
Completed.
4 November 1944:
Departs Kobe.
5 November 1944:
Arrives at Tokuyama. Probably takes on fuel for her
maiden voyage south.
6 November 1944:
Departs Tokuyama.
8 November 1944:
Arrives at Kobe.
14 November 1944:
Departs Imari Bay for Singapore in convoy HI-81
consisting of HASHIDATE, SHINSHU, KIBITSU, AKITSU, ARITA, OTOWASAN, KIYOKAWA,
MAYASAN, MIRII and TOA MARUs escorted by escort carrier SHINYO, destroyer KASHI
and kaibokan ETOROFU (F), TSUSHIMA, DAITO, KUME, SHONAN, CD-9 and CD-61. The
convoy stops overnight at Goto Island.
15 November 1944:
Departs Goto Island. Escort carrier SHINYO takes up
position at the rear of the center of three columns of vessels. At 1156, LtCdr
(later Rear Admiral) Charles E. Loughlin's USS QUEENFISH (SS-393) torpedoes and
sinks AKITSU MARU with the loss of 2,046 men of the IJA's 64th Infantry Regiment
and other units aboard. SHINYO's planes attempt to locate and destroy the
submarine, but fail to find her.
16 November 1944:
Off Korea. The convoy anchors near Strange Island
and shelters there.
17 November 1944:
At 0800, convoy HI-81 departs for the Shushan
Islands near Shanghai. At 1815, USS PICUDA (SS-382) torpedoes and sinks MAYASAN
MARU with the loss 3,482 including crew and troops of the 4,500 men and 204
horses of IJA’s 23rd Division she was carrying. At 2309, LtCdr Gordon W.
Underwood’s USS SPADEFISH (SS-411) torpedoes and sinks escort carrier SHINYO.
Escort destroyer KASHI counterattacks with uncertain results.
18 November 1944:
At 0315, kaibokan TSUSHIMA attacks a submarine with
fifteen depth-charges. At 1600, the convoy arrives at an anchorage E of
Shanghai.
21 November 1944:
The convoy departs for Mako, Pescadores.
23 November 1944:
Formosa Srait. The convoy anchors in the Nanjih
Channel.
24 November 1944:
At 0730 departs the Nanjih area.
26 November 1944:
Arrives at Mako.
27 November 1944:
At 1600, convoy HI-81 departs Mako for Singapore.
It now consists of HASHIDATE, OTOWASAN, ARITA and TOA MARUs escorted by kaibokan
ETOROFU (F), KUME, CD-9 and CD-61 and escort destroyer KASHI.
4 December 1944:
Arrives at Singapore.
12 December 1944:
At 1600, HASHIDATE MARU departs Singapore in convoy
HI-82 consisting of tankers OMUROSAN, OTOWASAN, ARITA and PALEMBANG MARUs
escorted by kaibokan ETOROFU, SHONAN, KUME, CD-9 and CD-19. OTOWASAN MARU
carries a cargo of gasoline.
17 December 1944:
Arrives at Camranh Bay.
19 December 1944:
Departs Camranh Bay.
22 December 1944:
25 miles E of Quang Ngai, Indo-China. At 0550,
OMUROSAN, OTOWASAN and ARITA MARUs are torpedoed by LtCdr George W. Grider's USS
FLASHER (SS-249). All three tankers burst into flames. At 0550, after being hit
amidships by two torpedoes, OMUROSAN MARU sinks at 15-02N, 109-08E. OTOWASAN and
ARITA MARUs also sink.
23 December 1944:
HASHIDATE and PALEMBANG MARUs escorted by kaibokan
CD-32 arrive at Yulin, Hainan Island.
24 December 1944:
HASHIDATE MARU departs Yulin for Takao with
PALEMBANG MARU escorted by kaibokan CD-32. Soon after departure, C-32 is
detached to investigate the wreck of USS DARTER (SS-227) that grounded on Bombay
Shoal. At 0900, HASHIDATE and PALEMBANG MARUs arrive at Takao.
At Takao, HASHIDATE MARU offloads 16,000-tons of oil, then departs for
Singapore.
10 January 1945:
Takao, Formosa. HASHIDATE MARU joins convoy HI-87
consisting of fleet oiler KAMOI and tankers SARAWAK, MATSUSHIMA, MITSUSHIMA
MARUs escorted by destroyer SHIGURE, kaibokan MIYAKE, KANJU, KURAHASHI, NOMI,
SHINNAN, YASHIRO, CD-13, CD-60 and CD-205. At 1700, the convoy departs Takao for
Mako, Pescadores. At 1830, MITSUSHIMA MARU suffers an engine breakdown and
returns to Takao.
12 January 1945:
At 0600, TENEI MARU's steering breaks down and ship
is escorted by CD-60 to Hong Kong. Soon after, the rest of the convoy is advised
of a pending air raid on Mako and turns about and heads for Hong Kong.
13 January 1945:
At 1100, enters Hong Kong port.
15 January 1945:
At 0915, carrier aircraft begin attacks that harry
the ships all day, but they escape major damage, but HASHIDATE MARU is damaged
by near misses and moves to the dockyard for repairs.
16 January 1945:
Kyuryu (Kowloon) dockyard, Hong Kong. The air
attacks continue from 0820. HASHIDATE MARU is damaged slightly by near misses. A
gas explosion in one of the tanks badly damages the ship. At 1240, KAMOI and
TENEI MARU both suffer direct hits. At 1540, MATSUSHIMA MARU suffers a direct
hit and is set on fire. At 1644, NOMI suffers damage to her aft gun platform
from a near miss. At 1830, the battle ends. The Japanese claim 22 aircraft shot
down, but acknowledge serious damage to three tankers and light damage to three
escorts.
1 February 1945:
Departs Hong Kong in convoy with four Type 2TE
tankers. Soon after, she strikes a mine and begins to settle. Emergency repairs
contain the flooding.
11 February 1945:
Arrives at Ta Yang Shan.
15 February 1945:
Departs Ta Yang Shan and later that day arrives at
Ssu Chiao Shan. Further repairs undertaken.
20 February 1945:
Departs Ssu Chiao Shan and later that day arrives
at Woosung.
27 February 1945:
Departs Woosung and later that day arrives at
Shanghai.
15 March 1945:
Departs Shanghai.
17 March 1945:
Arrives in Ma-An sea area and anchors.
18 March 1945:
Departs Ma An sea area. Later that day arrives at
Katengdo On (Katoku Strait).
19 March 1945:
Departs Katengdo On and later that day arrives at
Mursure Jima. Later that day shifts to Moji.
21 March 1945:
Departs Moji.
23 March 1945:
Arrives at Osaka.
15 August 1945:
Osaka. Awaiting repairs at war's end.
September 1945:
HASHIDATE MARU is surrendered to Allied Forces.
June 1946:
Innoshima. Begins reconversion to a whale factory ship by
Hitachi Zosen.
October 1946:
Work completed.
December 1946:
Nippon Kaiyo Gyogyo K. K. is restyled Nippon Suisan K.
K., Tokyo.
May 1947:
Innoshima. Refrigeration machinery is installed at Hitachi
Zosen.
October 1947:
Work is completed
May 1951:
Sold to Iino Kaiun for Yen 45,000,000.
2 August 1951:
Maizuru. Begins reconversion to an oil tanker at Iino
Kogyo's yard.
1952:
Owner Iino Kaiun charters HASHIDATE MARU to Standard Oil of
California. Makes three voyages from the Persian Gulf and Indonesia carrying
crude oil to California.
7 July 1962:
Sold to Naigai Kisen K.K., Tokyo.
20 April 1965:
Sold for scrapping.
Authors' Note:
It is unclear when Iino Kaiun acquired HASHIDATE MARU from
Nippon Kaiyo Gyogyo K.K.
- Bob Hackett and Peter Cundall.
