TOKUSETSU SENSUI-BOKAN!
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(Chogei by Takeshi Yuki scanned from "Color Paintings of
Japanese Warships")
IJN Submarine Tender
HEIAN MARU: Tabular Record of Movement
© 1998-2008 Bob Hackett, Sander Kingsepp and Peter Cundall
Revision 2
19 June 1929:
Osaka. Laid down as a 11,616-ton passenger-cargo liner by the Osaka Iron Works for the Nippon Yusen K. K. (NYK) Line.
16 April 1930:
Launched and named the HEIAN MARU. Sister ship of the HIE MARU and the HIKAWA MARU
24 November 1930:
Completed.
18 December 1930:
Departs Hong Kong for Seattle, Washington on her maiden voyage.
1935:
In service on the NYK (Japan Mail) Line's Kobe to Seattle route via Nagoya, Shimidzu, Yokohama and Vancouver.
16 August 1941:
Returns in ballast from Seattle to Yokohama. This marks the last voyage of a Japanese vessel to Seattle prior to the outbreak of the Pacific War.
3 October 1941:
Requisitioned by the IJN.
15 October 1941:
Registered as a prospective submarine tender in the Yokosuka Naval District. Begins conversion at Mitsubishi Heavy Industries’ shipyard at Kobe. Six 6-inch (152-mm) 41st Year Type single mount guns, one 3.5 m range finder, two Type 93 dual 13-mm machine guns and one 1100-mm diameter and one 900-mm diameter search lights are fitted. A degaussing cable (anti-magnetic mine device) is also fitted.
30 December 1941:
Completes conversion. Thereafter, the HEIAN MARU is assigned to Vice Admiral Shimizu Mitsumi's (former CO of 3rd China Expeditionary Fleet) Sixth Fleet (Submarines) in Rear Admiral Sato Tsutomu ’s SubRon 1, Combined Fleet, based at Kwajalein.
31 December 1941:
Departs Kure for Kwajalein.
1 February 1942:
Vice Admiral (later Fleet Admiral) William F. Halsey Jr’s Task Force 8 (USS ENTERPRISE (CV-6) raids Kwajalein and Wotje in the Marshall Islands. The ENTERPRISE’s Douglas “Dauntless” SBDs of VB-6 and VS-6 and TBD “Devastators” of VT-6 sink a transport and damage the light cruiser KATORI, flagship of the Sixth Fleet, the I-23, the submarine depot ship YASUKUNI MARU,and several other important ships.
17 February 1942:
Arrives at Kure.
16 March 1942:
Vice Admiral, the Marquis, Komatsu Teruhisa (former CO of CA NACHI) assumes command of the Sixth Fleet (Submarines).
10 April 1942:
The HEIAN MARU is in the Sixth Fleet in Rear Admiral Sato's SubRon 1 as the tender for flagship I-9 and SubDiv 2 (I-15, I-17, I-19) and SubDiv 4 (I-25, 1-26).
14 July 1942:
The HEIAN MARU is in the Sixth Fleet in Rear Admiral (later Vice Admiral) Yamazaki Shigeaki's SubRon 1 as the tender for flagship 1-9 and SubDiv 2 (I-15, I-17, I-19), SubDiv 4 (I-25, I-26) and SubDiv 15 (I-31, I-32, I-33).
18 August 1942:
Departs Yokosuka.
September 1942:
The HEIAN MARU is in convoy "Tei No. 2". She embarks the CO of the 17th Infantry Division, 1,900 of his men and 240 wheeled vehicles.
24 September 1942:
Departs Kure.
5 October 1942:
Arrives at Rabaul. Disembarks troops and vehicles.
1 January 1943:
The HEIAN MARU is in the Sixth Fleet in Rear Admiral (later Vice Admiral) Mito Hisashi's SubRon 1 as the tender for flagship 1-9 and SubDiv 2 (I-17, I-19, I-25, I-26) and SubDiv 15 (I-31, I-32, I-36.
USAAF Fifth Air Force B-17 "Flying Fortress" and B-24 "Liberator" bombers attack shipping in Rabaul's Simpson harbor. The HEIAN MARU is targeted by several bombers, but escapes damage. She fires a total of 8,000 13.2-mm rounds in return.
3 January 1943:
Rabaul is attacked by B-17s based at Espiritu Santo. About 0630 (local), the HEIAN MARU is again targeted by several bombers. They score a number of near misses off her port side. The flak crews of HEIAN MARU fire 7,638 13.2-mm rounds to ward off the attack.
29 March 1943:
Rear Admiral Koda Takero (former CO of CHOKAI) assumes command of SubRon 1.
4 May 1943:
Arrives at Yokosuka escorted by destroyer FUMIZUKI.
11 May 1943: American Operation “Landcrab” - The Invasion of Attu, Aleutians:
Rear Admiral (later Admiral) Thomas C. Kinkaid’s Task Force 16, covered by Rear Admiral Francis W. Rockwell’s Task Force 51, lands elements of the Army’s 4th and 7th Infantry Divisions under the command of Maj Gen Eugene M. Landrum at Holtz Bay and Massacre Bay that later capture the island.
21 May 1943: Operation “KE” – The Evacuation of Kiska:
The Imperial General Headquarters decides to evacuate the garrison at Kiska Island, Aleutians.
27 May 1943:
Departs Yokosuka.
May 1943:
Arrives at Paramushiro. Supports SubRon 1's operations in the Aleutians.
21 June 1943:
Vice Admiral (Admiral, posthumously) Takagi Takeo (former CO of MUTSU) assumes command of the Sixth Fleet (Submarines). Vice Admiral Komatsu is later appointed President of the Etajima Naval Academy.
Late May to 28 July 1943:
Paramushiro. The HEIAN MARU serves as Rear Admiral Koda's HQ during the withdrawal from Kiska.
28 July 1943: Operation “KE”:
The Japanese complete the evacuation of Kiska Island, Aleutians.
14 August 1943:
Returns to Yokosuka.
5 September 1943:
Attached directly to the Combined Fleet.
16 September 1943:
Departs Yokosuka.
19 September 1943:
Arrives at Shanghai.
24 September 1943:
Departs Shanghai transporting elements of the IJA's 17th Army Division to Rabaul in an unnumbered convoy with the ex-AMC GOKOKU MARU another unidentified ship and escorts.
8 October 1943:
Arrives at Rabaul.
21 October 1943:
Returns to Yokosuka.
23 October to 7 November 1943:
Yokosuka Navy Yard. Refitted. Four 152-mm guns are replaced by one 120-mm AA gun (10th Year Type), two Type 96 25-mm twin mounts and two Type 93 13.2-mm twin mounts In addition, a Type 2 sonar is installed. The crew complement is increased to 242 men. The HEIAN MARU's dazzle camoflague pattern is possibly applied at this time.
1 November 1943:
Captain-Retired (Rear Admiral, posthumously) Tamaki Toshiharu (36) assumes command.
14 November 1943:
Departs Yokosuka at 1400 in fleet convoy 3115 with the IRAKO and aircraft transport KEIYO MARU , escorted by destroyer YUKIKAZE and kaibokan OKI.
16 November 1943:
Lookouts on the HEIAN MARU sight an enemy submarine travelling in the opposite direction. (This was probably the USS DACE (SS-247).
19 November 1943:
At 0724 (JST), the convoy is attacked by LtCdr Joseph Enright's DACE on her first patrol. Enright targets the HEIAN MARU. A torpedo barely misses the bow of the OKI. The kaibokan counter-attacks with depth-charges. Even the HEIAN MARU drops a DC, but the DACE escapes undamaged.
23 November 1943:
Arrives at Truk at 1550.
1 December 1943:
Truk. The HEIAN MARU is designated as the tender and accommodation ship of Rear Admiral Koda's SubRon 1 for flagship I-11 and SubDiv 2 (I-16, I-19, I-21, I-39, I-40) and SubDiv 15 (I-32, I-35, I-36, I-38, I-41).
15 January 1944:
SubRon 1 is deactivated. Rear Admiral Koda is reassigned to the Kure Navy Yard.
17-18 February 1944: American Operation "Hailstone" - The Attack on Truk:
Vice Admiral (later Admiral) Marc A. Mitscher’s 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.
Truk Lagoon. The HEIAN MARU is anchored on the leeward side of Dublon Island with the hospital ship TENNO MARU (later HIKAWA MARU No. 2) and cargo ship URAKAMI MARU when at 0435 (JST) an air raid alarm is given. The HEIAN MARU, carrying Vice Admiral Takagi and his Sixth Fleet staff, weighs anchor and steers a zigzag course N of Dublon. The Japanese expect a hit-and-run attack like the one on Kwajalein two years earlier. Grumman F6F-3 "Hellcats" repeatedly strafe the HEIAN MARU, but without effect, at least initially. Her crew fires a total of 400 rounds, some from their Arisaka rifles, in an attempt to ward off the attacks.
At 1310, the HEIAN MARU is attacked by a single Grumman SB2C "Helldiver" that comes in from astern. It drops two bombs that damage one of her shafts and floods the No. 6 hold aft. The crew pumps some fuel to her bow tanks and manages to correct the trim. After sunset, the HEIAN MARU moors at the pier at Dublon Island. Vice Admiral Takagi and his staff disembark. The crew starts to unload the spare Type 95 oxygen-propelled torpedoes.
18 February 1944:
At 0110, another air raid commences and the HEIAN MARU gets underway again. At 0304, she is hit by two bombs that explode above her engine room on the port side. A fire starts in a compartment adjoining the officers’ mess and soon rages out of control. It reaches the bridge and threatens the hold containing the remaining torpedoes. At 0312 the ship’s bow is hit by two bombs and the rate of sinking increases. At about 0500, Captain Tamaki orders the flag lowered, then orders Abandon Ship. The survivors, including Tamaki, reach the base of the 85th Submarine Base Unit. 16 passengers and one crewman are KIA as is a civilian from the staff of the Nippon Yusen Co. 25 men are wounded.
At 0930, Grumman TBF "Avenger" torpedo bombers from USS BUNKER HILL (CV-17) attack the still burning HEIAN MARU. She is hit on the port side amidships by a torpedo that causes her to capsize to port. She sinks at 07-23N, 151-52E. The HEIAN MARU comes to rest on her port beam in about 110 feet of water.*
During the raids, TF 58 sinks 31 merchant transports and 10 naval vessels (two light cruisers, four destroyers and four auxiliary vessels including HEIAN MARU), destroys nearly 200 aircraft and damages severely about 100 more. Truk is eliminated as a major fleet anchorage for the IJN.
31 March 1944:
Removed from the Navy List.
Authors’ Note:
The third sister of the HEIAN MARU, the HIKAWA MARU is currently preserved at Yamashita Water Park, Yokohama City.
*It is probable that the aircraft that attacked the HEIAN MARU on 17 and 18 February were from the YORKTOWN (CV-10) and the ENTERPRISE (CV-6) in addition to those from the BUNKER HILL.
Thanks for assistance go to Steve Eckardt of Australia.
- Bob Hackett, Sander Kingsepp and Peter Cundall.
