Japanese Oilers

YUSOSEN!

(HISHI MARU No. 2 prewar )

IJN HISHI MARU No. 2:
Tabular Record of Movement

© 2008-2011 Bob Hackett and Peter Cundall.
Revision 3

10 August 1935:
Kobe. Laid down at Mitsubishi Shipbuilding as an 856-ton tanker for Ogimachi Tanker K.K., Kobe.
30 November 1935:
Launched and named HISHI MARU No. 2.
1 February 1936:
Completed.
1936-1941:
In service transporting gasoline on Ogimachi Tanker's Kawasaki-Tientsin route.
9 September 1941:
Requisitioned and registered in the at Kure Naval District as a special transport ship (oiler).
21 October 1941:
Conversion to a Navy refueling ship is completed.
1 November 1941:
Assigned to the Combined Fleet Supply Force.
2 December 1941:
Departs Tokuyama Naval Fuel Depot.
9 December 1941: Operation "M" - The Attack on the Southern Philippines:
Assigned to participate in refueling operations supporting Vice Admiral Takahashi Ibo's (former CO of YAMASHIRO) Third Fleet, Southern Force, Seizure Force’s planned landings at Davao, Philippines.
8 January 1942:
Arrives at Camranh Bay, French Indochina.
1 April 1942:
Assigned to participate in refueling operations supporting the Gilberts Islands' Ocean-Nauru Island invasion force. 9 March 1942 departs Saigon for Singapore.
23 April 1942:
Arrives at Kure. Fitted with a short-barreled 80-mm gun.
17 May 1942: Operation "AL" - The Occupation of the Western leutians:
Assigned to participate in refueling operations supporting the invasion of the Western Aleutians.
29 May 1942:
Departs Kure.
6 June 1942:
Arrives at Kakumabetsu, Paramushiro, Kuriles.
8 June - 17 August 1942:
Base Air Force, Kiska, Aleutians. HISHI MARU No. 2 supports Cdr (later Captain) Ito Sukemitsu’s Toko Naval Air Group’s six-plane detachment of Type 97 Kawanishi H6K Mavis flying boats.
21 June 1942:
Arrives at Attu, Aleutians.
11 August 1942:
Reassigned to the Rabaul-Buin-Shortland supply force.
6 September 1942:
Arrives at Kure.
4 October 1942:
Departs Kure.
1 December 1942:
Captain Noma Tunetaro is appointed CO.
11 December 1942:
Departs Balikpapan in a convoy with KYOEI MARU escorted by auxiliary KEINAN MARU No. 7. At 1630, KEINAN MARU No. 7 is detached.
12 December 1942:
At 1000 auxiliary subchaser SHONAN MARU joins as escort.
13 December 1942:
Arrives at Macassar.
14 December 1942:
Departs Macassar with auxiliary subchaser SHONAN MARU still as escort. At 2200, SHONAN MARU is detached.
16 December 1942:
At 1700, KYOEI MARU is detached.
30 December 1942:
Arrives at Kavieng. Refuels auxiliary minesweeper FUMI MARU No. 2.
15 February 1943:
HISHI MARU No. 2 engages in supplying aviation gasoline in the Central Solomons/New Guinea area.
26 February 1943:
Departs Truk in a convoy with oiler TSURUMI escorted by subchaser CH-10.
7 March 1943:
Departs Davao for Balikpapan, Borneo.
13 March 1943:
Arrives at Palembang.
14 March 1943:
Arrives at Balikpapan.
30 March 1943:
An unknown officer is appointed CO.
9 April 1943:
At 1400, HISHI MARU No. 2 departs Rabaul in a convoy consisting of tankers KYOEI MARU and cargo ships KOAN and HARUNA MARUs escorted by subchaser CH-37.
14 April 1943:
At 1040, arrives at Truk, Carolines.
4 May 1943:
At 1400, arrives at Emidj Atoll, Marshalls.
21 August 1943:
Ownership of HISHI MARU No. 2 is transferred to Mitsubishi Oil Co., Ltd.
28 August 1943:
Arrives at Kure.
4 September 1943:
Arrives at Innoshima Dockyard. Undergoes repairs.
5 October 1943:
Repairs are completed. Returns to Kure the same day.
15 October 1943:
Departs Kure and arrives Saeki the same day.
20 October 1943:
At 0500, HISHI MARU No. 2 departs Saeki in convoy O-010 consisting of cargo ships NIKKI, CHOSEN, SHICHISEI, TESHIO, RYUWA, SHINYU, GOSEI and KIZUGAWA MARUs and SHINSEI MARU No. 5 escorted by torpedo boat SAGI and auxiliary minesweepers AOI MARU, YACHIYO MARU and TOKUHO MARU No. 10.
E 22 October 1943:
All the escorts, except SAGI, are detached at 30N.
29 October 1943:
At 1800, arrives at Palau.
1 December 1943:
Owner is restyled as Mitsubishi Kisen, K.K. Departs Palau.
7 December 1943:
At 2210, arrives at Truk's north channel with oiler SHINSHU MARU escorted by subchaser CH-28.
12 February 1944:
HISHI MARU No. 2 departs Truk in convoy No. 7125 consisting of oilers SATA, ammunition ship NICHIRO MARU and cargo ships KAMIKAZE and KITAGAMI MARUs escorted by destroyer HAMANAMI, subchaser CH-30 and auxiliary subchasers TAKUNAN MARU No. 2 and SHONAN MARU No. 5.
17 February 1944:
150 miles NE of Palau. At about 2200, LtCdr Philip W. Garnett's USS SARGO (SS-188) intercepts the convoy. He fires eight torpedoes at oiler SATA by moonlight in a surface attack at 08-50N, 135-50E. Garnett gets only one hit, but it disables SATA. At 2206, he fires two torpedoes that hit ammunition ship NICHIRO MARU. She explodes and sinks immediately.
19 February 1944:
At 0905, arrives at Palau.
21 February 1944:
Departs Palau.
24 February 1944:
Arrives at Tarakan. Loads a full cargo of gasoline.
4 March 1944:
Departs Tarakan.
6 March 1944:
Arrives at Balikpapan.
15 March 1944:
At 0730, HISHI MARU No. 2 departs Balikpapan for Palau in an unnumbered convoy consisting of three echelons escorted by destroyers HARUSAME and SHIRATSUYU, minesweeper W-36, subchaser CH-6 and auxiliary subchaser CHa-52 The first echelon consists of fleet oilers IRO and tankers NAGISAN MARU and HISHI MARU No. 2. The second echelon consists of fleet oiler TSURUMI, tanker KYOEI MARU and cargo ship RAIZAN MARU and the third echelon consists only of cargo ship HOKUTAI MARU.
16 March 1944:
At 1530, destroyer MICHISHIO joins the convoy and the other escorts depart.
23 March 1944:
At 1800, arrives at Palau.
30 March 1944: American Operation “Desecrate One” :
Palau. The anchorage is attacked by F6F "Hellcats", SBD "Dauntless", TBF "Avenger" and SB2C "Helldivers" of Task Group 58. 1's USS ENTERPRISE (CV-6), BELLEAU WOOD (CVL-24) and COWPENS (CVL-25), TG 58. 2's BUNKER HILL (CV-17), HORNET (CV-12), MONTEREY (CV-26) and CABOT (CVL-28) and TG 58. 3's YORKTOWN (CV-10), LEXINGTON (CV-16), PRINCETON (CVL-23) and LANGLEY (CVL-27).
TG 58’s planes sink many ships and damage HISHI MARU No. 2, subchaser CH-35, netlayer SHOSEI MARU and army cargo ship HOKUTAI MARU at 07-30N, 134-30E.
30 April 1944:
Departs Palau.
2 May 1944:
Arrives at Davao, Philippines.
11 May 1944:
Departs Davao.
14 May 1944:
Arrives at Bangao.
18 May 1944:
Departs Bangao.
19 May 1944:
Arrives at Tarakan, Borneo.
20 May 1944:
Ownership transfers to Kinkai Yusosen, K.K.
27 May 1944:
Departs Tarakan.
29 May 1944:
Arrives at Balikpapan. Later, arrives at Surabaya for repairs.
5 June 1944:
Sulu Sea. N end of Sibutu Passage, off Tawitawi, Philippines. LtCdr Frank G. Selby’s USS PUFFER (SS-268) attacks a convoy of three tankers. Selby torpedoes and sinks both ASHIZURI and TAKASAKI at 06-33N, 122-55E. PUFFER also torpedoes and damages HISHI MARU No. 2 at 06-44N, 120-54E.
26 June 1944:
At 1300, HISHI MARU No. 2 departs Surabaya for Kotabaru, Borneo in a convoy consisting of TAI MARU, TORA MARU No. 1 and oilers ENOSHIMA and YOSEI MARUs escorted by minesweeper W-11. At 2039, anchors at Menpa before proceeding.
28 June 1944:
At 0915, YOSEI MARU incurs engine trouble and straggles.
29 June 1944:
At 2003, reaches mouth of Laut River.
30 June 1944:
Arrives at Kotabaru, N Laut Island. Steams on to Balikpapan, loads gasoline and departs for Manila, Tawi Tawi and Davao.
25 July 1944:
At 0155, HISHI MARU No. 2 departs Davao for Zamboanga, Philippines in convoy Z-258 consisting of AZUCHISAN, OYO, TATSUHARU, RYUKA and KITAGAMI MARUs and KYOEI MARU No. 2 and LST No. 127 escorted with kaibokan CD-6, CD-16, minesweeper W-30, subchasers CH-49 and CH-58, auxiliary subchaser KYO MARU No. 12, auxiliary netlayer TOKACHI MARU, auxiliaries TOKO MARU and HIYODORI MARU No. 2. The convoy is provided air cover.
27 July 1944:
At about 0100, LtCdr (later Captain) Bladen D. Claggett's USS DACE (SS-247) attacks the convoy and sinks tanker KYOEI MARU No. 2. At about 1400, the convoy is attacked by aircraft in the Pilas Channel, but suffers no damage. At 1830, the convoy arrives at Zamboanga.
22 August 1944:
At 0339, HISHI MARU Maru No. 2 departs Malalag, Davao Gulf with TATEISHI MARU in convoy Z-222 escorted by minesweeper W-20, auxiliary subchaser CHa-15, KYO MARU No. 12 and auxiliary netlayer TOKACHI MARU. At 0851, the convoy is attacked by an enemy submarine, probably USS FLYING FISH (SS-229), but its three torpedoes miss. The escorts counter-attack and drop 26 depth-charges without effect. At 1819, the convoy anchors at Glan, Sarangani Bay, southern Mindanao.
23 August 1944:
At 1915, departs Sarangani Bay.
24 August 1944:
At 0304, an American plane snoops the convoy. At 0430, it attacks KYO MARU No. 12, but causes no damage. At 1915, convoy Z-222 arrives at Zamboanga, Mindanao.
6 November 1944:
Arrives at Manila from Balikpapan with a cargo of gasoline.
8 November 1944:
At 1900, HISHI MARU No. 2 departs Manila for Balikpapan in convoy B-02 consisting of MANYO MARU and oilers and KYOEI MARU escorted by patrol boat PB-2, subchaser CH-4 and three unidentified subchasers.
9 November 1944:
Mindoro Strait. At 1530, LtCdr Frank C. Lynch's USS HADDO (SS-255) torpedoes and sinks HISHI MARU No. 2 at 12-24N 120-45E. 11 crewmen are KIA. The escorts counterattack with depth charges, but Lynch evades and escapes.
10 January 1945:
Removed from the Navy List.

Authors' Note:
Photo credit goes to Gilbert Casse of France.

- Bob Hackett and Peter Cundall.

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