KYUHEIKAN!
(HITACHI MARU prewar)
IJN HITACHI MARU:
Tabular Record of Movement
© 2010 Bob Hackett and Peter Cundall.
Revision 2
1938:
Innoshima. Laid down at Osaka Iron Works as a 6,540-ton passenger-cargo ship for Nissan Kisen K.K., Tokyo.
6 February 1939:
Launched and named HITACHI MARU.
15 June 1939:
Completed.
26 November 1941:
Requisitioned by the IJN.
3 December 1941:
Begins conversion by Mitsubishi Jukogyo (Heavy Industries), K. K., Kobe.
8 December 1941:
At anchor off Kure.
10 December 1941:
Registered as a special installed ammunition ship in the Yokosuka Naval District.
28 December 1941:
The conversion is completed.
1 January 1942:
At anchor off Kure.
15 February 1941:
Departs Takao (Kaohsiung), Formosa.
2 May 1942:
Arrives at Kure.
15 June 1942:
Registered as a specially installed transport in the Kure Naval District.
21 June 1942:
Departs Kure and later that day arrives at Moji.
22 June 1942:
Departs Moji.
23 June 1942:
Arrives at Miike.
25 June 1942:
Departs Miike.
30 June 1942:
Arrives at Manila.
3 July 1942:
Departs Manila.
7 July 1942:
Arrives at Saigon.
10 July 1942:
Departs Saigon.
13 July 1942:
Arrives at Singapore.
17 July 1942:
Departs Singapore.
18 July 1942:
Arrives at Zungun, Malaya.
24 July 1942:
Departs Zungun.
6 August 1942:
Arrives at Osaka.
12 August 1942:
Departs Osaka.
13 August 1942:
Arrives at Yokosuka.
15 August 1942:
Departs Yokosuka and arrives at Yokohama.
17 August 1942:
Yokohama. Dry-docked at Mitsubishi Heavy Industries’ shipyard.
21 August 1942:
Departs Yokohama. Arrives at Yokosuka
August 1942:
HITACHI MARU is reassigned to the Fourth Fleet at Truk.
24 August 1942:
HITACHI MARU and transport KATORI MARU depart Yokosuka for Jaluit Atoll carrying Cdr Keisuke Matsuo’s Yokosuka 6th Special Naval Landing Force (SNLF).
5 September 1942:
13 September 1942:
Departs Emieji.
14 September 1942:
At 0600, convoy No. 6 consisting of HITACHI, KAMOI and SHOTOKU MARUs escorted by destroyer YUZUKI and auxiliary subchasers SHONAN MARU No. 3 and FUMI MARU No. 3 arrive at Tarawa. Later, auxiliary gunboat DAIDO MARU joins them.
24 September 1942:
Departs Tarawa.
29 September 1942:
Arrives at Truk
1 October 1942:
Departs Truk
4 October 1942:
Arrives at Ponape.
11 October 1942:
Departs Ponape.
15 October 1942:
At about 1415, HITACHI MARU is at Tarawa when Captain (later Admiral) Laurence T. DuBose’s USS PORTLAND (CA-33) makes an unescorted single-ship raid without fighter air cover. PORTLAND’s two Curtiss SOC scout observation "Seagull" floatplanes dive-bomb HITACHI MARU, but score only one near-miss that causes light damage. One SOC is damaged by AA fire. PORTLAND bombards the atoll with 237 rounds of 8-inch fire, recovers her SOCs, then departs the area at high speed.
16 October 1942:
Arrives at Tarawa.
21 October 1942:
Departs Tarawa.
22 October 1942:
Arrives at Tarawa
29 October 1942:
Temporary repairs are completed. HITACHI MARU returns to duty.
9 November 1942:
HITACHI MARU and armed merchant cruiser UKISHIMA MARU depart Truk via the northern channel.
30 November 1942:
Arrives at Yokosuka.
2 December 1942:
Departs Yokosuka.
4 December 1942:
Arrives at Osaka Iron Works, Innoshima. Undergoes repairs and refitting.
20 December 1942:
Departs Innoshima.
24 December 1942:
Arrives at Tokuyama Navy Fuel Depot.
27 December 1942:
Departs Tokuyama.
29 December 1942:
Arrives at Yokohama.
5 January 1943:
Departs Yokohama.
31 January 1943:
Arrives at Buka, Bougainville. That same day, HITACHI MARU is reassigned to the First Air Fleet. Departs Buka later that day.
1 February 1943:
Arrives at Buin, Bougainville.
2 February 1943:
Departs Buin.
12 February 1943:
Arrives at Ballale, Bougainville and departs that same day.
13 February 1943:
Off Buin. Six USN PB4Y “Liberator” heavy bombers of VB-101, escorted by 10 fighter aircraft, strafe and bomb shipping.
14 February 1943:
Off Buin. At 1148 (L), nine PB4Ys of VB-101, escorted by nine fighter aircraft, strafe and damage HITACHI MARU at 06-48S, 155-50E. The PB4Ys are attacked by Mitsubishi Rufe float fighters and Zeke fighters from Buin. The bomber crew gunners claim two Rufes and seven Zekes shot down.
That same day, USAAF B-17 "Flying Fortresses" also bomb Buin. During the Navy and Army Air Force attacks, HITACHI MARU is hit by two bombs. She floods and sinks at 06-45S, 155-50E.
1 July 1943:
Removed from the Navy List.
Authors' Note:
Photo credit goes to Gilbert Casse of France.
- Bob Hackett and Peter Cundall.
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