Japanese Supply Ships

KYURYOKAN

(Cargo ship by Takeshi Yuki scanned from "Color Paintings of Japanese Warships")

IJN IRAKO: Tabular Record of Movement
© 2007 Bob Hackett, Sander Kingsepp and Peter Cundall.

30 May 1940:
Kobe. Laid down at Kawasaki’s Shipyard as transport No. 74.
5 February 1941:
Named IRAKO and provisionally attached to the Sasebo Naval District.
14 February 1941:
Launched.
5 December 1941:
Completed and reattached to the Sasebo Naval District. Departs Kobe to embark food and supplies.
11 December 1941:
Western Inland Sea. Begins loading food stores.
23 December 1941:
Hashirajima. IRAKO is inspected by Rear Admiral (later Vice Admiral) Ugaki Matome (former CO of HYUGA), Chief of Staff, Combined Fleet.
14 January 1942:
Departs Hashirajima for Truk and Saipan carrying 500-tons of vegetables and other food stores.
January 1942:
Makes stops at Davao, Philippines, Staring Bay, Celebes, Truk, Carolines and Saipan, Marianas.
7 February 1942:
Hashirajima. Arrives after completing her maiden voyage. Unloads 80-tons of sugar from Saipan.
6 May 1942:
Departs Singapore for Yokosuka escorted by destroyer HATAKAZE.
15 May 1942:
Arrives at Yokosuka.
1943:
During the year, IRAKO completes 12 round trips from Japan to Truk, a few of which are detailed below:
28 April 1943:
Departs Truk for Iwo Jima (now Iwo To) escorted by destroyer TANIKAZE.
1 May 1943:
Arrives at Iwo Jima.
24 May 1943:
Departs Kure for Truk with armed merchant cruiser AIKOKU MARU. At sea, joins a convoy from Yokosuka consisting of escort carriers UNYO and CHUYO escorted by DesDiv 24's UMIKAZE.
29 May 1943:
Arrives at Truk.
28 June 1943:
At 1730, IRAKO departs Yokosuka in convoy No. 3628 consisting of HAKUSAN MARU escorted by destroyer IKAZUCHI.
6 July 1943:
Arrives at Truk.
12 September 1943:
Departs Truk escorted by minelayer TSUGARU and destroyer HAMAKAZE.
18 September 1943:
Arrives at Yokosuka.
4 October 1943:
IRAKO departs Yokosuka in convoy No. 3002 consisting of TOKYO MARU escorted by destroyer SHIRATSUYU.
12 October 1943:
Arrives at Truk at 0500.
14 November 1943:
At 1400, IRAKO, departs Yokosuka in fleet convoy 3115 with transport (ex-sub tender) HEIAN MARU and aircraft transport KEIYO MARU escorted by destroyer YUKIKAZE and kaibokan OKI.
19 November 1943:
LtCdr (later Captain/victor of SHINANO) Joseph Enright's USS DACE (SS-247), on her first patrol, attacks the convoy unsuccessfully.
23 November 1943:
At 1550, arrives at Truk.
5 December 1943:
Departs Truk in convoy 4205A with submarine tender YASUKUNI MARU escorted by kaibokan MIKURA.
7 December 1943:
Kaibokan HIRADO joins the escort of convoy 4205A.
10 December 1943:
The convoy arrives at Saipan.
4 January 1944:
Departs Yokosuka for Truk escorted by destroyers SHIGURE and HARUSAME.
11 January 1944:
Arrives at Truk.
20 January 1944:
Departs Truk escorted by destroyers SATSUKI, AKEBONO and USHIO. In a daylight attack, LtCdr Royal L. Rutter’s SEADRAGON (SS-194) torpedoes and damages IRAKO at 08-04N, 152-40E. Hit by one torpedo to her starboard bow, which causes medium damage, IRAKO is down by the bow and adrift off Truk's N passage. SATSUKI, AKEBONO and USHIO stand by. Destroyer SUZUKAZE departs Truk to assist.
21 January 1944:
Cruiser CHOKAI arrives from Truk to tow IRAKO to port escorted by USHIO and SUZUKAZE. SATSUKI is diverted to Saipan to assist torpedoed escort carrier UNYO. IRAKO and her consorts arrive back at Truk at 1700.
21 January-12 February 1944:
Truk. Undergoes temporary repairs, probably by repair ship AKASHI.
13 February 1944:
Departs Truk for Yokosuka in convoy 4213 consisting of fleet oiler NOTORO, and TATSUURA and HIBI MARUs escorted by kaibokan MANJU, OKI and subchaser CH-31.
27 February 1944:
Arrives at Yokosuka.
3 March 1944:
Yokosuka. Undergoes repairs, but soon thereafter transfers to nearby Yokohama.
March-August 1944:
Yokohama. Undergoes permanent battle-damage repairs at Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. shipyard. Also undergoes additional work at Sasebo arsenal.
5 July 1944:
Assigned to the Southwest Area Fleet at Manila.
10 August 1944:
IRAKO departs Imari Bay for Singapore in convoy HI-71 comprised of oilers AZUSA, KYOKUTO, TEIYO, EIYO, ZUIHO, AMATSU and NIYO MARUs, HAKKO MARU No. 2, fleet oiler HAYASUI, transports TEIA, AWA, NOTO, HOKKAI, TAMATSU, NOSHIRO and MAYASAN MARUs and cargo ships KASHII, NISSHO and ORYOKU MARUs escorted by destroyers FUJINAMI and YUNAGI, kaibokan HIRADO, KURAHASHI, MIKURA, SHONAN, CD-11 and escort carrier TAIYO. The 631st NAG provides air cover with 12 BN5 “Kates”.
12 August 1944:
Off Nansei Shoto. IRAKO collides with TEIA MARU (ex-French liner ARAMIS), but the damage is minor.
15 August 1944:
HI-71 arrives at Mako, Pescadores. IRAKO and NIYO, HAKKO and ORYOKU MARUs are detached.
25 August 1944:
At 0630, IRAKO departs Moji in convoy HI-73 consisting of Army landing ship KIBITSU, ex-armed merchant cruiser GOKOKU MARU, ex-seaplane tenders SANUKI and KAGU MARUs, tankers TOHO, OMUROSAN, OTOWASAN, TAIHO, FUJISAN, HAKKO, AMATO, TOA and KUROSHIO MARUs escorted by escort carrier UNYO, light cruiser KASHII and kaibokan CHIBURI, CD-13, CD-19, CD-21 and CD-27. Later that day, the convoy is joined briefly by transports MIZUHO, ARABIA and KOKURYU MARUs and tanker MANEI MARU.
26 August 1944:
At 0900, MIZUHO, ARABIA and KOKURYU MARUs are ordered away because of excessive smoke. MANEI MARU remains at Kyushu because of engine problems.
29 August 1944:
Arrives at Takao, Formosa. Departs that same day and arrives at Tsoying (near Takao).
30 August 1944:
Off Saei, Formosa. The convoy splits. KIBITSU, GOKOKU and KAGU MARUs, and probably IRAKO, head for Manila. The remaining ships head for Singapore.
21 September 1944:
Vice Admiral (later Admiral) Marc A. Mitscher's Task Force 38 begins strikes on Manila. Planes from TG 38.1, TG 38.2 and TG 38.3 sink destroyer SATSUKI anchored near IRAKO. IRAKO rescues a few sailors.
Vice Admiral Mikawa Gunichi, (former CO of KIRISHIMA), CINC, Southwest Area Fleet, advises the Supreme Commander of Japanese Forces in the Southern Area, Field Marshal, Count, Terauchi Hisaichi, CINC, Southern Army, to transfer all supply ships from Manila to the relative security of Coron Bay off Palawan Island, Philippines. After receiving Terauchi’s order, IRAKO departs Manila.

22 September 1944:
IRAKO, carrying a deck load of reconnaissance floatplanes, arrives in Coron Bay. She anchors between Tangat and Lusong Island.
24 September 1944:
At 0550, 96 Grumman F6F “Hellcat” fighters and 24 Curtiss SB2C “Helldiver” dive-bombers of Vice Admiral Mitscher’s Task Group 38.3’s Air Group 18 from INTREPID (CV-11), AG-31 from CABOT (CVL-28) and AG-19 based on Mitscher's flagship LEXINGTON (CV-16) take off to attack the anchorage at Coron Bay, Busuanga Island, Palawan, 340 miles away.
Busuanga Island. A convoy of at least 12 IJN auxiliary ships is dispersed in the coastal waters around the island, At about 0900, Air Group 31’s fighter-bombers start their attack. They attack the ships in Coron Bay and the ships to the west first. Their first strike scores direct bomb hits in IRAKO’s midship section. Her bridge and superstructure are set ablaze. She begins to sink by the bow, but is beached. Later, IRAKO slips into the sea and sinks at the mouth of Coron Bay at 11-58N, 120-02E.
30 November 1945:
Removed from the Navy List.

-Bob Hackett, Sander Kingsepp and Peter Cundall.

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