KYUTANSEN!
(KAMOI MARU, prewar)
IJN KAMOI MARU:
Tabular Record of Movement
© 2016 Gilbert Casse, Berend van der Wal and Peter Cundall
21 October 1936:
Tama. Laid down by Mitsui Bussan K.K. Zosenbu shipyard for Kyoritsu Kisen K. K.
20 January 1937:
Launched and named KAMOI MARU.
1 March 1937:
Completed and registered at Tokyo.
22 August 1937:
Arrives at Wusong (Woosung), China.
20 May 1938:
Her owners are changed to the charcoal mine company Hokkaido Kisen K.K.
E 1938\1939:
Requisitioned by the IJA as Army transport No. 102.
26 September 1939:
Arrives at Jingkow (now Zhenjiang), China.
28 September 1939:
Departs Jingkow.
E 1940:
Released to her owners.
3 September 1941:
Requisitioned by the IJN.
20 September 1941:
Registered as an auxiliary collier (Otsu category) attached to the Yokosuka Naval ditrict, under instruction No. 1093. Assigned that same day directly to the Navy Department. [1]
1 December 1941:
Departs Jaluit, Marshalls.
2 December 1941:
Arrives at Taroa, Maloelap, Marshalls.
3 December 1941:
Departs Taroa.
11 December 1941:
Arrives at Yokosuka.
20 December 1941:
Departs Yokosuka and arrives at Tokyo later that day.
27 December 1941:
Departs Tokyo and arrives at Yokosuka later that day.
3 January 1942:
Departs Yokosuka.
12 January 1942:
Arrives at Palau, Western Carolines.
14 January 1942:
Departs Palau.
17 January 1942:
Arrives at Fais, Eastern Carolines.
20 January 1942:
Departs Fais.
21 January 1942:
Arrives at Saipan, Marianas.
25 January 1942:
Departs Saipan.
3 February 1942:
Arrives at Yokosuka.
5 February 1942:
Departs Yokosuka and arrives at Tokyo later that day.
14 February 1942:
Departs Tokyo.
15 February 1942:
Arrives at Osaka.
19 February 1942:
Departs Osaka.
21 February 1942:
Arrives at Moji.
22 February 1942:
Departs Moji.
6 March 1942:
Arrives at Utorokku (now Utrik) Atoll, northern Marshalls.
21 March 1942:
Departs Utorokku Atoll.
22 March 1942:
Arrives at Roi, Kwajalein.
28 March 1942:
Departs Roi.
29 March 1942:
Arrives at Wotje, Marshalls.
6 April 1942:
Departs Wotje.
7 April 1942:
Arrives at Taroa.
13 April 1942:
Departs Taroa.
24 April 1942:
Arrives at Yokosuka.
25 April 1942:
Departs Yokosuka.
27 April 1942:
Arrives at Muroran, Hokkaido.
30 April 1942:
Departs Muroran.
2 May 1942:
Arrives at Tokyo.
5 May 1942:
Departs Tokyo.
6 May 1942:
Auxiliary gunboat HIYOSHI MARU No. 2 GO is assigned to provide distant cover to auxiliary collier KAMOI MARU and auxiliary collier/oiler IWASHIRO MARU under Coastal Defence instruction No. 108. HIYOSHI MARU No. 2 GO departs Uraga and patrols off the Izu Peninsula. Together with auxiliary minelayer TAKACHIHO MARU meets up and escorts auxiliary collier KAMOI MARU and auxiliary collier/oiler IWASHIRO MARU off Futtsu at 1430.
7 May 1942:
HIYOSHI MARU No. 2 GO detaches and arrives at Shimoda, Shizuoka Prefecture later in the day.
18 May 1942:
At 0500, arrives at Kwajalein.
28 May 1942:
Auxiliary gunboat IKUTA MARU comes alongside and is resupplied with coal.
11 June 1942:
Departs Kwajalein, Marshalls.
12 June 1942:
Arrives at Jaluit, Marshalls.
21 June 1942:
Departs Jaluit.
29 June 1942:
Arrives at Angaur, Palaus.
4 July 1942:
Departs Angaur.
13 July 1942:
Arrives at Fushiki.
16 July 1942:
Departs Fushiki and arrives at Niigata later that day.
24 August 1942:
Departs Yokosuka in convoy No. 6 also consisting of HITACHI, NISSHUN and KASUGA MARUs, for Emidji and Jaluit carrying Cdr (later Captain) Matsuo Keisuke's (51) Yokosuka 6th Special Naval Landing Force (SNLF) escorted by destroyer ASASHIO. Later NISSHUN MARU is detached at 26N-150E for Saipan.
4 September 1942:
Arrives at Jaluit. Departs later that day.
5 September 1942:
Arrives at Emidj, Jaluit. The SNLF disembarks to await transfer to Tarawa, Gilberts.
13 September 1942:
Departs Emidji now escorted by destroyer YUZUKI.
14 September 1942:
Auxiliary gunboat DAIDO MARU joins the convoy. Transport SHOTOKU MARU is also in the convoy, having joined at an unknown place and time.
15 September 1942:
At 0600, arrives at Tarawa, Gilberts with auxiliary subchasers FUMI MARU No. 3 and SHONAN MARU No. 3 having joined. Departs there and arrives at Makin, Gilberts later that day. Departs later.
25 September 1942:
Arrives at Emidji.
26 September 1942:
Departs Emidji and arrives at Taroa. Departs there later that day.
27 September 1942:
Arrives at Wotje. Departs later that day.
28 September 1942:
Arrives at Kwajalein.
29 September 1942:
Departs Kwajalein.
10 October 1942:
Arrives at Yokosuka.
11 October 1942:
Departs Yokosuka and arrives at Tokyo later that day.
15 October 1942:
Departs Tokyo.
28 October 1942:
Arrives at Rabaul, New Britain.
19 November 1942:
Departs Rabaul.
E 21 November 1942:
Arrives at Shortland, Bougainville.
30 November 1942:
At 1100, subchaser CH-28 arrives at Shortland. Later departs port to escort KAMOI MARU. At some point CH-18 likely joins escort.
2 December 1942:
At 0500, CH-18 and CH-28 arrive at Rabaul probably escorting KAMOI MARU.
9 December 1942:
Departs Rabaul with cargo of coal.
10 Dec 1942
N of Bougainville, afternoon. LtCdr (later Rear Admiral-Ret) Marvin G. Kennedy’s (USNA ’29) USS WAHOO (SS-228) running submerged, sights on periscope a convoy consisting of three ships with one escorting destroyer. At 1600, Kennedy fires a spread of four Mk. XIV Type 3A torpedoes and scores three hits on KAMOI MARU. The auxiliary collier rapidly sinks at 04-56S, 154-58E, about 32 nautical miles NNW off north end of Bougainville with the loss of two of her crew.
1 February 1943:
Removed from the Navy’s list under instruction No. 108.
Author’s Note:
[1] There were two categories of Kyutansen. (Ko) category with an IJN Captain as supervisor aboard and (Otsu) category without.
Thanks go to Gengoro S. Toda of Japan and the late John Whitman.
- Berend van der Wal, Gilbert Casse and Peter Cundall.
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