Japanese Auxiliary Cruisers

TOKUSETSU JUNYOKAN!

(HOKOKU MARU by Takeshi Yuki scanned from "Color Paintings of Japanese Warships")

IJN KIYOSUMI MARU: Tabular Record of Movement
© 1998-2007 Bob Hackett and Sander Kingsepp

30 May 1933:
Kobe. Laid down at Kawasaki's dockyard.
30 June 1934:
Launched and named KIYOSUMI MARU.

5 October 1934:
Completed as a 6,991-ton freighter-passenger ship for Kokusai Kisen K. K. of Tokyo.
30 October 1934 - 30 October 1941:
Chartered by the Nippon Yusen K. K. Line. Completes cargo-passenger runs between Kobe and New York for the next seven years. Ports of call include Singapore, Manila, Penang, Los Angeles, Panama Canal, New York, Baltimore, New Orleans, Galveston, Yokohama and Moji.
5 September 1941:
Rear Admiral-Retired (Vice Admiral, posthumously) Okamura Masao (38) is posted as the Commanding Officer. Okamura simultaneously assumes joint command of AIKOKU MARU.
1 November 1941:
Requisitioned by the IJN.
7 November 1941:
Assigned directly to the Combined Fleet in Rear Admiral (later Vice Admiral) Takeda Moriji's (38th) (former CO of ASHIGARA) 24th Squadron (Raider) with AIKOKU and HOKOKU MARUs.
1 December 1941:
Registered (commissioned) in the IJN at the Kure Naval District. Arrives at Osaka. Begins conversion to an 8,613-ton armed merchant cruiser. Eight 150-mm (5.9-inch) single mount guns, two 13.5-mm machine guns, two 533-mm (21-inch) torpedo tubes are fitted. She carries one Type 94 Kawanishi E7K2 “Alf” reconnaissance floatplane. A new, but unknown, Captain is the Commanding Officer.
18 December 1941:
The conversion is completed.
19 December 1941:
Departs Osaka.
21 December 1941:
Arrives at Kure.
21 January 1942:
Departs Kure. Arrives at Shimoda.
January 1942:
Departs Shimoda.
4 February 1942:
Arrives at Kure.
6 February 1942:
Departs Kure.
19 March 1942:
Arrives at Kure.
29 March 1942:
The 24th Squadron is disbanded.
10 April 1942:
Assigned to the Southwestern Area Fleet.
26 April 1942:
Departs Kure
30 April 1942:
Arrives at Kure.
2 May 1942:
Departs Kure.
5 May 1942:
Arrives at Kure.
9 May 1942:
Kure Naval Arsenal. Begins loading heavy equipment and the Kure No. 5 Special Naval Landing Force for transport.
15 May 1942:
Departs Kure for Guam with transports BRAZIL and KINRYU MARUs.
18 May 1942:
Arrives at Guam, then departs for Saipan.
20 May 1942:
Arrives at Saipan.
28 May 1942:Operation "MI" - The Battle of Midway:
KIYOSUMI MARU is in Vice Admiral (later Admiral) Kondo Nobutake's (former CO of KONGO) Midway Invasion Force's Transport Group with oiler AKEBONO MARU, transports ZENYO, TOA No. 2, ARGENTINA, BRAZIL, AZUMA , KEIYO, GOSHU, KANO, HOKURIKU, KIRISHIMA and NANKAI MARUs and Rear Admiral (later Vice Admiral) Fujita Ruitaro's (former CO of FUSO) CHITOSE and KAMIKAWA MARU. The transports carry an airfield construction unit, LtCol Ikki Kiyonao's IJA detachment and two battalions of Special Naval Landing Forces.
Rear Admiral (later Vice Admiral) Tanaka Raizo's (former CO of KONGO) DesRon 2's light cruiser JINTSU and DesDiv 15's KUROSHIO and OYASHIO, DesDiv 16's AMATSUKAZE, HATSUKAZE, TOKITSUKAZE and YUKIKAZE and DesDiv 18's KAGERO provide the escort with destroyer-transports SHIRANUHI, KASUMI and ARARE.
3 June 1942:
The convoy is bombed by nine Boeing B-17 "Flying Fortresses". Later, the convoy is also attacked by three torpedo-carrying Consolidated PBY "Catalina" amphibious patrol planes. Oiler AKEBONO MARU is hit in the bow and KIYOSUMI MARU is strafed.
5 June 1942:
At 0255, the Combined Fleet's Commander-in-Chief Admiral (Fleet Admiral, posthumously) Yamamoto Isoroku (former CO of AKAGI), aboard his flagship YAMATO, orders Operation MI cancelled.
13 or 16 June 1942:
The Transport Group arrives at Guam and disembarks LtCol Ikki's detachment. Departs that same day.
2 July 1942:
Arrives at Kure.
10 July 1942:
Captain-Retired (Rear Admiral, posthumously) Kurosaki Rinzo (37) assumes command.
14 July 1942:
The Eighth Fleet (Outer South Seas Force) is organized under Vice Admiral Mikawa Gunichi (former CO of KIRISHIMA). Departs Kure for Singapore escorted by destroyer URANAMI.
17 July 1942:
Arrives at Takao, Formosa.
18 July 1942:
Departs Takao.
23 July 1942:
Arrives at Singapore. Assigned to the Southwest Area Fleet (Eighth Fleet). Departs Singapore that day for Penang, Malaya.
7 August 1942: American Operation "Watchtower" - The Invasion of Guadalcanal, British Solomons:
Rear Admiral (later Admiral) Richmond K. Turner's (former CO of ASTORIA, CA-34), Amphibious Task Force 62, covered by Vice Admiral (MOH/later Admiral) Frank J. Fletcher's (former CO of VERMONT, BB-20) Task Force 61 and Rear Admiral (later Admiral) John S. McCain's (former CO of RANGER, CV-4) Task Force 63's land-based aircraft, lands MajGen (later General/MOH/Commandant) Alexander A. Vandegrift's 1st Marine Division on Florida, Tulagi, Gavutu, Tanambogo and Guadalcanal opening the campaign to retake the islands.
20 August 1942:
Assigned to transport elements of LtGen Sano Tadayoshi's 38th Infantry "Hiroshima" Division to Rabaul for the reinforcement of Guadalcanal.
13 September 1942:
Begins repairs at Singapore.
17 September 1942:
Repairs are completed.
September, 1942:
Departs Singapore for western Sumatra. Loads elements of the IJA's 38th Infantry Division for duty in the Solomons.
24 September, 1942:
Departs Begawan for Rabaul carrying elements of the IJA's 38th and 230th Infantry Divisions.
6 October 1942:
Arrives at Rabaul. Loads an infantry battalion for transport to Wewak, New Guinea.
2 December 1942:
Departs Singapore for Rabaul.
13 December 1942:
A new, but unknown, Captain assumes command. Captain Kurosaki is reassigned to the Yokosuka Naval District, then as CO of AMC AKAGI MARU on which he is KIA on 2 Mar ’44.
16 December 1942:
Departs Rabaul on a troop transport run to Wewak, New Guinea escorted by the destroyers YUGUMO, KAZAGUMO, MAKIGUMO and AKIZUKI.
18 December 1942:
Arrives at Wewak; disembarks troops and departs.
21 December 1942:
Returns to Rabaul.
29 December 1942:
Arrives at Kure.
3 January 1943:
Departs Kure.
5 January 1943:
Arives at Yokosuka.
10 January 1943:
Departs Yokosuka.
17 January 1943:
Arives at Sasebo.
23 January 1943: Operation "C-3" (HINOE-GO-3) - The Reinforcement of New Guinea:
Arrives at Tsingtao, China.
29 January 1943:
Departs Tsingtao at 0900 (JST), carrying soldiers of the IJA's 20th Infantry Division and general cargo.

5 February 1943:
Arrives at Palau.
7 February 1943:
Departs Palau with AIKOKU MARU as the second element of HINOE-GO-3.
19 February 1943:
Departs Palau after embarking soldiers and general cargo with transports GOKOKU and AIKOKU MARUs escorted by destroyers ASAGUMO and SAMIDARE as the second element of HINOE-GO No. 3.
That same day, LtCdr (later Rear Admiral) Frank Fenno's RUNNER (SS-275) attempts to intercept the second group of HINOE-GO-3, but is bombed by an E13A1 "Jake" of the 902nd NAG based at Palau. The Jake drops a single 250-kg bomb that destroys the RUNNER's periscopes and sound gear and forces Fenno to return to Pearl.
23 February 1943:
Arrives at Wewak, unloads her cargo until the following day.
26 February 1943:
Arrives at Palau.

4 March 1943:
Arrives at Takao, Formosa.
10 March 1943:
Departs Takao.
12 April 1943:
An unknown Captain assumes command. Captain Hara is reassigned to the Kure Naval District and later as the CO of KAMIKAWA MARU on which he is KIA on 29 May '43.
14 April 1943:
Arrives at Kobe.
20 April 1943:
Departs Kobe.
13 May 1943:
Arrives at Kure
24 May 1943:
Departs Kure.
25 May 1943:
Arrives at Sasebo.
May 1943:
Assigned to transport a unit to Wewak, New Guinea.
24 June 1943:
Arrives at Kure.
30 June 1943:
Departs Kure in fleet convoy G with KAGU MARU and oiler KENYO MARU escorted by kaibokan ETOROFU. Arrives at Sasebo the same day.
2 July 1943:
Departs Sasebo in fleet convoy G.
10 July 1943:
Arrives at Singapore at 1500.
13 July 1943:
Departs Singapore for Nancowry and Car Nicobar Islands carrying troops and supplies.
2 August 1943:
Arrives at Takao.
7 August 1943:
Departs Takao carrying troops and supplies.
August 1943:
Arrives at Rabaul.
18 August 1943:
Captain-Retired Maki Kikuta (34) assumes command.
14 September 1943:
Arrives at Kure.
17 September 1943:
Departs Kure.
19 September 1943:
Arrives at Kure.
1 October 1943:
Captain Maki is designated the Supervisor of Modifications. KIYOSUMI MARU is demilitarized. Her 140-mm (5.5-inch) guns are removed. She is rerated a transport in the Kure Naval District.
October 1943:
Departs Kure for Truk.
1 November 1943:
Departs Truk carrying 1,342 reinforcement troops in convoy "Tei No. 4" with light cruisers ISUZU and NAKA.
3 November 1943:
60 miles N of Kavieng. The convoy is attacked by 13th Air Force B-24 "Liberator" bombers. Light cruiser NAKA suffers a near-miss. KIYOSUMI MARU is damaged. ISUZU takes her in tow to Kavieng.
4 November 1943:
Destroyer MINAZUKI departs Kavieng to assist KIYOSUMI MARU. MINAZUKI removes 267 troops from the transport and takes them to Rabaul.
25 December 1943:
Kavieng. Aircraft from Rear Admiral (later Vice Admiral) Frederick C. Sherman’s (former CO of LEXINGTON, CV-2) TG 50.2's BUNKER HILL (CV-17) and MONTEREY (CVL-26) attack and sink transport TENRYU MARU and damage KIYOSUMI MARU and minesweepers W-21 and W-22.
30 December 1943:
Departs Kavieng with destroyer YUKAZE and minesweeper W-22.
31 December 1943:
400 km N of the Admiralty Islands. LtCdr Cryrus C. Cole's USS BALAO (SS-285) sights KIYOSUMI MARU and begins tracking her on the surface.
1 January 1944:
SW of Truk, Carolines. At 2345, LtCdr Cole fires six bow torpedoes at KIYOSUMI MARU at 04-35N, 147-15E. Three hit and disable the ship and flood her forward hold.
The NAKA arrives from Truk that same day and takes KIYOSUMI MARU under tow.
2 January 1944:
The destroyer TANIKAZE departs Truk to assist NAKA tow KIYOSUMI MARU to Truk. Light cruiser OYODO and destroyer AKIZUKI also arrive and provide escort.
4 January 1944:
OYODO and AKIZUKI detach and return to Truk.
8 January 1944:
NAKA and TANIKAZE arrive at Truk with the KIYOSUMI MARU under tow. KIYOSUMI MARU begins repairs.
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.

Fefan Island, Truk. KIYOSUMI MARU is in the Repair Anchorage. At 0900, Douglas SBD-5 “Dauntless” dive-bombers from YORKTOWN attack and score a direct hit in hold No. 2. At about 1330, SDBs from ENTERPRISE also attack and hit both sides of her bridge with bombs. Forty-three crewmen are killed. KIYOSUMI MARU sinks as a result of torpedo damage and bomb hits. She comes to rest on her port side at a depth of 120 feet.
Captain Maki is KIA. He is promoted Rear Admiral, posthumously.
During the raids, TF 58 sinks 31 merchant transports and 10 naval vessels (two light cruisers, four destroyers and four auxiliary vessels, 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’ Notes:
Special thanks for assistance in developing this TROM go to Mr. Jean-Francois Masson of Canada.
- Bob Hackett and Sander Kingsepp.

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