Japanese Ammunition Ships

KYUHEIKAN!

(Cargo ship by Takeshi Yuki scanned from "Color Paintings of Japanese Warships") IJN KOGYO MARU: Tabular Record of Movement
© 2009 Bob Hackett, Sander Kingsepp and Peter Cundall.

16 May 1938:
Yokosuka (Utaga). Laid down at Uraga Dock Co. as a 6353-ton cargo ship for Okada Gumi K. K., Osaka.
6 June 1938:
Launched and named KOGYO MARU.
2 February 1939:
Completed.
30 August 1941:
Requisitioned by the IJN.
5 September 1941:
Registered in the Kure Naval District as an auxiliary transport ship. Recalled retired Navy Captain (later Rear Admiral) Kusakabe Enjiro (39) is appointed Supervisor.
7 September 1941:
Kobe. Begins conversion at Kawasaki shipyard.
7 November 1941:
Assigned to the IJN's Southern Forces.
26 November 1941:
Attached to the Malaya Seizure Force. Loads 150 tons of boiler oil, 300 tons of water and weapons. Assigned directly to HQ, Combined Fleet.
5 December 1941:
At Kure Navy yard. Completes conversion. Departs Kure.
12 December 1941:
Arrives at Samah, Hainan Island.
30 December 1941:
Departs Samah.
31 December 1941:
Arrives at Camranh Bay, Indochina.
25 January 1942:
Departs Camranh Bay.
3 February 1942:
Arrives at Sasebo.
9 February 1942:
Departs Sasebo.
28 February 1942: Operation "J" - The Invasion of Java, Netherlands East Indies:
KOGYO MARU is with Vice Admiral Takahashi Ibo's (former CO of YAMASHIRO) Third Fleet's Netherlands East Indies Force and attached to Vice Admiral Ozawa Jisaburo’s Western Java Seizure Force. She participates in the invasions of Bantam Bay, near Batavia (now Jakarta), and Merak, Java.
10 April 1942: Operation "C" - The Raids in the Indian Ocean:
Attached to the Indian Ocean Raiding Force.
5 May 1942: Operation "MI" - The Battle of Midway:
KOGYO MARU is assigned in support of the operation.
7 May 1942:
Arrives at Kure.
8 May 1942:
Assigned to the main force in support of the Western Aleutian Seizure operation.
7 July 1942:
Okada Gumi is reconstituted as Okada Shosen K.K. KOGYO MARU’s port of registry is changed to Tokyo.
8 July 1942:
Departs Kure.
3 August 1942:
Arrives at Moji.
9 August 1942:
Departs Moji.
3 September 1942:
Arrives at Osaka.
15 September 1942:
Departs Kure.
23 September 1942:
Arrives at Saigon.
28 September 1942:
Departs Saigon.
6 October 1942:
Arrives at Nagasaki.
15 October 1942:
Departs Nagasaki.
22 October 1942:
Arrives at Saigon.
29 October 1942:
Departs Saigon.
8 November 1942:
Arrives at Osaka.
11 November 1942:
Departs Osaka.
13 November 1942:
Arrives at Kure.
2 December 1942:
Departs Kure.
4 February 1943:
An unknown officer is appointed Supervisor.
11 July 1943:
Arrives at Kure.
13 July 1943:
Departs Kure.
15 July 1943:
Arrives at Maizuru.
30 July 1943:
Departs Maizuru.
31 July 1943:
Arrives at Mutsure.
4 August 1943:
KOGYO MARU departs Mutsure in convoy No. 183 consisting of tankers SHOYO MARU and OGURA MARU No. 2 and eight unidentified merchant ships escorted by destroyer ASAGAO.
9 August 1943:
Arrives at Mako, Pescadores.
11 August 1943:
Departs Mako transporting Naval personnel.
28 August 1943:
Arrives at Singapore, Malaya and later that day departs in a unnamed convoy consisting of KOGYO and TATSUHARU MARUs escorted by torpedo boat KARI. The convoy carries a Naval Construction Unit destined for Car Nicobar, Andaman Islands. Indian Ocean.
29 August 1943:
Arrives at Penang, Malaya.
3 September 1943:
Departs Penang.
4 September 1943:
Arrives at Sabang, Sumatra.
15 September 1943:
Arrives at Car Nicobar.
21 September 1943:
Departs Car Nicobar.
2 October 1943:
Arrives at Saigon.
11 October 1943:
Departs Saigon.
21 October 1943:
KOGYO MARU departs Manila in a convoy consisting of NAGOYA and ARATAMA MARUs escorted by torpedo boat HAYABUSA initially to Cebu, Philippines, then to Palau.
2 November 1943:
At 1600, KOGYO MARU departs Palau in convoy No. SO-205 consisting of NAGOYA and ARATAMA MARUs escorted by three unidentified subchasers.
10 November 1943:
At 1200, arrives at Rabaul.
10 December 1943:
Departs Rabaul in convoy No. 2102 consisting of KOGYO MARU and possibly other unidentified ships escorted by torpedo boat OTORI.
14 December 1943:
Arrives at Truk.
21 December 1943:
Departs Truk escorted by destroyers AKEBONO, SAZANAMI and AMAGIRI.
27 December 1943:
At 0700, departs Truk in convoy No. 4227 consisting of unidentified ships.
5 January 1944:
Arrives at Yokosuka.
10 January 1944:
At 0700, KOGYO MARU departs Yokohama for Owase in convoy No. 7110 consisting of MISHIMA and TAIRYU MARUs and an unidentified freighter escorted by patrol boat PB-46, auxiliary minesweepers SAISHU MARU No. 6 and SAISHU MARU No. 7.
12 January 1944:
S of Daio Zaki, Honshu. At about 2300, LtCdr (later Rear Admiral) William B. Sieglaff's USS TAUTOG (SS-199) attacks the convoy at 34-10N, 136-55E. Sieglaff fires three torpedoes at one freighter and one at another. KOGYO MARU is hit in the engine room, floods and takes on a list to port.
13 January 1944:
After 0003, patrol boat PB-46 conducts a depth-charge attack against an underwater target. At 0250, the Ise Bay Guard Unit dispatches auxiliary mine sweeper BANSHU MARU No. 18 to the area to intercept the submarine. At 0530, PB-46 takes KOGYO MARU under tow.
14 January 1944:
Returns to Owase Bay.
15 January 1944:
Arrives at Nagoya.
1 April 1944:
Transferred to the Kure Naval District as an auxiliary transport ship.
31 July 1944:
Departs Nagoya carrying aircraft spare parts for land based aircraft damaged during the Battle of the Philippine Sea.
4 August 1944:
Arrives at Kure.
11 August 1944:
Departs Kure and arrives at Wakamatsu.
14 August 1944:
Departs Wakamatsu.
15 August 1944:
At 0600, CH-63 departs Moji for Takao with destroyer HATSUSHIMO, torpedo boat HIYODORI, kaibokan CD-10, CD-20 and minesweeper W-20 escorting convoy MOTA-23 consisting of FUKUREI, EDOGAWA, DAIJO, EIJII, MANSHU, ATSUTA, CHINA, ROZAN, EIMAN, TOYOOKA, KOGYO, AWAJI MARUs, YOSHIDA MARU No. 3, TOYO MARU No. 3 and an unidentified ship.
18 August 1944:
Arrives at Kagoshima.
20 August 1944:
Departs Kagoshima.
24 August 1944:
At about 0700, LtCdr Henry S. Monroe's USS RONQUIL (SS-396) torpedoes and sinks YOSHIDA MARU No. 3 with all hands. At about the same time, Monroe torpedoes and damages FUKUREI MARU. She floods and drifts ashore where she is abandoned about three months later.
25 August 1944:
At 1400, the convoy arrives at Keelung.
27 August 1944:
Departs Keelung.
28 August 1944:
Arrives at Takao. Embarks 447 passengers.
5 September 1944:
At 1900, convoy TAMA-25 departs Takao for Manila consisting of KOGYO, EIJI, MANSHU, EIMAN, ATSUTA, SHOKOKU, NANREI, ROZAN, EIMAN, TOYOOKA and HOKUSEN MARUs escorted by destroyers HATSUHARU, HIBIKI, kaibokan CD-1, CD-3, CD-7, CD-8, minesweeper W-20, subchaser CH-63, torpedo-boat HIYODORI and auxiliary subchaser CHa-67. The convoy is carrying reinforcements, equipment and ammunition for the defense of the Philippine Islands.
6 September 1944:
At 0230, KOGYO MARU develops engine troubles and turns back.
19 September 1944:
Arrives at Manila.
21 September 1944:
About 200 aircraft of Vice Admiral (later Admiral) Marc A. Mitscher's Task Force 38 strike Manila throughout the day. 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. At 1715, Terauchi issues the order. At 1730, KOGYO MARU weighs anchor.
22 September 1944:
At 0300, KOGYO MARU departs Manila for Coron Bay, Calamian Islands in the Taihi (refugee) convoy with CHINZEI, BAIKAL, TAIEI, TENHI, TAITEN, OLYMPIA, EKKAI MARUs and IRAKO escorted by minelayer AOTAKA, auxiliary subchasers SHONAN MARU No. 11 and HAKKO MARU, CHa-60 and CHa-61.
23 September 1944:
At 1540, arrives at Coron Bay and drops anchor a 11-59N.120-02E. Her crew spends the night trying to camouflage the bridge and main deck.
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 0855, Air Group 31’s fighter-bombers start their attack. They attack the ships in Coron Bay and the ships to the west first.
KOGYO MARU is attacked and takes several bomb hits. She sinks at 12-00N, 120-00 E. 39 men are KIA. TAIEI, OLYMPIA and EKKAI MARUs and IRAKO are also sunk.
10 November 1944:
Removed from the Navy List.

- Bob Hackett, Sander Kingsepp and Peter Cundall.

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