KYURYOKAN!
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(Cargo ship by Takeshi Yuki scanned from "Color Paintings
of Japanese Warships")
IJN KURASAKI:
Tabular Record of Movement
© 2007 Bob Hackett, Sander Kingsepp and Peter Cundall.
28 October 1927:
Kobe. Laid down at Kobe Steel, Ltd.
27 January 1928:
Launched.
27 March 1928:
Completed. Named OHA MARU.
31 March 1943:
Off SW Genkai Jima, Fukuoka Prefecture, OHA MARU collides with and sinks NANSHIN MARU. [1]
25 August 1943:
At 1500, OHA MARU departs Otaru in a convoy consisting of KOAN and TENRYO MARUs escorted by minesweeper W-3.
26 August 1943:
At 1030, W-3 is detached. Later, the convoy splits up and OHA MARU proceeds to the Sakhalin Islands. [1]
12 January 1944:
OHA MARU departs Muroran, Hokkaido for Shiogama in convoy No. 2213 with FUKI MARU bound for Shibaura.
10 May 1944:
Requisitioned by the IJN. Renamed KURASAKI.
20 October 1944:
At 2340, KURASAKI departs Manila for Takao in convoy MATA-30 consisting of KOKURYU, KIMIKAWA, KIKUSUI, FUYUKAWA, TENSHIN, SHIGISAN, EIKO, ARISAN and RYOFU MARUs and DAITEN MARU and SHINSEI MARU No. 1 escorted by destroyers HARUKAZE, TAKE and KURETAKE and subchaser CH-20.
23 October 1944:
South China Sea, WNW of Cape Bojeador, Luzon, Philippines. About 1730 (JST), Cdr Alan B. Banister’s USS SAWFISH (SS-276) attacks ex-seaplane tender KIMIKAWA MARU. She is hit by four of five torpedoes and sinks at 18-58N, 118-46E.
24 October 1944:
The convoy comes under a combined wolfpack attack by five submarines. At 0050, SHINSEI MARU No. 1 is damaged by a dud torpedo at 19-32N, 118-37E. At 0100, KOKURYU MARU is torpedoed and sunk at 19-42N, 118-38E, likely by LtCdr George H. Browne's USS SNOOK (SS-279) or LtCdr Richard W.
Peterson's ICEFISH (SS-367). At 0315, KIKUSUI MARU is torpedoed and sunk by SNOOK at 19-46N, 118-30E.
At 0605 TENSHIN MARU is torpedoed twice and sunk by either SNOOK or LtCdr Edward N. Blakely's (later KIA) USS SHARK (SS-314) or both, at 19-54N 119-00E.
At 0758, SHIGISAN MARU is torpedoed by LtCdr (later Rear Admiral) Maurice H. Rindskopf's USS DRUM (SS-228) and sinks in 90 seconds at 20-27N, 118-31E. Soon after, DAITEN MARU is also torpedoed and sunk by LtCdr James H. Ashley's SEADRAGON (SS-194) at 20-12N, 119-01E.
At 1225, straggling SHINSEI MARU No. 1 is torpedoed by SNOOK and sinks in three minutes at 20-31N, 118-42E. At 1405, EIKO MARU is torpedoed by SEADRAGON and sinks at 20-35N 118-32E
Finally, at 1730, ARISAN MARU is torpedoed and sunk, probably by SHARK
(sunk soon after by HARUKAZE and TAKE) at 20-00N, 118-44E.
26 October 1944:
At 0715, arrives at Takao.
31 October 1944:
At 1600, arrives at Takao. The convoy is reorganized. Some ships from convoy MOTA-27 join MOMA-06. The reconstitued convoy consists of KURASAKI and HAMBURG, SHIMOTSU, ASOKAWA, TOTTORI, EIWA, ATLAS, DAITOKU, SHINSHO, KAKOGAWA, SEKIHO and SEIWA MARUs escorted by old destroyer KURETAKE, kaibokan CD-1, CD-3 and CD-7, mineweeper W-27, subchaser CH-41.
1 November 1944:
At 1800, the convoy departs Takao for Manila.
2 November 1944:
At 2305, LtCdr John B. Hess’s USS POMFRET (SS-391)
torpedoes and damages ATLAS MARU.
3 November 1944:
At 0435, Hess attacks ATLAS MARU again, but misses. At 0500, POMFRET also torpedoes and damages HAMBURG MARU. At 1850, one of the escorts scuttles her.
4 November 1944:
About 1330, ATLAS MARU goes aground. Torpedo boat SAGI arrives from Takao and joins the escort.
8 November 1944:
Off Cape Bolinaro, Luzon. LtCdr Guy E. O'Neil, Jr’s USS GUNNEL (SS-253) torpedoes and sinks SAGI. The convoy later arrives at Santa Cruz, Philippines. Warned of a typhoon in the area, the convoy departs the same day and arrives at Manila Bay at 2238.
9 November 1944:
At 0925, convoy MOMA-06 arrives at Manila harbor.
12 November 1944:
At 1800, KURASAKI departs Manila for Takao in convoy MATA-32 that
consists of NANKING MARU and UNKAI MARU No. 5 escorted by destroyer KURETAKE and kaibokan CD-1, CD-3 and CD-7.
14 November 1944:
Off Cape Bolinao, Philippines. At 2218, LtCdr William T. Kinsella’s USS RAY (SS-271) torpedoes and sinks CD-7 at 17-46N, 117-57E. At 2225, LtCdr Maurice W. Shea’s USS RATON (SS-270) torpedoes and sinks UNKAI MARU No. 5.
15 November 1944:
W of Luzon. At 0025, Shea’s RATON torpedoes and sinks KURASAKI at 17-27N, 117-43E.
10 January 1945:
Removed from the Navy List.
Authors' Note:
[1] Japanese source show this ships' name as ONA MARU, but no ship of this name and size existed, so this ship is believed to be OHA MARU.
- Bob Hackett, Sander Kingsepp and Peter Cundall.
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