FUSETSUKAN!

© 2008-2009 Bob Hackett, Sander Kingsepp and Peter Cundall

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14 July 1942:
Laid down at Nippon Kokan Tsurumi Yard as a HIRASIMA-class netlayer/minelayer.

18 April 1943:
Launched and named MAESHIMA.

31 July 1943:
Completed. [1]

13 February 1944:
Departs East Pratas Island escorting convoy No. 454 consisting of two unidentified ships.

16 February 1944:
Arrives at Takao.

4 March 1944:
MAESHIMA and destroyer ASAGAO join convoy the escort of convoy MOTA-07 consisting of TEIKO, YAMAHAGI, RONZAN, CHIYODA, SUGIYAMA, KENSEI, SARAWAK, HAKUROKO, RIKKO, ATAGAO and NITATSU MARUs and probably LONDON MARU and two unidentified merchant ships (from MOTA-05) escorted by destroyer AMAGIRI and minesweeper W-30.

7 March 1944:
HAKUROKO MARU falls behind with engine problems, but later catches up at 1620.

8 March 1944:
YAMAHAGI and TEIKO MARUs are detached for Kirun (Keelung), Formosa (Taiwan).

9 March 1944:
Arrives at Takao.

20 March 1944:
MAESHIMA departs Takao for Mereyon with old destroyer WAKATAKE and patrol boat PB-38 (ex-DD YOMOGI) escorting combined convoys NISHI MATSU No. 2/TAPA-06 consisting of MATSUE, CHUYO and HAMBURG MARUs. The convoy is carrying two infantry battalions, a pioneer company and some artillery.

26 March 1944:
N of Palau. The next day, during a violent rain squall, LtCdr Charles F. Brindupke's USS TULLIBEE (SS-284) makes radar contact on a convoy consisting of a large passenger-cargo ship, two medium-sized freighters, a destroyer, and two other escorts. Brindupke makes several surface runs on the transport, but keeps losing her in rain squalls. TULLIBEE finally closes to 3,000 yards and fires two bow torpedoes. About two minutes later, TULLIBEE is rocked by a violent explosion and sinks at 134-45E, 09-30N.

27 March 1944:
At about 1000, a single survivor is rescued by WAKATAKE. The convoy arrives at Palau. [2]

1 April 1944:
Departs Kirun with subchaser CH-46 escorting convoy TAPA-08 consisting of one unidentified merchant ship.

7 April 1944:
Arrives at Palau. A submarine is sighted immediately before arrival.

30 April 1944:
At 1700, convoy TE-04 departs Yulin, Hainan Island for Yawata, Kyushu, consisting of iron ore carriers KINREI, YULIN, SHORYU, DAIYOKU, TOYOHI and DAIBU MARUs escorted by kaibokan CD-1 and auxiliary gunboat KAZAN MARU.

3 May 1944:
MAESHIMA joins the escort.

4 May 1944:
At 0008, LtCdr Donald F. Weiss' USS TINOSA (SS-283) torpedoes and sinks TOYOHI MARU at 20-50N, 118-00E. At 0106, LtCdr Anton R. Gallaher's BANG (SS-385) torpedoes and sinks KINREI MARU at 20-50N, 117-55E. At 0113, Weiss' TINOSA torpedoes and sinks DAIBU MARU at 20-50N, 117-55E. At about 0300, LtCdr (later Vice Admiral/MOH) Lawson P. Ramage's USS PARCHE (SS-384) torpedoes and sinks SHORYU and DAIYOKU MARUs at 20-50N, 117-55E.

7 May 1944:
The remnants of convoy TE-04 arrive at Takao, Formosa.

11 June 1944:
At 0645, MAESHIMA departs Takao with torpedo boat SAGI, patrol boat PB-38, minesweepers W-17, kaibokan CD-18, auxiliary subchaser CHa-95 and four unidentified warships escorting convoy MI-05 joins consisting of KENEI, HINAGA, NIPPO, FUYUKAWA, SURAKARUTA, TATSUJU and SHOEI MARU, tankers TACHIBANA, NITTETSU, TOA, CERAM, SANKO (YAMAKO), AYAKIRI, AYANAMI, OEI, TOKUWA, TAKETSU (BUTSU), MARIFU and YAMAMIZU MARU No. 2 and fleet oiler NOTORO plus thirteen other unidentified ships. Shortly after departure, TOA and SHOEI MARUs are detached for Takao.

Tankers SAN DIEGO and JINEI MARUs and KYOEI MARU No. 8 depart Takao to join MI-05 with ARIMASAN, MANILA, MIIKESAN and USSURI MARUs.

13 June 1944:
At 1555, LtCdr John D. Crowley's USS FLIER (SS-250) torpedoes and damages MARIFU MARU at 15-57N, 119-42E. The ship is taken in tow by MIIKESAN MARU and later reaches Manila.

15 June 1944:
The convoy arrives Manila. Many ships are detached.

18 June 1944:
MAESHIMA departs Manila with kaibokan CD-14 and CD-18, torpedo boat SAGI, patrol boat PB-38, minesweeper W-17, auxiliary subchasers CHa-22 and CHa-95 and two unidentified warships escorting convoy MI-05 consisting of fleet oiler NOTORO, tankers TACHIBANA, SAN DIEGO, BAIEI, KENZUI, ATAGO, JINEI, AYANAMI, CERAM, OEI and TOKUWA MARUs, YAMAMIZU MARU No. 2, and KYOEI MARU No. 8 and cargo/transports ARIMASAN, HINAGA, NIPPO (ex-Chinese NINGPO), TATSUJU, SURAKARUTA, TEIFU, ROKKO, DAIZEN, MIIKESAN, NICHIYO, HIDA and SEIWA MARUs.

14 July 1944:
At 1900, MAESHIMA departs Takao for Manila with kaibokan KUSAGAKI, CD-1, CD-22 , minelayer ENTO and minesweeper W-34 escorting convoy TAMA-21C consisting of MANTAI, MITSUKI, JINSAN, SEATTLE, YASUKUNI, TENSHIN, YAMATAMA, SAINEI, HIZAN (HIYAMA), KOKKA, SHOZAN and SHOEI MARUs and tankers SHONAN, MITSU, AYAGIRI and AYAZONO MARUs.

16 July 1944:
At 0946, LtCdr Harold E. Ruble's USS PIRANHA (SS-389) torpedoes and sinks SEATTLE MARU at 19-17N, 120-15E. The ship was carrying 4, 285 IJNAF personnel. HIYAMA and SHOZAN MARUs rescue all but 286 of the airmen. Over the next six hours, Captain William V. O'Regan’s wolf pack, nicknamed the "Mickey Finns", consisting of LtCdr Duncan C. MacMillian's USS THRESHER (SS-200), LtCdr (later Rear Admiral) Novell G. Ward's GUARDFISH (SS-217) and Ruble's PIRANHA closes in and decimates the convoy.

At 2300, MacMillian's THRESHER torpedoes and sinks SAINEI MARU at 18-53N, 119-32E. At 2350, Ward's GUARDFISH torpedoes and sinks JINZAN MARU. Two minutes later, Ward torpedoes and sinks MANTAI MARU.

17 July 1944:
The attacks continue. At 0034,Ward's GUARDFISH torpedoes and sinks HIYAMA MARU. W-34 and CD-1 rescue survivors. At 0345, MacMillian's THRESHER torpedoes and sinks SHOZAN MARU at 18-50N, 119-43E. CD-1 and W-34 rescue the survivors.

19 July 1944:
At 1920, convoy TAMA-21C arrives at Manila.

19 July 1944:
MAEJIMA departs Miri with destroyer ASAKAZE, kaibokan YASHIRO and CD-3 and auxiliary gunboats PEKING and KAZAN (HUASHAN) MARUs escorting convoy MI-10 consisting of DAIZEN, HIDA, HINAGA and FUYUKAWA MARUs and tankers HAKUBASAN, SHUNTEN, TAKETSU (BUTSU), CHIYODA and SHIMOTSU MARUs plus 19 unidentified ships.

E 23 July 1944:
Arrives at Manila where convoy MI-10 is joined by tankers OEI MARU and KYOEI MARU No. 6 and KAKOGAWA, TSUKUBASAN, ROKKO, RASHIN, KUROGANE, FRANCE, MYOGI MARUs and UNYO MARU No.7.

27 July 1944:
At 1100, reconstituted convoy MI-10 departs Manila.

28 July 1944:
At 1040, HAKUBASAN MARU is torpedoed by LtCdr Francis D. Walker's USS CREVALLE (SS-291) and sinks at 1305 at 16-28N, 119-38E.

2 August 1944:
Arrives at Takao. ASAKAZE and YASHIRO are detached. KUROGANE, FRANCE and RASHIN MARUs are probably also detached.

4 August 1944:
Departs Takao.

10 August 1944:
Arrives at Moji.

24 September 1944:
At 0800, MAESHIMA departs Mutsure in convoy TAMA 29A consisting of warships only - auxiliary minelayer SHINKO MARU and fast transports T. 135 and T. 136. At 1740, arrives at Tomie.

27 September 1944:
At 0700, departs Tomie.

30 September 1944:
At 0700, arrives at Amoy.

2 October 1944:
At 0900, departs Amoy. At 1840, arrives at Mako.

6 October 1944:
At 0925, departs Mako. At 1625, arrives at Takao.

9 October 1944:
At 0900, departs Takao. At 1020, arrives Saei, Formosa departing at 1300. At 1645, arrives at Toko, southern Formosa.

10 October 1944:
At 0400, departs Toko. At 1815, arrives at Sabtang Island, Luzon Strait.

11 October 1944:
At 0830, departs Sabtang Island. At 1835, arrives at Musa Bay, Fuga Island.

16 October 1944:
At 0900 departs Musa Bay. At 1800, arrives at Lapoc Bay, Luzon.

18 October 1944:
Solamague Bay, near Lapoc Bay. At 1050, begins unloading. SHINKO MARU and T. 135 return to Lapoc Bay to discharge. At 1300, Rear Admiral (later Vice Admiral) Gerald F. Bogan's Task Group 38.2's carrier aircraft begin bombing attacks. SHINKO MARU and T. 135 are bombed and both sink.

At Salomague, T. 136 is bombed heavily. After the bombers depart, the ship is wracked by internal explosions and sinks. MAESHIMA, tied up alongside the pier, is attacked by aircraft and severely damaged.MAESHIMA is beached at 17-46N, 120-25E.

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Author's Notes:
[1] According to some Japanese sources MAESHIMA was completed on 14 July.

[2] The Japanese claim a sinking, but the survivor noted that Brindupke fired two Mark-18 torpedoes at 3,000 yards. TULLIBEE probably was sunk by one of her own torpedoes that made a circular run.

- Bob Hackett, Sander Kingsepp and Peter Cundall.

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