Japanese Auxiliary Minelayers

FUSETSUTEI!

PICTURE WANTED

IJN MINSEI MARU :
Tabular Record of Movement

© 2019 Gilbert Casse, Berend van der Wal and Peter Cundall

E 1940:
Osaka. Laid down by Nakata Zosensho K.K. for Toko Shoji K.K. as a 378-tons cargo ship.
29 November 1940:
Launched and named MINSEI MARU.
7 March 1941:
Completed and registered at Amagasaki. Operated by Sanko Kisen K.K.
6 September 1941:
Hakodate. Outfitting starts at Tosei Kogyo K.K. shipyard.
10 September 1941:
Requisitioned by the IJN.
15 September 1941:
Navy Resv. Lt Tsutsumi Yukio is appointed CO.
20 September 1941:
Registered in the IJN as an auxiliary small minelayer attached to the Yokosuka Naval District under instruction No. 1093. Assigned to Ominato Local Defense Squadron under Ministry of Foreign Affairs instruction No. 234. Conversion for military duty starts at Hakodate Senkyo K.K.
15 October 1941:
Attached to Ominato Guard District, Ominato Local Defense Squadron under Navy’s instruction No. 1253. Conversion for military duty is completed.
1 December 1941:
Assigned to Soya Defense Unit under Ominato Guard District instruction No. 6. [1]
5 December 1941:
Departs Ominato.
10 December 1941:
Assigned to Ominato Local Defense Squadron. < /P> 12 December 1941:
Arrives at Wakkanai. Departs later.
24 December 1941:
Navy Resv. Lt Tsutsumi is confirmed as CO. Departs Odomari, Karafuto (now Korsakov, Sakhalin, Russia) on patrol. At 1525, due to snow in stormy weather runs aground at Nishinotoromisaki’s W White Bank, Karafuto (now Mys Kri’lon Sakhalin).
25 December 1941:
Auxiliary gunboat CHITOSE MARU arrives to assist with rescuing work.
29 December 1941:
While stranded on the reef the ship’s bottom hits the rocks and hull various parts are flooded.
30 December 1941:
CHITOSE MARU is replaced by IJN icebreaker ODOMARI. ODOMARI succeeds in refloating MINSEI MARU. At 1515, sustains both fresh water shortage and drainage pump failure.
31 December 1941:
Auxiliary patrol boat HANSHIN MARU (92 GRT) assists with rescuing work.
18 January 1942:
Salvage rescue ship NASU MARU assists with rescuing work.
21 January 1942:
At 0700, taken in tow by HANSHIN MARU.
31 January 1942:
Arrives at Hakodate.
1 February 1942:
Enters drydock for permanent repairs.
9 April 1942:
Undocked.
15 April 1942:
Assigned to Tsugaru Defense Unit under Ominato Guard District instruction No. 24.
April 1942:
Assigned to Tsugaru Strait W Exit Squadron, Minelaying Unit under Tsugaru Defense Unit instruction No. 8.
21 April 1942:
Repairs are completed.
23 April 1942:
Departs Hakodate and arrives at Ominato later this day.
27 April 1942:
Departs Ominato on gunnery exercise and returns to port later that day.
30 April 1942:
Departs Ominato to patrol 4th Naval District (Maizuru) area No. 1.
5 May 1942:
Arrives at Ominato.
14 May 1942:
Departs Ominato to patrol 4th Naval District area No. 2.
23 May 1942:
Arrives at Ominato.
30 May 1942:
Departs Ominato to patrol 4th Naval District area No. 2.
1 June 1942:
Arrives at Ominato.
15 June 1942:
Departs Ominato to 4th Naval District area No. 2.
25 June 1942:
Arrives at Ominato.
27 June 1942:
Departs Ominato to patrol 4th Naval District area No. 2.
29 June 1942:
Arrives at Ominato.
1 July 1942:
Departs Ominato to patrol 4th Naval District area No. 2.
9 July 1942:
Arrives at Ominato.
15 July 1942:
Departs Ominato to patrol 4th Naval District area No. 2.
18 July 1942:
Arrives at Ominato.
24 July 1942:
Departs Ominato to patrol 4th Naval District area No. 2.
27 July 1942:
Disposes of floating mines, then continues to patrol 4th Naval District area No. 2.
4 August 1942:
Arrives at Ominato.
5 August 1942:
Departs Ominato to patrol area C and 4th Naval District area No. 2.
17 August 1942:
Arrives at Ominato.
4 September 1942:
Departs Ominato to patrol 4th Naval District area No. 2.
13 September 1942:
Arrives at Ominato.
20 September 1942:
Departs Ominato to patrol 4th Naval District area No. 2.
30 September 1942:
Arrives at Ominato. Departs later.
1 October 1942:
Assigned to Tsugaru Strait W Entrance Squadron unit under Tsugaru Defense Unit instruction No. 9.
4 October 1942:
Departs Hakodate to patrol 4th Naval District area No. 2.
8 October 1942:
Arrives at Hakodate.
11 October 1942:
Departs Hakodate to patrol 4th Naval District area No. 2.
16 October 1942:
Arrives at Hakodate.
18 October 1942:
Departs Hakodate to patrol 4th Naval District area No. 2.
24 October 1942:
Arrives at Hakodate.
1 November 1942:
Departs Hakodate to patrol 4th Naval District area.
2 November 1942:
Arrives at Ominato.
4 November 1942:
Departs Ominato to patrol 4th Naval District area.
5 November 1942:
Arrives at Hakodate.
7 November 1942:
Departs Hakodate to patrol 4th Naval District area.
13 November 1942:
Arrives at Hakodate.
17 November 1942:
Departs Hakodate to patrol 4th Naval District area.
20 November 1942:
Arrives at Hakodate.
23 November 1942:
Departs Hakodate to patrol 4th Naval District area.
25 November 1942:
Attached to Chishima Retto (Kurils) area Special Base Force under Navy’s instruction No. 2178. Temporarily assigned to Tsugaru Defense Force under Ominato Guard District No 36.
27 November 1942:
Arrives at Ominato.
2 December 1942:
Departs Ominato.
16 December 1942:
Arrives at Ominato.
26 December 1942:
Departs Ominato
27 January 1943:
Arrives at Ominato.
1 February 1943:
Departs Ominato
10 February 1943:
Arrives at Ominato.
23 February 1943:
Departs Ominato
20 March 1943:
Arrives at Ominato.
25 March 1943:
Departs Ominato
30 March 1943:
Arrives at Ominato.
April 1943:
Her owners are changed to Sanko Kisen K.K.
E 1 ~ 10 April 1943:
Departs Ominato
11 April 1943:
Arrives at Ominato.
27 April 1943:
Departs Ominato
29 April 1943:
Arrives at Ominato.
8 May 1943:
Released from Tsugaru Defense Force under Navy’s instruction telegram No. 15. Attached to Chishima Retto (Kurils) area Special Base Force under Navy’s telegram No. 33.
11 May 1943:
Departs Ominato.
22 May 1943:
Arrives at Paramushiro (now Paramushir, Russia).
1 June 1943:
Assigned to Minelaying Unit under Kurils Special Base Force instruction No. 2.
5 June 1943:
Loads 30-tons of fresh water.
7 June 1943:
Attached to Chishima Retto (Kurils) area Special Base Force, Chishima Guard Unit under Ominato Guard District instruction No. 44.
9 June 1943:
Arrives at Paramushiro Strait (now Second Kuril Strait).
10 June 1943:
Loads 7-tons of heavy oil and 30-tons of fresh water.
15 June 1943:
Departs Paramushiro Strait escorting IJA transport SAKITO MARU and returns there later that day.
17 June 1943:
Assigned to cooperate with an IJNAF Kokutai on anti-submarine mission under order No. 3.
18 June 1943:
Assigned to cooperate with an IJNAF Kokutai on anti-submarine mission under order No. 67.
22 June 1943:
Loads 30-tons of fresh water.
27 June 1943:
Departs Paramushiro Strait escorting IJA transport KOKAI MARU (1,272 GRT).
29 June 1943:
Navy Resv. Lt Tsutsumi is confirmed as CO.
30 June 1943:
Arrives at Paramushiro Strait.
1 ~ 31July 1943:
On patrol in the Paramushiro patrol area.
14 ~ 15 July 1943:
Installs a mooring buoy for a large ship at Kashiwabara, Paramushiro (now Severo-Kurilsk, Paramushir).
16 July 1943:
Carries out an anti-submarine sweep 196° and 22 nautical miles of Shirinki Island (now Antsiferova).
5 August 1943:
Attached to Chishima Retto (Kurils) area Special Base Force under Navy’s instruction No. 1598.
6 August 1943:
Assigned to Vice Admiral Totsuka Michitaro’s (38) Northeastern Area Fleet under Navy’s instruction No. 263.
10 August 1943:
Attached to the Kurils Defense Unit under Kurils Special Base Force order No. 4.
1 September ~ 6 October 1943:
On patrol in Paramushiro patrol area.
5 October 1943:
Ship will be transferred to Ominato Guard District during winter.
6 October 1943:
Departs Kataoka, Shimushu (now Zaliv Kozyrevskogo, Ostrov Shumushu) escorting auxiliary small minesweeper AOI MARU.
10 October 1943:
Attached to the Kurils Defense Unit under Kurils Special Base Force order No. 7.
11 October 1943:
Arrives at Otaru.
13 October 1943:
Departs Otaru still escorting AOI MARU.
14 October 1943:
Arrives at Ominato.
20 October 1943:
Assigned to Tsugaru Defense Force under Ominato Guard District No. 60.
26 October 1943:
Temporarily assigned to Tsugaru Strait E Exit Squadron, minelayer unit under Tsugaru Defense Unit telegram No. 261,626.
27 October 1943:
Arrives at Hakodate.
1 November 1943:
Departs Hakodate on patrol.
2 November 1943:
Arrives at Hakodate.
4 November 1943:
Departs Hakodate on patrol.
5 November 1943:
At 1430, arrives at Hakodate.
7 November 1943:
Temporarily assigned to Muroran Guard Unit under Tsugaru Defense Unit telegram No. 07-1000. Departs Hakodate on patrol later in the day.
8 November 1943:
Arrives at Muroran.
10 November 1943:
Assigned to Muroran Guard Unit under Tsugaru Defense Unit telegram No. 100,853.
13 November 1943:
Departs Muroran on patrol.
15 November 1943:
Arrives at Muroran.
17 November 1943:
Departs Muroran on patrol.
19 November 1943:
Arrives at Muroran.
21 November 1943:
Departs Muroran on patrol.
22 November 1943:
Arrives at Muroran.
24 November 1943:
Departs Muroran on patrol.
25 November 1943:
Arrives at Muroran.
27 November 1943:
Departs Muroran. Acts as alert ship for rescue work for stranded ‘POW relief supply ship’ HOSHI MARU.
29 November 1943:
Arrives at Hakodate.
30 November 1943:
Departs Hakodate and arrives at Ominato later this day.
1 December 1943:
Attached to Vice Admiral Kobayashi Masashi’s (38) Fourth Fleet, 6th Base Force, 61th Naval Guard Unit based at Kwajalein, Marshalls under Navy’s instruction No. 2579.
23-24 February 1944:
Truk. Together with CH-23 and special minesweepers No. 5 and No. 6, in cooperation with aircraft of the 902nd Naval Air Group, conducts anti-submarine operations near the Uligar and Salat Passes.
31 March 1944:
Attached to Vice Admiral Hara Chuichi’s (39) Fourth Fleet, 4th Base Force, 41th Naval Guard Unit based at Truk, Central Carolines under Navy’s instruction No. 506.
3 April 1944:
Arrives at Truk.
14 April 1944:
Departs Truk.
17 April 1944:
Arrives at Truk.
23 April 1944:
Departs Truk.
24 April 1944:
Arrives at Mortlock, Eastern Carolines.
25 April 1944:
Departs Mortlock.
26 April 1944:
Arrives at Truk.
April 1944:
Assigned to Patrol Force under Carolines Defense Unit order No. 14.
30 April 1944:
Sunk by bombing at Truk with unknown casualties. The wreck has yet to be discovered but the ship sunk 700 yards NE Fefan Island by aircraft from USS LEXINGTON (CV-16) is a likely candidate.
10 June 1944:
Removed from the Navy list under instruction No. 752.

Authors' Notes:
[1] Soya is also referred to as Wakkanai Base Defense Unit.
Thanks go to Gengoro S. Toda of Japan.

- Gilbert Casse, Berend van der Wal and Peter Cundall.

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