BYOINSEN
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(Hospital Ship by Takeshi Yuki scanned from "Color
Paintings of Japanese Warships")
IJN Hospital Ship MURO MARU:
Tabular Record of Movement
© 2008 Bob Hackett and Peter Cundall.
1 June 1926:
Kobe. Laid down by Mitsubishi Ship Building
and Engineering, K. K. as a 1,600-gross ton passenger-cargo ship for Osaka
Shosen (OSK Line) K. K., Osaka.
9 December 1926:
Launched and named MURO MARU.
28 February 1927:
Completed.
February 1927:
Departs Osaka. Arrives at Katsuura.
3 August 1927:
Departs Kobe. Arrives at Katsuura.
14 September 1934:
The “Muroto” typhoon strikes the Osaka area. 3,066
persons are killed and missing in the disaster. MURO MARU is damaged off the
Sakurajima Pier in Osaka Port.
1936:
Gross tonnage is re-measured as 1,606 tons.
1 August 1938:
Requisitioned by the IJN.
2 August 1938:
Registered as a specially installed transport ship in
the Kure Naval District. Cdr (Rear Admiral, posthumously) Nakamura Masao (40) is
posted Supervisor.
5 August 1938:
Completes conversion.
18 August 1938:
Departs Kure for central China area.
15 November 1938:
An unknown officer is posted Supervisor.
31 March 1940:
Arrives at Sasebo.
4 April 1940:
Departs Sasebo for the central China area.
28 July 1940:
Arrives at Sasebo.
29 July 1940:
Departs Sasebo for central China area.
10 December 1941:
Rerated a general transport. Attached to the China
Area Fleet.
5 April 1942:
Arrives at Shanghai.
4 May 1942:
Ownership transfers to Kansai Kisen Kaisha Co., K. K.,
Osaka.
7 May 1942:
Departs Shanghai.
9 May 1942:
Arrives at Sasebo.
13 May 1942:
Departs Sasebo.
15 May 1942:
Arrives at Shanghai.
17 May 1942:
Departs Shanghai.
13 August 1942:
Arrives at Sasebo.
17 August 1942:
Departs Sasebo.
19 August 1942:
Arrives at Shanghai.
5 September 1942:
Departs Shanghai.
6 September 1942:
Arrives at Tinghai.
22 September 1942:
Departs Tinghai and later that day arrives
Shanghai.
19 December 1942:
Departs Shanghai.
21 December 1942:
Arrives at Sasebo.
25 December 1942:
Rerated a specially installed hospital ship in the
Kure Naval District. Reassigned directly to the Combined Fleet.
31 December 1942:
Arrives at the Sasebo Navy Yard to begin conversion.
1 January 1943:
Begins reconstruction and equipment installation as a
hospital ship. The Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs notififies the warring
nations of MURO MARU’s status as a hospital ship.
18 January 1943:
Equipment installation and reconstruction are
completed.
20 January 1943:
Departs Sasebo.
2 June 1943:
At 1630, departs Truk via the North Channel.
1 July 1943:
Departs Palau. At about 0900, LtCdr Charles H. Andrews
USS GURNARD (SS-254) attacks convoy FU-105 consisting of ARIMASAN, SHINYUBARI
and HIGASHI MARUs and an unidentified ship escorted by torpedo boat HATO at
07-37N, 134-26 E. In several attacks, Andrews fires 11 torpedoes, but they all
miss or premature.
Naval oiler TSURUMI and MURO MARU report seeing torpedo tracks. Later,
Japan protests the attack on MURO MARU. [1]
8 October 1943:
Departs Truk, possibly with Navy Hospital ship
TAKASAGO MARU though left Truk alone.
10 October 1943:
Arrives at Rabaul.
18 October 1943:
At 0640, arrives at Truk.
19 October 1943:
At 0400, departs Truk.
21 October 1943:
Arrives at Saipan.
28 October 1943:
Arrives at Kure.
16 November 1943:
Enters drydock for repairs.
30 November 1943:
Repairs are completed.
5 December 1943:
Departs Kure.
1 May 1944:
Arrives at Beppu.
3 May 1944:
Departs Beppu and later that day arrives at Kure.
8 June 1944:
Off Toi Misaki. At 1305, LtCdr John K. Fyfe’s USS
BATFISH (SS-310) sights a ship bearing 290° T, at about 8,000 yards on a
southerly course. By 1315, the range is down to 4,500 yards. The ship is
identified as MURO MARU, a properly marked hospital ship. MURO MARU is just
inside the 100 fathom curve on course 190° T, speed 10 knots. In addition to
markings on her hull, stack, and bridge, she has a big red cross painted on what
appears to be a tarpaulin hung between the bridge and the main mast. Fyfe breaks
off his approach.
10 June 1944:
Departs Kure.
13 November 1944:
17 miles outside of Manila Bay. Aircraft from Rear
Admiral Frederick C. Sherman’s carrier task groups TG 38.1, TG 38.3 and TG 38.4
attack shipping at Manila. Outside the entrance to Manila Bay MURO MARU is
inadvertently sunk by four near misses which split open the hull. 32 crewmen are
killed. [2]
10 January 1945:
Removed from the Navy List.
Authors' Note:
[1] It is unclear whether TSURUMI was the unidentified ship in convoy FU-105. Almost certainly MURO MARU was not in the convoy as hospital ships travelled alone and unescorted.
[2] Later, American divers examine the wreck to ascertain the cause of sinking and note whether hospital ship markings were prominently displayed. The divers found that the hospital ship marking signs were correctly displayed, but concluded the ship had been sunk by strafing- concentrated machine gun fire- whereas the Japanese account of the hull being split open by four near misses appears far more credible.
- Bob Hackett and Peter Cundall.
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