Japanese Aircraft Transports

KOKUKI-UMPANSEN!

(Freighter by Takeshi Yuki scanned from "Color Paintings of Japanese Warships")

IJN NAGOYA MARU: Tabular Record of Movement
© 2007 Bob Hackett, Sander Kingsepp and Peter Cundall.

1 September 1931:
Nagasaki. Laid down as a 6,049-ton cargo-passenger ship by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries for Ishihara Sangyo Kaisha (ISK) Ltd. of Fuchu, Japan.
5 May 1932:
Launched and named NAGOYA MARU.
5 August 1932:
Completed.
6 July 1935:
Under Government pressure, ISK, Nanyo Yusen and the Japan-Netherland East Indies services of Osaka Shosen and Nippon Yusen are amalgamated to form a new company, the Nanyo Kaiun K. K. (South Seas Shipping). The previous owners all take a share of the new company. NAGOYA MARU is one of the assets transferred to the new company (on 22 June 1935) and her port of registry is changed to Tokyo.
20 January 1941:
Requisitioned by the IJN.
1 March 1941:
Registered in the Kure Naval District as a submarine tender.
14 March 1941:
Kobe. Begins conversion at Mitsubishi Heavy Industries shipyard. Six single mount 6-inch (152-mm)/45 41st Year Type guns, two dual 13.2-mm Type 93 machine guns, one 44-inch (1100-mm) diameter search light and one 36-inch (900-mm) search light are fitted.
9 April 1941:
Completes conversion to a submarine tender.
1 November 1941:
NAGOYA MARU is assigned to Rear Admiral Yoshitomi Setsuzo's SubRon 4 of Vice Admiral Shimizu Mitsumi's (former CO of ISE) Sixth Fleet based at Kure. NAGOYA MARU is the tender for SubDiv 18 (I-53, -54, -55), SubDiv 19 (I-56, -57, -58) and SubDiv 21 (RO-33, -34).
19 November 1941:
Departs Sasebo for the southern Chinese coast.
2 December 1941:
Receives the coded signal "Niitakayama nobore (Climb Mt. Niitaka) 1208" from the Combined Fleet. It signifies that hostilities will commence on 8 December (Japan time).
17 February 1942:
Departs Camranh Bay, Indochina escorted by SubRon 4's flagship, light cruiser KINU.
24 February 1942:
Arrives at Staring Bay, Celebes.
10 March 1942: Operation T”- The Invasion of Northern Sumatra.
West Harbor, Singapore. NAGOYA MARU departs with eight transports carrying the main body of the Imperial Guards Division escorted by minelayer HATSUTAKA, subchaser CH-7 and the 1st Section, 44th Minesweeper Division. That same day SubRon 4 is disbanded.
12 March 1942:
The Japanese land on Sabang, Weh Island and Banda Atjeh, Sumatra almost unopposed.
15 March 1942:
Returns to Singapore.
23 March 1942:
Arrives at Kure.
10 April 1942:
NAGOYA MARU is attached to Vice Admiral (later Admiral) Tsukahara Nishizo’s (36)(former CO of AKAGI) 11th Air Fleet and transferred to the Kure Naval District for conversion to an auxiliary aircraft transport.
1 May 1942:
Kure. Begins conversion.
13 June 1942:
Completes conversion. Reassigned to the 11th Air Fleet, Combined Fleet.
17 June 1942:
Departs Tokuyama, probably after fueling at the Navy Fuel Depot.
26 July 1942:
Arrives at Yokkaichi. Probably loads aviation gasoline at the refinery.
19 August 1942:
Departs Kisarazu. Probably loads Mitsubishi A6M "Zeke" fighter aircraft for transport.
3 October 1942:
Arrives at Yokosuka.
23 October 1942:
Departs Yokosuka.
24 October 1942:
Arrives at Yokkaichi. Probably loads aviation gasoline at the refinery.
27 October 1942:
Departs Yokkaichi.
28 October 1942:
Arrives at Yokosuka.
31 October 1942:
Departs Yokosuka.
8 December 1942:
Arrives at Yokosuka.
13 December 1942:
Departs Yokosuka.
16 December 1942:
Arrives at Muroran, Hokkaido.
19 December 1942:
Captain-Retired (Vice Admiral, posthumously) Kusakawa Kiyoshi (38) (former CO of SATA) is posted Commanding Officer.
23 December 1942:
Departs Muroran.
25 December 1942:
Arrives at Yokosuka.
14 January 1943:
Departs Yokosuka.
15 January 1943:
Arrives at Yokkaichi. Probably loads aviation gasoline at the refinery.
17 January 1943:
Departs Yokkaichi.
14 April 1943:
Arrives at Yokosuka. Probably loads fighter aircraft and spare aircraft engines.
26 May 1943:
Departs Yokosuka.
12 August 1943:
Rabaul. Transfers unknown cargo to submarine I-38 that later makes a supply run to Kolombangara Island, New Georgia.
5 October 1943:
Arrives at Takao.
15 October 1943:
Departs Takao:
21 October 1943:
Departs Manila in a convoy consisting of NAGOYA and KOGYO MARUs and ammunition ship ARATAMA MARU escorted by torpedo boat HAYABUSA initially to Cebu, Philippines, then to Palau.
2 November 1943:
At 1600, departs Palau in convoy No. SO-205 consisting of NAGOYA and KOGYO MARUs and another ship (probably ARATAMA MARU) escorted by three subchasers.
10 November 1943:
At 1200, arrives at Rabaul.
15 November 1943:
Departs Rabaul in convoy No. 2152 consisting of NAGOYA MARU, auxiliary submarine depot ship HIE MARU and transport TAMASHIMA MARU escorted by subchasers CH-29 and CH-30.
17 November 1943:
385 miles SW of Truk. At 1245, HIE MARU is torpedoed in hold No. 3 in a submerged attack by USS DRUM (SS-228) at 01-45N, 148-45E. The escorts counter-attack, but DRUM slips away. HIE MARU does not sink until about 1730.
19 November 1943:
Convoy No. 2152 arrives at Truk.
1 December 1943:
Departs Truk in convoy No. 1013 consisting of NAGOYA MARU, transport YAMAKUNI MARU (ex YAMAKAZE MARU) and aircraft transport KEIYO MARU escorted by subchasers CH-16, CH-20, CH-29 and CH-40. NAGOYA and KEIYO MARUs probably are carrying fighter aircraft and spare aircraft engines.
5 December 1943:
Arrives at Rabaul.
22 December 1943:
Departs Truk in fleet convoy No. 4222 for Yokosuka consisting of NAGOYA MARU and transports KOKAI and REIYO MARUs escorted by kaibokan FUKAE and an unidentified subchaser. Destroyer IKAZUCHI also joins the convoy as an escort.
1 January 1944:
Off Aogashima. At 0258, LtCdr Raymond W. Johnson’s HERRING (SS-233) attacks the convoy. Johnson sets up for a visual attack on the surface. He fires three torpedoes at a large transport and gets a hit in NAGOYA MARU's port quarter causing flooding in holds No's 1 and 2. IKAZUCHI counter-attacks HERRING, but her efforts are unsuccessful.
The weather is stormy and heavy seas make damage control difficult. Nevertheless, the crew manages to secure the compartments areas aft of hold No. 2. Later, damage control efforts fail and Captain Kusakawa orders Abandon Ship. IKAZUCHI rescues the survivors.
Coincidentally, that same day and without knowledge of her fate, the IJN rerates NAGOYA MARU as a transport in the Kure Naval District.
2 January 1944:
NAGOYA MARU becomes increasingly unstable, upends and finally sinks at 32-15N, 138-02E. 120 passengers and one crewman are killed. All or nearly all, probably are killed by the torpedo explosion. Captain Kusakawa survives, but is KIA as a Rear Admiral and CO of HYUGA at Kure on 24 Jul ’45.
10 March 1944:
Removed from the Navy List.

- Bob Hackett, Sander Kingsepp and Peter Cundall.

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