Japanese Army Tankers

RIKUGUN YUSOSEN!

(PLEIODON prewar, later NANSEI MARU)

NANSEI MARU:
Tabular Record of Movement
© 2010-2014 Bob Hackett

E 1921:
Hong Kong. Laid down at Hong Kong & Whampoa Dock Co., Ltd. as a 5,878-ton tanker for Shell Tankers, U.K.
1922:
Launched and named PLEIODON.
May 1922:
Completed. Registered in the Port of London. Assigned call sign THRB. Managed by Anglo Saxon Petroleum Co. Ltd., London.
17 July–20 September 1927:
Between two unknown stopovers, calls at Auckland, New Zealand.
1934:
Call sign is changed to GFLQ.
15 February 1942: The Fall of Singapore:
The Imperial Army (IJA) confiscates PLEIODON, repairs and renames her NANSEI MARU.
6 November 1942:
Requisitioned by the IJA and alloted IJA No. 2054. Operation of NANSEI MARU is contracted to the Nitto Mining Steam Ship Co., Ltd.
10 November 1942:
Departs Singapore.
11 November 1942:
Arrives at Palembang and loads fuel. [1]
15 November 1942:
Departs Palembang.
18 November 1942:
Arrives at Singapore and discharges fuel.
19 November 1942:
Departs Singapore.
31 January 1943:
Arrives at Palembang and loads fuel.
6 February 1943:
Arrives at Singapore and discharges fuel.
7 February 1943:
Departs Singapore.
9 February 1943:
Arrives at Palembang and loads fuel.
15 February 1943:
Arrives at Singapore and discharges fuel.
16 February 1943:
Departs Singapore.
19 February 1943:
Arrives at Palembang and loads fuel.
26 February 1943:
Arrives at Singapore and discharges fuel.
27 February 1943:
Departs Singapore.
1 March 1943:
Arrives at Palembang and loads fuel.
10 March 1943:
Arrives at Singapore and discharges fuel.
11 March 1943:
Departs Singapore.
15 March 1943:
Arrives at Palembang and loads fuel.
20 March 1943:
Arrives at Singapore and discharges fuel.
21 March 1943:
Departs Singapore.
23 March 1943:
Arrives at Palembang and loads fuel.
27 March 1943:
Arrives at Singapore and discharges fuel.
March - July 1943:
Singapore. Out of service. Probably undergoes lengthy repairs and maintenance.
24 July 1943:
Departs Singapore.
25 July 1943:
Arrives at Palembang and loads fuel.
29 July 1943:
Departs Palembang.
1 August 1943:
Arrives at Singapore and discharges fuel.
3 August 1943:
Departs Singapore.
4 August 1943:
Arrives at Palembang and loads fuel.
7 August 1943:
Departs Palembang.
9 August 1943:
Arrives at Singapore and discharges fuel.
12 August 1943:
Departs Singapore.
14 August 1943:
Arrives at Palembang and loads fuel.
16 August 1943:
Departs Palembang.
18 August 1943:
Arrives at Singapore and discharges fuel.
20 August 1943:
Departs Singapore.
21 August 1943:
Arrives at Palembang and loads fuel.
23 August 1943:
Departs Palembang.
26 August 1943:
Arrives at Singapore and discharges fuel.
29 August 1943:
Departs Singapore.
30 August 1943:
Arrives at Palembang and loads fuel.
2 September 1943:
Departs Palembang.
5 September 1943:
Arrives at Singapore and discharges fuel.
7 September 1943:
Departs Singapore.
9 September 1943:
Arrives at Balun Refuse.
11 September 1943: Departs Balun Refuse.
15 September 1943:
Arrives at Singapore.
17 September 1943:
Departs Singapore.
18 September 1943:
Arrives at Palembang and loads fuel.
20 September 1943:
Departs Palembang.
22 September 1943:
Arrives at Singapore and discharges fuel.
26 September 1943:
Departs Singapore.
27 September 1943:
Arrives at Palembang and loads fuel.
29 September 1943:
Departs Palembang.
2 October 1943:
Arrives at Singapore and discharges fuel.
3 October 1943:
Departs Singapore.
7 October 1943:
Arrives at Palembang, loads fuel and departs.
14 October 1943:
Arrives at Singapore and discharges fuel.
15 October 1943:
Departs Singapore.
16 October 1943:
Arrives at Palembang and loads fuel.
21 October 1943:
Arrives at Singapore and discharges fuel.
22 October 1943:
Departs Singapore.
25 October 1943:
Arrives at Palembang and loads fuel.
29 October 1943:
Arrives at Singapore and discharges fuel.
30 October 1943 – 3 January 1944:
Singapore. Out of service. Probably undergoes lengthy repairs and maintenance.
4 January 1944:
Departs Singapore.
5 January 1944:
Arrives at Palembang and loads fuel.
8 January 1944:
Departs Palembang.
14 January 1944:
Arrives at Singapore and discharges fuel.
16 January 1944:
Departs Singapore.
19 January 1944:
Arrives at Palembang and loads fuel.
21 January 1944:
Departs Palembang.
22 January 1944:
Arrives at Palembang and loads fuel.
25 January 1944:
Departs Palembang.
27 January 1944:
Arrives at Singapore and discharges fuel.
30 January 1944:
Departs Singapore.
31 January 1944:
Arrives at Palembang and loads fuel.
2 February 1944:
Departs Palembang.
4 February 1944:
Arrives at Singapore and discharges fuel.
6 February 1944:
Departs Singapore.
8 February 1944:
Arrives at Palembang and loads fuel.
10 February 1944:
Departs Palembang.
12 February 1944:
Arrives at Singapore and discharges fuel.
15 February 1944:
Departs Singapore.
16 February 1944:
Arrives at Palembang and loads fuel.
18 February 1944:
Departs Palembang.
22 February 1944:
Arrives at Singapore and discharges fuel.
25 February 1944:
Departs Singapore.
26 February 1944:
Arrives at Palembang and loads fuel.
28 February 1944:
Departs Palembang.
1 March 1944:
Arrives at Singapore and discharges fuel.
4 March 1944:
Departs Singapore.
5 March 1944:
Arrives at Palembang and loads fuel.
7 March 1944:
Departs Palembang.
9 March 1944:
Arrives at Singapore and discharges fuel.
15 March 1944:
Departs Singapore.
17 March 1944:
Arrives at Palembang and loads fuel.
18 March 1944:
Departs Palembang.
20 March 1944:
Arrives at Singapore and discharges fuel.
23 March 1944:
Departs Singapore.
24 March -10 May 1944:
Whereabouts unknown.
11 May 1944:
Arrives at Belawan, Sumatra.
20 May 1944:
Arrives at Singapore and discharges fuel.
21 May 1944:
Departs Singapore.
22 May 1944:
Arrives at Belawan.
30 May 1944:
Arrives at Singapore and discharges fuel.
31 May 1944:
Departs Singapore.
1 June 1944:
Arrives at Palembang and loads fuel.
7 June 1944:
Arrives at Singapore and discharges fuel.
8 June 1944:
Departs Singapore.
10 June 1944:
Arrives at Palembang, loads fuel and departs.
16 June 1944:
Arrives at Singapore and discharges fuel.
20 June 1944:
Departs Singapore. Arrives at Miri.
27 June 1944:
At 1650, NANSEI MARU departs Miri in convoy MI-06 also consisting of OGURA MARU No. 2, YAMAMIZU MARU No. 2, UNKAI MARU No. 5, MATSUMOTO, TACHIBANA, TOKUWA, KOTOKU, NICHINAN, ATAGO, ZUIHO and BAIEI MARUs escorted by kaibokan CD-14, patrol boat PB-38 and minesweeper W-18.
2 July 1944:
At 0845, arrives at Manila.
3 July 1944:
Departs Manila.
4 July 1944:
Arrives at Cebu.
14 July 1944:
Arrives at Manila.
7 August 1944:
Departs Manila.
10 August 1944:
Departs Singapore.
14 August 1944:
Arrives at Miri, Borneo. Probably loads fuel.
16 August 1944:
At 0700, NANSEI MARU departs Miri for Manila in convoy MI-12 also consisting of TAKETOYO, NORFOLK, UGA, KINRYU, GYOKUYO (OYO), JUNGEN GO and GYOSAN MARUs and unknown KAITO MARU and tankers TAKETOYO, TAIEI and SEISHIN MARUs escorted by kaibokan SHIMUSHU, CD-16, CD-28 and CH-41 and subchasers CH-30 and CH-33. NANSEI MARU is carrying provisions and passengers.
18 August 1944:
At 1352, LtCdr William T. Kinsella's USS RAY (SS-271) torpedoes and sinks NANSEI MARU at 08-39N, 116-39E. Three gunners and 23 crewmen are KIA. RAY survives 43 depth charges.

Authors' Note:
[1] "Fuel" as used in this TROM means refined product such as various grades of naval fuel oil, diesel, aviation gasoline and automotive gasoline.
- Bob Hackett

Back to the IJA Tankers Page