Japanese Army Auxiliary Transports

RIKUGUN YUSOSEN

(OIGAWA MARU, prewar)

OIGAWA MARU:
Tabular Record of Movement
© 2013-2017 Bob Hackett

E 1940:
Koyagishima. Laid down at Kawaminami Kogyo K.K., as a 6,494 ton standard type 1A cargo ship for Toyo Kaiun. K. K. (Oriental Marine Transport) of Tokyo.
1941:
Launched and named OIGAWA MARU
May 1941:
Completed.
23 September 1941:
OIGAWA MARU is requisitioned by the Imperial Army (IJA) as a transport and assigned Army No. 480. Attached to Vice Admiral Takahashi Ibo’s (35)(former CO of YAMASHIRO) Third Fleet.
7 December 1941: The Invasion of the Northern Philippines:
At 17300, OIGAWA MARU departs Mako, Pescadores for Vigan, N Luzon, Philippines in Rear Admiral (later Vice Admiral) Rear Admiral Nishimura Shoji's (39)(former CO of HARUNA) Vigan Invasion Unit with IJA transports BRISBANE, HAWAII, SHUNKO, SANKO and TAKAO MARUs escorted by DesRon 2's light cruiser NAKA, DesDiv 2's YUDACHI, SAMIDARE, HARUSAME, DesDiv 9's ASAGUMO, MURASAME, DesDiv 9's ASAGUMO, MINEGUMO, NATSUGUMO, minesweepers W-9, W-10, W-11, W-12, W-17 and W-18 and subchasers CH-4, CH-5, CH-6, CH-10, CH-11, CH-12, CH-16 , CH-17 and CH-18.
10 December 1941:
The invasion unit arrives off Vigan, N Luzon and begins to land troops. OIGAWA MARU departs Mako, Pescadores for Vigan, Philippines in Rear Admiral (later Vice Admiral) Rear Admiral Nishimura Shoji's (39)(former CO of HARUNA) Vigan Invasion Unit with IJA transports BRISBANE, HAWAII, SANKO, SHUNKO and TAKAO MARUs escorted by DesRon 2's light cruiser NAKA, DesDiv 2's HARUSAME, SAMIDARE, YUDACHI, DesDiv 9's ASAGUMO, MURASAME, DesDiv 9's ASAGUMO, MINEGUMO, NATSUGUMO, minesweepers W-9, W-10, W-11, W-12, W-17 and W-18 and subchasers CH-4, CH-5, CH-6, CH-10, CH-11, CH-12, CH-16 , CH-17 and CH-18. OIGAWA MARU carries the 2nd Company, 18th Airfield Battalion, 16th Airfield Unit.
10 December 1941:
At 0200, the transports land troops at Pandan, near Vigan, but are bombed and strafed by five U. S. Army Far East Air Force Boeing B-17 "Flying Fortress" heavy bombers and escorting Seversky P-35A "Guardsman" and Curtiss P-40B "Kittyhawk" fighters. During the action, Captain Samuel H. Marrett, CO of the 34th Fighter Squadron, makes repeated strafing passes on W-10 with his P-35 until the minesweeper blows up. The force of the explosion tears a wing off Marret's P-35 and he crashes into the sea. W-10 sinks at 17-32N, 120-22E. OIGAWA MARU and TAKAO MARU are so damaged they have to be beached to facilitate salvage. Light cruiser NAKA and destroyer MURASAME are slightly damaged by strafing.
December 1941-1942:
OIGAWA MARU is refloated and repaired for an unknown period of time at an unknown location.
6 June 1942: Operation FS - Planned Japanese Invasion of Fiji, Samoa and New Caledonia:
At 1500, OIGAWA MARU departs Karatsu Bay, Kyushu for Palau in an unidentified convoy also consisting of ARIZONA, BRISBANE MYOKO, SANKO and YASUKAWA MARUs escorted by destroyer YUNAGI, minelayer HIRASHIMA, auxiliary minelayer KAHOKU MARU and an unidentified mineseeper.
13 June 1942:
Arrives at Palau. It was planned that the convoy would proceed from Palau to Rabaul to participate in the invasion of New Caledonia in July, but the action at Coral Sea and the disaster at Midway leads to a postponement and later cancellation of Operation FS.
21 August 1942:
OIGAWA MARU departs Mutsure in convoy No. 153 also consisting of AKASHI, BRISBANE and TOYOOKA MARUs and two unidentified merchants escorted by destroyer SANAE.
26 August 1942:
Arrives at Mako.
27 August 1942:
OIGAWA MARU departs Mako, Pescasdores in convoy No. 331 also consisting of HAVRE and TOYOOKA MARUs and YOSHIDA MARU No. 1 and an unidentified merchant escorted by destroyer ASAGAO.
2 September 1942:
Arrives at St Jacques, Vichy French Indochina (Vung Tau, Vietnam).
6 November 1942:
At 1400, OIGAWA MARU departs Rabaul, New Britain for the Shortland Islands, Solomons in an unnumbered convoy also consisting of ARIZONA, NAGARA, SHINANOGAWA TEIYO, TOYO, TOYOKUNI, YAMAZUKI and YUROI MARUs escorted by torpedo boat HIYODORI, minelayer SHIRATAKA, minesweeper W-15 and subchaser CH-16.
8 November 1942:
At 1020, the convoy arrives at Shortlands.
6 November 1942:
At 1400, OIGAWA MARU departs Rabaul, New Britain for the Shortland Islands anchorage in an unnumbered convoy also consisting of ARIZONA, NAGARA, SHINANOGAWA, TEIYO (ex-German SAARLAND), TOYO, TOYOKUNI, YAMAZUKI and YURI MARUs escorted by torpedo boat HIYODORI, minelayer SHIRATAKA, minesweeper W-15 and subchaser CH-16.
8 November 1942:
At 1020, the convoy arrives at Shortland.
21 December 1942: No. 6 Go Transportation Operation:
Convoy No. 35 assembles at Shanghai to transport the IJA’s 6th Infantry Division via Truk to Guadalcanal (after the decision is made to evacuate Guadalcanal, the convoy’s destination is changed to New Guinea). The convoy consists of troop convoy Parts A, B and C.
Part A departs Shanghai consisting of MYOHO and TEIYO MARUs and SHINSEI MARU No. 1 escorted by destroyer HASU. Part B departs consisting of OIGAWA, KENKON, KYOKUSEI and PANAMA MARUs escorted by destroyer KURI.
25 December 1942:
Part C departs Shanghai consisting of MEIU, SHINAI, SOMEDONO and SURABAYA MARUs escorted by destroyer TSUGA.
5 January 1943:
Parts A and B arrive at Mako, Pescadores. The old China Area Fleet destroyers are detached and replaced by the Southwest Area Fleet’s destroyers HOKAZE and NAGATSUKI to escort the convoy to longitude 136E. The escort is further augmented by destroyer SHIRAYUKI, subchasers CH-2 and CH-11 and auxiliary gunboat CHOAN MARU No. 2.
15 January 1943:
Part A departs Truk for the Shortland Islands anchorage. The escort is further augmented by destroyer SHIGURE.
17 January 1943:
Part B departs Truk for Buin, Bougainville.
19 January 1943:
Part C departs Truk. NNE of Buin, Bougainville, LtCdr Jack H. Lewis’ USS SWORDFISH (SS-193) attacks Part A of the convoy. SWORDFISH sinks MYOHO MARU at 05-38S, 156-20E. Of the 922 IJA troops and 35 Navy passengers she was carrying, 61 military and three crewmen are KIA.
20 January 1943:
286 miles from Truk. LtCdr (later Rear Admiral-Ret) Creed C. Burlingame’s USS SILVERSIDES (SS-236) attacks Part C of the convoy. SILVERSIDES heavily damages SURABAYA MARU and sinks MEIU MARU at 03-52N, 153-56E. She was carrying 2,997 men of the 23rd Infantry Regiment, 6th Division. 401 men are KIA. CH-11 and gunboat CHOAN MARU No. 2 rescue survivors. Later, destroyer ASAGUMO arrives from Truk and scuttles SURABAYA MARU.
The same day, Part A arrives at Shortland Islands anchorage.
21 January 1943:
At about 1800, LtCdr Robert J. Foley’s USS GATO (SS-212) attacks Part B of the convoy. GATO torpedoes and sinks KENKON MARU carrying a battalion of 734 men of the IJA 45th Infantry Regiment, 6th Division. The attack causes a fire and a magazine explosion. 36 troops, an unknown number of other passengers and seven crew are KIA. Destroyer SHIRAYUKI rescues survivors.
22 January 1943:
The remaining ships of Part B arrive at Buin.
28 February 1943: Operation 81-Second Lae troop reinforcements to Lae-Salamaua area:
Off Rabaul harbor. At 2300, a transport convoy assembles consisting of OIGAWA, AIYO, KENBU, KYOKUSEI, SHINAI, TAIMEI and TEIYO, MARUs and IJN Special Service Ship NOJIMA.
At 2330, the convoy departs the assembly point escorted by Rear Admiral Kimura Masatomi’s destroyers SHIRAYUKI (F), ASAHIO, ARASHIO, TOKITSUKAZE, URANAMI, SHIKINAMI, YUKIKAZE and ASAGUMO and sets course along the northern coast of New Britain, NW from Rabaul before turning west and then south. The transports and destroyers are carrying 6,004 troops of the IJA’s 51st Division and 600 Special Naval Landing Force (SNLF) troops.
The convoy is divided into two Divisions. No. 1 Division consists of OIGAWA, AIYO, KENBU SHINAI, and TEIYO MARUs. No. 2 Division consists of KYOKUSEI, NOJIMA and TAIMEI carrying troops of the IJA 51st Division
1 March 1943: Operation 81:
OIGAWA MARU departs Rabaul for Lae, New Guinea carrying troops to reinforce the Lae-Salamaua area in a convoy also consisting of AIYO, KEMBU, KYOKUSEI, NOJIMA SHINAI, TAIMEI and TEIYO MARUs carrying troops of the IJA’s 51st Division escorted by Rear Admiral (later Vice Admiral) Kimura Masatomi’s (41) destroyers SHIRAYUKI (F), ARASHIO, ASAGUMO, ASASHIO, SHIKINAMI, TOKITSUKAZE, URANAMI and YUKIKAZE.
2 March 1943: Battle of the Bismarck Sea:
55 km NNW of Cape Gloucester, New Britain. At 0800, USAAF and RAAF planes bomb the convoy. USAAF B-17 "Flying Fortress" heavy bombers attack Army cargo ship KYOKUSEI MARU. She takes two direct bomb hits and sinks at 0926 at 05-02S, 148-14E. 485 troops of the 115th Infantry Regiment, 51st Division and one crewman are KIA. Infantry guns and mortars, trucks, landing craft, 2,000m3 of ammunition and fuel drums are also lost.
Destroyers YUKIKAZE and ASAGUMO rescue 800 men and 110 drums, steam to Lae and disembark them, then rejoin the convoy. TEIYO MARU is lightly damaged by air attack NE of Cape Gloucester.
3 March 1943:
Dampier Straits. The battle continues as Allied aircraft make low-level bombing and strafing runs against the convoy. Rear Admiral Kimura is wounded. During the fighting, cargo ships AIYO, KENBU, SHINAI, TAIMEI and TEIYO MARUs are sunk as are destroyers ARASHIO, ASAHIO, TOKITSUKAZE and flagship SHIRAYUKI. ASAGUMO, SHIKINAMI, URANAMI and YUKIKAZE pick up survivors and retire to Rabaul accompanied by destroyer HATSUYUKI which came from Rabaul to assist. OIGAWA MARU is damaged and abandoned.
Huon Gulf. 62 miles SE of Finschhafen. That night, a force of U.S. Navy motor torpedo (PT) boats under Lt Cdr Barry Atkins sets out to attack the convoy. Two boats strike submerged debris and are forced to return. At 2310, PT-143 and PT-150 spot a fire and find OIGAWA MARU dead in the water with a large fire burning in the forward cargo hold and a small fire aft. From 800 yards, PT-143 fires a torpedo that hits the stern. OIGAWA MARU lists to port and settles. Five minutes later, PT-150 fires a second torpedo from 700 yards that hits amidships. OIGAWA MARU sinks stern first at 06-58S, 148-16E. 1,151 troops of the IJA 51st Division and 78 crewmen are KIA.

Author's Note:
Thanks go to Erich Muehlthaler of Germany.

- Bob Hackett

Back to IJA Transports