YUSOSEN!
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(Oiler by Takeshi Yuki scanned from "Color Paintings
of Japanese Warships")
IJN SAN RAMON MARU: Tabular Record of Movement
© 2008 Bob Hackett and Peter Cundall.
4 February 1935:
Tokyo. Laid down at Mitsubishi Heavy Industries shipyard for Mitsubishi Shoji Kaisha.
15 September 1935:
Launched and named SAN RAMON MARU.
20 November 1935:
Completed.
1935-1941:
In Mitsubishi’s service. Engages in transportation of oil between California and Japan.
23 December 1941:
Requisitioned by the IJN.
5 April 1942:
Departs Mako, Pescadores.
21 April 1942:
Arrives at Mako.
23 April 1942:
Departs Mako.
10 May 1942:
Arrives at Yokohama.
15 May 1942:
Departs Yokohama.
22 June 1942:
Arrives at Takao, Formosa (Taiwan).
23 June 1942:
Departs Takao.
26 July 1942:
Arrives at Mako.
28 July 1942:
Departs Mako.
3 August 1942:
Arrives at Yokosuka.
4 September 1942:
Departs Yokosuka.
20 September 1942:
Arrives at Mako.
23 September 1942:
Departs Mako.
29 October 1942:
Arrives at Mako.
30 October 1942:
Departs Mako.
6 November 1942:
Arrives at Shimotsu.
9 November 1942:
Departs Shimotsu.
10 November 1942:
Arrives at Tokuyama Naval Fuel Depot.
12 November 1942:
Departs Tokuyama.
15 November 1942:
Arrives at Yokosuka.
28 November 1942:
Departs Yokosuka.
29 November 1942:
Arrives at Yokkaichi.
1 December 1942:
Departs Yokkaichi.
3 December 1942:
Arrives at Moji.
5 December 1942:
Departs Moji.
10 December 1942:
Arrives at Mako.
12 December 1942:
Departs Mako.
9 January 1943:
Arrives at Mako.
13 January 1943:
Departs Mako.
19 January 1943:
Arrives at Tokuyama.
22 January 1943:
Departs Tokuyama.
24 January 1943:
Arrives at Sasebo.
26 January 1943:
Departs Sasebo.
2 March 1943:
Arrives at Mako.
5 March 1943:
Departs Mako.
15 March 1943:
Arrives at Yokohama.
26 March 1943:
Departs Yokohama.
28 March 1943:
Arrives at Tokuyama.
1 April 1943:
Departs Tokuyama.
4 April 1943:
Departs Ominato, Honshu.
9 April 1943:
Arrives at Paramushiro, Kuriles.
4 May 1943:
Departs Paramushiro.
8 May 1943:
Arrives at Ominato.
13 May 1943:
Departs Ominato.
16 May 1943:
Arrives at Kure.
19 May 1943:
Departs Kure.
26 May 1943:
Arrives at Paramushiro.
4 June 1943:
Departs Paramushiro.
10 June 1943:
Arrives at Sasebo.
17 June 1943:
Departs Sasebo.
27 July 1943:
At 1200, arrives at Mako.
30 July 1943:
Departs Mako.
3 August 1943:
Arrives at Tokuyama.
7 August 1943:
Departs Tokuyama
10 August 1943:
At 1400, SAN RAMON MARU departs Moji in convoy No. 185 consisting of tankers TACHIBANA, TONAN, YAMAMIZU and NICHIRIN MARUs passenger-cargo ships KACHIDOKI (ex-PRESIDENT HARRISON) and GINYO MARUs, cargo ship ASUKA MARUs and four unidentified ships escorted by kaibokan SADO.
15 August 1943:
Arrives at Mako, Pescadores.
18 August 1943:
Departs Mako for Singapore to load 12,300 kilolitres of crude oil.
1 September 1943:
SAN RAMON MARU is manned by an IJN crew. [1]
21 September 1943:
Arrives at Mako.
24 September 1943:
Departs Mako.
30 September 1943:
Arrives at Kudamatsu.
5 October 1943:
Departs Kudamatsu.
10 October 1943:
At 1505, SAN RAMON MARU departs Moji in convoy No. 105 consisting of TEIKAI, CHICAGO, AMERICA, GYOKUREI, MIKASA, HEIAN, NICHIEI and GYOTEN MARUs and tanker MITSU MARU escorted by destroyer SHIOKAZE.
15 October 1943:
At 0110, LtCdr (later KIA) Charles F. Brindupke's USS TULLIBEE (SS-284) torpedoes and sinks CHICAGO MARU at 24-30N, 120-26E. Over the next five hours, SAN RAMON MARU, NICHIEI and GYOKUREI MARUs rescue survivors. Later that day arrives Takao.
4 November 1943:
SAN RAMON MARU departs Miri, Borneo bound for the Tokuyama Navy Oil Depot carrying a full load of crude oil.
November 1943:
Arrives at St. Jacques (near Saigon), Indochina.
November 1943:
Arrives at Mako.
November 1943:
Arrives at Takao.
21 November 1943:
SAN RAMON MARU departs Takao for Moji in convoy No. 221 consisting of TAKETOYO, CHILE, SHOYU, HIROTA and SEIWA MARUs and two unidentified ships escorted by patrol boat PB-36.
27 November 1943:
East China Sea, off Uki Jima, Goto Retto. At 0005, in a surface attack, LtCdr (later Captain) Slade D. Cutter’s USS SEAHORSE (SS-304) fires three bow torpedoes and gets one hit on SAN RAMON MARU. At 0128, Cutter again attacks and hits SAN RAMON MARU with two of four stern torpedoes he fires. At about 0200, or earlier, SAN RAMON MARU sinks by the stern at 33-35N, 128-45E. 31 crewmen and gunners are KIA. [2]
5 January 1944:
Removed from the Navy List:
Author's Notes:
[1] As distinct from a Navy requisitioned merchant tanker.
[2] Japanese and American accounts of the sinking differ. SEAHORSE’s patrol report indicates Cutter attacked at 2302 and got two hits that broke SAN RAMON MARU in two. Witnesses on SEAHORSE’s bridge claimed the bow sank immediately, followed shortly by the stern. SEAHORSE’s patrol report further indicates that, at 0027, Cutter attacked and sank another tanker; however, postwar, this second sinking could not be substantiated.
- Bob Hackett and Peter Cundall.
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