KOSEKI UMPANSEN
(SEINAN MARU)
SEINAN MARU:
Tabular Record of Movement
© 2011 Bob Hackett
1942:
Kobe. Laid down at Mitsubishi Jukogyo K. K. as a 5,401-ton ore carrier for Nippon Seitetsu K.K., Tokyo.
1942:
Launched and named SEINAN MARU.
December 1942:
Completed.
10 March 1943:
SEINAN MARU departs Takao in convoy No. 239 also
consisting of TAKETOYO and SHOZUI MARUs and four unidentified merchant ships
escorted by patrol boat PB-39.
16 March 1943:
Arrives at Moji.
17 July 1943:
SEINAN MARU departs St Jacques in convoy No. 411 also
consisting of tankers GOYO and CHIYODA MARUs and SUZAN (SUNGSHAN), HAKUSHIKA,
BISAN (MIYAMA) MARUs and one unidentified merchant ship escorted by subchaser
CH-19.
22 July 1943:
At 1700, BISAN (MIYAMA) MARU and SUZAN (SUNGSHAN) MARU
are detached for Amoy at 22-42N, 119-11E. At 2359, arrives at Takao.
26 July 1943:
SEINAN MARU departs Takao in convoy No. 286 also
consisting of tanker GOYO MARU and eight unidentified merchant ships escorted by
destroyer ASAGAO.
31 July 1943:
Arrives at Moji.
18 August 1943:
SEINAN MARU departs Moji in No. 188 consisting of
TARUSHIMA and INARI MARUs and eight unidentified merchant ships escorted by
destroyer KURETAKE.
23 August 1943:
Arrives at Takao.
13 January 1944:
At 1500, SEINAN MARU departs Manila in convoy No.
3102 consisting of tankers KOSHIN, RONSAN, NITTATSU and TAKETOYO MARUs and cargo
ships TEIRYU (ex-German AUGSBURG) and NITTAI MARUs escorted by destroyer
WAKATAKE.
20 January 1944:
At 1500 arrives at Miri. SEINAN MARU loads a cargo
of crude oil. [1]
21 January 1944:
At 1200, SEINAN MARU departs Miri escorting convoy
3202 consisting of tankers KOSHIN, RONSAN and NITTATSU MARUs escorted by
destroyer WAKATAKE.
22 January 1944:
Balabac Strait. At 1736, LtCdr Donald F. Weiss' (USNA ’29) USS
TINOSA (SS-283) attacks the convoy. Weiss torpedoes and sinks KOSHIN MARU at
07-27N, 115-07E. 22 crewmen are KIA.
Weiss also torpedoes and sinks SEINAN MARU at 07-19N, 116-52E. 29 crewmen
and 16 gunners are KIA.
WAKATAKE drops 17 depth charges, but TINOSA escapes.
Author's Note:
[1] Although speculative, SEINAN MARU's final cargo of crude oil may indicate she was converted to a tanker at an unknown time.
-Bob Hackett
Back to the Ore
Carriers Page
