RIKUGUN HAITOSEN!
(Type 1TM Standard Tanker underway)
SEISHIN MARU:
Tabular Record of Movement
©2011-2013 Bob Hackett
Revision 1
E 1942:
Nagasaki. Laid down at Mitsubishi Jukogyo K. K. as a 5,240-ton Type 1TM Wartime Standard Merchant Tanker for Nippon Sekiyu K.K., Tokyo.
10 November 1942:
Launched and named SEISHIN MARU.
January 1943:
Completed and requisitioned by the Japanese Government's Senpaku Uneikai civilian wartime shipping authority. Chartered to the Imperial Army with a civilian crew.
18 April 1943:
SEISHIN MARU departs Singapore in convoy No. 683 consisting of cargo ship TEIHOKU MARU (ex-French PERSEE) and RASHIN MARU escorted by auxiliary gunboat KAZAN (HUASHAN) MARU.
21 April 1943:
Arrives at St Jacques.
16 May 1943:
SEISHIN MARU departs Cochin, Indochina for Takao in an unescorted and unnumbered convoy consisting of
SYDNEY and SAINEI MARUs.
29 May 1943:
Arrives at Takao.
22 June 1943:
SEISHIN MARU departs Yawata, Kyushu for Takao, Formosa
in convoy No. 169 also consisting of fleet oiler OSE (ex-Dutch GENOTA) and
KINREI, NASUSAN, HOKUAN and RYUSOAN MARUs escorted by torpedo boat HAYABUSA.
24 June 1943:
W of Amami O-shima, Ryukuyus. At 1124, LtCdr Charles O.
Triebel’s USS SNOOK (SS-279) torpedoes and severely damages OSE at 28-50N,
126-56E.
27 June 1943:
Arrives at Takao.
13 August 1943:
At 1240, SEISHIN MARU departs Mako (Bako), Pescadores
for Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City), Indochina in convoy No. 315 consisting of SUEZ,
TOSAN, BISAN, SUNGSHAN (SUZAN), BELGIUM, CHINKO, NIKKO, RISSHUN, CHILE, JAMBI,
KOKKO and WALES MARUs escorted by patrol boat PB-36.
15 August 1943:
At 0500, KOKKO and WALES MARUs are detached for Kirun
(Keelung) and Hong Kong respectively.
21 August 1943:
At 1005, arrives at Cap St. Jacques, then proceeds up
river to Saigon arriving at 1550.
15 September 1943:
SEISHIN departs Moji for Singapore in convoy SA-13
consisting of transports TEIKO, (ex-French D’ARTAGNAN), USSURI and TEIFU (ex-French BOUGAINVILLE) MARUs
escorted by fleet oiler ASHIZURI and destroyer SANAE. Enroute south heavy
weather is encountered and the convoy is dispersed.
22 September 1943:
SEISHIN MARU departs Singapore in convoy SA-12
also consisting of tanker KIRISHIMA MARU and transports TEIKO (ex-French D’ARTAGNAN) MARU and USSURI
MARU escorted by fleet oiler ASHIZURI and subchaser CH-19.
25 September 1943:
South China Sea. In midmorning, lookouts aboard
Cdr Frederick C. Lucas' USS BILLFISH (SS-286) spot convoy SA-12 to the west.
Lucas signals LtCdr Joseph H. Willingham's USS BOWFIN (SS-287) of the sighting.
Lucas submerges and tries to close the range, but the convoy zigs away.
Nearby, Willingham's BOWFIN, on her first war patrol, receives
sister-ship BILLFISH's signal. At 1130, BOWFIN surfaces and begins tracking the
convoy. At 1310, Willingham torpedoes and sinks KIRISHIMA MARU at 09-53N
112-10E. 14 crewmen are KIA. CH-19 counterattacks, but is unsuccessful.
At 1403, USN codebreakers intercept and decrypt a message from CH-19 that
reads: “At 1030, arrived at the scene. At 1233 (10-02 N, 122-01 E) sighted crew
[of KIRISHIMA MARU] and at 1330 picked up a total of 53 men including the
Captain. Continuing the search for the others.”
26 September 1943:
At 1600, USN codebreakers decrypt another message
from CH-19 that reads: “At 1425 picked up 9 more men. Above makes total of 62 of
87 (including passengers) rescued from KIRISHIMA MARU ----- heading for Saigon.”
E 30 September 1943:
Arrives at Moji.
16 February 1944:
At 1600, SEISHIN MARU departs Singapore in convoy
HI-42 consisting of MIIKE MARU and tanker MIRI MARU and two unidentified vessels
escorted by kaibokan MATSUWA.
25 February 1944:
At 1025, arrives at Keelung. ASAMA MARU probably
joins the convoy.
26 February 1944:
At 0900, departs Keelung.
28 February 1944:
At 0600, arrives at Moji.
5 May 1944:
SEISHIN MARU departs Manila for Singapore via Miri,
Borneo in convoy MAMI-09 consisting of tankers SAN LUIS and TAKETOYO MARUs and
cargo ships TEIHOKU MARU (ex-French PERSEE) and OMINE MARU escorted by
destroyers ASAKAZE and HARUKAZE and kaibokan CD-11.
9 May 1944:
Arrives at Miri.
12 May 1944:
At 1440, SEISHIN MARU departs Miri in convoy MISHI-01
consisting of TEIHOKU (ex-French PERSEE) and OMINE MARUs escorted by minesweeper W-18.
15 May 1944:
At 1500, the convoy arrives Singapore.
16 August 1944:
At 0700, SEISHIN MARU departs Miri for Moji in convoy
MI-12 also consisting of tankers TAKETOYO and NANSEI MARUs and TAIEI, NORFOLK,
UGA, KINRYU, GYOKUYO (OYO), JUNGEN GO and GYOSAN MARUs escorted by kaibokan
SHIMUSHU, CD-16, CD-28 and CH-41 and subchasers CH-30, CH-33 and CH-41.
18 August 1944:
At 1352, LtCdr William T. Kinsella's USS RAY (SS-271)
torpedoes and sinks NANSEI MARU at 08-39N, 116-39E. 26 crewmen are KIA. The convoy is ordered to
seek shelter.
20 August 1944:
At 1930, arrives at Paluan Bay, NW Mindoro.
21 August 1944:
At 0556, departs Paluan Bay. Soon after, kaibokan CD-28 attacks an enemy submarine contact. At 0720, a wolfpack consisting of USS
GUITARRO, HADDO, HARDER, RAY and USKALLUNGE make the first of a series of successful attacks. TAKETOYO MARU is torpedoed and sunk at 13-23N 120-19E. She was carrying oil and gasoline in drums. 13 crewmen are KIA.
At 0730, LtCdr (later Rear Admiral-Ret) Chester W. Nimitz, Jr’s USS HADDO (SS-255) torpedoes and sinks NORFOLK MARU in the same position. 17 crewmen are KIA.
At 0800, HADDO torpedoes and sinks KINRYU MARU with a cargo of bauxite. 3 crewmen and 65 passengers are KIA. At 0825, HADDO torpedoes and sinks UGA MARU, both at 13-27N, 120-17E. 29 crewmen, 2 troops and 96 passengers are KIA.
E of Mindoro, Philippines, HADDO also torpedoes and damages tanker TAIEI
MARU at 13-22N, 120-19E.
22 August 1944:
At 2200, the convoy arrives at Manila and is
dissolved.
27 September 1944:
At 1700, SEISHIN MARU departs Takao for Moji in
convoy TAMO-26 that consists of NIKKO, CLYDE, HAKUSAN, MATSUURA, TAIJO, GASSAN,
YOKO and BIYO MARUs and SS No. 6 (kidotei) escorted by kaibokan CD-1, CD-3,
CD-7, auxiliary patrol boat OSEI MARU and auxiliary minesweeper TAISEI MARU.
28 September 1944:
At 1200, arrives at Keelung.
30 September 1944:
At 0730, departs Keelung.
6 October 1944:
Arrives at Moji.
25 November 1944:
At 2000, SEISHIN MARU departs Moji for Singapore in
convoy HI-83 consisting of tankers SEISHIN, KYOKUUN, HARIMA, TOA, AKASHI and
EISHO MARUs and transport/cargo liners SANUKI, ORYOKU and NISSHO MARUs for
Manila escorted by escort carrier KAIYO, destroyers YUZUKI and KAMIKAZE and
kaibokan CD-35, CD-63, CD-64 and CD-207. An unidentified ship in the convoy is
bound for Takao.
25 November 1944:
At 2000, CD-63 departs Moji for Singapore with
escort carrier KAIYO, destroyers escorting
26 November 1944:
Departs Sasebo.
30 November 1944:
At 0600, convoy HI-83 arrives at Takao. The Manila
contingent is detached from the convoy. KAIYO stops at nearby Saei.
1 December 1944:
The convoy departs Takao joined by tanker MIRI MARU
and patrol boat PB-102 (ex-USS STEWART, DD-224). KAIYO rejoins the convoy from
Saei.
3 December 1944:
At 0522, MIRI MARU opens fire on a surfaced enemy
submarine sighted between SEISHIN and MIRI MARUs. At 0607, LtCdr Raymond Berthrong's
USS SEA RAVEN (SS-196) torpedoes and damages SEISHIN MARU that heads to Yulin, Hainan Island
with CD-207.
5 December 1944:
At about 1000, PB-102 discovers previously torpedoed SEISHIN MARU
that ran aground. At 1630, MIRI MARU takes SEISHIN MARU under tow.
6 December 1944:
At 1200, the three ships arrive at Brandon Bay, near Tourane (now DaNang), French Indochina. At 1730, MIRI MARU and PB-102 depart. [1]
10 March 1945:
Tourane Bay. In late morning, USAAF 5th Air Force North American B-25 “Mitchell” medium bombers of the 345th Bomb Group's 500th Bomb Squadron attack and sink SEISHIN
MARU laying at anchor at 16-01N, 108-10E.
Author's Note:
[1] One source says SEISHIN MARU received temporary repairs at Brandon Bay, then went to Yulin and Singapore, but details are unknown.
Thanks go to Gilbert Casse of France.
-Bob Hackett
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