KYURYOSEN!
(SENDAI MARU, prewar – Peter Cundall Collection)
IJN SENDAI MARU:
Tabular Record of Movement
© 2019 Gilbert Casse, Berend van der Wal and Peter Cundall
15 October 1932:
Osaka. Laid down by Osaka Iron Works K.K. shipyard as a 422-tons deep sea trawler for Kyodo Gyogyo K.K.
23 March 1933:
Launched and named SENDAI MARU.
28 April 1933:
Completed and registered at Kobe. Her Gross Registered Tonnage (GRT) and Net Registered Tonnage (NRT) respectively are 422-tons and 204-tons. Her length is 45.7 meters [1]
11 May 1933:
Kyodo Gyogyo K.K receives a steamer trawl fishing permit (No. 23) available for 10 years. Operation areas include: (A) Tokai and Yellow Sea, (B) South China Sea S of 20-00N.
Harvesting ports are: Tobata, Shimonoseki and Nagasaki.
Operations in Tokai and Yellow Sea are forbidden: 1 May ~ 31 July.
3 October 1933:
Kyodo Gyogyo K.K. steamer trawl fishing permit is changed. Harvesting ports are changed to Tobata, Shimonoseki, Nagasaki and Hong Kong.
1934:
Osaka. At Tetsu K.K. shipyard the hull is lengthened to 51.3 meters. Her GRT and NRT are respectively changed to 472-tons and 238-tons. [1]
1 July 1934:
Kyodo Gyogyo K.K. steamer trawl fishing permit is transferred to Toyo Kogyo K.K.
16 August 1934:
Toyo Kogyo K.K. steamer trawl fishing permit is transferred back to Kyodo Gyogyo K.K.
6 September 1934:
Kyodo Gyogyo K.K. steamer trawl fishing permit is changed. Operations in Tokai and Yellow Sea are forbidden: 1 May ~ 31 August.
28 December 1935:
Kyodo Gyogyo K.K steamer trawl fishing permit is changed: Operation areas include: (A) Tokai and Yellow Sea, (B) South China Sea S of 20-00N. (C) NW of Yoku Misaki to Cape Naturalist.
Harvesting ports are: Tobata, Shimonoseki, Nagasaki, Hong Kong and Singapore.
7 May 1937:
Her owners are changed to Nippon Suisan K.K.
4 June 1937:
Kyodo Gyogyo K.K. steamer trawl fishing permit is transferred to Nippon Suisan K.K.
27 July 1937:
Nippon Suisan K.K. steamer trawl fishing permit is changed: Operation areas include: (A) Tokai and Yellow Sea, (B) South China Sea S of 20-00N. (C) NW of Yoku Misaki to Cape Naturalist. (D) Mexico and California Gulf, Central America from Guatemala to Mariata Cape, Panama. (E) Mexico Gulf and Caribbean Sea W of 80-00W.
Harvesting ports are: Tobata, Shimonoseki, Nagasaki, Hong Kong, Singapore, Los Angeles, Balboa, Cristobal, Manzanillo, Mazatlan, Veracruz, Tampico and other Mexican ports with permission of the Mexican government.
Operations in Tokai and Yellow Sea are forbidden: 1 May ~ 31 August.
16 July 1939:
Nippon Suisan K.K. steamer trawl fishing permit is changed: Period of permission in (D) and (E) zones apply from 20 Jun ’38 to 31 Oct ‘39.
E 1940:
Requisitioned by the IJN.
3 April 1940:
Provisions auxiliary survey ship KYODO MARU No. 36 with food.
4 ~ 7 April 1940:
Departs Hainan Island, China and arrives off Canton (Kwangchow, now Guangzhou), China.
8 April 1940:
Provisions auxiliary survey ship KYODO MARU No. 36 with food.
9 ~ 20 April 1940:
Departs Canton waters and arrives at Southern Hainan (Qiongzhou) Strait.
21 April 1940:
Provisions auxiliary survey ship KYODO MARU No. 36 with food.
22 ~ 23 April 1940:
Departs Southern Hainan Strait and arrives at Tai Tam Bay, Hong Kong.
24 April 1940:
Provisions auxiliary survey ship KYODO MARU No. 36 with food.
25 April ~ 29 August 1940:
Departs Tai Tam Bay and arrives at Haikou, Hainan.
30 August 1940:
Provisions auxiliary survey ship KYODO MARU No. 36 with food.
E 1940:
Released to her owners.
17 August 1941:
Hikoshima. Requisitioned again by the IJN. Conversion for military duty starts at the Mitsubishi Heavy Industries K.K. shipyard.
20 September 1941:
Registered as an auxiliary stores ship (Otsu) category attached to the Sasebo Naval District under instruction No. 1093. [2]
5 October 1941:
Conversion is completed.
6 October ~ 24 November 1941:
Attached directly to Combined Fleet as an auxiliary stores ship (Otsu) category. [2]
25 November 1941:
Departs Sasebo for the Southern Seas.
8 December 1941:
Arrives at Takao, Formosa (now Kaoshiung, Taiwan). Departs later.
18 December 1941:
Departs Mako, Pescadores. Arrives at Santo Tomas, Philippines later that day.
25 December 1941:
Provisions auxiliary gunboat NAMPO MARU with food.
26 December 1941:
At 1225, departs Santo Tomas in convoy with auxiliary collier/oiler YODOGAWA MARU and auxiliary water tanker KOAN MARU, and ten unidentified merchant ships escorted by auxiliary gunboats TAIKO, MANYO, OKUYO and KAMITSU MARUs.
28 December 1941:
At 1810, arrives at Takao.
1 January 1942:
At 0800, departs Takao in a convoy also consisting of auxiliary collier/oiler YODOGAWA MARU, auxiliary water tankers ASAYAMA and KOAN MARUs, auxiliary storeship KOSEI MARU, auxiliary netlayer KIKU MARU and auxiliary transport KUREHA MARU No. 1 escorted by auxiliary gunboats TAIKO, MANYO, OKUYO and KAMITSU MARUs.
3 January 1942:
At 2039, arrives at Camiguin Island, Philippines. Departs at 2400 in same convoy.
8 January 1942:
At 1030, arrives at Davao, Mindanao, Philippines in same convoy.
20 January 1942:
During an USAAF air attack in the entrance of Davao Bay, collides with destroyer INAZUMA.
2 February 1942:
Departs Tarakan, Borneo, Netherlands Indies (now Indonesia) with auxiliary water tanker KOAN MARU escorted by auxiliary gunboat KAMITSU MARU.
5 February 1942:
Arrives at Davao and departs there for Tarakan later this day.
11 February 1942:
Arrives at Balikpapan, Borneo, Netherlands Indies. Provisions auxiliary gunboats MANYO and TAIKO MARUs with fresh food.
23 February 1942:
Provisions auxiliary gunboat MANYO MARU with fresh food.
10 March 1942:
Provisions auxiliary gunboat MANYO MARU with fresh food.
11 March 1942:
Provisions auxiliary gunboat OKUYO MARU with fresh food.
E12 ~ 18 March 1942:
Departs Balikpapan for Macassar, Borneo, Netherlands Indies.
19 March 1942:
Provisions auxiliary gunboat KAMITSU MARU with food.
10 April 1942:
Arrives at Takao. Attached to IJNAF base Supply Unit.
5 May 1942:
Departs Shimonoseki.
11 May 1942:
Arrives at Sasebo.
14 May 1942:
Departs Sasebo.
15 May 1942:
Scheduled to be fitted with one Type 92 7.7mm Type A MG and five Type 38 ‘Arisaka’ rifles under Navy’s secret instruction No. 5990.
20 May 1942:
Attached to IJNAF base Supply Unit.
21 May 1942:
Arrives at Saipan, Marianas.
23 May 1942:
Departs Saipan.
29 May 1942:
Arrives at Rabaul, New Britain, Bismarck Islands, Australia (now Papua New Guinea).
12 June 1942:
Scheduled to be fitted with one 8cm/40cal deck gun under Navy’s secret instruction No. 7246.
25 June 1942:
Arrives at Yokosuka.
6 July 1942:
Departs Yokosuka.
E 18 July 1942:
Arrives at Rabaul.
23 July 1942:
Departs Rabaul.
6 August 1942:
Arrives at Yokosuka.
17 August 1942:
Departs Yokosuka.
29 August 1942:
Arrives at Rabaul. Auxiliary storeship TAKUNAN MARU arrived the same day and the ships possibly sailed together part of the way.
31 August 1942:
Departs Rabaul.
1 September 1942:
Arrives at Shortland, Bougainville, Solomons, Australia (now Papua New Guinea).
3 September 1942:
Departs Shortland and arrives at Tonolei, Bougainville later this day.
5 September 1942:
Departs Tonolei and arrives at Shortlands later that day.
6 September 1942:
Departs Shortlands.
7 September 1942:
Arrives at Buka, Solomons, Australia (now Papua New Guinea). Departs there later that day.
8 September 1942:
Arrives at Rabaul.
13 September 1942:
Departs Rabaul.
17 September 1942:
Arrives at Truk, Central Carolines.
20 September 1942:
Departs Truk.
25 September 1942:
Arrives at Rabaul.
28 September 1942:
Departs Rabaul.
29 September 1942:
Arrives at Kavieng, New Ireland, Bismarck Islands, Australia (now Papua New Guinea).
30 September 1942:
Departs Kavieng.
1 October 1942:
Attached to Vice Admiral Kusaka Jinichi’s (37) Southeastern Area Fleet, 11th Air Fleet, IJNAF base, Supply Unit.
8 October 1942:
Arrives at Davao.
12 October 1942:
Departs Davao.
15 October 1942:
Arrives at Palau, Western Carolines.
17 October 1942:
Departs Palau.
24 October 1942:
Arrives at Rabaul.
28 October 1942:
Departs Rabaul.
30 October 1942:
Arrives at Shortland.
31 October 1942:
Departs Shortland.
2 November 1942:
Arrives at Rabaul.
5 November 1942:
Departs Rabaul.
6 November 1942:
Arrives at Kavieng.
7 November 1942:
Departs Kavieng with Navy (Resv.) Lt. Hirasawa Yoshikichi acting as Supervisor.
10 November 1942:
On a course towards Nichi Suido (Pianu Pass), Truk. At 2235, LtCdr (later Rear Admiral-Ret) John E. Lee's (USNA '30)'s USS GRAYLING (SS-209), running on surface, makes a visual contact with a small cargo. Lee fires two Mark XV torpedoes and obtains a single hit. SENDAI MARU breaks in half and blows up and sinks immediately thereafter with all hands (10 crewmen) at 07-12N, 150-47E, about 38 nautical miles WSW Nishi Shima (Pianu (Torres) atoll), Truk [3]
Authors' Notes:
[1] NRT is a ship's cargo volume capacity expressed in "register tons", one of which equals to a volume of 100 cubic feet (2.83 m3). It is calculated by subtracting non-revenue-earning spaces i.e. spaces not available for carrying cargo, for example engine rooms, fuel tanks and crew quarters, from the ship's gross register tonnage (GRT). Net register tonnage (NRT) is not a measure of the weight of the ship or its cargo, and should not be confused with terms such as deadweight tonnage or displacement.
[2] There were two categories of Kyuryosen. (Ko) category with an IJN Captain as supervisor aboard and (Otsu) category without.
[3] LtCdr John E. Lee described her as a small loaded tanker.
Thanks go to Gengoro S. Toda of Japan.
- Berend van der Wal, Gilbert Casse and Peter Cundall.
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