Tabular Record of Movement
©2014-2017 Bob Hackett
- Bob Hackett
1 June 1917:
Yokohama. Laid down at Yokohama Dock Co., Ltd. as Yard No. 51, a
1,254-ton -cargo ship for Kishimoto Kisen K. K. of Osaka.
29 September 1917:
Launched and named SHINTEN MARU.
10 November 1917:
Completed and placed on Kishimoto Kisen’s Osaka ~
Hokkaido route.
24 January 1920:
Off Ayukawa, Miyagi prefecture. A severe storm
drives SHINTEN MARU ashore.
1928:
SHINTEN MARU is transferred to Settsu Shosen, K. K. of Fuchu
then chartered to the Osaka Shosen Kaisha (OSK Line) of Osaka.
1938:
SHINTEN MARU is renamed SINTEN MARU.
12 August 1941:
Requisitioned by the Imperial Army (IJA). Allotted Army No. IJA No.49.
24 March 1942:
SSE of Dongting Island, China. At 1030, gunboat SHINKO MARU No. 1 GO escorts SHINTEN MARU
25 March 1942:
At 0500, SHINKO MARU No. 1 GO ends escort.
August 1943:
Ferries troops from Shanghai up the Yangtze River to
Wuhu, JiuJiang and Hankow.
18 March 1944:
SHINTEN MARU is damaged by a mine off Kaimana,
Netherlands East Indies.
23 June 1944:
At 0750, SHINTEN MARU departs Wasile in a convoy also
consisting of YAMAMIYA MARU, auxiliaries TONAN MARU and KAIO MARU No. 3 and two
unidentified ships escorted by minesweeper W-5.
25 June 1944:
At 0225, LtCdr Richard E. Nichols' (USNA '34) USS
BASHAW (SS-241) torpedoes and damages YAMAMIYA MARU at 03-27N, 127-12E. 42
crewmen are KIA. SHINTEN MARU takes YAMAMIYA MARU under tow.
29 June 1944: :
At 1330 SHINTEN and YAMAMIYA MARUs arrive at the
Talaud Islands. YAMAMIYA MARU is run aground, then unloaded and abandoned.
8 August 1944:
Wada Misaki near Kobe harbor. SHINTEN MARU is damaged
by a mine.
22 August 1944:
SHINTEN MARU departs Takao, Formosa for Kagoshima via
Kirun (Keelung) in convoy TAKA-808 also consisting of seven unidentified ships
with an unidentified escort. SHINTEN MARU carries a cargo of rice and canned
goods.
22 August 1944 ~ 8 September 1944:
The convoy is delayed in Kirun for
two weeks for unknown reasons.
8 September 1944:
SHINTEN MARU departs Kirun for Naha, Okinawa in
convoy TAKA-808 also consisting of cargo ships BUSHU, NICHIAN and NICHIMAN MARUs
and DAIBOSHI MARU No. 6 and TOYO MARU No. 1, store ship KINEZAKI, IJA oiler
KENJO MARU and escorted by minelayer NIIZAKI, subchaser CH-49, auxiliary minesweepers HIMESHIMA, HOEI and SEKI MARUs, auxiliary NITTO
MARU and auxiliary netlayer SHINTO MARU No. 2.
At 2205, the convoy is attacked by LtCdr (later Cdr) Gordon W. Underwood's (USNA ‘32) USS SPADEFISH (SS-411). Underwood torpedoes and sinks NICHIAN MARU at 24-45N, 123-20E. 51 crewmen are KIA. Underwood also torpedoes and sinks NICHIMAN MARU at 24-45N, 123-20E. 53 crewmen are KIA.
At 2320, SPADEFISH attacks the convoy again. Underwood torpedoes and hits SHOKEI MARU’s port side aft. She sinks at 24-45N, 123-20E. Two crewmen are KIA. SPADEFISH also torpedoes and sinks SHINTEN MARU at 24-45N, 123-20E. Eight crewmen and two gunners are KIA.
Authors Notes:
Thanks go to Erich Muehlthaler of Germany.
