Japanese Supply Ships

KYURYOKAN

(Cargo ship by Takeshi Yuki scanned from "Color Paintings of Japanese Warships")

IJN SHIRASAKI: Tabular Record of Movement
© 2007-2008 Bob Hackett and Peter Cundall.

18 May 1942:
Osaka. Laid down at Hitachi Zosen’s Sakurajima shipyard.
20 August 1942:
Designated SHIRASAKI.
5 November 1942:
Launched.
30 January 1943:
Completed and registered in the Kure Naval District.
20 June 1943:
Departs Ominato in an unidentified convoy consisting of HAKKAI, TERUKAWA and AKASHISAN MARUs and SHIRASAKI escorted by destroyers HATSUSHIMO and WAKABA.
23 June 1943:
Arrives at Paramushiro, Kuriles.
19 September 1944:
At 0800, SHIRASAKI departs Otaru, W Hokkaido, for Kashiwabara, Paramushiro Island in convoy KIRA-803 consisting of RIZAN MARU and two unidentified ships escorted by destroyer KAMIKAZE and kaibokan FUKUE.
21 September 1944:
At about 2200, in poor weather, LtCdr (later Captain) Melvin H. Dry’s USS SEA RAVEN (SS-196) torpedoes and sinks RIZAN MARU at 49-36N, 145-30E.
29 September 1944:
Convoy KIRA-803 arrives back at Otaru.
19 September 1944:
At 0800, SHIRASAKI departs Otaru, W Hokkaido, for Kashiwabara, Paramushiro Island in convoy KIRA-803 consisting of RIZAN MARU and two unidentified ships escorted by destroyer KAMIKAZE and kaibokan FUKUE.
25 April 1945:
At 1800, SHIRASAKI departs Ominato, Honshu for Kashiwabara, Paramushiro Island, Kuriles in convoy KI-503 consisting of AITOKU, KURETAKE and TENRYO MARUs escorted by kaibokan HACHIJO and CD-47.
2 May 1945:
Arrives at Kashiwabara.
11 May 1945:
Kataoka Bay, Shimushu Island, Kuriles. At 1619, seven 11th Air Force B-24 “Liberator” heavy bombers bomb and strafe shipping in the anchorage. They sink AITOKU MARU and damage HACHIJO.
18 May 1945:
At 1730, SHIRASAKI departs Otaru, Hokkaido for Paramushiro Island, Kuriles in the "Chi" convoy consisting of KASUGASAN, KURETAKE and TENRYO MARUs escorted by kaibokan SHIMUSHU and CD-112.
19 May 1945:
At 1709, A Russian merchant ship advises the convoy that a submarine lies ahead. The convoy changes course.
23 May 1945:
Arrives at Paramushiro.
26 May 1945:
At 2000, SHIRASAKI departs Paramushiro, Kuriles for Otaru, Hokkaido in the “Chi” convoy consisting of KURETAKE, TENRYO and KASUGASAN MARUs escorted by kaibokans SHIMUSHU, HACHIJO and CD-112.
29 May 1945:
At 2055, LtCdr Hugh H. Lewis' USS STERLET (SS-392) torpedoes KURETAKE and TENRYO MARUs. KURETAKE MARU's crew struggles to control flooding, but TENRYO MARU sinks soon after being hit taking down 885 men of the 23rd Air Defense Battalion and 83 crewmen. Lewis attacks the escorts, but scores no hits with 11 torpedoes. STERLET is spared a counter-attack by the kaibokan.
30 May 1945:
At 0600, KURETAKE MARU sinks. SHIMUSHU rescues more than 400 survivors.
31 May 1945:
Arrives at Otaru.
15 August 1945:
SHIRASAKI’s crew is notified of the termination of the war.
5 October 1945:
Removed from the Navy List.
8 October 1945:
Departs Ominato.
12 October 1945:
Arrives at Pusan and departs later that day.
13 October 1945:
Arrives at Hakata. Rapidly discharges and returns to Pusan. Departs again, all in a single day.
14 October 1945:
Arrives at Hakata.
17 October 1945:
Departs Hakata and later that day arrives Pusan.
19 October 1945:
Departs Pusan and arrives Hakata same day.
23 October 1945:
Departs Hakata arriving Pusan same day.
24 October 1945:
Arrives at Hakata.
29 October 1945:
Departs Hakata and arrives and departs Pusan that same day.
30 October 1945:
Arrives at Hakata.
2 November 1945:
Departs Hakata. Later that same day, arrives and departs Pusan.
3 November 1945:
Arrives at Hakata.
6 November 1945:
Departs Hakata.
7 November 1945:
Arrives at Chinkai (Chenhai) and departs later that day.
8 November 1945:
Arrives at Hakata.
13 November 1945:
Departs Hakata.
14 November 1945:
Arrives at Pusan and departs later that day.
16 November 1945:
Arrives at Hakata.
25 November-8 December 1945:
Nagasaki. Undergoes repairs, probably at the Kawaminami yard.
1 December 1945:
Officially assigned to the Allied Repatriation Service as a demobilization transport.
1 January 1946-12 January 1946:
Undergoes further repairs at an unknown yard.
18 January 1946:
Departs Hakata.
19 January 1946:
Arrives at Pusan and departs later that day.
22 January 1946:
Arrives at Hakata.
23 January 1946:
Departs Hakata.
24 January 1946:
Arrives at Pusan and departs later that day.
25 January 1946:
Arrives at Hakata.
28 January 1946:
Departs Hakata.
29 January 1946:
Arrives at Pusan and departs later that day.
1 February 1946:
Arrives at Shanghai and deeparts later that day.
3 February 1946:
Arrives at Kagoshima and departs later that day.
4 February 1946:
Arrives at Hakata.
10 February 1946:
Departs Hakata.
12 February 1946:
Arrives at Shanghai.
13 February 1946:
Departs Shanghai.
15 February 1946:
Arrives at Hakata.
17 February 1946:
Departs Hakata.
18 February 1946:
Arrives at Pusan and departs later that day.
23 February 1946:
Arrives at Shanghai and departs later that day.
25 February 1946:
Arrives at Hakata.
1 March 1946:
Departs Hakata.
3 March 1946:
Arrives at Shanghai and departs later that day.
5 March 1946:
Arrives at Hakata.
7 March 1946:
Departs Hakata.
10 March 1946:
Arrives at Sasebo and departs later that day.
12 March 1946:
Arrives at Shanghai and departs later that day.
15 March 1946:
Arrives at Hakata.
17 March 1946:
Departs Hakata.
18 March 1946:
Arrives at Pusan and departs later that day.
19 March 1946 Arrives at Shanghai.
20 March 1946:
Departs Shanghai.
22 March 1946:
Arrives at Hakata.
29 March 1946-20 April 1946:
Tamano. Undergoes repairs at Mitsui.
24 April 1946:
Departs Saiki.
26 April 1946:
Arrives at Shanghai and departs later that day.
30 April 1946:
Arrives at Kagoshima.
3 May 1946:
Departs Hakata.
5 May 1946:
Arrives at Shanghai and departs later that day.
8 May 1946:
Arrives at Hakata and departs later that day.
11 May 1946:
Arrives at Korojima (near Tsientsin).
14 May 1946:
Departs Korojima.
19 May 1946:
Arrives at Hakata
23 May 1946:
Departs Hakata.
26 May 1946:
Arrives at Korojima.
28 May 1946:
Departs Korojima.
30 May 1946:
Arrives at Hakata.
3 June 1946:
Departs Hakata.
6 June 1946:
Arrives at Korojima.
7 June 1946:
Departs Korojima.
10 June 1946:
Arrives at Sasebo.
13 June 1946:
Departs Hakata.
14 June 1946:
Arrives at Korojima.
17 June 1946:
Departs Korojima.
21 June 1946:
Arrives at Hakata.
23 June 1946:
Departs Hakata.
26 June 1946:
Arrives at Korojima.
30 June 1946:
Departs Korojima.
3 July 1946:
Arrives at Hakata.
9 July 1946-23 July 1946:
Tamano. Undergoes repairs at Mitsui.
14 August 1946:
Departs Ujina.
16 August 1946:
Arrives at Okinawa and departs later that day.
18 August 1946:
Arrives at Kure.
20 August 1946:
Departs Kure.
21 August 1946:
Arrives at Okinawa.
24 August 1946:
Departs Okinawa.
26 August 1946:
Arrives at Kure.
4 September 1946:
Departs Ujina.
7 September 1946:
Arrives at Okinawa and departs later that day.
10 September 1946:
Arrives at Kure.
13 September 1946:
Departs Kure.
15 September 1946 :
Arrives at Okinawa.
16 September 1946:
Departs Okinawa.
18 September 1946:
Arrives at Kure.
20 September 1946:
Departs Ujina.
22 September 1946:
Arrives at Okinawa.
23 September 1946:
Departs Okinawa.
25 September 1946:
Arrives at Kure.
30 September 1946:
Departs Ujina.
2 October 1946:
Arrives at Okinawa.
3 October 1946:
Departs Okinawa.
5 October 1946:
Arrives at Kagoshima.
6 October 1946:
Departs Kagoshima.
8 October 1946:
Arrives at Ujina and departs later that day.
11 October 1946:
Arrives at Okinawa and departs later that day.
13 October 1946:
Arrives at Kure.
16 October 1946:
Departs Ujina.
18 October 1946:
Arrives at Naze.
19 October 1946:
Departs Naze.
21 October 1946:
Arrives at Kure.
26 October 194:
6 Departs Otaka.
29 October 1946:
Arrives at Naze.
30 October 1946:
Departs Naze.
31 October 1946:
Arrives at Hakata.
1-14 November 1946:
Tamano. Undergoes repairs at Mitsui.
29 November 1946:
Departs Ujina.
30 November 1946:
Arrives at Okinawa.
2 December 1946:
Departs Okinawa.
5 December 1946:
Arrives at Kure.
3 October 1947:
Tsingtao (Qingdao), China. Ceded to the Nationalist Republic of China as a war reparation. Renamed WU LING.
1970:
Demilitarized.

Authors’ Notes:
[1] No data were found detailing SHIRASAKI’s movements during July 1943-August 1944. Readers with access to such data are requested to post the information on the Discussion and Questions board or at j-aircraft.org's IJN Ship Message Board

- Bob Hackett and Peter Cundall.

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