RIKUGUN YUSOSEN

(Type 1B Standard Cargo Ship)

IJA SHIROGANESAN MARU:
Tabular Record of Movement

© 2013 Bob Hackett

E 1943:
Tamano. Laid down at Mitsui Bussan K. K. as yard No. 344, a 4,739-ton Wartime Type 1B Standard Cargo Ship for Mitsui Senpaku K. K., Tokyo

1943:
Launched and named SHIROGANESAN MARU. [1]

November 1943:
Completed.

16 December 1943:
Requisitioned by the Imperial Army (IJA) and alloted IJA No. 1165.

27 December 1943:
At 0630, SHIROGANESAN MARU departs Saeki in convoy O-708 also consisting of BOKUYO, HOZUGAWA, KANKYO, MURORAN, OYASHIMA, SHUNKO, and TATSUMI MARUs escorted by torpedo boat SAGI, minelayer YURIJIMA and auxiliary minesweeper TAMA MARU No. 7.

28 December 1943:
At 2000, YURIJIMA and TAMA MARU No. 7 are detached.

E 4 January 1944:
At 1730, arrives at Palau.

11 January 1944:
SHIROGANESAN MARU departs Palau for Sarmi, New Guinea in convoy "Independent Sarmi No. 7" also consisting of BRAZIL, KANKYO, KOYU and MUTSUYO MARUs escorted by subchaser CH-35 and auxiliary subchaser CHa-61.

E 13 January 1944:
CH-35 is detached.

16 January 1944:
Arrives at Wewak, New Guinea.

28 April 1944:
At 1300, SHIROGANESAN MARU departs Takao for Manila in convoy TAMA-17 also consisting of BELGIUM, KENNICHI, KUROGANE, NISSAN, NITTATSU, PEKING, SAN LUIS, SHIROTAE, TAKEGAWA, TSUSHIMA, WALES and YAMAHAGI MARUs escorted by destroyer HARUKAZE, minesweeper W-17 and auxiliary gunboat CHOJUSAN MARU.

29 April 1944:
Destroyer ASAKAZE joins the escort. At 2155, LtCdr Anton R. Gallaher's (USNA ’33) USS BANG (SS-385) torpedoes and sinks TAKEGAWA MARU at 19-20N, 118-50E. Seven crewmen are KIA. Also lost are 17 Daihatsu barges and two lighters.

30 April 1944:
At 0430, Gallaher torpedoes and sinks NITTATSU MARU carrying 250 tons of coal at 19-22N, 118-45E. Four crewmen are KIA.

2 May 1944:
Arrives at Manila.

28 May 1944:
At 1300, SHIROGANESAN MARU departs Manila with auxiliary netlayer KOREI MARU escorting convoy H-27 consisting of SHINNO, KOHOKU, KOSEI, MURORAN, TAIYU, TEIYU (ex-Italian CARIGNANO) and JUZAN MARUs escorted by destroyer TSUGA, patrol boats PB-102 (ex-USS STEWART, DD-224), PB-104 and subchaser CH-38.

3 June 1944:
At 2044, arrives Banka anchorage, NE Celebes.

4 June 1944:
At 0555, departs Banka anchorage.

8 June 1944:
At 1617, arrives Wasile, Halmahera.

11 June 1944:
SHIROGANESAN MARU departs Kau Bay, Halmahera with escorting convoy H-27 (return) consisting of AKAGISAN, KOAN, SORACHI, YOZAN and TAIYU MARUs and YOSHIDA MARU No. 3 escorted by destroyer TSUGA, patrol boat PB-104, subchaser CH-38, auxiliary gunboat KAZAN MARU and auxiliary netlayer KOREI MARU.

12 June 1944:
TSUGA and CH-38 are detached for Davao.

14 June 1944:
At 1003, LtCdr Willard R. Laughon's (USNA ’33) USS RASHER (SS-269) torpedoes and sinks KOAN MARU at 04-33N, 122-23E. One ship's gunner and 13 crewmen are killed. The ship’s Captain remained on the bridge as the ship sank and the fore-post mast pulled him below the surface.

20 June 1944:
At 0925, arrives at Manila.

27 June 1944:
SHIROGANESAN MARU and KENEI, NITTETSU, OEI, TAKETSU (BUTSU) and YAMAKO (SANKO) MARUs join convoy MI-07 that departed Moji on 11 June consisting of GYOKUYO, KOKKO, KAKOGAWA, MINO, MYOGI, NISHI (ex-British KALGAN), OYO, SHINKOKU, TAIKAI and YULIN MARUs and tankers CHIHAYA, RYUSHO, SAKURA, SAN LUIS and TAIEI MARUs, landing ship KORYU (SS-1) and seven unidentified merchant ships escorted by destroyer ASAKAZE, kaibokan YASHIRO and auxiliary minesweeper TAKUNAN MARU No. 3.

At 0600, convoy MI-07 departs Manila for Miri, Borneo.

2 July 1944:
Arrives at Miri.

5 July 1944:
At 0600, SHIROGANESAN MARU departs Miri in convoy MISHI-04 also consisting of cargo ships GYOKUYO, KENEI and KOKKO MARUs and SHINSEI MARU No. 17 and tankers SHIMPO MARU and KYOEI MARU No. 8 escorted by destroyer ASAKAZE and kaibokan YASHIRO.

9 July 1944:
Arrives at Singapore.

2 August 1944:
SHIROGANESAN MARU departs Saigon for Manila in convoy SAMA-16 also consisting of CHINZEI MARU and an unidentified merchant escorted by subchasers CH-41 and CH-19. SHIROGANESAN MARU carries 500 tons of ammunition and 5,720 tons of rice.

6 August 1944:
South China Sea. At 0312, LtCdr (later Captain) Henry G. Munson's (USNA ’32) USS RASHER (SS-269) torpedoes and sinks SHIROGANESAN MARU at 14-10N, 117-02EBecause of bad weather no boats could be launched. 15 passengers, 14 gunners and 22 crewmen are KIA.

Author’s Note:
[1] Also known as SIROGANESAN MARU.

Thanks go to Erich Muehlthaler of Germany.

- Bob Hackett

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