ZATSUYOSEN!
(S.S. THURSTON prewar, sistership of WAR OASIS, later
SHOEI MARU)
IJN SHOEI MARU:
Tabular Record of Movement
© 2014 Gilbert Casse, Bob Hackett and Peter Cundall
E 1918:
West Hartlepool, Sunderland, Great Britain. Laid down by William Gray & Co., Ltd shipyard for the British Government’s Shipping Controller as a WWI C-Type 3,099-ton standard cargo ship.
November 1918:
Launched and named WAR OASIS.
February 1919:
Completed and registered in London.
1919:
Sold to Ashwin & amp; Co. Renamed OAKWIN. Her official number is 142770 and call sign JVTS . Her Gross Registered Tonnage (GRT) and Net Registered Tonnage (NRT) respectively are 3,099-tons and 1,870-tons. Captain J. O. Williams is appointed CO. [1]
1920:
Sold to Sir W. Reardon Smith.
18 October 1920:
Departs Fremantle, Australia.
4 November 1921:
Departs Fremantle.
1924:
Renamed GENERAL LUKIN. Sold first to Oakwin Steam Ship Co., Ltd and later to Sir W.R. Smith & amp; Sons Ltd. Her NRT is changed to 1,866-tons. [1]
1927:
Sold to St. Just Steam Ship Co., Ltd.
1928:
Sold to Shoei Kisen K.K and her registry port changed to Tarumi, Hyogo Prefecture. Renamed SHOEI MARU. Her official number is changed to 33569 with call sign TNMW. Her GRT and NRT are respectively changed to 3,083-tons and 1,859-tons. [1] [2]
1932:
Sold to Towa Kisen K.K.
1933:
Her call sign is changed to JCDC.
1941:
Her port of registry is changed to Kobe.
21 August 1941:
Requisitioned by the IJN as a general requisitioned transport attached to the Yokosuka Naval District.
1 December 1941:
Arrives at Yawata, Fukuoka Prefecture.
4 December 1941:
Departs Yawata.
7 December 1941:
Arrives at Chinnampo, Chosen (now North Korea).
16 December 1941:
Departs Chinnampo.
21 December 1941:
Arrives at Mako, Pescadores.
22 December 1941:
Departs Mako.
23 December 1941:
Arrives at Takao, Formosa (now Kaohsiung, Taiwan).
26 December 1941:
Departs Takao and arrives at Mako later that day.
5 January 1942:
Departs Mako.
6 January 1942:
Arrives at Takao.
9 January 1942:
Departs Takao.
10 January 1942:
Arrives at Kirun (now Keelung), Formosa.
12 January 1942:
Departs Kirun.
18 January 1942:
Arrives at Osaka.
E January ~ February 1942:
Probably undergoes maintenance and repairs.
28 February 1942:
Departs Osaka.
1 March 1942:
Arrives at Kure.
7 March 1942:
Departs Kure.
14 March 1942:
Arrives at Takao.
19 March 1942:
Departs Takao.
23 March 1942:
Arrives at Kirun.
27 March 1942:
Departs Kirun.
1 April 1942:
Arrives at Osaka.
3 April 1942:
Departs Osaka.
4 April 1942:
Arrives at Innoshima, Hiroshima Prefecture. Begins conversion to military duty at Osaka Iron Works K. K. shipyard.
10 April 1942:
Registered in the IJN as an auxiliary transport (Otsu) category attached to the Yokosuka Naval District with Yokosuka as home port under Navy’s instruction No. 663. [3]
2 May 1942:
The conversion is completed. Departs Innoshima.
3 May 1942:
Arrives at Moji.
4 May 1942:
Departs Moji.
5 May 1942:
Arrives at Osaka.
9 May 1942:
Departs Osaka.
E 10 May 1942:
Arrives at Moji.
11 May 1942:
At 1200 departs Moji in convoy No. 111 also consisting of eight unidentified merchant ships escorted by auxiliary gunboat HUASHAN (KAZAN) MARU.
16 May 1942:
Arrives at Takao.
23 May 1942:
Departs Takao.
1 June 1942:
Arrives at Dairen, Manchuria (now Dalian, northern China).
8 June 1942:
Departs Dairen.
15 June 1942:
Arrives at Tokyo.
17 June 1942:
Departs Tokyo in a convoy also consisting of civilian cargo ships (C-AK) KOYO (3022 GRT), INARI and NIKKO MARUs, IJA transport SETSUYO MARU and government owned passenger ship (C-AP) RASHU MARU, escorted by auxiliary gunboat KEISHIN MARU.
20 June 1942:
Arrives at Muroran, Hokkaido.
23 June 1942:
Departs Muroran.
27 June 1942:
Arrives at Chirikoro, Karafuto (now Nerpichye, Sakhalin).
2 July 1942:
Departs Chirikoro.
10 July 1942:
Arrives at Osaka.
12 July 1942:
Departs Osaka.
16 July 1942:
Arrives at Otaru.
18 July 1942:
Departs Otaru.
20 July 1942:
Arrives at Chirikoro.
24 July 1942:
Departs Chirikoro.
30 July 1942:
Arrives at Tokyo.
2 August 1942:
Departs Tokyo.
9 August 1942:
Arrives at Asase, Karafuto.
15 August 1942:
Departs Asase.
21 August 1942:
Arrives at Osaka.
23 August 1942:
Departs Osaka.
9 September 1942:
Arrives at Nagoya.
11 September 1942:
Departs Nagoya.
13 September 1942:
From 10 NM E of Kinkasan escorted by auxiliary gunboat DELHI MARU.
19 September 1942:
Arrives at Raichishi (now Aynuskoye), Karafuto.
22 September 1942:
Departs Raichishi.
29 September 1942:
Arrives at Nagoya.
1 October 1942:
Departs Nagoya.
11 October 1942:
Arrives at Shikuka (now Poronaisk), Karafuto.
20 October 1942:
Departs Shikuka.
31 October 1942:
Arrives at Yokohama.
19 November 1942:
Departs Yokohama.
21 November 1942:
Arrives at Shiogama, Miyagi Prefecture.
24 November 1942:
Departs Shiogama.
26 November 1942:
Arrives at Muroran.
3 December 1942:
Departs Muroran.
6 December 1942:
Arrives at Tokyo.
11 December 1942:
Departs Tokyo.
15 December 1942:
Arrives at Kushiro, Hokkaido.
21 December 1942:
Departs Kushiro.
26 December 1942:
Arrives at Tokyo.
29 December 1942:
Departs Tokyo in North Convoy No. 80 also consisting of auxiliary transports KAIKO MARU and SHINYO MARU No. 8, IJA transport UGO MARU, IJA shared transport (A/C-AK) UGA MARU and civilian cargo ship YUZAN MARU (6,380 GRT) escorted by auxiliary gunboat DELHI MARU.
6 January 1943:
SHOEI MARU is detached at some point and arrives at Otaru.
14 January 1943:
Departs Otaru.
16 January 1943:
Departs Muroran in convoy No. 2116 also consisting of IJA transports TSURUSHIMA and FRANCE MARUs, civilian ore carrier (C-AC) TOYOKUNI MARU, civilian cargo ships (C-AK) MASAJIMA and JINBU MARUs escorted by destroyer NAMIKAZE.
19 January 1943:
Arrives at Tokyo.
22 January 1943:
Departs Tokyo.
25 January 1943:
Arrives at Muroran.
31 January 1943:
Departs Muroran.
2 February 1943:
Arrives at Tokyo.
8 February 1943:
Departs Tokyo in convoy No. 1208B also consisting of civilian cargo ship (C-AK) KONRI GO (ex Chinese KWEN LEE), IJN requisitioned cargo ship (B-AK) SHINTO (KAMISHIMA) MARU, IJA transports SEIRYU and KIFUNE MARUs escorted by auxiliary gunboat KASAGI MARU.
9 February 1943:
KASAGI MARU is assigned to stop escorting convoy No. 1208 B and head to the distress site of TATUTA (TATSUTA) MARU at high speed at 112° and 45 nautical miles of Miyakejima, rescue victims of TATUTA MARU and carry out anti submarine sweeps under wireless No. 132.
Later this day wireless No 132 is canceled under wireless No. 133.
10 February 1943:
Hit by a dud torpedo fired by an unidentified submarine, at 40-18N, 141-55E. No damage sustained.
11 February 1943:
Arrives at Hakodate, Hokkaido.
17 February 1943:
Departs Hakodate and arrives at Muroran later in the day.
23 February 1943:
Departs Muroran.
28 February 1943:
Arrives at Osaka.
3 March 1943:
Departs Osaka.
4 March 1943:
Arrives at Kure.
6 March 1943:
Departs Kure.
12 March 1943:
Arrives at Ominato, Aomori Prefecture.
13 March 1943:
Departs Ominato.
16 March 1943:
Arrives at Muroran. Departs later that same day.
21 March 1943:
Arrives at Nagoya.
25 March 1943:
Departs Nagoya.
29 March 1943:
Arrives at Kushiro.
1 April 1943:
Departs Kushiro.
20 April 1943:
Arrives at Tokyo.
24 April 1943:
Departs Tokyo and arrives at Yokohama later that day.
25 April 1943:
Departs Yokohama and arrives at Yokosuka later in the day.
28 April 1943:
Departs Yokosuka in convoy No. 7428 also consisting of civilian cargo ships (C-AK) SHOHO (1365 GRT, SAISHU and YOZAN MARUs escorted by patrol boat PB-101 (ex-HMS THRACIAN). SHOHO MARU is bound for Nagasaki.
29 April 1943:
At 0540, off Omae Zaki YOZAN MARU is detached.
1 May 1943:
Arrives at Kure.
3 May 1943:
Departs Kure.
4 May 1943:
Arrives at Innoshima.
5 May 1943:
Enters drydock for maintenance and repairs.
20 May 1943:
Repairs are completed. Undocked.
21 May 1943:
Departs Innoshima.
22 May 1943:
Arrives at Kure.
23 May 1943:
Departs Kure.
24 May 1943:
Arrives at Shimonoseki, Yamaguchi Prefecture.
26 May 1943:
Departs Shimonoseki.
27 May 1943:
Arrives at Miike, Fukuoka Prefecture.
29 May 1943:
Departs Miike.
31 May 1943:
Arrives at Tsukumi, Oita Prefecture, Kyushu.
8 June 1943:
Departs Tsukumi.
13 June 1943:
Arrives at Tokyo.
20 June 1943:
Departs Tokyo.
24 June 1943:
Arrives at Hakodate.
26 June 1943:
Departs Hakodate.
27 June 1943:
Arrives at Kushiro.
2 July 1943:
Departs Kushiro.
8 July 1943:
Arrives at Osaka.
12 July 1943:
Departs Osaka.
19 July 1943:
Arrives at Chinnampo.
23 July 1943:
Departs Chinnampo.
1 August 1943:
Arrives at Yokosuka.
4 August 1943:
Departs Yokosuka for Truk in convoy No. 3083B also consisting of auxiliary transport ASAHISAN MARU escorted by auxiliary subchaser SEKI MARU No. 2.
7 August 1943:
Arrives at Chichi-Jima, Ogasawara Gunto (Bonins).
8 August 1943:
Departs Chichi-Jima.
12 August 1943:
Arrives at Saipan, Marianas. Departs later that same day.
16 August 1943:
Arrives at Truk, Central Carolines.
10 September 1943:
Departs Truk as the only merchant ship in convoy No. 5101 escorted by subchaser CH-28 and auxiliary subchasers CHa-28 and CHa-46.
15 September 1943:
Arrives at Kwajalein, Marshalls.
1 October 1943:
Departs Kwajalein in convoy No. 6011 consisting of SHOEI MARU only escorted by subchaser CH-29.
5 October 1943:
Arrives at Truk.
22 October 1943:
At 1000, departs Truk in convoy No. 4022 also consisting of auxiliary transport HIYOSHI MARU and IJN requisitioned cargo ship (B-AK) YAMAKUNI MARU escorted by torpedo boat OTORI.
25 October 1943:
HIYOSHI MARU is detached at some point and arrives at Saipan later that day.
1 November 1943:
Arrives at Yokosuka.
13 November 1943:
At 1100, departs Yokosuka in convoy No. 3113 also consisting of auxiliary transports KENSHO, KIMISHIMA MARUs and SHINSEI MARU No. 18, requisitioned transports (B-AK) YAMAKUNI and TSUNESHIMA MARUs escorted by destroyer IKAZUCHI and kaibokan HIRADO. Arrives at Tokuyama later in the day.
14 November 1943:
The convoy departs Tokuyama for Truk.
24 November 1943:
At 1100, the convoy arrives at Truk. SHINSEI MARU No. 18 that was apparently detached arrives later that same day escorted by auxiliary minesweeper KINJO MARU and later auxiliary gunboat FUKUYAMA MARU.
14 December 1943:
At 1220, departs Truk for Kwajalein in convoy No. 5142 also consisting of auxiliary transport KENSHO MARU escorted by subchaser CH-29.
19 December 1943:
At 1400, arrives at Kwajalein. At 2244, SHOEI MARU is hit and heavily damaged in a major air attack on the Atoll.
20 December 1943:
SHOEI MARU sinks with the loss of five of her crew. Later that day, in another air strike by 16 Consolidated B-24 “Liberators”, KENSHO MARU is hit by bombs and heavily damaged and unnavigable.
5 February 1944:
Removed from the Navy’s list under instruction No. 305.
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] Not to be confused with IJA transport No. 273 (298 GRT, ’35), IJN shared tanker (2,764 GRT, ’42), auxiliary transport (1,986 GRT, ’37), IJA shared tanker No. 5201 (2,854 GRT, ’44) and auxiliary gunboat (3,580 GRT, ’36).
[3] There were two categories of Zatsuyosen. (Ko) category with an IJN Captain as supervisor aboard and (Otsu) category without.
Thanks go to Gengoro S. Toda of Japan.
Gilbert Casse, Bob Hackett and Peter Cundall
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