YUSOSEN!
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(Oiler by Takeshi Yuki scanned from "Color Paintings
of Japanese Warships")
TONAN MARU: Tabular Record of Movement
© 2008 Bob Hackett and Peter Cundall.
E 1905:
Dumbarton, Scotland. Laid down by William Denny & Bros. for London’s New Zealand Shipping Co.
5 November 1906:
Launched and named OPAWA.
18 December 1906:
Completed and placed in service as a refrigerated cargo ship. Transports frozen produce between Britain and New Zealand.
1914-1918:
During WWI, continues transporting food to Britain for the New Zealand Shipping Co. Additionally, carries some Australian and New Zealand troops to Britain.
September 1927:
Laid up at Falmouth.
1928:
Sold to Brunn & von der Lippe, Tonsberg, Norway. Converted to a whale factory ship. Renamed ANTARCTIC.
1934:
Sold to Nippon Hogei K. K., Tokyo, a subsidiary of Nippon Suisan Kabushiki Kaisha (Japan Fisheries Co., Ltd.) of Tokyo and renamed ANTARCTIC MARU. Departs Japan for whaling operations in the Antarctic Ocean.
1935:
Renamed TONAN MARU.
1936:
Owner restyled as Kyodo Kigyo K.K., Tokyo
1938:
Transferred to Nippon Suisan K. K., Tokyo.
12 January 1943:
TONAN MARU departs Miike in an unidentified convoy with an unknown escort.
20 January 1943:
Arrives at Takao.
10 August 1943:
At 1400, TONAN MARU departs Moji for Mako, Pescadores in convoy No. 185 also consisting of tankers TACHIBANA, SAN RAMON, YAMAMIZU and NICHIRIN MARUs passenger-cargo ships KACHIDOKI (ex-PRESIDENT HARRISON) and GINYO MARUs, cargo ship ASUKA MARU and four unidentified ships escorted by kaibokan SADO.
15 August 1943:
Arrives at Mako.
23 November 1943:
At 1530, TONAN MARU departs Takao, Formosa for Cape St. Jacques, Indochina in convoy No. 340 also consisting of tanker ZUIYO MARU, cargo ships SYDNEY, UNKAI, SHOEI, and SEKINO MARUs, small Vichy French cargo ship BERYL and seven unidentified ships escorted by kaibokan MATSUWA. In the next four days, five ships are detached for various reasons.
28 November 1943:
South China Sea, off Indochina. At about 0200, Cdr Frederick C. Lucas' USS BILLFISH (SS-286) picks up the convoy heading south at nine knots seven miles off Varella. Lucas signals Cdr Walter T. Griffith's USS BOWFIN (SS-287) about the convoy. Griffith, three miles off Varella, receives sister-ship BILLFISH's signal and BOWFIN begins tracking the convoy on the surface. At 0412, BOWFIN torpedoes and sinks TONAN MARU at 12-50N, 109-35E. Griffith also torpedoes and sinks SYDNEY MARU in the same location.
- Bob Hackett and Peter Cundall.
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