Japanese Army Auxiliary Transports

RIKUGUN YUSOSEN

(TOYAMA MARU, prewar)

IJA TOYAMA MARU:
Tabular Record of Movement
© 2012-2017 Bob Hackett

4 August 1913:
Nagasaki. Laid down at Mitsubishi Dockyard & Engineering Works as Yard No. 243, a 7,090-ton cargo ship for Nippon Yusen Kaisha, K. K. (NYK) Line, Tokyo.
20 March 1915:
Launched and named TOYAMA MARU.
3 June 1915:
Completed.
6 July 1935:
Sold to Nanyo Kaiun K. K, Osaka.
21 December 1936:
Sold to Ono Shoji Gomel K. K., Tokyo.
29 January 1941:
Requisitioned by the Imperial Army (IJA) and assigned Army No. 782.
8 December 1941:
The Pacific War Begins.
17 December 1941: Operation "M" (M Sakusen) -The Invasion of Lamon Bay, S Luzon, Philippines:
At 1500, TOYAMA MARU departs Koniya, Amami Oshima, Ryukuyus for Lamon Bay in an Invasion Force also consisting of IJA transports BENGAL, DAINICHI, DURBAN, KAIMEI, KAYO, KITANO, KOFUKU, LISBON, NAGATO, NICHIREN, RYOKA, RYUYO, SHINSEI, SHINSHU (4182 GRT), TAIAN, TATSUNO, TOFUKU and TOYOHASHI MARUs and TAMON MARU No. 5.
The Army force consists of Gen (later Field Marshal) Count Terauchi Hisachi’s Southern Expeditionary Army. Its 14th Army, under LtGen Homma Masaharu, fields MajGen Morioka Susumu's Invasion Unit of about 7,000 troops consisting of elements of the 16th Infantry Division: 20th Infantry Regiment, 22nd Field Artillery Regiment, HQ and II Battalion, 16 HQ Company, 16th Engineer Battalion, 16th Recon Battalion, 3/45 AA Company, 16th Transport, 16th Signal Company, 16th Medical Unit and 16th Veterinary Unit. Two AA and one Signals regiments are stationed on transports.
The naval force consists of Vice Admiral (later Admiral) Kondo Nobutake's (35)(former CO of KONGO) Southern Force, Philippines Invasion Group that includes Vice Admiral Takahashi Ibo’s (35)(former CO of YAMASHIRO) Third Fleet.
Rear Admiral (later Vice Admiral) Kubo Kyuji’s (38) (former CO of KAGA) Invasion Unit consists of his 1st Base Force HQ, in light cruiser NAGARA, 1st Quartermaster Ports and Docks Unit and 1st Naval Signal Unit, aboard HAKUSAN MARU, 1st Naval Guard Unit, aboard KIMISHIMA MARU, 1st Naval Survey Unit in SENKO MARU and Captain (later Vice Admiral) Mori Kunizo's (40)(former CO of SATA) Sasebo No. 1 and 2 Combined Special Naval Landing Force (SNLF) aboard MYOKO MARU.
The convoy’s escort consists of light cruiser NAGARA (F), heavy cruiser ASHIGARA, destroyers TOKITSUKAZE, YUKIKAZE, KAWAKAZE, SUSUKAZE, UMIKAZE, YAMAKAZE, minelayer AOTAKA, minesweepers W-7 and W-8, auxiliary gunboat/minelayer IKUSHIMA MARU, auxiliary gunboats BUSHO, KEIKO, KANKO and MYOKEN MARUs, auxiliary subchasers SHONAN MARU No. 17 and TAKUNAN MARU No. 5 and auxiliary netlayer FUKUEI MARU No. 15.
24 December 1941:
At 0200, the Invasion Force arrives at Lamon Bay. The landings proceed without strong opposition.
4 July 1942:
TOYAMA MARU departs Sasebo for Takao in convoy No. 133 also consisting of transports KANJO, REKIZAN, SHIROGANE and TARUSHIMA MARUs escorted by torpedo boat SAGI.
E 8 July 1942:
TARUSHIMA MARU is detached for Kirun, Formosa (now Keelung, Taiwan).
9 July 1942:
Arrives at Takao.
21 July 1942:
TOYAMA MARU departs Mako, Pescadores in convoy No. 321 also consisting of ITALY, TACOMA, TEIYO (ex-German SAARLAND), WALES MARUs and four unidentified ships escorted by minelayer HOKO MARU and subchaser CH-9.
28 July 1942:
Arrives at St Jacques, Vichy French Indochina.
20 December 1942:
TOYAMA MARU departs Mako in convoy No. 210 also consisting of transport HIROTA MARU and four unidentified merchant ships escorted by destroyer NAGATSUKI.
26 December 1942:
Arrives at Moji.

14 January 1943:
TOYAMA MARU departs Saeki in convoy "Hinoe No. 3 Go" also consisting of BENGAL, DAINICHI, ENGLAND, NAGATO, RYUYO, SHONAN, TOFUKU and ZUISHO MARUs escorted by torpedo boat HATO, minelayer YURIJIMA and subchaser CH-37.
E 15 January 1943:
YURIJIMA and CH-37 are detached at 29N.
January 1943:
TOYAMA MARU departs Shanghai in a convoy also consisting of HAMBURG, HIMALAYA and TAMAHOKO MARUs.
E 29 January 1943:
Destroyer HASU joins the escort.
31 January 1943:
Arrives at Takao.
24 March 1943:
TOYAMA MARU departs Palau for Rabaul, New Britain in a convoy also consisting of ATLAS, BENGAL HAMBURG and KIZAN MARUs and YOSHIDA MARU No. 3 with an unknown escort.
2 April 1943:
Arrives at Rabaul.
20 April 1943:
At 1410, TOYAMA MARU departs Rabaul in a convoy also consisting of BENGAL, KENKOKU, SHINNO and TAMATSU MARUs escorted by subchaser CH-24.
E 27 April 1943:
Arrives at Palau.
1 May 1943:
TOYAMA MARU departs Palau in convoy No. 3206 also consisting of ADEN, ASO, BENGAL KIZAN and MIYADONO MARUs escorted by destroyer ASAGAO.
6 May 1943:
Arrives at Manila.
29 May 1944:
TOYAMA MARU departs Kagoshima for Keelung in convoy KATA-906 also consisting of AMOY, KAIJO, MIYAKO, SHOTO and TERUKUNI MARUs and one unidentified merchant escorted by minelayers NIIZAKI and TSUBAME, minesweeper W-15, auxiliary minesweeper HAKATA MARU No. 6 and auxiliary patrol boat RYUSEI MARU.
30 May 1944:
Arrives at Koniya, Amami O-shima..
31 May 1944:
Departs Koniya.
1 June 1944:
Arrives at Naha, Okinawa.
21 July 1943:
E of Shanghai. At 0750, TOYAMA MARU departs Sasebo for Sijiao Island (Ssu Chiao Shan), Chusan (now Shengsi) Archipelago and joins convoy Shi-106 also consisting of HORAI, JUNYO, SATSUMA and TOYOURA MARUs escorted by minelayer HIRASHIMA.
23 July 1943:
At 1350, arrives at Ssu Chiao Shan.
28 July 1943:
At 1500, departs Ssu Chiao Shan for Takao.
30 July 1943:
At 1900, arrives at Takao.
August 1943:
As the result of a merger, TOYAMA MARU is transferred to Taiyo Kogyo, K. K., Tokyo.
20 August 1943:
TOYAMA MARU departs Palau in convoy So-003 also consisting of MITO and TAGA MARUs escorted by subchasers CH-18 and CH-37.
27 August 1943:
At 0550, the convoy arrives at Rabaul, New Britain..
2 September 1943:
TOYAMA MARU departs Palau in convoy FU-206 also consisting of ASAKAZE, FUKKAI, SHINYU, TAGA and UME MARUs escorted by torpedo boat HATO.
E 23 September 1943:
Minelayer YURIJIMA joins the escort of convoy FU-206 at 31-22N 134-00E.
24 September 1943:
Arrives at Saeki.
24 October 1943:
TOYAMA MARU departs Takao for Manila in convoy No. 774 also consisting of IKOMASAN, JUNYO, KOHOKU, NICHINAN, TATSUHA, TEIKAI (ex German FULDA), SHIRANESAN and TOHO MARUs and SHINSEI MARU No. 1 and two unidentified merchants escorted by destroyer KURETAKE and torpedo boat TOMOZURU.
28 October 1943:
Arrives at Manila.
30 April 1944:
TOYAMA MARU departs Naha for Kagoshima escorting convoy OKI-004 consisting of TOYAMA and NITTSU MARUs and two unidentified merchants escorted by subchaser CH-49, auxiliary minesweepers HAKATA MARU No. 6 and SHONAN MARU No. 16 and auxiliary subchaser NAGATO MARU.
29 May 1944:
TOYAMA MARU departs Kagoshima for Keelung with escorting convoy KATA-906 also consisting of AMOY, KAIJO, MIYAKO, SHOTO and TERUKUNI MARUs and one unidentified merchant escorted by minelayers NIIZAKI and TSUBAME, minesweeper W-15, auxiliary minesweeper HAKATA MARU No. 6, auxiliary patrol boat RYUSEI MARU.
18 June 1944:
TOYAMA MARU departs Moji for Kagoshima carrying men of the 44th Independent Mixed Brigade.
27 June 1944:
TOYAMA MARU departs Kagoshima for Keelung in convoy KATA-412 also consisting of AMOY, BOKO (ex-British SAGRES), HITORAI, KAIJO, KAKO, SHOKEI, SHOSHIN, MARUs and NANSHIN MARU No. 21, TAKASAGO MARU No. 1, SHINKO MARU No. 2 GO and one unidentified merchant escorted by minelayer NIIZAKI, auxiliary minesweeper SHONAN MARU No. 16, auxiliary patrol boats RYUSEI and CHIKUTO MARUs and auxiliary netlayer SHINTO MARU No. 2.
29 June 1944:
TOYAMA MARU departs Koniya, Amami O-shima for Naha, Okinawa transporting over 6,000 men of the 44th Independent Mixed Brigade’s 298th IIB, 299th, 300th IIB and 301st IIBs and a cargo of gasoline.
At about 0730, LtCdr Charleton L. Murphy's (USNA '32) old USS STURGEON (SS-187) fires four torpedoes at TOYAMA MARU and gets one hit portside in the bow and another in Hold No. 7 that ignites the gasoline. A third torpedo hits between Hold No. 5 and the engine room, splitting the hull in two. She sinks in one minute at 27-47N, 129-05E. 3,627 IJA troops and 76 crewmen are KIA. About 600 survivors are picked up by the escorts.

Authors’ Notes:
Thanks go to Erich Muehlthaler of Germany.
- Bob Hackett

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