YUSOSEN!
(A Type 1TM Standard Tanker underway)
IJN YUHO MARU:Tabular Record of Movement
© 2008-2010 Bob Hackett and Peter Cundall.
Revision 2
1 January 1943:
Nagasaki. Laid down at Mitsubishi Zosen as a 5, 266-ton Type 1TM Wartime Standard Merchant Tanker for Iino Kaiun K.K.
20 August 1943:
Launched and named YUHO MARU.
11 October 1943:
Completed and requisitioned by the IJN.
15 October 1943:
Registered in the Sasebo Naval District as an auxiliary transport (oil).
26 October 1943:
YUHO MARU departs Nagasaki.
27 October 1943:
Arrives at Tokuyama. Takes on fuel.
28 October 1943:
YUHO MARU departs Tokuyama and later that day arrives at Moji.
3 November 1943:
YUHO MARU departs Moji in convoy No. 111 consisting of OMINE and FUJIKAWA MARUs and eight other unidentified ships escorted by kaibokan SADO.
8 November 1943:
Arrives at Takao.
10 November 1943:
YUHO MARU departs Takao and later that day arrives Mako, Pescadores.
21 November 1943:
YUHO MARU departs Mako in convoy No. 339 consisting of six unidentified merchant ships escorted by Auxiliary gunboat CHOJUSAN MARU.
26 November 1943:
Arrives at St Jacques, Indochina.
28 November 1943:
YUHO MARU departs St Jacques in convoy No. 528 consisting of three unidentified merchant ships unescorted.
1 December 1943:
Arrives at Singapore.
10 January 1944:
At 1600, YUHO MARU departs Moji for Singapore in convoy HI-33 consisting of AOBASAN MARU and tankers TARAKAN, ASASHIO and ASANAGI MARUs and an unidentified ship escorted by kaibokan ETOROFU.
14 January 1944:
At 1933 arrives at Takao.
16 January 1944:
At 1400, departs Takao.
23 January 1944:
At 1030, the convoy arrives at Singapore.
16 March 1944:
YUHO MARU departs Singapore for Palau in a convoy consisting of AMATSU and ASASHIO MARU and fleet oiler OSE (ex-Dutch GENOTA) with an unidentified escort.
24 March 1944:
Arrives at Palau. [1]
1 April 1944:
Iino Kaiun Kogyo is renamed Iino Kaiun K.K.
20 May 1944:
YUHO MARU departs Tawi Tawi in a convoy consisting of fleet oiler TSURUMI and tanker EIHO MARU and one unidentified ship escorted by destroyers AKIZUKI and URANAMI.
21 May 1944:
Arrives at Tarakan, Borneo.
9 June 1944:
Departs Tarakan for Balikpapan, Borneo escorted by kaibokan KANJU.
12 June 1944:
Arrives at Balikpapan.
17 June 1944:
Departs Balikpapan.
24 June 1944:
Arrives at Guimaras, Philippines.
26 June 1944:
Departs Guimaras for Zamboanga, Philippines.
27 June 1944:
Arrives at Zamboanga.
29 June 1944:
Departs Zamboanga.
30 June 1944:
Arrives at Tawi Tawi, Philippines.
1 July 1944:
Departs Tawi Tawi.
5 July 1944:
Arrives at Balikpapan. Loads fuel oil.
10 July 1944:
Departs Balikpapan.
22 July 1944:
Arrives at Manila.
26 July 1944:
Departs Manila.
5 August 1944:
Arrives at Kure. Probably undergoes overhaul, maintenance and upkeep.
6 September 1944:
Departs Kure.
8 September 1944:
At 1100, YUHO MARU departs Moji for Singapore in convoy HI-75 consisting of oilers NICHIEI, RYOEI, TOHO (1944 built), SERIA, AMATO and MANEI MARUs and passenger liner ASAMA MARU, auxiliary gunboat SAIGON MARU and flying boat tender AKITSUSHIMA escorted by escort carrier SHINYO, kaibokan KANJU, MANJU and MIYAKE and DesDiv 30’s YUZUKI and UZUKI.
12 September 1944:
In the morning, SAIGON MARU, YUZUKI and KANJU are detached for the China coast. They later rejoin at Takao.
13 September 1944:
At 1400, arrives at Takao.
14 September 1944:
The convoy is increased by the addition of oilers FUJISAN MARU (1944), KUROSHIO and TAIHO MARUs, torpedo boat HIYODORI and kaibokan CD-28. At 1630, the convoy departs Takao. Soon thereafter, AMATO MARU, and at 1900, YUHO MARU develop engine problems and are detached.
22 September 1944:
Arrives at Singapore.
23 September 1944 :
Departs Singapore.
25 September 1944:
Arrives at Palembang, Sumatra. Loads fuel oil.
26 September 1944 :
Off Palembang. YUHO MARU transships some of her cargo to tanker NICHIEI MARU. Departs Palembang and later that day arrives Muntok (Mentok), Bangka Island, S of Lingga.
27 September 1944:
Departs Muntok.
28 September 1944:
Arrives at Palembang. Loads fuel oil.
29 September 1944:
Departs Palembang. Arrives at Seletar Naval Base, Singapore.
1 October 1944:
Singapore. During the month, YUHO MARU refuels battleships NAGATO and FUSO.
6 October 1944:
Arrives at Palembang. Loads fuel oil.
7 October 1944:
Departs Palembang.
8 October 1944:
Arrives at Singapore.
10 October 1944:
Departs Singapore.
11 October 1944:
Arrives at Palembang. Loads fuel oil.
12 October 1944:
Departs Palembang.
13 October 1944:
Arrives at Seletar, Singapore.
14 October 1944:
Departs Seletar. Arrives at Lingga (S of Singapore) fleet anchorage that same day.
16 October 1944: Operation SHO-I-GO ("Victory") - Battle of Leyte Gulf:
Headquarters, Combined Fleet, assigns YUHO MARU to Vice Admiral Kurita Takeo's (38)(former CO of KONGO) First Striking Force's 1st Supply Force with oilers ITSUKUSHIMA MARU, NICHEI, RYOEI, OMUROSAN and MANEI (BANEI) MARUs and kaibokan CHIBURI, CD-19 and CD-27, minelayer YURISHIMA and minesweeper W-34.
17 October 1944:
At 1125, Kurita orders YUHO and HAKKO MARUs to proceed from Lingga to Brunei Bay, Borneo to refuel his Striking Force. Kurita detaches destroyers MICHISHIO and NOWAKI to escort the oilers.
18 October 1944:
At 1000, YUHO MARU departs Singapore with HAKKO MARU escorted by MICHISHIO and NOWAKI. YUHO MARU carries 6,300 tons of fuel and HAKKO MARU 13,000-tons. Their ETA at Brunei is 1100, 21 October.
20 October 1944:
Vice Admiral Kurita's Striking Force arrives at Brunei. At 1150, Kurita orders destroyers ASAGUMO and YAMAGUMO to sortie and find YUHO and HAKKO MARUs. At 1300, Kurita orders KUMANO and YAHAGI to launch radar-equipped E13A1 Jake floatplanes to help the destroyers locate the fueling group and provide anti-submarine cover. At 1630, ASAGUMO and YAMAGUMO return to Brunei after searching in vain for YUHO and HAKKO MARU.
21 October 1944:
At 1120 (JST), YUHO and HAKKO MARUs arrive at Brunei escorted by MICHISHIO and NOWAKI. At 1220, YUHO MARU refuels Vice Admiral Kurita Takeo's Striking Force, Force A (Center Force), BatDiv 1’s superbattleship YAMATO. HAKKO MARU refuels BatDiv 1’s superbattleship MUSASHI.
22 October 1944:
At 0500, the refueling is completed. At 0800, Kurita's Striking Force departs Brunei and steams for Leyte Gulf via the Sibuyan Sea and San Bernardino Strait.
23 October 1944:
YUHO MARU departs Brunei.
24 October 1944:
Arrives at Miri. Takes on fuel oil.
25 October 1944: Operation "SHO-I-GO" (Victory) - The Battle of Leyte Gulf:
In the course of battle, Kurita loses battleship MUSASHI, cruisers ATAGO, MAYA, CHOKAI, CHIKUMA and SUZUYA with KUMANO, MYOKO and TAKAO damaged severely. Several destroyers are also lost and damaged.
27 October 1944:
Arrives at Coron Bay. YUHO and NICHIEI MARUs refuel cruiser ASHIGARA and destroyers AKISHIMO, HAMANAMI, KISHINAMI, SHIMAKAZE and URAKAZE. YUHO MARU then departs Coron Bay for Brunei.
28 October 1944:
Arrives at Brunei.
29 October 1944:
YUHO MARU refuels YAMATO. YUHO, HAKKO and OMUROSAN MARUs refuel battleships HARUNA, KONGO and NAGATO, cruiser HAGURO, light cruiser YAHAGI and DesDiv 17’s HAMAKAZE, URAKAZE, ISOKAZE and YUKIKAZE.
31 October 1944:
Arrives at Miri. Takes on fuel oil.
6 November 1944:
Tanker MANEI (BANEI ) MARU departs Miri for Manila in an unidentified convoy escorted by kaibokan CHIBURI and CD-19 and later part way by destroyer SHIGURE. YUHO MARU likely is part of the convoy.
8 November 1944:
At 0300, to avoid air raids, Vice Admiral Kurita Takeo's Striking Force departs Brunei towards Pratas Islands (near Formosa Strait) with BatDiv 1's YAMATO, NAGATO, DesRon 10's light cruiser YAHAGI and DesDiv 17's four destroyers. The task group makes a feint through the Balabac Strait, then turns towards Brunei.
100 miles SW of Olongapo (Subic Bay), Luzon, Philippines. That same day, the MANEI MARU convoy is attacked. At about 0400, LtCdr Francis A. Greenup's HARDHEAD (SS-365) torpedoes and sinks MANEI MARU.
11 November 1944:
The Striking Force arrives back at Brunei. At 1000, battleships YAMATO, NAGATO, HARUNA and KONGO, DesRon 10's light cruiser YAHAGI and DesDiv 17's HAMAKAZE, URAKAZE, ISOKAZE and YUKIKAZE arrive at the anchorage. HAKKO MARU refuels each warship.
15 November 1944:
(E) The convoy arrives at Manila. Later that day, YUHO MARU, loaded with avgas, departs for Miri as sole ship convoy escorted by kaibokan CHIBURI and CD-19.
E 23 November 1944:
Palawan Passage. YUHO MARU's escort is joined by kaibokan CD-17 from Saigon.
26 November 1944:
About 22 miles (35 kms) NNE of Cape Baram, Sarawak, Borneo. At 1611, LtCdr David B. Bell's USS PARGO (SS-264) torpedoes YUHO MARU at 04-54N, 114-07E. She breaks in two and the stern section sinks. The bows remain afloat. All 26 personnel on board are KIA.
All three kaibokan counterattack PARGO. She undergoes the worst depth charging of her career, but it causes only moderate damage and she escapes. Later, CHIBURI tows the compartmentalized forward part of YUHO MARU to Miri, Sarawak.
2 December 1944:
Miri. At 0400, the forward part of YUHO MARU is grounded near the port. Later that month, since YUHO MARU’s bow tanks contain precious fuel, the Japanese decide to tow it to Singapore.
12 December 1944:
About 125 miles (200 km) east of Singapore. While under tow, the bow's watertight bulkheads fail and it sinks.
10 January 1945:
Removed from the Navy List.
Authors' Note:
[1] YUHO MARU either had left Palau or escaped the 30-31 March 1944 "Operation Desecrate" USN air strikes without recorded damage. There is a gap in her later movements, possibly suggesting damage and repairs in Japan.
Thanks go to Sander Kingsepp of Estonia for info on HAKKO MARU from author Kimata Jiro's works and from Senshi Shoso. Thanks also go to Australian diver/photojournalist Kevin Denlay for info on the wreck of YUHO MARU.
- Bob Hackett and Peter Cundall
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