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Japanese Oilers

YUSOSEN!

(NASUSAN MARU, prewar)
NASUSAN MARU:
Tabular Record of Movement

Revision 1

5 March 1931:
Tamano. Laid down at Mitsui Bussan K. K. as a 4,401-ton cargo ship for Mitsui Bussan K. K., Kobe. 15 August 1931:
Launched and named NASUSAN MARU. [1] 29 September 1931:
Completed with a Gross Registered Tonnage (GRT) of 4,401-tons and a Net Registered Tonnage (NRT) of 2,593-tons. Registered at Kobe. Her call sign is VLNM. [2] 10 June 1932:
Departs Kobe. 10 July 1932:
Arrives at Australia to collect a cargo of wheat. July 1932:
Departs Australia transporting wheat to Japan. 26 October 1932:
Her GRT and NRT change to 4.399-tons and 2,591-tons respectively. [2] 27 ~ 31 October 1932:
Undergoes an intermediate survey. 7 July 1933:
At 0832 touches the bottom of shallow waters south of Shuji Island, southern coast of Chosen (now Chujado, South Korea). August 1933:
Undergoes an intermediate survey. November 1933:
Arrives at Karafuto (now Sakhalin, Russia) transporting timber. April 1934:

1935:
Her call sign changes to JKCC. April 1935:
Tama. Undergoes her first first class regular survey. 1936:
Heads towards Formosa (now Taiwan) as a tramp ship. 1936:
Transports lumber from Sakhalin Island, Kuriles. 11 February 1936:
Arrives at Takao, (now Kaoshiung), Formosa (Taiwan) carrying 4,000 tons of bauxite ore from Bintan Island, Riau archipelago, Netherlands East Indies (now Indonesia) for a new jointly-owned Mitsui, Mitsubishi, Sumitomo and Furukawa production plant to provide aluminum for Japans aircraft manufacturing industry. Technical assistance is rendered by Adolf Hitlers Germany. April 1936:
Undergoes an intermediate survey. June 1938:
Undergoes an intermediate survey. 19 April 1939:
Tama. Undergoes her second first class regular survey. October 1940:
Undergoes an intermediate survey. 20 July 1941:
Requisitioned by the IJN as a general requisition miscellaneous ship. 15 October 1941:
Registered as an auxiliary miscellaneous transport in the Yokosuka Naval District under internal order No. 1256.
Assigned to the Yokosuka Naval district as an Otsu category auxiliary transport. [3] 30 October 1941:
Departs Yokosuka. E 6 November 1941:
Arrives at Saipan, Marianas. 3 December 1941:
Departs Saipan. 6 December 1941:
Rated as a direct escort unit supply unit under secret Yokosuka Naval District order No. 14. 7 December 1941:
Arrives at Truk, Carolines. 26 December 1941:
Departs Truk. 29 December 1941:
Arrives at Saipan. 31 December 1941:
Departs Saipan. 1 December 1941:
Arrives at Rota, Marianas. 6 January 1942:
Departs Rota. 13 January 1942:
Arrives at Yokosuka. 14 January 1942:
Departs Yokosuka. Later that day, arrives at Yokohama. 14 ~ 24 January 1942:
Conducts a munitions transport mission. 16 January 1942:
Departs Yokohama. Later that day, arrives at Yokosuka. 25 January 1942:
Departs Yokosuka with IJN auxiliary transport TOKAI MARU escorted by auxiliary gunboat KEISHIN MARU arriving from Uraga. 25 ~ 26 January 1942:
At some point auxiliary gunboat KEISHIN MARU detaches and returns to Uraga where she arrives on 26 January. 28 January 1942:
Rated as a direct line supply unit under Yokosuka Naval District order No. 45. Arrives at Chichi-jima and departs that same day. 31 January 1942:
Arrives at Saipan. 4 February 1942:
Departs Saipan. 8 February 1942:
Arrives at Truk. 20 February 1942:
Departs Truk. 28 February 1942:
Arrives at Rabaul, New Britain. 13 March 1942:
Departs Rabaul. 17 March 1942:
At 0308 runs aground on a reef at 250° and 2.8 nautical miles from Fujishima in the Kimishima Islands, Carolines (now Fonouk, Enoch). Cancellation order issued: At the restoration site after outfitting work is completed 22 March 1942:
At 1020 refloated and arrives at Truk at 1130. 3 April 1942:
Departs Truk. 8 April 1942:
Arrives at Palau, Carolines. 10 April 1942:
RDecomissioned under order No. 662.
Released by the IJN and returned to her owners. 12 April 1942:
Departs Palau. 24 April 1942:
Arrives at Yokosuka. 2 May 1942:
At 1153I LtCdr (later Rear Admiral) Frank W. Fenno (USNA '25) in USS TROUT (SS-202) sights two ships rounding Kashinozaki (Cape Kashino).
At 1209I at 33-26N, 135-52E he fires one torpedo at a passenger-freighter but misses. NASUSAN MARU reports: attacked by a submarine 2 nautical miles south of Kashinozaki (Cape Kashino), evacuated to Kushimoto. 4 May 1942:
Released to her owners. 1 June 1942:
Undergoes an intermediate inspection. 2 June ~ 16 September 1942:
Her GRT changes to 4,400-tons. [2]
Requisitioned by the Ship Management Board. 17 September 1942:
Departs Wakamatsu, Hokkaido. 20 September 1942:
Arrives at Qinhuangdao, North China. 22 September 1942:
Departs Qinhuangdao. 28 September 1942:
Arrives at Kawasaki, Kanagawa Prefecture. 3 October 1942:
Assigned to the IJA for October under Naval instruction No. 1582, issued by the Vice Minister of Communications.
Departs Kawasaki, Kanagawa Prefecture. 5 October 1942:
Departs Wakamatsu, Kitakyushu. 6 October 1942:
Departs the Keihin region (Tokyo, Kawasaki and Yokohama industrial area) for Bintan and then Osaka or Niihima. 13 October 1942:
At 1400 departs Mako, Pescadores (now Magong, Penghu Islands, Taiwan) in convoy No. 342 also consisting of IJA transport MIE MARU escorted by auxiliary gunboat KAZAN MARU. 19 October 1942:
At 2000 arrives at St. Jacques, French Indochina (now Vung Tau, Vietnam). 16 November 1942:
Arrives at Mako. 18 November 1942:
Departs Mako. 24 November 1942:
Arrives at Moji. 26 November 1942:
Departs Moji. December 1942:
Operating as an Army assigned ship ceases.
Released to her owners. 1 December 1942:
Receives a recruitment notice under secret military notice No. 17-11- 28. 2 December 1942:
Arrives at Yokosuka Naval Base. 3 December 1942:
Requisitioned as a general requisitioned miscellaneous ship attached to the Yokosuka Naval District.
Begins conversion into a second emergency oiler at the Yokosuka Naval Shipyard. 28 December 1942:
Mitsui Senpaku K. K. is established. 2 January 1943:
The conversion to an oiler is completed. 6 January 1943:
Departs Yokosuka in convoy No. 7106. 9 January 1943:
Arrives at Moji. 11 January 1943:
At 1500 departs Moji in convoy No. 115 without surface escort. Later that day IJA transport ALASKA MARU joins from Miike. 17 January 1943:
Arrives at Takao. 18 January 1943:
At 1400 departs Mako in convoy No. 363 also consisting of likely IJN transport SHOKEI MARU and one unidentified merchant ship without escort. Arrives at Takao later that day and departs later this same day. 21 January 1942:
IJN transport SHOKEI MARU detaches and heads towards Samah (also known as Sana or Sanya), Hainan Island, China where she arrives at 2210. 24 January 1943:
Arrives at St. Jacques, Indochina. 25 January 1943:
Departs St. Jacques in convoy No. 553 also consisting of IJN oiler KUROSHIO MARU and one unidentified merchant ship without escort. 28 January 1943:
Arrives at Singapore, Malaya. 25 February 1943:
Departs Singapore. 28 February 1943:
Arrives at Saigon, French Indochina (now, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam). 6 March 1943:
Departs Saigon. 18 March 1943:
Arrives at Kure. 20 March 1943:
Departs Kure. 22 March 1943:
Arrives at Yokosuka. 23 March ~ 26 May 1943:
Her owner is reregistered as Mitsui Senpaku K.K and her port of registry is changed to Tokyo City.
Repairs are carried out. 26 May 1943:
Completes repairs. 28 May 1943:
Departs Yokosuka. 1 June 1943:
Arrives at Sasebo. 21 June 1943:
Receives Sasebo Naval Base telegram No. 39:
The Commander of the Sasebo Defense Squadron will have his vessels cooperate with Convoy No. 169 consisting of five ships escorted by torpedo boat HAYABUSA which depart Moji on June 22nd.
On the 23rd the NASUSAN MARU, IJN emergency auxiliary oiler HOKUAN MARU and general requisitioned ship (B-AK) RYUOSAN MARU, carrying the 9th and 12th Special Base reinforcement units will depart Sasebo for Singapore and serve as direct escort to Takao. Receives Sasebo Naval District Coastal Defense Force wireless order No. 80:
The patrol boat PB-38 will depart Sasebo for Takao on the 23rd and serve as direct escort according to Sasebo Naval District wireless order No. 39 23 June 1943:
Departs Sasebo and joins convoy No. 169 also consisting of IJA shared oiler (A/C-AO) SEISHIN MARU, ore carrier KINREI MARU, IJN emergency auxiliary oiler HOKUAN MARU and general requisitioned ship (B-AK) RYUOSAN MARU and IJN oiler OSE escorted by torpedo boat HAYABUSA. 24 June 1943:
W of Amami O-shima, Ryukyus. At 1124, LtCdr (later Rear Admiral) Charles O. Triebels (USNA 29) USS SNOOK (SS-279) torpedoes and severely damages OSE at 28-50N, 126-56E. Patrol Boat PB-38 drops 6 depth charges. Ore transport KINREI MARU fires one shot at the enemy periscope.
At 1149 at 28-45N, 127-03E PB-38 detects an enemy submarine (USS SNOOK) and attacks it 6 times.
At 1230 receives IJA shared oiler (A/C-AO) SEISHIN MARU secret wireless No. 002:
IJN auxiliary oiler Ose proceeds to Amami Oshima under the escort of patrol boat PB-38. Patrol boat PB-38 will pursue the convoy once it has finished escort.
At 1302I US SNOOK reports sighting a destroyer (patrol boat PB-38) patrolling near the oiler. At 1430I USS SNOOK reports that the last of a total of 16 depth charges is dropped.
At 1500 patrol boat PB-38 ends escort and anti submarine sweeping and pursues the convoy. Ore transport KINREI MARU detaches and heads towards Kirun, Formosa (now Keelung, Taiwan). 27 June 1943:
Arrives at Takao. 29 June 1943:
Departs Takao. Later that day, arrives at Mako. 30 June 1943:
At 1300 departs Mako in convoy No. 304 also consisting of IJN emergency oiler HOKAN MARU, IJA shared oiler (A/C-AO) SEISHIN MARU, civilian passenger/cargo ship (C-APK) BISAN (ex-British MING SANG) MARU, IJA transport (A/C-APK) HAKUROKU (HAKUSHIKA) MARU, IJN general requisitioned ship (B-AK) RYUOSAN MARU and five unidentified merchant ships. Shortly after 1300, IJA oiler OTOWASAN MARU coming from Mako, joins the convoy. 1 July 1943:
Re: Port of Registry: Tokyo City and Tokyo Prefecture are abolished and become Tokyo. 7 July 1943:
Arrives at St. Jacques. 9 July 1943:
Departs St. Jacques in convoy No. 591 also consisting of IJN emergency auxiliary oiler HOKUAN MARU, IJA shared oiler (A/C-AO) SEISHIN MARU, IJA oiler ICHIYO MARU, general requisitioned ship (B-AK) RYUOSAN MARU and IJA transports RYUYO and NICHIAI MARUs escorted by auxiliary minelayer MA-4. 12 July 1943:
At 1230 arrives at Singapore. 17 July 1943:
At 0900, departs Singapore with IJN auxiliary oiler UNKAI MARU No. 5. 18 July 1943:
Arrives at Palembang, Sumatra, Netherlands East Indies (now Indonesia). Loads fuel oil. [2] 20 July 1943:
Departs Palembang. 23 July 1943:
Arrives at Singapore. Discharges fuel oil. 27 July 1943:
Departs Singapore. 28 July 1943:
Arrives at Palembang. Loads fuel oil. 31 July 1943:
Departs Palembang. 3 August 1943:
Arrives at Singapore. Discharges fuel oil. 8 August 1943:
Departs Singapore. 9 August 1943:
Arrives at Palembang. Loads fuel oil. 11 August 1943:
Departs Palembang. 14 August 1943:
Arrives at Singapore. Discharges fuel oil. 19 August 1943:
Departs Singapore with IJN emergency auxiliary oiler KOTOKU MARU. 20 August 1943:
Arrives at Palembang. Loads fuel oil. 23 August 1943:
Receives the third war preparation departments secret notice No. 18-8-37: Notice of ship release:
After release each ship will be sent to increase the amount of oil taken from the south. Third war preparation departments secret notice No. 2442: Notification.
1 The ship will be chartered on 31 August and will continue to operate as a Navy managed ship from 1 September.
2 The chief of the Naval Transportation Headquarters gives instructions regarding the operation of the ship.
3 Restoration of the ships outfitting work will be determined by the commander in chief of the competent naval base.
However we will take care not to leave the ship moored for repairs as much as possible and rigging work necessary for oil transportation and protection will be carried out when the ship is released from service. 26 August 1943:
Departs Palembang. 29 August 1943:
Arrives at Singapore. Discharges fuel oil. 31 August 1943:
Released to her owners. 3 September 1943:
Departs Singapore. 5 September 1943:
Arrives at Palembang. Loads fuel oil. 11 September 1943:
Departs Palembang with IJN emergency auxiliary oiler NICHINAN MARU. 13 September 1943:
Arrives at Singapore. Discharges fuel oil. 17 September 1943:
Transferred to the Navy. 26 ~ 27 September 1943: Allied operation Jaywick:
Singapore. In a commando raid launched from Australia using a small former Japanese fish carrier three ships sink and three ships are damaged. NASUSAN MARU is thought to be one of the ships that are damaged. 1 November 1943: Rated as the 19th Navy designated ship. 2 December 1943:
Arrives at Singapore. 7 December 1943:
Departs Singapore. 9 December 1943:
Arrives at Palembang. 9 ~ 11 December 1943:
Loads 6,800-tons of Singapore bound heavy oil. 11 December 1943:
Departs Palembang. 13 December 1943:
Arrives at Singapore. Discharges 6,800 tons fuel oil. 17 December 1943:
Departs Singapore. 19 December 1943:
Arrives at Palembang. Loads 6,750-tons of Singapore bound heavy oil. 22 December 1943:
Departs Palembang. 24 December 1943:
Arrives at Singapore. Discharges 6,750 tons fuel oil. 28 December 1943:
Departs Singapore. 30 December 1943:
Arrives at Palembang. Loads 6,830 tons fuel oil. 1 January 1944:
Departs Palembang. 3 January 1944:
Arrives at Singapore. Discharges fuel oil. 7 January 1944:
Departs Singapore. 8 January 1944:
Arrives at Palembang. Loads 6,756 tons fuel oil. 10 January 1944:
Departs Palembang. 12 January 1944:
Arrives at Singapore. Discharges fuel oil. 16 January 1944:
Departs Singapore. 17 January 1944:
Arrives at Palembang. Loads 6,838 tons heavy fuel oil. 20 January 1944:
Departs Palembang. 21 January 1944:
Arrives at Singapore. Discharges fuel oil. 24 January 1944:
Departs Singapore. 26 January 1944:
Arrives at Palembang. Loads 6,799 tons fuel oil. 28 January 1944:
Departs Palembang. 30 January 1944:
Arrives at Singapore. Discharges fuel oil. Begins repairs to the engine room. 30 January ~ 12 February 1944:
Repair of gas leak in the engine room. 12 February 1944:
Departs Singapore. 13 February 1944:
Arrives at Palembang. Loads 5,629 crude oil. 19 February 1944:
Departs Palembang. 24 February 1944:
Arrives at Balikpapan, Borneo Netherlands East Indies (now Kalimantan, Indonesia). Discharges crude oil. 1 March 1944:
At 1000 departs Balikpapan in convoy O-102 also consisting of IJA transport HAVRE MARU escorted by patrol boat PB-102 (ex USS STEWART (DD-224)). 3 March 1944:
Arrives at Tarakan, Borneo, Netherlands East Indies (now Kalimantan, Indonesia). 5 March 1944:
At 1650 departs Balikpapan in convoy O-502 also consisting of IJA transport HAVRE MARU escorted by patrol boats PB-36, PB-102 and auxiliary minesweeper Wa-106 (ex Netherlands minesweeper DJOMBANG (HMV 20)). 6 March 1944:
At some point storeship ARASAKI joins the convoy. The convoy is renumbered O-601. At around 1700 passes Cape Mankalihat (Sangkulirang), Borneo, Netherlands East Indies (now Indonesia). At 10 nautical miles north of Cape Mankalihat auxiliary minesweeper Wa-106 ends escort and begins conducting anti-submarine patrols around Cape Mankalihat and assisting in escort to Tarakan.
At 1800 IJA transport HAVRE MARU and patroal boat PB-102 separate from the convoy.
At 2158 patrol boat PB-36 detects what appears to be an enemy submarine's radio wave and directs NASUSAN MARU to a refuge. 7 March 1944:
At 0600 departs from the refuge escorted by patrol boat PB-36.
At 1820 arrives at Tarakan escorted by patrol boat PB-36. 7 ~ 8 March 1944:
Offloads 6000-tons of Balikpapan crude oil. 8 March 1944:
Departs Tarakan. 10 March 1944:
Arrives at Balikpapan. 18 March 1944:
Departs Balikpapan. 20 March 1944:
Arrives at Tarakan. 22 March 1944:
At 0745 departs Tarakan in a convoy also consisting of governement owned cargo ship SEITO (ex-British CHENGTU) MARU, IJN shared tanker (B/C-AO) ANJO (ex Netherlands ANGELINA) MARU and ore carrier SHONAN MARU escorted by patrol boat PB-102 and subchaser CH-4. At 2240 at 01,42N-118,38E the convoy is attacked by a submarine.
Patrol boat PB-102 evades two incoming torpedoes from the starboard side. Patrol boat PB-102 drops 4 depth charges. 23 March 1944:
At 0059 patrol boat PB-102 drops 4 depth charges.
At 0300 patrol boat PB-102 ends ASW and begins pursuing the convoy. 24 March 1944:
At 1150, arrives at Balikpapan. 25 March 1944:
Arrives at Tarakan. 27 March 1944:
Arrives at Balikpapan. 2 April 1944:
Departs Balikpapan. 4 April 1944:
Arrives at Tarakan. 4 ~ 8 April 1944:
Offloads 6,456-tons of heavy oil, 4,570 empty drums and disembarks 7 passengers. 8 April 1944:
At 1600 Departs Tarakan escorted by patrol boat PB-102 and auxiliary minesweeper Wa-106. 9 April 1944:
At 1022 arrives at Tarakan and departs at 1755 escorted by patrol boat PB-102 and auxiliary minesweeper Wa-106. 10 April 1944:
At 0114 at 00-07N, 117-42E patrol boat PB-102 detects an enemy submarine.
At 0137 patrol boat PB-102 drops 9 depth charges.
At 0218 patrol boat PB-102 drops 9 depth charges.
Arrives at Balikpapan later that morning escorted by auxiliary minesweeper Wa-106. 10 ~ 30 April 1944:
Loads 109 cases of alcoholic beverages shipped inland, 1 safe, 1,898 drums of oil, 32 bags of paraffin, 417-tons of iron pipes, 39 cases of alcoholic beverages, 600 drums of regular volatile oil, 15 oxygen gas containers and 58 cases of machinery. Embarks 4 passengers. 1 May 1944:
At 0820, departs Balikpapan in the "TSURUMI convoy" also consisting of Naval fleet oiler TSURUMI escorted by patrol boat PB-2 and auxiliary subchaser Cha-41. At Tawi Tawi, Sulu Islands, Philippines, TSURUMI refuels the First Mobile Fleet. 3 May 1944:
At 1904, arrives at Tarakan.[4] 3 ~ 4 May 1944:
Offloads 6,512-tons of heavy oil, 170 empty drums and disembarks 6 passengers 4 May 1944:
At 1036, departs Tarakan in the same convoy with the same escorts. 5 May 1944:
At 1207, arrives at Balikpapan 10 ~ 23 May 1944:
Loads 42-tons of polished rice, 2 trucks, 3,290 drums of regular volatile oil and other items, 400 empty ethyl food cans and 300 drums of aviation volatile oil. Embarks 11 passengers and 1 person bound for Kure. 23 May 1944:
Departs Balikpapan. [5] 25 May 1944:
Arrives at Tarakan. 25 ~ 30 May 1944:
Loads 5,938 tons of crude oil, about 500 drums of liquid rubber. 30 May 1944:
Departs Tarakan. 2 June 1944:
Arrives at Zamboanga, Philippines. 4 June 1944:
Departs Zamboanga. 5 June 1944:
Arrives at Cebu, Philippines. 6 June 1944:
Departs Cebu. 8 June 1944:
Arrives at Manila, Philippines. 11 June 1944:
Joins bauxite convoy HO-02 from Singapore, also consisting of IJA oiler HONAN MARU (ex British WAR SIRDAR), IJA transports TAMAHOKO (ex JONE), TAINAN (3,175 GRT, 97), KENNICHI and, TEIHOKU (ex-Vichy French PERSEE) MARUs and KONAN MARU No. 1, civillian cargo ship MIYO (ex HELIOS) MARU, ore carriers SHONAN, HIYORY (NICHIWA) and HIOKI MARUs and ten unidentified ships escorted by minelayer AOTAKA and kaibokan CD-1 and CD-20. MIYO MARU carries 267 Australian POWs, 190 British POWs, 266 Dutch POWs, 18 American POWs and 25 other POWs. TAMAHOKO MARU is carrying 772 Allied POWs from camps at Batavia, Java, including 42 American POWs. HIOKI MARU carries bauxite and about 450 POWs and SHONAN MARU carries bauxite. TAMAHOKO MARU loads 7,500 tons of copper. 13 June 1944:
At 2350 kaibokan CD-1 departs Manila to support the arrival of MI-03. 14 June 1944:
Convoy HO-02 departs Manila. At 1330 kaibokan CD-1 rejoins convoy HO-02 at sea. 15 June 1944:
The convoy encounters a typhoon that badly batters civillian cargo ship MIYO MARU. 16 June 1944:
At 1900 destroyer KURETAKE departs Takao alone to support incoming convoy HO-02. However it is unclear if she joined the convoy. 17 June 1944:
At 1740 destroyer KURETAKE arrives back at Takao. 18 June 1944:
Arrives at Takao. MIYO MARU's Allied POWs from camps at Djakarta (Batavia), Java, Netherlands Indies (now Jakarta, Indonesia), including 42 American POWs, are transferred to TAMAHOKO MARU. 18 ~ 20 June 1944:
Offloads approximately 20-tons of outside clothing. 20 June 1944:
Departs Takao for Moji in convoy HO-02 now consisting of IJA transports TEIHOKU (ex-Vichy French PERSEE), TAMAHOKO, KENNICHI and TAINAN (3,175 GRT, 97) MARUs and seven other unidentified ships escorted by minelayer AOTAKA and kaibokan CD-1 and CD-20 and an unidentified whaling ship. 24 June 1944:
Koshiki Straits, 40 miles SW of Nagasaki, Kyushu. At 2350, LtCdr (later Rear Admiral-Ret/MOH) Richard H. OKanes USS TANG (SS-306) attacks the convoy. At 2354, OKane torpedoes NASUSAN MARU. She is hit in the engine room, and subsequently sinks at 32-24N, 129-38E. 11 crewmen are KIA. At about the same time, USS TANG also torpedoes and sinks IJA transport TAMAHOKO MARU at 32-24N, 129-38E. The whaling ship picks up some survivors, but 35 crewmen and 560 POWs are lost including 15 American soldiers and sailors. Next, OKanes USS TANG torpedoes and sinks IJA transport KENNICHI MARU at 32-24N, 129-38E. 36 crewmen are KIA. Finally, at 2355, USS TANG hits IJA transport TAINAN MARU in the stern with two torpedows. She is carrying 454 passengers, most probably troops of an unknown unit(s). She sinks at 32-24N, 129-38E. 39 crewmen and an unknown number of passengers are KIA. Kaibokan CD-1 attempts to counterattack, but is not fast enough to pursue USS TANG.

Authors' Note:
[1] Also known as NASUZAN MARU. [2] 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. [3] There were two categories of Zatsuyosen. (Ko) category with an IJN Captain as supervisor aboard and (Otsu) category without. [4] It is unclear why TSURUMI steamed to Tarakan. Probably she was carrying refined fuel oil for the fast oilers to convey to Tawi Tawi. [5] Departs Balikpapan the same day for Tarakan as IJN oiler SHIOYA and minesweeper W-30 (the latter two arrive also on 25 May) but does not sail with the fast ships. Thanks go to Gengoro S. Toda of Japan and Brian Corijn of the Netherlands, the latter for assisting in finding the name of the attacking submarine in the 2 May 1942 entry. - Bob Hackett, Berend Van der Wal and Peter Cundall

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