Tatsuta Maru

Tatsuta Maru

Country	Japan
Builder	Mitsubishi Nagasaki Shipyard
Laid Down	3 Dec 1927
Launched	12 Apr 1929
Commissioned	15 Mar 1930
Sunk	8 Feb 1943
Displacement	16,975 tons standard
Length	583 feet
Beam	71 feet
Machinery	Four Sulzer diesels, four screws
Speed	21 knots

Contributor: C. Peter Chen

ww2dbaseOcean liner Tatsuta Maru was built built in the late 1920s for the Japanese company Nippon Yusen Kaisha (NYK). She had one sister ship, Asama Maru, which was launched a few months before her. Her maiden voyage took her from Yokohama, Japan to San Francisco, California, United States. Through the 1930s, she made trips between Asia and west coast of the United States. Aside from Yokohama and San Francisco, she also frequently visiting Hong Kong; Shanghai, China; Kobe, Japan; Honolulu, Hawaii, United States; and Los Angeles, California, United States. In 1938, her romanized name became Tatuta Maru, though her real name Japanese remained unchanged. On 14 Oct 1941, she was acquired by the Japanese Navy and served as a troop transport; in this role she visited many major bases in the Pacific, including Singapore, Borneo, Korea, Taiwan, Dutch East Indies, Truk in the Caroline Islands, Kwajalein in the Marshall Islands, among others. On 8 Feb 1943, at 1600 hours, she departed Yokosuka, Japan with troops on board, escorted by destroyer Yamagumo. At 2215 hours, 42 miles east of Mikura Jima or about 80 miles south-southeast of the opening of Tokyo Bay, she was hit by about four torpedoes launched by American submarine USS Tarpon. She sank at 2237 hours, killing 1,223 passengers and 198 crew. Yamagumo was unable to find any survivors due to bad weather and the darkness of the night.

ww2dbaseSource: Wikipedia.

Last Major Revision: Aug 2010

Tatsuta Maru Interactive Map

Photographs

Postcard featuring Japanese ocean liner Tatsuta Maru, early 1930s

Exchange ship Tatsuta Maru showing her non-combatant markings as photographed through the periscope of the submarine USS Kingfish, Kii Channel, Japan, 14 Oct 1942.

Tatsuta Maru Operational Timeline

3 Dec 1927	The keel for ship numbered 451 was laid down at Mitsubishi Shipbuilding's yard at Nagakaki, Japan.
12 Apr 1929	Ship number 451 of Mitsubishi Shipbuilding's Nagasaki Yard in Japan was launched and named Tatsuta Maru.
15 Mar 1930	Tatsuta Maru was completed.
25 Apr 1930	Tatsuta Maru departed Yokohama, Japan on her maiden voyage.
29 Jul 1931	Tatsuta Maru arrived at San Francisco, California, United States.
23 Jun 1932	Tatsuta Maru departed Yokohama, Japan with some of the athletes participating in the 1932 Olympics.
30 Jun 1932	Tatsuta Maru arrived at Honolulu, US Territory of Hawaii.
1 Jul 1932	Tatsuta Maru departed Honolulu, US Territory of Hawaii.
6 Jul 1932	Tatsuta Maru arrived at San Francisco, California, United States.
8 Jul 1932	Tatsuta Maru departed San Francisco, California, United States.
9 Jul 1932	Tatsuta Maru arrived at San Pedro, Los Angeles, California, United States and disembarked athletes participating in the 1932 Olympics.
9 Nov 1932	Tatsuta Maru arrived at San Francisco, California, United States.
3 Jan 1934	Tatsuta Maru arrived at San Francisco, California, United States.
26 Apr 1934	Tatsuta Maru departed Yokohama, Japan.
3 May 1934	Tatsuta Maru arrived at Honolulu, US Territory of Hawaii.
9 May 1934	Tatsuta Maru arrived at San Francisco, California, United States.
9 Jul 1935	Tatsuta Maru arrived at San Francisco, California, United States.
14 May 1936	Tatsuta Maru arrived at San Francisco, California, United States.
3 Sep 1936	Tatsuta Maru arrived at San Francisco, California, United States.
12 Nov 1936	Tatsuta Maru became the first merchant ship to pass under the Bay Bridge between San Francisco and Oakland In California, United States.
25 Feb 1937	Tatsuta Maru arrived at Honolulu, US Territory of Hawaii.
20 May 1937	Tatsuta Maru departed San Francisco, California, United States for Honolulu, US Territory of Hawaii.
7 Jul 1937	Tatsuta Maru arrived at San Francisco, California, United States.
2 Sep 1937	Tatsuta Maru arrived at San Francisco, California, United States; many of her passengers were refugees from Shanghai, China.
25 Dec 1937	Tatsuta Maru departed San Francisco, California, United States for Honolulu, US Territory of Hawaii.
7 Jul 1938	Tatsuta Maru arrived at San Francisco, California, United States.
28 Jul 1938	Tatsuta Maru arrived at Yokohama, Japan.
25 Aug 1938	Tatsuta Maru arrived at San Francisco, California, United States.
12 Jan 1939	Tatsuta Maru arrived at San Francisco, California, United States.
4 Apr 1939	Tatsuta Maru arrived at Honolulu, US Territory of Hawaii.
20 Sep 1939	Tatsuta Maru arrived at San Francisco, California, United States.
18 Jan 1940	Tatsuta Maru departed San Francisco, California, United States; 512 civilian seamen from the scuttled German liner Columbus were supposed to be aboard, but they canceled their journeys at the last moment in fear of possible British interception of the liner which might lead to their imprisonment.
21 Mar 1940	Tatsuta Maru arrived at San Francisco, California, United States.
13 Jul 1940	Tatsuta Maru arrived at San Francisco, California, United States; among the passengers disembarked were 40 Jewish refugees from Russia, Austria, Germany, Norway, and Britain.
13 Nov 1940	Tatsuta Maru arrived at San Francisco, California, United States.
6 Mar 1941	Tatsuta Maru departed Yokohama, Japan with new skipper Captain Toichi Takahata.
14 Mar 1941	Tatsuta Maru arrived at Honolulu, US Territory of Hawaii; among the passengers disembarked was Kita Nagao, the newly appointed Japanese Consul General to hawaii.
20 Mar 1941	Tatsuta Maru arrived at San Francisco, California, United States; among the disembarked passengers was Colonel Hideo Iwakuru, who was dispatched by Prime Minister Hideki Tojo to Washington DC to help the Japanese Embassy in reconciling relations with the United States.
21 Mar 1941	Tatsuta Maru departed San Francisco, California, United States; among the passengers was German Army General Werner Thiel.
10 Jul 1941	Tatsuta Maru departed Yokohama, Japan for Honolulu, US Territory of Hawaii on her 68th voyage.
28 Jul 1941	Tatsuta Maru set a new trans-Pacific crossing record.
30 Jul 1941	A committee consisted of US Treasury, State, and Justice Department officials granted an exception of the rule to freeze Japanese national assets so that Tatsuta Maru's owners could withdraw enough funds to pay for fuel for a return trip to Japan.
4 Aug 1941	Tatsuta Maru departed San Francisco, California, United States with US$2,500,000 worth of raw silk and 85,589 gallons of oil, both which was only allowed after Captain Toichi Takahata fought hard for due to the recently passed executive order to freeze Japanese assets in the United States.
17 Aug 1941	Tatsuta Maru departed Yokohama, Japan; Captain Toichi Takahata was replaced by Japanese Navy Reserve officer Captain Sakao Kimura.
28 Aug 1941	Tatsuta Maru departed Kobe, Japan; among the passengers were 349 Jewish refugees.
15 Sep 1941	Tatsuta Maru arrived at Shanghai, China.
12 Oct 1941	The American and Japanese Press announced that Tatsuta Maru would depart Yokohama, Japan for San Francisco, California, United States via Honolulu on 15 Oct 1941.
14 Oct 1941	Tatsuta Maru was acquired by the Japanese Navy and was assigned to the Yokosuka Naval District, Japan. Her civilian crew was replaced by that from the military.
15 Oct 1941	Tatsuta Maru departed Yokohama, Japan for the United States; she carried American nationals who wished to return to the US due to the rapidlyl deteriorating US-Japan relations. She would maintain radio silence throughout the entire journey.
23 Oct 1941	Tatsuta Maru arrived at Honolulu, US Territory of Hawaii at 1000 hours and disembarked American nationals who wished to return to the US due to the rapidly deteriorating US-Japan relations. Two Japanese intelligence agents who carried instructions for the consulate and a supply of radios for civilian spies already in place on Oahu, Hawaii were also disembarked.
24 Oct 1941	Tatsuta Maru departed Honolulu, US Territory of Hawaii for San Francisco, California, United States.
30 Oct 1941	Tatsuta Maru arrived at San Francisco, California, United States and disembarked non-Japanese passengers who departed due to the rapidly deteriorating US-Japan relations, including El Savadorian Consul General Leon Siguenza and Commander P. D. Perkins of the American Foreign Office in Japan. She then embarked Japanese nationals who wished to leave the US for similar reasons, and departed San Francisco.
2 Nov 1941	Tatsuta Maru arrived at Honolulu, US Territory of Hawaii, embarked Japanese nationals who wished to return to Japan due to the rapidly deteriorating US-Japan relations, and then departed for Japan; she would become the last passenger ship to leave the US before the start of the Pacific War.
14 Nov 1941	Tatsuta Maru departed Yokohama, Japan.
2 Dec 1941	Tatsuta Maru departed Yokohama, Japan for San Francisco, ostensibly for the second repatriation voyage to bring Japanese nationals in the United States to Japan. Her planned voyage would take her to Honolulu and San Francisco in the United States, then Manzanillo in Mexico, followed by Balboa in the Panama Canal Zone.
6 Dec 1941	Tatsuta Maru was in the Pacific en route for San Francisco, California, United States; her planned passenger list after arriving in the United States now included employees of the Japanese Raw Silk Intelligence Bureau, the Silk Department of Mitsui and Company, Gunze Corporation, Asahi Corporation, Japanese Cotton and Silk Trading Company, Hara and Company, Katakura and Company, Morimura and Company, Arai and Company, and Shinyai and Company.
7 Dec 1941	At about midnight at the very beginning of the day, Tatsuta Maru was ordered to reverse course.
14 Dec 1941	Tatsuta Maru arrived at Yokohama, Japan.
17 Jan 1942	Tatsuta Maru was re-requisitioned by the Japanese Navy and was attached to the Yokosuka Naval District, Japan.
27 Jan 1942	Tatsuta Maru departed Yokohama, Japan, arrived at Yokosuka, Japan, and then departed for Yokohama once again.
2 Feb 1942	Tatsuta Maru departed Yokohama, Japan.
4 Feb 1942	Tatsuta Maru arrived at Busan, Korea.
5 Feb 1942	Tatsuta Maru departed Busan, Korea.
11 Feb 1942	Tatsuta Maru arrived at Truk, Caroline Islands.
20 Feb 1942	Tatsuta Maru departed Truk, Caroline Islands.
24 Feb 1942	Tatsuta Maru arrived at Mereyon, Palau Islands.
25 Feb 1942	Tatsuta Maru departed Mereyon, Palau Islands.
1 Mar 1942	Tatsuta Maru arrived at Kwajalein, Marshall islands.
9 Mar 1942	Tatsuta Maru departed Kwajalein, Marshall Islands.
11 Mar 1942	Tatsuta Maru arrived at Wake Island.
12 Mar 1942	Tatsuta Maru departed Wake Island.
17 Mar 1942	Tatsuta Maru arrived at Yokosuka, Japan.
21 Mar 1942	Tatsuta Maru departed Yokosuka, Japan.
22 Mar 1942	Tatsuta Maru arrived at Tokuyama, Japan and took on fuel.
25 Mar 1942	Tatsuta Maru departed Tokuyama, Japan and arrived at Kure, Japan.
27 Mar 1942	Tatsuta Maru departed Kure, Japan and arrived at Kobe, Japan.
28 Mar 1942	Tatsuta Maru departed Kobe, Japan.
29 Mar 1942	Tatsuta Maru arrived at Yokohama, Japan.
30 Mar 1942	Tatsuta Maru departed Yokohama, Japan.
5 Apr 1942	Tatsuta Maru arrived at Tarakan, Borneo.
7 Apr 1942	Tatsuta Maru departed Tarakan, Borneo.
8 Apr 1942	Tatsuta Maru arrived at Balikpapan, Borneo and took on fuel.
10 Apr 1942	Tatsuta Maru departed Balikpapan, Dutch Borneo.
11 Apr 1942	Tatsuta Maru arrived at Makassar, Celebes.
18 Apr 1942	Tatsuta Maru departed Makassar, Celebes.
20 Apr 1942	Tatsuta Maru arrived at Kupang, Timor and then departed later on the same day.
22 Apr 1942	Tatsuta Maru arrived at Ambon, Maluku Islands and then departed later on the same day.
24 Apr 1942	Tatsuta Maru arrived at Davao, Philippine Islands.
25 Apr 1942	Tatsuta Maru departed Davao, Philippine Islands.
28 Apr 1942	Tatsuta Maru arrived at Takao, Taiwan.
30 Apr 1942	Tatsuta Maru departed Takao, Taiwan.
1 May 1942	Tatsuta Maru arrived at Kirun (now Keelung), Taiwan.
2 May 1942	Tatsuta Maru departed Kirun (now Keelung), Taiwan.
5 May 1942	Tatsuta Maru arrived at Yokohama, Japan.
10 May 1942	Tatsuta Maru departed Yokohama, Japan.
15 May 1942	Tatsuta Maru arrived at Davao, Philippine Islands.
17 May 1942	Tatsuta Maru departed Davao, Philippine Islands.
19 May 1942	Tatsuta Maru arrived at Manila, Philippine Islands.
20 May 1942	Tatsuta Maru departed Manila, Philippine Islands.
24 May 1942	Tatsuta Maru arrived at Sasebo, Japan.
26 May 1942	Tatsuta Maru departed Sasebo, Japan.
28 May 1942	Tatsuta Maru arrived at Yokohama, Japan.
4 Jun 1942	Tatsuta Maru departed Yokohama, Japan.
7 Jun 1942	Tatsuta Maru arrived at Saipan, Mariana Islands.
8 Jun 1942	Tatsuta Maru departed Saipan, Mariana Islands.
10 Jun 1942	Tatsuta Maru arrived at Truk, Caroline Islands.
13 Jun 1942	Tatsuta Maru departed Truk, Caroline Islands.
16 Jun 1942	Tatsuta Maru arrived at Jaluit, Marshall islands, and departed for and arrived at Emidji on the same day.
17 Jun 1942	Tatsuta Maru departed Emidji.
18 Jun 1942	Tatsuta Maru arrived at Taroa, Marshall Islands.
20 Jun 1942	Tatsuta Maru departed Taroa, Marshall Islands and arrived at Wotje, Marshall Islands.
22 Jun 1942	Tatsuta Maru departed Wotje, Marshall Islands.
23 Jun 1942	Tatsuta Maru arrived at Kwajalein, Marshall islands.
24 Jun 1942	Tatsuta Maru departed Kwajalein, Marshall Islands.
30 Jun 1942	Tatsuta Maru arrived at Yokohama, Japan.
30 Jul 1942	Tatsuta Maru departed Yokohama, Japan with 60 Allied internees including Ambassador Sir Robert Craigie and British embassy staff from Tokyo, Yokohama, and Kobe, Belgian Ambassador and Mrs. M. Fortholme, Greek Minister M. Politis, Egyptian Minister M. Samaika, Australian diplomat Keith Officer, Norwegian diplomat and Mrs. M. Kolstadt, Dutch diplomat and Mrs. M. Reuchlin, Czechoslovakian Minister Mr. Havlicek and consular officials from Yokohama and Kobe, and other British and foreign nationals. It was the first Japanese-British diplomatic exchange.
1 Aug 1942	Gato-class submarine USS Silversides sighted a large passenger liner off Honshu Japan. The ship's silhouette and markings identified her as the non-combatant Tatsuta Maru engaged in repatriating diplomatic personnel to their home countries.
5 Aug 1942	Tatsuta Maru arrived at Shanghai, China and embarked interned Allied personnel; she would depart later on the same day.
9 Aug 1942	Tatsuta Maru arrived at Saigon, Indochina and embarked interned Allied personnel.
14 Aug 1942	Tatsuta Maru arrived at Singapore and departed later on the same day; she now carried almost 1,000 interned Allied personnel.
27 Aug 1942	Tatsuta Maru arrived at Lourenço Marques, Portuguese East Africa (now Maputo, Mozambique). The nearly 1,000 interned Allied personnel aboard were exchanged with the British for Japanese diplomats and supplies. She also took on 48,818 Red Cross parcels meant for Allied prisoners of war currently in Japanese custody.
2 Sep 1942	Tatsuta Maru departed Lorenco Marques, Portuguese East Africa.
17 Sep 1942	Tatsuta Maru arrived at Singapore.
27 Sep 1942	Tatsuta Maru arrived at Yokohama, Japan.
11 Dec 1942	Tatsuta Maru was re-requisitioned by the Japanese Navy and was attached to the Yokosuka Naval District, Japan.
12 Dec 1942	Tatsuta Maru arrived at Sasebo, Japan.
14 Dec 1942	Tatsuta Maru departed Sasebo, Japan and arrived at Nagasaki, Japan later in the same day.
19 Dec 1942	Tatsuta Maru departed Nagasaki, Japan.
21 Dec 1942	Tatsuta Maru arrived at Mako, Pescadores and departed later in the same day.
23 Dec 1942	Tatsuta Maru arrived at Manila, Philippine Islands.
25 Dec 1942	Tatsuta Maru departed Manila, Philippine Islands.
26 Dec 1942	A fire broke out on Tatsuta Maru, but it was quickly extinguished.
28 Dec 1942	Tatsuta Maru arrived at Balikpapan, Borneo and took on fuel.
31 Dec 1942	Tatsuta Maru departed Balikpapan, Dutch Borneo.
1 Jan 1943	Tatsuta Maru arrived at Makassar, Celebes.
8 Jan 1943	Tatsuta Maru departed Makassar, Celebes.
11 Jan 1943	Tatsuta Maru arrived at Singapore.
14 Jan 1943	Tatsuta Maru departed Singapore at 0900 hours.
18 Jan 1943	Tatsuta Maru arrived at Hong Kong.
19 Jan 1943	Tatsuta Maru departed Hong Kong at 1300 hours with 1,180 men aboard, including 663 Canadian prisoners of war from the Sham Sui Po prisoner of war camp.
22 Jan 1943	Tatsuta Maru arrived at Nagasaki, Japan at 0400 hours. The 663 Canadian prisoners of war aboard were disembarked where they would be sent to work in the mines as forced laborers.
23 Jan 1943	Tatsuta Maru departed Nagasaki, Japan and arrived at Sasebo, Japan later on the same day.
25 Jan 1943	Tatsuta Maru departed Sasebo, Japan.
26 Jan 1943	Tatsuta Maru arrived at Osaka, Japan.
28 Jan 1943	Tatsuta Maru departed Osaka, Japan.
29 Jan 1943	Tatsuta Maru arrived at Yokosuka, Japan.
30 Jan 1943	Tatsuta Maru departed Yokosuka, Japan and arrived at Yokohama, Japan later on the same day.
31 Jan 1943	Tatsuta Maru departed Yokohama, Japan and arrived at Yokosuka, Japan later on the same day.
8 Feb 1943	Tatsuta Maru departed Yokosuka, Japan at 1600 hours, escorted by destroyer Yamagumo. At 2215 hours, at 42 miles east-southeast of Mikura Jima in the Izu Islands south of Tokyo, US submarine USS Tarpon sank her with about four torpedoes. Tatsuta Maru sank at 2237 hours, killing 1,223 passengers and 198 crew. Destroyer Yamagumo failed to find any survivors in the darkness and in the rough seas.
10 Mar 1943	The Japanese Navy removed Tatsuta Maru from the Navy List.

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Visitor Submitted Comments

1. Nick Messinger says:
14 Mar 2014 05:44:34 AM

An excellent narrative - much appreciated.

2. Anthony.Lambert says:
7 Feb 2017 06:19:09 PM

My father was an employee of the British Consulate Saigon. Our family- parents and three children (born in Saigon), boarded the Tatuta maru on Aug./9/42 and after almost 3 months travel were repatriated to home Country Ceylon, after disembarking in Lorenco Marques, went on to Durban, Egypt, and Bombay, and by finally by train to Colombo. Although not yet 5 years of age, have memories of the day we left Saigon and some memories of this ship. The journey from Durban to Egypt was on a Troop ship packed with soldiers bound for the middle east.

3. Anonymous says:
8 Feb 2019 06:07:59 PM

Main Article say's few survivors and references Wikipedia which says no survivors. 8 Feb 1943 entry says no survivors, should be consistent.

C. Peter Chen says:
9 Feb 2019 06:39:16 PM

Anonymous of 8 Feb 2019: Thank you for your note, we have corrected the text in the main article.

5. Jackie Littleton says:
5 May 2020 09:00:01 AM

My research on another matter shows the Tatuta Maru arr. San Francisco from Yokohama 1 Jan 1941

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