Seisho Maru

"Seisho Maru" was a cargo ship for Mitsui Bussan Kaisho in military service that was sunk by an American submarine during World War II. The ship had been built as SS "West Caruth", a cargo ship for the USSB|first=long shortly after the end of World War I. Shortly after completion, the ship was inspected by the United States Navy for possible use as USS "West Caruth" (ID-2850) but was neither taken into the Navy nor ever commissioned under that name. Before being sold to Japanese owners in 1928, she was also known as SS "Exmoor" and SS "Antonio Tripcovich".

"West Caruth" was built in 1918 for the USSB, as a part of the "West" boats, a series of steel-hulled cargo ships built on the West Coast of the United States for the World War I war effort, and was the second ship built at Southwestern Shipbuilding in San Pedro, California. After operating for four years under American registry, she was sold several times and operated under British, Italian, and Japanese registry throughout the remainder of her career. In November 1944, while serving as Japanese transport "Seisho Maru" during World War II, she was sunk by U.S. Navy submarine USS|Sunfish|SS-281|2.

Design and construction

The "West" ships were cargo ships of similar size and design built by several shipyards on the West Coast of the United States for the USSB|first=long for emergency use during World War I. All were given names that began with the word "West", like "West Caruth",Crowell and Wilson, pp. 358–59.] the second of some 18 "West" ships built by the Southwestern Shipbuilding of San Pedro, California. "West Caruth" (Southwestern Shipbuilding No. 2) was launched at 08:00 on 31 December 1918 by sponsor Betty Howard, the nine-year-old daughter of company vice president, William F. Howard, and completed in February 1919.

"West Caruth" was GRT|5,632|first=yes, and was convert|410|ft|5|in|m long (between perpendiculars) and convert|54|ft|6|in|m abeam. The ship had a single triple-expansion steam engine that drove a single screw propeller, and moved the ship at up to convert|10.5|knots|km/h.

Career

"West Caruth" was inspected by the 12th Naval District of the United States Navy after completion for possible use as a service collier and was assigned the identification number of 3850. Had she been commissioned, she would have been known as USS "West Caruth" (ID-3850), but the Navy neither took over the ship nor commissioned her.cite DANFS | author = Naval Historical Center | title = West Caruth | url = http://www.history.navy.mil/danfs/w5/west_caruth.htm | short = on ]

The cargo ship sailed for the USSB under American registry for the first four years of her existence, and sailed to the East African ports of Dakar and Monrovia through 1921. [For Monrovia, see, for example: cite news | url = http://query.nytimes.com/mem/archive-free/pdf?res=9E0CE0DC1031E433A25750C0A9619C946195D6CF | format = pdf | title = Shipping and mails | work = The New York Times | date = 3 July 1920 | accessdate = 2008-09-08 | page = 24 For Dakar, see, for example: cite news | url = http://query.nytimes.com/mem/archive-free/pdf?res=9B02E7D71F39E13ABC4C52DFB0668382609EDE | format = pdf | title = Shipping and mails | work = The New York Times | date = 14 June 1919 | accessdate = 2008-09-08 | page = 23 Also see: cite news | url = http://query.nytimes.com/mem/archive-free/pdf?res=9800E1D7133CE533A25752C1A9659C946095D6CF | format = pdf | title = Shipping and mails | work = The New York Times | date = 11 March 1921 | accessdate = 2008-09-08 | page = 32 ] The "Los Angeles Times" reported that "West Caruth" sailed out of Los Angeles in both transpacific and European–Pacific service for two years.cite news | last = Cave | first = Wayne B. | title = Old Shipping Board freighter in Friday | work = Los Angeles Times | date = 23 November 1933 | page = A13 ]

In 1923, "West Caruth" was sold to the North Devon Steamship Company and operated as tramp steamer "Exmoor" under the British flag. In 1924, she was purchased by the Tripcovich Shipping Company of Trieste and sailed under the Italian flag as "Antonio Tripcovich". Four years later, she was renamed "Seisho Maru" as a part of Oguma Shoten Gomei Kaisha of Tsurumi under Japanese registry. By the early 1930s "Seisho Maru" had been sold to Mitsui Bussan Kaisho.

There is scant record of the ship's movements under any of her later names. The "Los Angeles Times" reports her arrival at West Coast ports as "Seisho Maru" at least twice. In March 1930, the ship arrived at Tacoma, Washington, from Singapore to pick up a load of logs for export. [cite news | author = Associated Press | title = News of ships and sailings at Pacific ports | work = Los Angeles Times | date = 10 March 1930 | page = A16 ] Another notice in November 1933 noted her impending return to Los Angeles, where she was scheduled to take on a load of borax and scrap brass. In early May 1939, "Seisho Maru" ran aground in Tokyo Bay, [cite news | title = Casualty reports | work = The Times | date = 8 May 1939 | page = 25 ] but was refloated after several days. [cite news | title = Marine casualties | work = The Times | date = 12 May 1939 | page = 28 ]

During World War II, "Seisho Maru" served as an army transport,Cressman, p. 275.] but sources reporting her movements are incomplete. It is known that she was one of some 20 ships that departed Takau as part of three combined convoys—TASA-17, TE-03, and No. 82—in mid-April 1944.cite web | last = Hackett | first = Bob | coauthors = Peter Cundall | title = JN Minesweeper W-18: Tabular Record of Movement | url = http://www.combinedfleet.com/W-18_t.htm | year = 2007 | accessdate = 2008-09-08 ]

"Seisho Maru" and seven other ships formed convoy MI-27 which departed Moji for Miri, Borneo, on 15 November that same year. Escorted by a converted minesweeper and three smaller vessels, the convoy hugged the coast of the Korean peninsula to try to avoid American submarines.cite web | last = Hackett | first = Bob | coauthors = Peter Cundall | title = JN Minesweeper W-101: Tabular Record of Movement | url = http://www.combinedfleet.com/W-101_t.htm | year = 2007 | accessdate = 2008-09-08 ] Nevertheless, a group of three submarines—USS|Peto|SS-265|2, USS|Spadefish|SS-411|2, and USS|Sunfish|SS-281|2—found and attacked the convoy on the night of 17/18 November. Torpedoes from "Sunfish" sank "Edogawa Maru" and damaged "Seisho Maru" shortly after 22:00, while "Peto" sank "Osakasan Maru" at 23:40. At 01:30, the damaged "Seisho Maru" engaged in a gun battle with a surfaced submarine. Then, at 03:17, another spread of torpedoes from "Sunfish" finished off "Seisho Maru", which sank at position coord|33|36|N|124|18|E|display=inline,title in the East China Sea. [Cressman, p. 275.] USS|Peto|SS-265|6 also sank "Chinaki Maru" later that morning for a total loss of half the convoy ships.]

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