She carried out whaling in the South Atlantic and in 1941 was blacklisted by the British government, believed to be because she was suspected of refuelling German vessels in the Pacific during the Second World War.

She was salvaged by Japan after the war, rebuilt and returned to service as the Tonan Maru in 1951.

[1] She was fitted with two oil-fired reciprocal steam engines, driving two screws, and had a nominal horse power of 500.

[2] She was the largest merchant vessel built in Japan up to that point, though her sister ship Tonan Maru No.

[16] On 24 July 1943 she was sighted at a distance of 35,000 yards (32 km; 17 nmi) by Lieutenant Commander Lawrence R. Daspit's submarine USS Tinosa, making 13 knots (24 km/h; 15 mph) and without an escort to the west of Chuuk Lagoon.

[17] Daspit closed to 4,000 yards (3.7 km; 2.0 nmi) and fired four torpedoes, two of which struck Tonan Maru No.

The vessel was stopped dead in the water and Daspit closed to what he considered an ideal range and position, 875 yards (800 m; 0.432 nmi) directly abeam of the tanker.

3 remained afloat and was salvaged and returned to service with the assistance of Japanese vessels operating from Chuuk.

[18] The US Navy discovered, through further tests, that the firing pins on their Mark 14 torpedoes failed to detonate when launched from a direct abeam position.

[15][20] She was one of 30 Japanese ships sunk in Operation Hailstone, a raid of Chuuk by aircraft from the USS Bunker Hill, Enterprise, Essex, Intrepid and Yorktown.

[21] Japan sought and received special permission to raise Tonan Maru No.

Her aft portion and funnel, which had been blown off during the attack, were located in the lagoon, at a depth of 110 feet (34 m), on 5 January 1981.