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Operation C (vii)

'C' (vii) was a Japanese pair of convoy operations to deliver reinforcements to the forces in New Guinea (18 December 1942/February 1943).

The 2,670-ton auxiliary gunboat Shinkyo Maru, the 10,438-ton armed merchant cruiser Gokoku Maru, the submarine tender Yasukuni Maru and the light cruisers Kitakami[/e[ and Oi were assigned to the task of escorting the 10,413-ton Hakozaki Maru and other transport vessels, including the 10,437-ton Aikoku Maru, the ammunition transport Aratama Maru, the 6,862-ton Kiyokawa Maru, the 6,991-ton Kiyosumi Maru and the Ukishima Maru, in what was known to the Japanese as 'Hei-Go' (Operation 'C'), which was intended to move Lieutenant General Shigemasa Aobi’s 20th Division and Lieutenant General Heisuke Abe’s 41st Division from Manchukuo and China respectively to Wewak in North-East New Guinea as reinforcements for Lieutenant General Hatazo Adachi’s 18th Army.

The operation was to be undertaken in three phases, of which the first was 'Hei-Ichi-Go' (Operation 'C 1') for the delivery of 9,443 men, 82 vehicles, weapons and 12,267 packages of provisions of the 20th Division and the last was 'Hei-No-Go' (Operation 'C 3') for the delivery of 13,657 men, 123 vehicles and 95,617 packages of supplies and provisions of the 41s Division. The second movement, 'Hei-Ni-Go' (Operation 'C 2') was to have delivered the 208th Air Group, but was cancelled.