© 2006-2008 Bob Hackett, Sander Kingsepp and Peter Cundall
Revision 1
5 April 1943:
Osaka. Laid down at Hitachi Zosen Co. Ltd.’s Sakurajima shipyard as kaibokan No. 321.
31 September 1943:
Lanched and named AMAKUSA.
20 November 1943:
Completed and registered in the Yokosuka Naval District. Assigned to the General Escort Command’s Second Surface Escort Division. LtCdr Shinoda Yoshikazu is the Commanding Officer.
December 1943:
AMAKUSA departs Yokosuka for Truk escorting a convoy of unidentified merchant ships.
15 December 1943:
At 0800, AMAKUSA departs Truk for Yokosuka with auxiliary gunboat CHOAN MARU No. 2 escorting convoy No. 4215 consisting of TAIKOKU, TATSUTAGAWA, GOSEI, TETSUYO and SUMIYOSHI MARUs.
28 December 1943:
Arrives at Yokosuka.
31 December 1943:
AMAKUSA departs Yokosuka for Truk with auxiliary gunboat CHOAN MARU No. 2 escorting convoy No. 3231 consisting of TATSUURA, AKIBASAN and KOKUYO MARUs.
12 January 1944:
Arrives at Truk.
19 January 1944:
AMAKUSA departs Truk for Yokosuka with auxiliary subchaser CHa-23 and auxiliary gunboat CHOAN MARU No. 2 escorting convoy 4119 consisting of KEMBU, HOKOKU and MARUs and MIKAGE MARU No. 18. [1]
31 January 1944:
Arrives at Yokosuka.
4 February 1944:
AMAKUSA departs Yokosuka for Truk with destroyer FUJINAMI, minelayer NATSUSHIMA and subchaser CH-31 escorting convoy No. 3206 consisting of GYOTEN (ex-British EMPIRE MOONBEAM), TATSUHA, ZUIKAI, RYUKO and SHINKYO MARUs. The convoy is carrying troops of the IJA’s 52nd Infantry Division.
17 February 1944: American Operation "Hailstone" - The Attack on Truk:
185 miles NW of Truk. At 0228 (JST), LtCdr (later Rear Admiral-Ret) Richard H. O’Kane's USS TANG (SS-306) fires four torpedoes and gets two hits on GYOTEN MARU at 08-02N, 149-17E. At 0320, she splits in two and sinks a few minutes later. The escorts counter-attack unsuccessfully.
In the early morning of 17 February, Vice Admiral (later Admiral) Marc A. Mitscher’s Task Force 58's five fleet carriers and four light carriers launch air attacks on Truk. Mitscher launches 30 strikes of at least 150 aircraft each. At about 1400, some of Mitscher’s planes attack convoy No. 3206. ZUIKAI MARU is hit by bombs and sinks at 1415. At 1420, TATSUHA MARU is also hit by bombs, explodes and sinks.
18 February 1944:
The remnants of convoy No. 3206 arrive at Truk. Mitscher launches carrier strikes about every hour for two days. During the raids, TF 58 sinks 31 merchant transports and 10 naval vessels, destroys nearly 200 aircraft and damages severely about 100 more. Truk is eliminated as a major IJN fleet anchorage.
6 March 1944:
At 1130, AMAKUSA departs Truk for Saipan with kaibokan MIKURA, subchaser CH-33 and minesweeper W-21 escorting convoy No. 4304 consisting of URAKAMI, SHIRANE, JUZAN and AWAJI MARUs.
10 March 1944:
At 1222, arrives at Saipan.
1 April 1944:
At 1100, AMAKUSA departs Tokyo Bay as part of the escort of 26-ship convoy “Higashi-Matsu” (East Pine) No. 4. The ships and their destinations are: Saipan: SHOUN, TOKO, TAKASAN, AKIKAWA KOKO, SHIRAMINE, TAIKAI, KAKOGAWA and MAKASSAR MARUS. Guam: MIMIASAKA, TOAN, AZUCHISAN and NISSU MARU s and UNYO MARU No. 8 Truk: Fleet supply ship KINESAKI, SHOZUI, TATBEI, SHIMA, SHINYO and HARVRE MARU s. Palau: Fleet supply ship MAMIYA, TENRYUGAWA, TAIAN and TOSEI MARU s and SHINSEI
MARU No. 5 Yap: SHINSEI MARU. The convoy commander is Rear Admiral Kiyota Takahiko (42)(former CO of NACHI) in destroyer SAMIDARE. The other escorts include destroyer ASANAGI, torpedo-boat HIYODORI, kaibokans MIKURA, FUKUE, OKI, CD-2, CD-3 and subchaser CH-50.
3 April 1944:
5 miles S of Tori-Shima. At about 1457, LtCdr (later Rear Admiral-Ret) Bafford E. Lewellen's USS POLLACK torpedoes and sinks TOSEI MARU at 30-14N, 139-45E. The escorts counter-attack POLLACK and drop 55 depth-charges without effect.
8 April 1944:
N of Saipan. At 0228 (JST), LtCdr (later Vice Admiral) Frederick J. Harlfinger's USS TRIGGER (SS-237) fires four torpedoes at the convoy, but fails to get any hits. OKI and SAMIDARE counter-attack
unsuccessfully.
9 April 1944:
62 miles WNW of Saipan. At 1625, LtCdr (later Captain)
Slade D. Cutter's USS SEAHORSE (SS-304) torpedoes and hits MIMASAKA MARU at
15-30N, 145-00E. MIMASAKA MARU is taken in tow by TOAN MARU. The escorts
counter-attack SEAHORSE unsuccessfully.
10 April 1944:
At about 0100 (JST), MIMASAKA MARU founders. She is carrying over 1,000 Naval personnel, most of whom are rescued.
The convoy arrives at Saipan, then is split into separate groups that continue on to their respective destinations.
27 April 1944:
At 1140, AMAKUSA departs Saipan with destroyer HOKAZE (F), kaibokan MIYAKE, CD-6, CD-10, minelayer SARUSHIMA and an unidentified vessel escorting Rear Admiral Matsuyama Mitsuharu's (40)(former CO of KITAKAMI) 7th Convoy Escort Group's convoy “Higashi Matsu” No. 6 (return) consisting of AZUCHISAN, AWAJI, SHOUN, TOAN, SHOZUI, KATSUKAWA, TAKAOKA, TONEGAWA, HOKUSHIN and TATEBE MARUs and four unidentified ships.
4 May 1944:
Arrives at Tokyo Bay.
14 May 1944:
At 0430, AMAKUSA departs Tateyama with destroyer SATSUKI, kaibokan CD-4 and CD-6 escorting Rear Admiral Tsuruoka Nobumichi's (43)(former CO of FUSO) Third Surface Escort Division's convoy Higashi Matsu No. 8 carrying elements of the IJA's 43rd Infantry Division. The convoy consists of MANJU MARU and army transports TOSAN and NOTO MARUs. The convoy steams in a wide arc in bad weather.
19 May 1944:
At 1030, arrives at Saipan. The convoy disembarks troops.
24 May 1944:
At 1700, AMAKUSA departs Saipan with two unidentified subchasers escorting convoy 4525 consisting of TAKUNAN, MANSHU and MAMIYA MARUs.
25 May 1944:
At 0900, arrives at Guam. Departs shortly thereafter.
30 May 1944:
Arrives at Tokyo.
June 1944:
LtCdr Matsui Toshio assumes command.
6 June 1944:
AMAKUSA departs Yokosuka for Saipan with kaibokan NOMI, OKI, destroyer MATSUKAZE and subchasers CH-16 and CH-18 escorting convoy No. 3606 consisting of SUGIYAMA, SHINROKU, KANSEISHI, KAIKO and HAKUYO MARUs. Soon after leaving SUGIYAMA MARU is attacked and damaged by LtCdr (later Captain) James B. Grady's USS WHALE (SS-239) at 31-06N, 142-24E, but the ship is taken in tow.
9 June 1944:
NE of Chichi-Jima. LtCdr Edmund K. Montross' USS SWORDFISH (SS-193) torpedoes and sinks MATSUKAZE at 26-59N, 143-13E. AMAKUSA rescues nine survivors. The escorts depth charge SWORDFISH unsuccessfully. The convoy steams to Chichi-Jima arriving later that day. It is decided to unload the ships there, rather than to proceed to Truk as originally planned.
14 June 1944:
At 0100, AMAKUSA departs Chichi-Jima with destroyer SATSUKI, kaibokan OKI and auxiliary minesweepers SHOWA MARU Nos.7 and No. 8 escorting the "Miho Maru" convoy consisting of MIHO, KANSEISHI, TOYOKAWA and AWAJI MARUs.
15 June 1944:
About 150 km SE of Tori Shima. At 0103, SWORDFISH torpedoes and sinks KANSEISHI MARU at 29-30N, 141-14E. The convoy puts into Yaene Wan, Hachijo Jima for safety departing later that day at 1800.
17 June 1944:
At 1400, arrives Yokosuka.
2 July 1944:
At 1800, AMAKUSA departs Yokosuka for Chichi-Jima with light-cruiser YASOJIMA, kaibokan OKI, minesweeper W-20, auxiliary minesweeper SHOWA MARU No.7, auxiliary subchaser CHa-9 and an unknown warship escorting convoy No. 3702 consisting of SHIBAZONO, EIKO, DAIJI, RYUKO and YAEI MARUs, UNKAI MARU No.7 and Oil Tanker No. 3995.
4 July 1944:
After receiving reports of an enemy carrier task force conducting raids on Chichi-Jima, the convoy reverses course for the homeland and later is dissolved.
10 July 1944:
At 0500, AMAKUSA departs Yokosuka for Iwo-Jima and Chichi-Jima with destroyers WAKABA and HATSUHARU, kaibokan CD-12, minesweeper W-27 and auxiliary subchaser FUMI MARU escorting convoy No. 3710 consisting of NISSHU, TAISEI, TONEGAWA, DAIJI and EIKO MARUs and TOKAI MARU No. 4.
12 July 1944:
At 1500, AMAKUSA and CD-12 are detached with NISSHU, TAISEI and TONEGAWA MARUs and head for Iwo Jima.
14 July 1944:
Arrives at Iwo-Jima. The merchants unload and depart.
15 July 1944:
Arrives at Chichi-Jima.
18 July 1944:
Reassigned to the Yokosuka Naval District.
1 August 1944:
AMAKUSA and auxiliary subchasers TAKUNAN MARUs No. 1 and No. 10 escort nine vessels of the 2nd Torpedo Boat Squadron's 1st detachment from Tateyama to Hachijo Shima The torpedo boats are towed by converted subchasers SEKI MARU No. 3 and KYO MARU No. 7.
11 August 1944:
AMAKUSA and auxiliary subchasers TAKUNAN MARUs No. 1 and No. 10 escort nine vessels of the 2nd Torpedo Boat Squadron's 2nd detachment from Tateyama to Hachijo Shima.
20 August 1944:
At 1015, arrives at Chichi-Jima island, then departs for Yokosuka.
22 August 1944:
Returns to Yokosuka.
23 October 1944:
At 2200, AMAKUSA departs Nishiura, Hahajima with destroyer HATAKAZE escorting convoy 4023B consisting of IKUTAGAWA MARU.
24 October 1944:
64 miles NE of Chichi-Jima. At 0935, LtCdr Talbot E. Harper's USS KINGFISH (SS-234) torpedoes and sinks IKUTAGAWA MARU at 27-5N, 143-19E. [2]
27 October 1944:
At 1300, the two escorts arrive at Yokosuka.
16 December 1944:
At 0800, AMAKUSA departs Yokosuka for Chichi-Jima with kaibokan CD-4, CD-56, minesweeper W-27 and auxiliary subchaser TAKUNAN MARU No. 2 escorting convoy No. 3217 consisting of AITOKU MARU, UNYO MARU No. 6 and HIYOSHI MARU No. 2.
20 December 1944:
Arrives safely at Chichi-Jima, but enroute to her anchorage, HIYOSHI MARU No. 2 strikes a mine and has to be beached. AMAKUSA is also looking for a place to drop anchor in the S part of Futami Bay when a Mark-13 magnetic mine explodes under her keel. It causes slight flooding and knocks out her gyro-compass. AMAKUSA's pumps, plus two borrowed from CD-56, bring the flooding under control.
22 December 1944:
At 1400, AMAKUSA departs Chichi-Jima for Yokosuka with the convoy on its return journey. The convoy is renumbered as No. 4222.
26 December 1944:
At 1700, arrives at Yokosuka.
13 January 1945:
Yokosuka. Drydocked. AMAKUSA undergoes repairs to her hull.
February 1945:
LtCdr Naito Shigeru assumes command.
26 February 1945:
E of Izu Oshima (SW of Tokyo). AMAKUSA is attacked and damaged by aircraft of Vice Admiral (later Admiral) Marc A. Mitscher’s Task Force 58. Twenty-six sailors are KIA in the attack.
March 1945:
Yokosuka. AMAKUSA undergoes repairs.
July 1945:
LtCdr Sakano Masami assumes command.
3 August 1945:
Departs Yokosuka escorting a convoy of unidentified ships.
6 August 1945:
Arrives at Onagawa Bay, Miyagi Prefecture, N Honshu.
9 August 1945:
Onagawa Bay. AMAKUSA, kaibokan INAGI, supply ship SOYA, minesweeper W-33, target ship OHAMA and subchaser CH-42 are at anchor when they are attacked by F-4U Mark IV "Corsair" fighter-bombers of Vice Admiral (later Admiral) Sir Bernard J. Rawlings, RN, Task Force 37’s (British Pacific Fleet) carrier HMS FORMIDABLE. A 500-lb bomb dropped by the lead pilot of FORMIDABLE’s 1841st Squadron flight of Corsairs, Lt Robert H. Gray, RCNVR, hits AMAKUSA below the after gun turret, explodes the ammunition locker, and blows out the starboard side of the ship. AMAKUSA capsizes to starboard and sinks in shallow water at 38-26N, 141-30E. Seventy-one sailors, including all members of her "black gang" are KIA. INAGI and OHAMA are also lost.
Lt Gray is brought down by heavy AA fire and crashes flames into the Bay. He is posthumously awarded the Victoria Cross, the fourth and last Commonwealth naval airman to be so honored.
That same day, Major (later Brig Gen, ANG) Charles W. Sweeney's B-29 "Superfortress", nicknamed "BOCKSCAR", of Sweeney's 393rd Bomb Squadron of the 509th Composite Group drops "Fat Man", the second atomic bomb, this time on Nagasaki. Japan agrees to an end of hostilities within a week.
15 September 1945:
Removed from the Navy List.
1946:
Salvaged by the Nippon Salvage Company and scrapped by 25 September 1948.
Authors' Notes:
[1] Auxiliary subchaser CHa-23 and auxiliary gunboat CHOAN MARU No. 2 may only have proceeded as far as Chichi-Jima.
[2] This IKUTAGAWA MARU is the 1944 built 2D standard type, not ex-Italian CALITEA II renamed IKUTAGAWA MARU by the Japanese.
Thanks for assistance with COs goes to Matthew Jones of Tennessee. Thanks also go to Dr. Higuchi Tatsuhiro of Japan.
-Bob Hackett, Sander Kingsepp and Peter Cundall
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