© 2009 Bob Hackett and Peter Cundall
7 November 1944:
Senshu. Laid down at Kawasaki Ship Building, Ltd.,
25 February 1945:
Launched and numbered CD-126.
26 March 1945:
Completed and registered in the IJN.
15 August 1945:
Japan accepts the Allies “Potsdam Declaration” (of unconditional surrender) and hostilities cease.
20 October 1945:
Departs Kure on her first repatriation voyage.
28 October 1945:
Arrives at Eniwetok. Embarks troops and passengers to be repatriated.
29 October 1945:
Departs Eniwetok.
31 October 1945:
Arrives at Maloelap. Embarks troops and passengers to be repatriated.
2 November 1945:
Departs Maloelap.
5 November 1945:
Removed from the Navy List.
13 November 1945:
Arrives at Uraga. Disembarks troops and passengers.
14 November 1945:
Enters dockyard at Uraga for repairs.
28 November 1945:
Repairs are completed.
1 December 1945:
Officially assigned to the Allied Repatriation Service. [1]
10 December 1945:
Departs Uraga.
16 December 1945:
Arrives at Guam. Embarks POWs and passengers to be repatriated and departs later that same day.
18 December 1945:
Arrives at Yap. Embarks troops and passengers to be repatriated and departs later that same day.
24 December 1945:
Arrives at Uraga. Disembarks troops and passengers.
29 December 1945:
Enters Ishikawajima dockyard for repairs.
23 January 1946:
Repairs are completed.
28 January 1946:
Departs Uraga.
2 February 1946:
Arrives at Guam. Embarks POWs and passengers to be repatriated and departs later the same day.
5 February 1946:
Arrives at Palau. Embarks POWs and passengers to be repatriated and departs later the same day.
12 February 1946:
Arrives at Uraga. Disembarks POWs and passengers.
16 February 1946:
Enters dockyard at Uraga for repairs.
23 February 1946:
Repairs are completed.
28 February 1946:
Departs Uraga.
7 March 1946:
Arrives at Guam. Embarks POWs and passengers to be repatriated and departs later the same day.
13 March 1946:
Arrives at Okinawa. Embarks POWs and passengers to be repatriated and departs later the same day.
21 March 1946:
Arrives at Sasebo. Disembarks POWs and passengers.
12 April 1946:
Enters Mukaijima Dockyard for repairs.
3 May 1946:
Repairs are completed.
7 May 1946:
Departs Kure.
10 May 1946:
Arrives at Shanghai. Embarks troops and passengers to be repatriated and departs later that same day.
11 May 1946:
Arrives at Sasebo. Disembarks troops and passengers.
20 May 1946:
Departs Sasebo.
22 May 1946:
Arrives at Shanghai. Embarks troops and passengers to be repatriated.
24 May 1946:
Departs Shanghai.
26 May 1946:
Arrives at Sasebo. Disembarks troops and passengers.
30 May 1946:
Departs Sasebo.
1 June 1946:
Arrives at Shanghai. Embarks troops and passengers to be repatriated.
2 June 1946:
Departs Shanghai.
5 June 1946:
Arrives at Sasebo. Disembarks troops and passengers.
11 June 1946:
Departs Sasebo.
12 June 1946:
Arrives at Naze. Embarks troops and passengers to be repatriated.
13 June 1946:
Departs Naze.
14 June 1946:
Arrives at Sasebo. Disembarks troops and passengers.
25 July 1946:
Departs Sasebo.
28 July 1946:
Arrives at Korojima near Tsientsin. Embarks troops and passengers to be repatriated.
2 August 1946:
Departs Korojima.
5 August 1946:
Arrives at Hakata. Disembarks troops and passengers.
12 August 1946:
Enters Kasado Dockyard for repairs.
1 September 1946:
Repairs are completed.
15 October 1946:
Departs Yokohama.
20 October 1946:
Arrives at Guam. Embarks POWs and passengers to be repatriated.
23 October 1946:
Departs Guam.
28 October 1946:
Arrives at Uraga. Disembarks POWs and passengers.
30 October 1946:
Enters dockyard at Uraga for repairs.
10 November 1946:
Repairs are completed.
13 December 1946:
Departs Uraga.
14 December 1946:
Arrives at Otaka and departs later the same day.
17 December 1946:
Arrives at Okinawa. Embarks POWs and passengers to be repatriated and departs later the same day.
20 December 1946:
Arrives at Kagoshima. Disembarks POWs and passengers.
14 August 1947:
Singapore. Ceded to the United Kingdom as a war reparation.
1 February 1948:
Scrapped.
Authors' Notes:
[1] Allied occupation forces were responsible for the return of six million Japanese military personnel and civilians from Japan's defunct far-flung Empire. In addition, there were over a million Korean and about 40,000 Chinese prisoners and conscript laborers and approximately 7,000 Formosans and 15,000 Ryukyu Islanders to be repatriated.
Some Allied and many former IJN warships, from aircraft carriers to kaibokan, were used to facilitate the enormous repatriation effort. Japanese vessels and crews were used to the fullest extent possible to conserve Allied manpower and accelerate demobilization. Each ex-IJN ship first had to be demilitarized; guns removed or, in the case of large warships, barrels severed, ammunition landed, and radar and catapults removed, if fitted. Repatriation of the Chinese on Japanese ships began early in October from Hakata, but U.S. guard detachments had to be placed on many ships to prevent disorder because the Japanese crews could not control the returnees.
Japanese-run repatriation centers were established at Kagoshima, Hario near Sasebo, and Hakata near Fukuoka. Other reception centers were established and operated at Maizuru, Shimonoseki, Sasebo, Senzaki, Kure, Uraga, Yokohama, Moji and Hakodate. Allied line and medical personnel supervised the centers. Incoming Japanese were sprayed with DDT, examined and inoculated for typhus and smallpox, provided with food, and transported to his final destination in Japan.
-Bob Hackett and Peter Cundall
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