© 2009-2011 Bob Hackett and Peter Cundall
27 June 1944:
Harima. Laid down at Harima Ship Building, Ltd.
September 1944:
Launched and numbered CD-138.
23 November 1944:
Completed and registered in the IJN.
5 December 1944:
CD-138 is assigned to the General Escort Command's First Surface Escort Division.
10 December 1944:
Reassigned to the General Escort Command's First Escort Fleet.
14 December 1944:
CD-138 departs Miike with kaibokan CD-20 escorting convoy MOTA-28 consisting of MURORAN, TEIKAI (ex German FULDA) and tankers DAINAN, SHINGI, OEI and YAMAZAWA MARUs.
22 December 1944:
Arrives at Takao.
26 December 1944:
CD-138 departs Takao with kaibokan NOMI, MIYAKE escorting convoy TAMA 38 consisting of IJA landing craft depot ships KIBITSU, HYUGA and SHINSHU MARUs and transport AOBASAN MARU escorted bykaibokan NOMI and MIYAKE. Later that day anchors at Oluanpi, southern Formosa.
27 December 1944:
Early morning. Departs Oluanpi.
29 December 1944:
At 1900, arrives at North San Fernando, Luzon.
30 December 1944:
Early morning. An air attack takes place. CD-138 is hit by a bomb and damaged. At 0700, AOBASAN MARU is bombed and sunk. The other merchant ships all suffer degrees of damage.
31 December 1944:
At 1600, convoy MATA-38A arrives at North San Fernando, Luzon. CD-138 joins the escort of convoy MATA-38A consisting of MEIRYU and HISHIGATA MARU and possibly other unidentified ships.
2 January 1945:
San Fernando. At 1530, about thirty-five USAAF Fifth Air Force Douglas A-20 "Havoc" light bombers and Lockheed P-38 "Lightning" fighter-bombers strafe and start fires on HISHIGATA MARU. At 1600, she is hit by a bomb and sinks instantly at at 16-37N, 120-19E. About the same time, transport MEIRU MARU is hit by two bombs and also sinks.
The planes sink CD-138 and also badly damage CD-66.
10 March 1945:
Removed from the Navy List.
-Bob Hackett and Peter Cundall
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