© 2009 Bob Hackett and Peter Cundall
1 August 1944:
Harima. Laid down at Harima Ship Building, Ltd.
10 October 1944:
Launched and numbered CD-144.
23 November 1944:
Completed and registered in the IJN.
14 January 1945:
At 0700, CD-144 departs Moji with kaibokan MANJU,
CD-31, CD-132, destroyer SHIOKAZE and subchasers CH-19 and CH-57 escorting
convoy MOTA-32 consisting of DAIKYO, TENSHO, SAMARANG, AIZAN, SHUNSHO and DAISHUN
MARUs, TAMON MARU No. 16 and five unidentified merchants, possibly including
TETSUYO and TATSUHARU MARUs. The convoy hugs the continental coast as it heads
south.
21 January 1945:
Arrives at Sanmen Bay.
22 January 1945:
Early in the morning, convoy MOTA-32 departs Sanmen Bay, China. At 1600, arrives at Namkwan (now Namquan) Bay and joins convoy TAMO-38 sheltering there consisting of DAINAN, BINGO, TOYOKAWA, RASHIN, SHINNO and TATSUWA MARUs and NICHIYU MARU No. 7. MOTA-32 anchors in five columns nearest the bay entrance.
23 January 1945:
At 0402, LtCdr (later Rear Admiral/MOH) Eugene B. Fluckey's (USNA '35) USS BARB (SS-220) discovers the anchored ships and skillfully enters the bay. At 0402, Fluckey fires a full salvo of torpedoes. DAIKYO MARU carrying ammunition spectacularly explodes and sinks. - 360 of 558 troops, 58 crewmen and 27 gunners are KIA.
Minor damage, probably from falling
debris, is also inflicted on SAMARANG, AIZAN, DAISHUN and SHUNSHO MARUs and TAMON MARU No. 16. At 0600, the remainder of the convoy departs the anchorage.
25 January 1945:
Arrives at Keelung.
2 February 1945:
E of Cape Laguan, Malay Peninsula. At about 0100, Cdr
Thomas L. Wogan’s (USNA '30) USS BESUGO (SS-321) attacks an unidentified convoy. Wogan torpedoes and
sinks CD-144 at 04-32N, 104-30E.
10 April 1945:
Removed from the Navy List.
-Bob Hackett and Peter Cundall
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