© 2007-2009 Bob Hackett and Peter Cundall
Revision 1
1 November 1943:
Nagasaki. Laid down at Mitsubishi Heavy Industries’
shipyard.
11 January 1944:
Launched and numbered CD-18.
8 March 1944:
Completed and registered in the IJN.
28 April 1944:
At 0600, CD-18 departs Tokyo with kaibokans NOMI,
CD-12, CD-22 and submarine chasers CH-16 and CH-18 escorting "Higashi Matsu"
Convoy No.7 (outbound) consisting of TATSUHARU, MITAKESAN, ASAHISAN, OKINAWA,
YAMATAMA, BINGO, MEIRYU, MOJI and MIHO MARUs bound for Saipan; ASAKA MARU and
landing ships T. 128 and T. 150 for Palau; KOSHIN and BOKUYO MARUs for Yap and
TAITO MARU for Chichijima.
17 May 1944:
CD-18 departs Saipan for Tokyo with destroyer ASANAGI,
kaibokan CD-24, torpedo-boat OTORI, SHONAN MARU No. 8, TAKUNAN MARU No. 10
escorting convoy No. 4517 consisting of ASAHISAN, TATSUHARU, YAMATAMA, SHOZAN,
BINGO, MEIRYU, ENOSHIMA, MINO and MIHO MARUs. Soon after departing, YAMATAMA
MARU runs aground and is detached from the convoy.
22 May 1944:
160 miles NW of Chichi-Jima. At 0327, at 28-12N 138-50E,
flagship ASANAGI steaming about a mile ahead of the formation is torpedoed aft
by LtCdr (later Rear Admiral-Ret) Bafford E. Lewellen‘s USS POLLACK (SS-180).
She becomes unnavigable and goes dead in the water. Fires break out aft and she
lists to starboard, before rolling over and sinking at 0405.
24 May 1944:
Arrives at Tokyo at about 1730.
3 June 1944:
CD-18 departs Imari Bay for Miri, Borneo with minesweeper
W-17, torpedo boat SAGI and patrol boat No. 38 and four unidentified escorts
escorting convoy MI-05 consisting of KENEI, HINAGA, NIPPO, FUYUKAWA, SURAKARUTA,
TATSUJU and SHOEI MARU and tankers TACHIBANA, NITTETSU, TOA, CERAM, SANKO
(YAMAKO), AYAKIRI, AYANAMI, OEI, MARIFU, TOKUWA, TAKETSU (BUTSU), MARIFU and
YAMAMIZU MARU No. 2 and fleet oiler NOTORO plus thirteen other unidentified
ships.
8 June 1944:
Arrives at Keelung.
9 June 1944:
Departs Keelung.
11 June 1944:
The convoy is joined by cargo ships/transports ARIMASAN,
MANILA, MIIKESAN and USSURI MARUs and tankers SAN DIEGO MARU and KYOEI No. 8 and
JINEI MARU from Takao. Minelayer MAESHIMA and auxiliary subchaser CHa-95 join
the escort. TOA and SHOEI MARUs are detached.
13 June 1944:
LtCdr Johm D. Crowley's USS FLIER (SS-250) torpedoes and
damages MARIFU MARU at 15-57N, 119-42E. She is taken in tow by MIIKESAN MARU.
The ship later arrives at Manila and is detached from the convoy.
15 June 1944:
The convoy arrives Manila.
18 June 1944:
CD-18 departs Manila with kaibokan CD-13, torpedo boat SAGI, patrol boat PB-38, minesweeper W-17, minelayer MAESHIMA, auxiliary subchasers CHa-22 and CHa-95 and two unidentified warships escorting convoy MI-05 consisting of fleet oiler NOTORO, tankers TACHIBANA, SAN DIEGO, BAIEI, KENZUI, ATAGO, JINEI, AYANAMI, CERAM, OEI and TOKUWA MARUs, YAMAMIZU MARU No. 2, and KYOEI MARU No. 8 and cargo/transports ARIMASAN, HINAGA, NIPPO (ex-Chinese NINGPO), TATSUJU, SURAKARUTA, TEIFU, ROKKO, DAIZEN, MIIKESAN, NICHIYO, HIDA and SEIWA MARUs.
23 June 1944:
At 1257, arrives at Miri.
25 June 1944:
At 1915, CD-18 departs Miri for Singapore with torpedo
boat SAGI, minesweeper W-17, subchaser CH-21 and auxiliary minesweepers CHOUN
MARU No. 6 and TOSHI MARU No. 2 escorting convoy MISHI-03 consisting of fleet
oiler NOTORO and SAN DIEGO, NICHIYO, HIDA, FUYUKAWA, AYANAMI, KYOEI No. 8,
BAIEI, NIPPO (ex-Swedish NINGPO), DAIZEN, TEIFU (ex-BOUGAINVILLE), SEIWA,
SURAKARTA, HINAGA, MANILA, ARIMASAN, ROKKO, TATSUTAMA (ex-American SS ADMIRAL Y.
S. WILLIAMS), TOA, KENZUI and JINEI MARUs.
28 June 1944:
South China Sea. Off Singapore. At 2100, Cdr (later Rear
Admiral) Rueben T. Whitaker’s USS FLASHER's (SS-249) radar picks up a convoy
consisting of 13 merchants and several escorts. Whitaker, operating in
relatively shallow water (150 feet) decides to wait until after the moon sets to
make a surface attack.
29 June 1944:
At 0117, two or three torpedoes hit NIPPO MARU and two
or three torpedoes hit NOTORO. NIPPO MARU breaks in two and sinks by the bow. 87
of her 628 passengers are killed. NOTORO remains afloat, but goes dead in the
water. The escorts begin blindly dropping depth charges. Whitaker, still on the
surface, leaves the area on four engines.
30 June 1944:
At 1437, arrives at Singapore.
July 1944:
CD-18 departs Singapore for Manila escorting an unknown
convoy.
23 July 1944:
At 1545, CD-18 departs Manila for Moji with torpedo boat
SAGI, kaibokan CD-1, CD-28, minesweeper W-17, minelayer ENOSHIMA and subchaser
CH-61 escorting convoy MI-08 consisting of MIZUHO, MANILA, ARABIA, TATSUBATO,
HAKUROKU MARUs and tankers SAN DIEGO, SAN LUIS, NITTETSU, MIRI, CHIHAYA, RYUSHO
and SANKO (YAMAKO) MARUs and KYOEI MARU No. 6. The convoy speed is eight knots.
27 July 1944:
At 0920, auxiliary subchaser CHa-74 and auxiliary
transport OYO MARU join the escort. At 1605, the convoy arrives at Takao and is
again reorganized.
30 July 1944:
At 1800, CD-18 departs Takao with torpedo-boat SAGI,
kaibokan CD-1, minesweeper W-17 and auxiliary netlayer KISHIN MARU escort the
convoy that now consists of ZUIHO, CHIHAYA, SAN DIEGO, SAN LUIS, BOKO, MANILA,
SANKO, TSUYAMA, ARABIA, RYUSHO, MIRI, TATSUBATO, NITTETSU, YAGI, TOUN and EIHO
MARUs. The convoy speed is 7 knots.
1 August 1944:
At 1400, the convoy arrives at Keelung after it is
suspected that enemy submarines had gained contact.
4 August 1944:
At 1600, the convoy departs Keelung and heads up the
Ryukyu Islands bound for the Kyushu.
9 August 1944:
N of Okinoshima. LtCdr Robert A. Keating's BARBEL
(SS-316) torpedoes and sinks IJA cargo ship YAGI MARU and merchant cargo ship
BOKO MARU (ex-British SAGRES) at 27-56N, 128-47E. W-17 and CD-1 carry out an
antisubmarine sweep and drop 21 depth charges that cause some damage to BARBEL.
Afterwards, the convoy heads out of the area at full speed making evasive
movements. At 1200, the convoy arrives at Koniya, Amami-O-Shima.
11 August 1944:
At 0400, the convoy departs Amami-O-Shima.
13 August 1944:
Arrives at Moji.
27 August 1944:
At 0800, CD-18 departs Moji for Miri, Borneo with
destroyers SHIOKAZE and KURETAKE, minesweeper W-17 and minelayer YURISHIMA
escorting convoy MI-17 consisting of tankers NITTETSU and SHIMOTSU MARUs and
cargo ships BAIKAL, AMAHI, DAITEN, NORWAY, ARAOSAN, NICHIZUI, HOKUREI, SORACHI
MARUs and SHINYO MARU No. 8 and four unidentified ships.
1 September 1944:
Arrives at Mako, Pescadores. SORACHI MARU and two
unidentified ships detach. An unidentified ship joins the convoy. W-20 and
subchaser CH-41 join the escort.
4 September 1944:
Departs Mako.
6 September 1944:
At 1500, arrives at Aparri, Luzon. W-17, W-20 and
CH-41 are detached.
10 September 1944:
Arrives at Manila. CD-18 is detached.
16 September 1944:
CD-18 departs Yulin for Moji with kaibokan MIKURA,
ETOROFU, CD-10 and CD-26 escorting the 1st echelon of reorganized convoy HI-72
consisting of ASAKA, KIBITSU MARU, GOKOKU and KAGU MARUs.
20 September 1944:
Off Formosa. At 0110, USAAF B-24 "Liberator" heavy
bombers attack the convoy’s first echelon (Moji-bound) at 23-20N, 119-12E.
GOKOKU MARU is damaged by a direct hit and ASAKA MARU suffers a near miss aft.
Both are towed into nearby Mako for repairs. The bombers also damage cargo
vessel SHINCHO and KAGU MARUs. She heads for Takao for repairs escorted by
CD-10, CD-11 and CD-20. Kaibokan MIKURA is damaged and towed to Mako by CD-18
assisted by CD 26.
8 October 1944:
At 0700, CD-18 departs Manila for Miri, Borneo with
kaikoban CD-18 and CD-26, patrol boat PB-105, subchaser CH-19 and auxiliary
subchaser Cha-56 escorting reorganized convoy MI-19 consisting of NITTETSU, SAN
LUIS, DAIZEN, HIDA, SAN DIEGO, EIKYO, TOKUWA, SHUNTEN, TATSUBATO, DAISHU and
YOSHU MARUs.
9 October 1944:
About 1700, LtCdr Henry D. Sturr’s BECUNA (SS-319)
torpedoes and damages SAN LUIS MARU, but she is able to continue. LtCdr Francis
W. Scanland’s HAWKBILL (SS-366) also torpedoes SAN LUIS MARU about the same
time. At 1804, Sturr’s BECUNA torpedoes and sinks TOKUWA MARU.
10 October 1944:
SHUNTEN MARU and two of the escorts are detached with
damaged SAN LUIS MARU and head for Sandakan, Borneo,
12 October 1944:
Palawan Passage. LtCdr (later Captain) David H.
McClintock’s DARTER (SS-227) fires four torpedoes at two ships in the convoy,
but inflicts no damage.
14 October 1944:
At 0208, LtCdr (later Captain) Bladen D. Claggett’s
DACE (SS-247) torpedoes and sinks NITTETSU MARU and damages DAIZEN and EIKYO
MARUs.
17 October 1944:
Arrives at Miri.
19 March 1945:
CD-18 departs Singapore with CD-26, CD-84, CD-130,
CD-134 and probably CD-33, subchasers CH-8, CH-9, CH-33 escorting convoy HI-88-J
consisting of HONAN, KAIKO, ASAOKAWA, SARAWAK, ARAOSAN, TENCHO MARUs and an
unidentified merchant. At 1310, while leaving the Singapore straits, SARAWAK
MARU is mined and badly damaged and eventually sinks on 27 March.
22 March 1945:
Arrrives at Cape Camau.
23 March 1945:
Off St Jacques ARAOSAN and TENCHO MARUs and the
unidentified merchant are detached.
27 March 1945:
Nha Trang Bay. Convoy HI- 88I is absorbed into new
convoy HI-88J. Additional escorts are added. HI-88J now consists of tankers
HONAN, ASOKAWA, KAIKO MARUs and probably NANSHIN MARU No. 30 escorted by CD-18,
destroyer AMATSUKAZE (with a temporary bow fitted) and kaibokan MANJU, CD-1,
CD-26, CD-84, CD-130, CD-134, and probably subchasers CH-9 and CH-20.
28 March 1945:
At 0800, departs Nha Trang Bay. At 1040, an air attack
begins and ASOKAWA MARU is hit in the engine room and sinks. MANJU and CD-84
rescue survivors. At 1220, LtCdr (later Captain) Eric L. Barr's USS BLUEGILL
(SS-242) torpedoes HONAN MARU. Her captain runs her aground. NANSHIN MARU No. 30
probably is detached.
29 March 1945:
At 0710, LtCdr Frank M. Smith's USS HAMMERHEAD
(SS-364) torpedoes and sinks CD-84 at 14-40N, 109-16E. MANJU rescues some
survivors. At 1130, another submarine attack coincides with an air attack and
KAIKO MARU is bombed and sunk. At 2230, a further air attack damages CD-134.
29 March 1945:
Fifth Air Force B-25 "Mitchell" medium-bombers sink CD-18, CD-130 and cargo ship KAIKO MARU at 15-10N, 109-26E.
25 May 1945:
Removed from the Navy List.
-Bob Hacket and Peter Cundall
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