© 2007-2010 Bob Hackett and Peter Cundall
Revision 5
15 February 1944:
Nagasaki. Laid down at Mitsubishi Heavy Industries’
shipyard.
10 May 1944:
Launched and numbered CD-30.
26 June 1944:
Completed and registered in the IJN.
17 August 1944:
At 1900, CD-30 departs Kagoshima escorting
convoy KATA-717 consisting of SHINKO MARU and
22 unidentified ships. Other escorts include torpedo boat TOMOZURU, minelayers
NUWAJIMA, TSUBAME, NIIZAKI, subchasers CH-17 and CH-18, auxiliary minesweepers
TAKUNAN MARUs No. 1 and No. 3, SHONAN MARU No. 16, CHITOSE and HOEI MARUs.
19 August 1944:
At 1200, arrives at Naha. Most ships in the convoy
stop and unload.
23 August 1944:
HOKUYU and WASHIN MARUs of convoy KATA-717 arrive at
Keelung.
7 September 1944:
At 0505, CD-30 departs Kagoshima with minesweeper
W-15, minelayers NUWAJIMA, NIIZAKI and auxiliary minesweepers TAKUNAN MARU No.
3, CHITOSE MARU and auxiliary CHOUN MARU No. 13 escorting convoy KATA-719
consisting of CHOSAN, EKISAN, YOKO. SAKISHIMA, DAITOKU, DAIHAKU and NAKAGAWA MARUs and
NISSHO MARU No. 1, NANSHIN MARU No. 26 and 15 unidentified ships.
9 September 1944:
At 1000, arrives at Naha with one part leaving for
Keelung.
15 September 1944:
Enroute DAITOKU, DAIHAKU and NAKAGAWA MARUs are
detached to Ishigaki Shima and Miyako Shima. The remainder of the convoy arrives
at Keelung.
19 September 1944:
E coast of Formosa. At about 0900, LtCdr Anton R.
Gallaher's USS BANG (SS-385) attacks an unidentified convoy of eight ships and
five escorts. Gallaher sinks tanker TOSEI MARU No. 2 and damages CD-30 at
24-54N, 122-23E.
21 October 1944:
At 1200, convoy KATA-916 consisting of storeship MUROTO and CHOJUSAN, TOMITSU, EDOGAWA, BANSEI, TENSHO, AMAKUSA, SHINTON, SANKA, SANJIN, HAKKA, HAYAMA, TORAI, TAIKYU, SAKISHIMA, RYUKYU, KANKYO and AMOY MARUs departs Kagoshima escorted by torpedo boat MANAZURU, subchaser CH-49, storeship KINESAKI, minesweeper W-15, auxiliary minesweeper SHONAN MARU No. 16 and auxiliaries KIKU MARU No. 7 and HIMESHIMA MARU.
22 October 1944:
At 0730, LtCdr (later Vice Admiral) Veron L. Lowrance's USS SEA DOG (SS-401) torpedoes and sinks MUROTO and damages TOMITSU MARU at 29-18N, 129-44E. TORAI MARU takes TOMITSU MARU in tow. The escorts counterattack and drop 109 depth-charges that morning.
CD-30 is anchored at Sasebo. She receives orders to proceed to the sea area north of Uku-Jima, Goto Archipelago where that morning an enemy submarine torpedoed several ships in convoy KATA-916. At about 1500, after leaving Sasebo, CD-30 arrives in the area. She undertakes an anti-submarine sweep in co-operation with other naval craft.
Towards sunset, CD-30's Type 3 sonar detects an object resting on the bottom in 90 metres of water. She drops 9 depth charges set to explode at 75 meters depth. Afterwards, there is a great disturbance of water, huge air bubbles rise to the surface followed by a “ghastly gush of oil.” The next morning a large oil slick is observed at the site.
The convoy then shelters in Kasari Bay, Amami O-Shima. It is possible that
CD-30 joined the escort of convoy KATA-916 at this point.
25 October 1944:
At 1230, arrives at Naha, Okinawa. Later, upon return to Sasebo, she receives congratulations from the commander of the Sasebo Naval District for sinking a submarine.
25 December 1944:
CD-30 departs Kagoshima enroute to Keelung, via Naha and Miyako Shima (part way) with torpedo boat MANAZURU (part way), kaibokan CD-42, CD-44, minesweeper W-15 (part way), auxiliary minesweepers BANSHU MARU No. 51, TAKUNAN MARU No. 3, TOSHI MARU No. 7 and CHOUN MARU No. 8 escorting convoy KATA-506 consisting of nine unidentified merchant ships. CD-42 only escorts the convoy part way.
28 December 1944:
Arrives at Naha.
10 January 1945:
East China Sea. At about 0400, LtCdr Carl R. Dwyer's
USS PUFFER (SS-268) attacks an unidentified convoy. Dwyer torpedoes and sinks
escort CD-42, then torpedoes and damages CD-30 at 26-45N, 126-11E. CD-30's bow
and bridge are wrecked by the torpedo, but she manages to steam to Okinawa at 5
knots.
8 July 1945:
After patrolling off Shiono-misaki, CD-30 arrives at Yura Bay, in the Kii Strait, Wakamiya Prefecture.
10 July 1945:
During the afternoon, to boost morale, boat races are organised. While these are in progress, eight American
P-51 "Mustang" fighters, that had just attacked an airfield in the Osaka area, strafe the ship. CD-30 is thoroughly worked-over with many bullets striking her deck and superstructure. Amidst smoke and spray, CD-30 returns fire, but without effect. Twelve crewmen are KIA and 20 injured.
28 July 1945:
Osaka Bay. P-51 fighters of the 15th Fighter Group based at Iwo Jima, strafe and severely damage CD-30 at anchor in the bay. She is beached at Yura Bay.
Later, aircraft from Vice Admiral (later Admiral) John S. McCain's (former CO of RANGER, CV-4) Task Force 38 attack and sink CD-30 at 34-20N, 135-00E. 98 crewmen are KIA and 51 injured.
15 September 1945:
Removed from the Navy List.
Authors' Note:
Thanks go to Bill Somerville.
-Bob Hackett and Peter Cundall
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