KAIBOKAN!

(Type C Escort by Takeshi Yuki scanned from "Color Paintings of Japanese Warships")

IJN Escort CD-43:
Tabular Record of Movement

© 2007-2016 Bob Hackett, Sander Kingsepp and Peter Cundall

Revision 3

10 April 1944:
Kobe. Laid down at Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd’s shipyard.

22 June 1944:
Launched and numbered CD-43.

31 July 1944:
Completed and registered in the IJN. Lt Saito Yuichi (64) is the Commanding Officer.

20 August 1944:
Assigned to the 31st Escort Squadron, Combined Fleet.

18 October 1944:
At 0900 CD-22 and CD-43 depart Sasebo.

19 October 1944:
At 1200 both arrive at Tokuyama.

20 October 1944: Operation SHO-I-GO ("Victory") – The Battle of Leyte Gulf:
CD-43 departs Yashima anchorage with kaibokan CD-22, CD-29, CD-31, CD-33, and CD-132 escorting oilers TAKANE and JINEI MARUs of Vice Admiral Ozawa Jisaburo's (37) (former CO of HARUNA) Northern "decoy" Mobile Force’s Second Supply Force. The Supply Force supports CarDiv 3's ZUIKAKU, ZUIHO, CHITOSE and CHIYODA and CarDiv 4's hybrid HYUGA and ISE.

21 October 1944:
TAKANE MARU and kaibokan CD-33 and CD-22 and CD-29 depart Tokuyama Navy Fuel Depot for Koniya, Kakaroma-Jima, Ryukyus. JINEI MARU and CD-31, CD-43 and CD-132 depart Kure. Destroyer AKIKAZE is to follow.

22 October 1944:
Ozawa's force refuels at sea. Sound contact is made with a submarine. At 2010, ZUIKAKU and light cruiser TAMA spot torpedo tracks and make a sharp turn to port. Ozawa is forced to cancel the refueling after receiving only one third of the required amount.

24 October 1944:
Destroyer AKIKAZE departs Kure to lead the escort of the Second Supply Force.

25 October 1944: The Battle off Cape Engano:
Ozawa's force is attacked by planes from Vice Admiral (later Admiral) Marc Mitscher's (USNA ’10) Task Force 38’s USS ENTERPRISE (CV-6), USS ESSEX (CV-9), USS INTREPID (CV-11), USS FRANKLIN (CV-13), USS LEXINGTON (CV-16), USS INDEPENDENCE (CVL-22), USS BELLEAU WOOD (CVL-24), USS LANGLEY (CVL-27), USS CABOT (CVL-28) and USS SAN JACINTO (CVL-30).

TF 38 launches 527 sorties in five strikes against Ozawa’s Northern Force. During the day's action, carriers ZUIKAKU (Captain [Vice Admiral posthumously] Kaizuka Takeo (46), forty-eight officers and 794 petty officers and men lost), ZUIHO (six officers and 208 sailors lost) and CHITOSE (Captain [Rear Admiral posthumously] Kishi Yoshiyuki (47) and 903 officers and men KIA) and destroyer AKIZUKI (183 sailors KIA) are sunk.

That same day, S of Yaku Jima, LtCdr Orme C. Robbins’ (USNA ’34) USS STERLET (SS-392) torpedoes and sinks oiler JINEI MARU at 30-15N, 129-45E. 69 crewmen are killed. Destroyer AKIKAZE helps rescue JINEI MARU's survivors and takes them to Mako, Pescadores Islands. CD-43 is briefly detached to chase the submarine. She is recalled soon thereafter and receives the order to proceed to Mako, Pescadores.

28 October 1944:
CarDiv 4’s HYUGA and ISE refuel from oilers at Amami-Oshima. CarDiv 4 and destroyers depart for the Inland Sea. At 2120, LtCdr (later Vice Admiral) Vernon L. Lowrance’s (USNA ’30) USS SEA DOG (SS-401) attacks CarDiv 4. He fires six torpedoes, but all miss. That same day, TAKANE MARU is ordered to steam to Takao, but she has a faulty boiler that prevents her from complying.

29 October 1944:
CarDiv 4 and its destroyers depart Amami-Oshima for the Inland Sea. CarDiv 4 arrives safely at Kure.

4 November 1944:
Departs Mako and at 1340 arrives at Takao.

6 November 1944:
At 1800, CD-43 departs Takao for Singapore with kaibokan CD-31 escorting convoy HI-79A consisting of tanker FUJISAN MARU and two unidentified merchant ships.

13 November 1944:
At 1800 arrives at Singapore.

20 November 1944:
CD-43 is reassigned to the Fifth Fleet.

4 December 1944:
At 0800, CD-43 departs Singapore for Manila with patrol boat PB-103 (Ex-USS FINCH, AM-9), subchasers CH-30 and CH-31 escorting convoy SHIMA RINJI consisting of SHOEI, KOSHIN and EIHO MARUs and KYOEI MARU No. 3.

8 December 1944:
NNE of Kuching, Borneo. At 0104, either LtCdr John C. Martin's (USNA ’34) USS HAMMERHEAD (SS-364) or LtCdr Joseph P. FitzPatrick's (USNA ’38) USS PADDLE (SS-263) torpedoes and sinks SHOEI MARU with a cargo of 5,000-tons of gasoline at 04-02N, 111-12E. 42 crewmen are killed.

12 December 1944:
At 1300, arrives at Kuching.

13 December 1944:
At 1200, departs Kuching.

16 December 1944:
KOSHIN MARU suffers engine trouble and has to be towed to Miri.

23 December 1944:
LtCdr (later Captain) Irvin S. Hartman's (USNA ’33) USS BARBERO (SS-317) torpedoes and sinks subchaser CH-30 at 02-42N, 111-05E.

24 December 1944:
The convoy anchors off Cape Paloh. The convoy's destination is changed to Cape St. Jacques, Indochina.

25 December 1944:
At 1200, departs Cape Paloh.

1 January 1945:
At 1100, the convoy arrives at Cape St. Jacques.

11 January 1945:
At 1100, CD-43, kaibokan CD-35, patrol boat PB-103, minesweeper W-101 and subchaser CH-31 depart Cape St. Jacques escorting convoy SATA-05 consisting of KENSEI and TOYU MARUs, Landing Ship Transport T. 149 and tankers AYAYUKI, KOSHIN and EIHO MARUs. In the evening, T. 149 finds the heavy seas too dangerous. She is detached from the convoy and returns to St Jacques.

12 January 1945:
Aircraft of Vice Admiral (Admiral posthumously) John S. McCain's (USNA ’06) Task Force 38 attack all of convoy SATA-05's ships. CD-43 is strafed and receives several near misses. After her steering compartment is flooded, the escort is beached on an uninhabited island at 11-10N, 108-55E and later blown up by her crew. A total of 29 sailors are killed in the air attacks.

10 March 1945:
Removed from the Navy List.

Thanks for assistance go to Mr. Gilbert Casse of France. Further thanks go to Mr. Matthew Jones of Mississippi, USA for help in identifying COs.

-Bob Hackett, Sander Kingsepp and Peter Cundall

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