© 2006 Bob Hackett, Sander Kingsepp and Peter Cundall
23 February 1944:
Osaka. Laid down at Hitachi’s Sakurajima shipyard.
24 June 1944:
Launched and named DAITO.
7 August 1944:
Completed and registered in the IJN. LtCdr Uchizaki Tsuyoshi is the Commanding Officer. Undergoes training and working up thereafter.
11 September 1944:
Assigned to the General Escort Command’s First Surface Escort
Division.
23 September 1944:
At 1600, DAITO departs Moji with patrol boat PB-104 (ex-Dutch Hr.Ms. VALK), auxiliary gunboat KAZAN (HUSAHAN) MARU, subchaser CH-21, auxiliary subchasers CHa-87, CHa-92 escorting convoy MI-21 consisting of TEIKA, TSUYAMA, EJIRI, FUSHIMI, KEISHIN, KEIZAN, CHOSAN, TATSUBATO, KENEI and YOSHU MARUs and tankers SAN LUIS, SHUNTEN and EIKYO MARUs and an unidentified ship.
29 September 1944:
At 1700, arrives at Takao and the convoy is dissolved.
1 October 1944:
At 1700, DAITO departs Takao with kaibokan YASHIRO, patrol boat P-104, auxiliary gunboat KAZAN (HUSAHAN) MARU, subchaser CH-21 and auxiliary subchasers CHa-87 and CHa-92 escorting convoy TAMA-28 consisting of TSUYAMA, CHOSAN, MURORAN, MACASSAR, FUYUKAWA, SHINSEI and TAISEI MARUs
2 October 1944:
Luzon Strait. During a storm, LtCdr Frank C. Acker's USS POMFRET (SS-391) torpedoes and sinks TSUYAMA MARU at 20-50N, 121-31E. The ship is carrying 1600 men of the Mobile 18th Infantry Regiment. 1,273 men on board are KIA.
7 October 1944:
LtCdr Henry C. Stevenson's USS ASPRO (SS-309) torpedoes and sinks MACASSAR MARU at 17-30N, 119-53E.
8 October 1944:
At 1745, TAMA-28 arrives at North San Fernando.
11 October 1944:
At 0600, the convoy departs North San Fernando. At 1748, arrives at Masinloc anchorage.
12 October 1944:
At 1320, TAMA-28 departs Masinloc.
13 October 1944:
At 0400, arrives Manila.
E 16 October 1944:
Samah, Hainan Island. TAMA-28 joins convoy HI-76. The new convoy consists of oilers NICHIEI, NICHINAN, RYOEI, FUJISAN (1944), KUROSHIO, TARAKAN and TOHO (1944) MARUs and cargo ship TEIHOKU MARU escorted by DAITO, escort carrier SHINYO and kaibokans KANJU, MANJU, MIYAKE, KURAHASHI, CD-28 and torpedo boat HIYODORI. At 0745, the convoy, delayed because of an enemy task force near Formosa, departs port.
17 October 1944:
Early in the morning, MANJU and MIYAKE are detached with RYOEI MARU and head for Mako. Later that day, after news of increased enemy task force activity, the rest of the convoy turns back to Samah.
18 October 1944:
Off Samah. Kaibokan CD-25 and CD-32 join the escort of convoy HI-76. Tankers FUJISAN, NICHIEI and NICHINAN MARUs are detached and remain at Samah. Tanker TENEI MARU joins the convoy.
20 October 1944:
KURAHASHI and CD-25 are detached to escort NICHIEI MARU to Coron
Bay.
22 October 1944:
At 1200, arrives Mako. KUROSHIO and TOHO MARUs and kaibokan CD-32 are detached. Kaibokan YASHIRO joins.
24 October 1944:
One of TENEI MARU's engines breaks down. She falls behind, but
later catches up.
26 October 1944:
At 1130, arrives at Moji. SHINYO is detached to Kure prior to the convoy's arrival.
14 November 1944:
DAITO departs Imari Bay for Singapore with escort carrier SHINYO, destroyer KASHI, Rear Admiral Sato Tsutomu's (former CO of FUSO) Eighth Escort Convoy’s Eighth Escort Convoy’s flagship ETOROFU and kaibokans TSUSHIMA, KUME, SHONAN, CD-9 and CD-61 escorting convoy HI-81 consisting of SHINSHU, KIBITSU, AKITSU, MIRI, ARITA, HASHIDATE, KIMIKAWA, MAYASAN, OTOWASAN and TOA MARUs. HI-81 makes an overnight stop off Goto Island.
15 November 1944:
Departs Goto Island. At 1156, LtCdr (later Rear Admiral) Charles E. Loughlin's USS QUEENFISH (SS-393) torpedoes and sinks AKITSU MARU at 33-17N, 32-00E with the loss of over 2,000 men aboard. That same day, DAITO is reassigned to the General Escort Command’s 101st Escort Squadron.
16 November 1944:
Convoy HI-81 anchors off Korea, near Strange Island.
17 November 1944:
At 0800, HI-81 departs Strange Island for the Shushan Islands near Shanghai. At 1815, LtCdr Evan T. Shepard's USS PICUDA (SS-382) torpedoes and sinks MAYASAN MARU with the loss of over 3,000 men aboard. At 2303, LtCdr Underwood's USS SPADEFISH (SS-411) torpedoes and sinks SHINYO at 32-59N, 123-38E. Rear Admiral (Vice Admiral, posthumously) Ishii Shizue (former CO of CHUYO) and more than 700 men are lost. Destroyer KASHI counter-attacks, but with uncertain results.
18 November 1944:
At 0220, CD-61 is ordered to locate and assist SHINYO. At 0315, TSUSHIMA drops 15 depth-charges on an enemy submarine, which on the basis of fuel oil and other debris, is claimed sunk in a report at 0426. At 0800, Rear Admiral Sato aboard ETOROFU orders TSUSHIMA to proceed to the scene and take SHINYO’s survivors aboard. At 1600, HI-81 arrives off Raffles Island E of Shanghai and awaits the rescue escorts to rejoin.
21 November 1944:
HI-81 departs for Mako.
23 November 1944:
The convoy splits into two sections, one heads for Singapore via Mako and the other for Luzon via Takao.
30 November 1944:
At 2104, DAITO departs Takao for Manila with kaibokan TSUSHIMA, CD-14, CD-16, CD-134, CD-46 and minesweeper W-101 escorting convoy TAMA-33 consisting of SHINSHU and KIBITSU MARUs.
1 December 1944:
As a result of air raids on Manila, convoy TAMA-33 is directed to puts its troops ashore at San Fernando, Luzon. At 2205, the convoy anchors at Pamocctan.
2 December 1944:
At 0630, the convoy departs Pamocctan for Manila where it arrives at 2240.
5 December 1944:
At 1157, DAITO departs Takao with kaibokan CD-1, CD-34 and CD-134 escorting convoy TAMA 35 consisting of NISSHO, ORYOKU, ARIMASAN and KAZUURA MARUs. Later that day anchors at Chechung.
6 December 1944:
At 0058 departs and at 1815 anchors at Port San Pio Quinto, Camiguin Island.
8 December 1944:
At 0502, departs Port San Pio Quinto. At 1411, anchors at Calayan Island.
9 December 1944:
At 0817, departs Calayan Island.
10 December 1944:
Reassigned to the General Escort Command’s First Escort
Fleet.
11 December 1944:
At 2000, arrives Manila.
19 December 1944:
At 1330, DAITO departs Moji for Takao with light cruiser KASHII, kaibokan UKURU, CD-23, CD-27, CD-51 and CD-112 escorting convoy HI-85 consisting of tankers SERIA and SHINYU MARUs and convoy MOTA-38 consisting of transports HYUGA, KIBITSU, SHINSHU and AOBASAN MARUs. The convoy hugs the continental coast on the way south.
23 December 1944:
At midnight, arrives Takao.
25 December 1944:
At 1440, enters Takao port.
27 December 1944:
DAITO departs Takao for Singapore with light cruiser KASHII and kaibokans UKURU, TSUSHIMA, CD-23, CD-27 and CD-51 escorting convoy HI-85 then consisting of TEIHOKU, DAINAN, ENKEI, YAMAZAWA, ENGEN, ENCHO, DAIGYO, OTSUSAN, FUEI, OEI, SERIA MARUs and cargo ship SHINYU MARU.
29 December 1944:
South China Sea. At 1725, minesweeper W-101 joins the escort of convoy HI-85.
30 December 1944:
DAITO departs Singapore for Moji with the 101st Escort Group's KASHII and kaibokan CD-23, CD 7 and CD-51 escorting convoy HI-86 consisting of fleet tanker SAN LUIS MARU and TATSUBATO, OTSUSAN, SHOEI, KYOKUUN, EIMAN, TATEBE, YOSHU and YUSEI MARUs and BANSHU MARU No. 63.
4 January 1945:
Arrives at Cape St. Jacques, near Saigon.
9 January 1945:
The convoy departs Cape St. Jacques
10 January 1945:
Arrives at Van Fong Bay, Indochina.
11 January 1945:
Departs Van Fong. Arrives at Qui Nhon Bay.
12 January 1945:
Departs Qui Nhon. From 1100 to 1700, in the South China Sea, SB2C "Helldiver" dive-bombers and TBF "Avenger" torpedo-bombers from Rear Admiral (later Admiral) Frederick T. Sherman's Task Group 38.3's USS ESSEX (CV-9), TICONDEROGA (CV-14), LANGLEY (CVL-27) and the SAN JACINTO (CVL-30) attack convoy HI-86.
At 1408, KASHII is attacked by SB2Cs and TBFs. She is hit starboard amidships by a torpedo. Then two bombs aft set off her depth charge magazine. KASHII sinks stern first at 13-50N, 109-20E. UKURU rescues 19 survivors from KASHII at 1430 hours.
TG 38.3's planes sink YOSHU and EIMAN MARUs and damage fleet tanker SAN LUIS MARU, DAITO and kaibokans UKURU and CD-27. OTSUYAMA, TATEBE, KYOKUUN, YUSEI and TATSUBATO MARUs and BANSHU MARU No. 63 are so damaged by bombs and fires they have to be beached and become constructive total losses. At 1408, KASHII is hit starboard amidships by a torpedo. Then an SB2C hits her with two bombs aft that set off her depth charge magazine. KASHII blows up and sinks at 13-50N, 109-20E. Only three escorts survive the air attacks.
14 January 1945:
At 2200, DAITO, UKURU and CD-27 arrive at Samah, Hainan Island.
15 January 1945:
Off Yulin, Hainan Island. Between 1100 and 1240, Task Force 38's planes dive-bomb and sink empty tanker HARIMA MARU with eight airplanes on deck and also damage DAITO. The escorts are closely grouped for protection along the shore near the mountains and shoot down two F6F "Hellcat" fighters as they pull up from their strafing attacks.
16 January 1945:
About 30 or 40 SB2C "Helldiver" dive-bombers and F6F fighters make another attack, but it is directed at shore targets and no serious damage is done to the escorts or the freighters.
17 January 1945:
Three fighters attack, but do no serious damage.
21 January 1945:
At 0300, DAITO departs Yulin for Moji with kaibokan TSUSHIMA, UKURU and CD-27 escorting convoy YUTA-15 consisting of TEIHOKU and MEITO MARUs.
10 February 1945:
Arrives at Moji. Later, DAITO undergoes battle damage repairs.
20 April 1945:
Departs Shanghai for Maizuru with kaibokans OKINAWA, UKURU, CD-27 and CD-57 escorting the refloated KOTOBUKI MARU (ex-Italian passenger liner CONTE VERDE). [1]
22 April 1945:
KOTOBUKI MARU and her escorts are attacked by ten Consolidated B-24 "Liberators”, but they score no hits. One bomber is damaged and later forced to ditch. The convoy arrives at Tsingtao, China the same day .
25 April 1945:
Arrives at Chinkai (Chinhae) harbor, Korea. That same day, DAITO and UKURU are reassigned to Captain Abe Tokuma's 22nd Coast Defense Group of the General Escort Command.
May 1945:
LtCdr Nishibe Teizo assumes command of DAITO.
8 May 1945:
SW of Mokpo, SW coast of Korea. Enroute from Korea to Japan, KOTOBUKI MARU hits a mine laid by a USAAF 20th Air Force B-29 “Super Fortress” heavy bomber at 34-30N, 126-09E. [2]
May 1945:
KOTOBUKI MARU arrives at Maizuru under tow. The identity and number of her escorts are unclear.
September 1945:
DAITO is assigned to minesweeping duties by the Allied Occupation Forces.
16 November 1945:
Eastern Sound of Tsushima Straits. At about 1100, in rough seas, DAITO explodes a mine, breaks in two and sinks. LtCdr Nishibe and an unknown number of crewmen are KIA.
20 November 1945:
Removed from the Navy List.
Authors' Note:
[1] On 8 Sep ’43, after the surrender of Italy, CONTE VERDE was scuttled by her Italian crew in the Whangpoo River, Shanghai. From 1943-44, the Japanese carried out several salvage attempts. CONTE VERDE was intended for conversion to an escort aircraft carrier, but on 8 Aug ‘44, a B-24 bomber sank her in the Whangpoo River for a second time. In Dec ‘44, the hulk was refloated. She was later repaired enabling her to steam by own power. After hitting a mine enroute to Japan, she was towed to Maizuru where she was bombed on 25 Jul ’45 and beached in Nakata Bay, N of Higashi, Maizuru. On 13 Jun ‘49, the wreck was refloated and began scrapping.
[2] Sources vary as to the date and place where KOTOBUKI MARU hit a mine.
Thanks for assistance go to Dr. Higuchi Tatsuhiro of Japan. Thanks also go to Mr. Aki of Japan and Matthew Jones of Ohio for help in identifying kaibokan COs.
-Bob Hackett, Sander Kingsepp and Peter Cundall.
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