IJN ISE: Tabular Record of Movement
© 2000-2016 Bob Hackett, Sander Kingsepp and Lars Ahlberg
Revision 11
10 December 1928:
Captain (later Rear Admiral) Iwamura Kanekoto (former
CO of CA KINUGASA) assumes command.
26 April 1941:
Arrives at Kure with HYUGA.
Led by Lt Col (later General/Medal of Honor) James H. Doolittle, 16 Army B-25 "Mitchell" twin-engine bombers of the 17th Bomb Group take off from Captain (later Admiral) Marc A. Mitscher's carrier HORNET and strike targets in Tokyo, Yokohama, Osaka, Nagoya and Kobe. At Yokosuka, a B-25 damages light carrier RYUHO in a drydock while undergoing conversion from former submarine depot ship TAIGEI.
Bat Div 2 and ten destroyers depart Hashirajima in pursuit of Halsey's ships.
19 April 1942:
At 30-00N, 135-20E, one of Bat Div 2's Type 95 Nakajima E8N
"Dave" two-seat reconnaissance floatplanes, armed with two bombs, sights a cargo
ship. The biplane drops a message with an order to stop. About 1000, the BatDiv
2 group heading NE encounters neutral Russian merchant ANGARSTROI. A destroyer
sends a boarding party to search the Russian ship. The ship is found to be
carrying 7,555 metric tons of sugar and 10 tons of other products from San
Francisco to Vladivostok. The Japanese order the merchant to proceed with the
destroyer to Kushimoto on Honshu for a further search. The BatDiv 2 group turns
SE and departs in a further unsuccessful pursuit of the Americans.
22 April 1942:
Arrives at Yokosuka.
24 April 1942:
ISE arrives at Hashirajima, again two days after HYUGA.
5 May 1942:
BatDiv 2 departs Hashirajima for gunnery practice in the Iyo
Nada with BatDiv 1's MUTSU and NAGATO. HYUGA's left gun breech in No. 5 turret
blows up. Her two aft magazines are flooded to save the ship. Fifty-one crewmen
are killed. HYUGA makes for Kure escorted by FUSO. ISE and the other battleships
return to Hashirajima.
9 May 1942:
Departs Hashirajima for Kure with FUSO.
11 May 1942:
ISE's valves stick and her No. 2 engine room floods.
25 May 1942:
Kure. Undergoes engine room repairs. ISE is also fitted with
one of the first experimental model Type 21 air surface search radar sets in the
IJN. She conducts tests in detecting HYUGA successfully in the Iyo Nada.
29 May 1942: Operation
"MI" - The Battle of Midway:
BatDiv 2 departs Hashirajima as screen
for the Aleutian Force with CruDiv 9's KITAKAMI and OI, 12 destroyers and the
2nd Supply Unit's oilers.
17 June 1942:
ISE and HYUGA use their radars to check their respective
locations while returning to Yokosuka. YAMASHIRO is able to pick up their
impulses with her German FuMB 1 Metox-based radar detector. This occasion is
used as an argument to accelerate the production of Japanese E27 detectors.
Arrives at Yokosuka.
22 June 1942:
Departs Yokusuka for Hashirajima.
24 June 1942
Arrives at Hashirajima. Resumes 'standby alert'.
14 July 1942:
At Hashirajima. Vice Admiral Shimizu Mitsumi (former CO of
ISE) assumes command of the First Fleet. Vice Admiral Takasu is later reassigned
as Commander of both the 2nd Southern Expeditionary Fleet (Dutch East Indies
Force) and the Southwest Area Fleet.
ISE and HYUGA are reassigned directly to the Combined Fleet.
July 1942-November 1942:
Hashirajima. BatDiv 2 continues 'standby alert'
and battle exercises in the vicinity of Kure and Hashirajima
thereafter.
21 November 1942:
Kure. Drydocked.
29 November 1942:
Undocked.
23 February 1943: Second Reconstruction:
Kure. Registered as a 4th rank
(lowest) Reserve ship. This date marks the official start of the rebuild.
ISE is drydocked and begins conversion to a battleship/carrier. Her aft 36-cm. (14-in.) turrets Nos. 5 and 6 and their barbettes are removed, as is her 140-mm. (5. 5-in.) secondary casemate armament.
A hangar surmounted by about a 70 meter long flight deck is added to handle and launch aircraft, but not for landings. Plans call for the new hangar to carry nine planes inside, 11 on deck and two on each catapult. But the designers later realize that a single faulty aircraft engine can ruin the whole concept. To prevent jams, the deck is fitted with rails, 12 turntables, trolleys and tie-downs.
The enclosed hangar is 6 meters high, 40 meters long, and tapers from 28 meters wide forward to 11 meters aft. A "T"-shaped elevator is fitted in the after part of the flight deck. Two sets of rails run around the flight deck for maneuvering the aircraft to the 25-meter Type 1, No. 2, Model 11 catapults that are installed on tall supports on ISE's port and starboard sides forward of the flight deck. A collapsible derrick crane is fitted port abaft.
The new deck is covered with 200-mm. of concrete to compensate for the unbalanced condition created after removal of the aft armament. A one-meter thick layer of concrete is also poured around the main steering room and reserve steering rooms and a 150-mm horizontal armor cover is added.
ISE's suite of eight 127-mm. (5-inch) AA guns is increased to 16 (8 twin mounts). Her twenty (10 twin-mount) 25-mm (1-in.) AA guns are removed and replaced by 57 (19 triple-mount) 25-mm. AA guns. One Type 21 air-search radar is installed on the bridge. Two Type 22 surface-search radars are also installed.
Bombs and munitions are stowed in turret No. 5's magazine. Avgas and oil stores are located in the old turret No. 6 area. Two each 46-foot Daihatsu landing barges are substituted for some lifeboats.
ISE, as now modified, can carry 22 aircraft. The concept of operations calls for the modified ISE-class BB/CVs to accompany the Carrier Striking Force and catapult their complement of Yokosuka D4Y2 Suisei ("Judy") dive-bombers and Aichi E16A Zuiun ("Paul") seaplanes that are capable of diving attacks. These will add another 44 dive-bombers to the Striking Force. The aircraft cannot not take off from, or land on, the small flight deck; rather, they are to be catapult-launched and land either on conventional carriers or land bases. ISE's final aircraft allowance calls for 14 E16A and eight D4Y2.
25 April 1943:
Captain (later Rear Admiral) Hase Shinzaburo (former CO of
OBB SETTSU) assumes command. Captain Takeda (later Rear Admiral) is reassigned
as Chief of Staff of the Shanghai Special Area Base Force.
10 August 1943:
Kure. ISE's Second Reconstruction is completed.
Reassigned to BatDiv 2, First Fleet.
23 August 1943:
Undocked. Departs Kure for full-scale trials in the Iyo
Nada. During the rebuild additional fuel tanks were installed that give ISE a
range of 9,500 nms at 16 knots. As now modified, she displaces 38,676-tons and
carries a crew of 1,463.
24 August 1943:
Iyo Nada. ISE conducts speed trials and makes 25.3
knots.
26 August 1943:
Returns to Kure.
31 August 1943:
Moves to Hashirajima.
15 September 1943:
Attached to the Etajima Naval Academy as a training
ship for naval cadets.
8 October 1943:
The rebuild is officially completed.
9 October 1943:
Ujina (near Hiroshima). Embarks supplies and armament for the IJA Second Transportation Unit (approximately 2,000 troops) consisting of the 107th Infantry Regiment's 3rd Battalion with 7th and 8th Companies, a partial section of 2nd Machine Gun Company, remainder of 2nd Battalion, 7th and 9th Companies, 16th Mountain Artillery, company trains and the A Detachment of the 52nd Infantry
Division.
15 October 1943:
ISE and YAMASHIRO depart Saeki for Truk on the "TEI No. 3" troop transport mission with a task group of CruDiv 18's light cruiser TATSUTA, DesDiv 32's FUJINAMI, SUZUNAMI and HAYANAMI.
ISE carries 1,278 men and 1,510 cubic meters of material. ISE also carries main gun shells for battleships FUSO, NAGATO and YAMATO. YAMASHIRO carries 804 men and 1,270 cubic meters of material. TATSUTA carries 105 men and 118 cubic meters of material and DesDiv 32's destroyers carry 243 men and 100 cubic meters of material.
15 October 1943:
ISE and battleship YAMASHIRO rendezvous at sea with the "TEI No. 3" troop transport mission also consisting of carriers JUNYO and UNYO, CruDiv 18's light cruiser TATSUTA, DesDiv 32's FUJINAMI, SUZUNAMI and HAYANAMI. About 2,000 men are lifted between the various ships. ISE carries approximately 1,000 soldiers of the Sabae regiment. These are the remaining elements of the 107th Infantry, 52nd Division. ISE also carries main gun shells for battleships FUSO, NAGATO, and YAMATO.
20 October 1943:
ISE and YAMASHIRO arrive at Truk. They debark troops and remain as guardships during the fleet's second sortie from Truk to Eniwetok in response to carrier raids on Wake Island by Rear Admiral Alfred E. Montgomery's Task Force 14 carriers ESSEX (CV-9), YORKTOWN (CV-10), LEXINGTON (CV-16), INDEPENDENCE (CV-22), BELLEAU WOOD (CVL-24) and COWPENS (CVL-25).
26 October 1943:
The fleet returns to Truk.
31 October 1943:
At 0800, BatDiv 2's ISE and YAMASHIRO depart Truk in a task group with CarDiv 2's JUNYO, escort carrier UNYO, CruDiv 8's TONE, CruDiv 18's TATSUTA, DesDiv 7's AKEBONO, DesDiv 17's TANIKAZE, DesDiv 24's SUZUKAZE and UMIKAZE.
1 November 1943:
Captain Hase is promoted to Rear Admiral.
4 November 1943:
Escort carrier UNYO and DesDiv 7's AKEBONO are detached for Yokosuka.
5 November 1943:
Minelayers NUWAJIMA and YURIJIMA and auxiliary minesweepers TAMA, OI MARUs conduct an advance sweep of the Bungo Suido ahead of ISE and YAMASHIRO transiting the seaway heading north.
6 November 1943:
YAMASHIRO, ISE and CruDiv 18's TATSUTA arrive at Tokuyama Naval Fuel Depot. Begins refueling.
7 November 1943:
Refuelling is completed. Makes port at Kure. All naval cadets are debarked.
10 November 1943:
ISE finally begins post-conversion workup in the Inland Sea.
25 December 1943:
Captain (later Rear Admiral) Nakase Noboru (former CO of
DD SHIMAKAZE) assumes command. Rear Admiral Hase is reassigned as the Commanding
Officer of the 25th Special Base Force and later becomes Chief of Staff of the
2nd Southern Expeditionary Fleet at Surabaya, Java.
25 February 1944:
BatDiv 2 is reassigned directly to the Combined Fleet.
1 May 1944:
ISE and HYUGA are assigned to the Third Fleet in Rear Admiral
Matsuda Chiaki's (former CO of HYUGA and YAMATO) new CarDiv 4. Captain Amagai
Takahisa's (former XO of KAGA) Air Group 634 is attached to CarDiv 4.
31 May 1944:
Kure. Drydocked. Forty-seven 25-mm. AA guns (12 triple-mount,
11 single-mount) are fitted bringing their total to 104. Two Type 2 IR sets are
added to the bridge wings.
7 June 1944:
Undocked, then works up.
21 June 1944:
Full-scale trials in the Iyo Nada.
23 June 1944:
Arrives at Hiroshima. Air Group 634 conducts its first
catapult takeoff exercises using Aichi E16A Zuiun ("Paul") reconnaissance
seaplanes in Hiroshima Bay. Trials continue in the Iwakuni Bight.
10 July 1944:
Carrier JUNYO is assigned to CarDiv 4 with ISE and
HYUGA.
10 August 1944:
Light carrier RYUHO is assigned to CarDiv 4 with ISE,
HYUGA and JUNYO. Air Group 634 has 130 aircraft.
28 September 1944-10 October 1944:
Six racks of 30-tube (180) 127mm.
(5-inch) AA phosphorous rocket launchers are mounted in sponsons on each beam
far aft. The rockets are armed with multiple incendiary shrapnel charges and a
time fuze. The launching crews must wear special protective suits and withdraw
prior to each launch.
5 October 1944:
ISE is reassigned to the Combined Fleet in Vice Admiral
Ozawa Jisaburo's (former CO of HARUNA) Mobile Force, Main Body: CarDiv 4 (ISE
and HYUGA), CarDiv 3's ZUIKAKU, ZUIHO, CHITOSE and CHIYODA, Escort Squadron 31's
light cruisers ISUZU, OYODO and TAMA, destroyers HATSUZUKI, AKITSUKI, WAKATSUKI
and SHIMOTSUKI and destroyer escorts MAKI, KIRI, KUWA and SUGI.
15 October 1944:
Captain Nakase is promoted to Rear Admiral.
20 October 1944: Operation SHO-I-GO ("Victory")
– The Battle of Leyte Gulf:
CarDiv 4’s ISE and HYUGA depart the
Yashima anchorage towards the Philippines with Admiral Ozawa 's Northern "decoy"
Mobile Force, Main Body and a Supply Force: oilers TAKANE and JINEI MARUs and
kaibokan CDs 22, 29, 31, 33, 43 and 132. CarDiv 3 carries but 108 planes. CarDiv
4 carries no planes since Air Group 634 was sent to Formosa and decimated in
sorties against TF 38.
At 1800, Ozawa's force departs the Inland Sea via the unguarded eastern channel of the Bungo Suido. Ozawa's radar detectors pick up an enemy submarine's radar emissions. The fleet takes evasive action eastwards. About ten aircraft are kept airborne to conduct antisubmarine patrols.
21 October 1944:
About 1200, torpedo noises are heard and the destroyers
drop depth charges. Ozawa's force again turns eastwards.
22 October 1944:
HYUGA's communications-intelligence unit intercepts a
possible American task force's voice transmission. The signal is also
intercepted by Base Force 31 at Manila. Direction-finding measures locate the
American force south of Ozawa's Main Body, heading NNW.
Ozawa's force is refueling at sea. Sound contact is made with a submarine. At 2010, ZUIKAKU and the cruiser TAMA spot torpedo tracks and make a sharp turn to port. WAKATSUKI is detached to repel the sub. Ozawa is forced to cancel the refueling after receiving only one third of the required amount.
24 October 1944:
ISE steams in a ring formation aft of ZUIKAKU and ZUIHO.
Under Rear Admiral Matsuda, ISE, HYUGA and destroyers HATSUTSUKI, AKIZUKI,
WAKATSUKI and SHIMOTSUKI form the Vanguard Force of the Northern Mobile Force.
1145: Ozawa has ZUIKAKU hoist Admiral Togo's 'Z' flag.
1515: Admiral Ozawa orders CarDiv 4 southward as an advance force to screen ahead of the Main Body. Matsuda's battleships are about 50 miles south of the Main Body when they are spotted by a Task Force 38 scout plane at 18-10N, 124-30E. The scout reports mistakenly that Matsuda's force includes not two, but four battleships, one with a flight deck aft, plus five to six cruisers and six destroyers on course 210 degrees, speed 15 knots.
1700: Ozawa's Main Body is also spotted by another of TF 38's scout planes and reported to the Third Fleet's commander, Admiral Halsey, 190 miles away aboard his flagship, NEW JERSEY (BB-62), heading northeastward to engage. It is too late in the day for the Americans to launch and recover a carrier strike before dark.
2230: Matsuda's Vanguard Force turns back towards Ozawa's Main Body.
25 October 1944: The
Battle off Cape Engano:
0700: The Vanguard Force and the main group
rejoin, assuming a ring formation. ISE steams astern of ZUIKAKU and ZUIHO.
0713: HYUGA's Type 13 air search radar picks up enemy aircraft at 105 miles out.
0739: ISE's radar picks up incoming aircraft, bearing 230, range 125 miles.
0807: HYUGA's air search radar picks up another group of enemy aircraft 56 miles out.
0820: Ozawa's force is attacked by Vice Admiral (later Admiral) Marc Mitscher's (former CO of HORNET, CV-8) Task Force 38 carrier planes from ENTERPRISE (CV-6), ESSEX (CV-9), INTREPID (CV-11), FRANKLIN (CV-13), LEXINGTON (CV-16), INDEPENDENCE (CVL-22), BELLEAU WOOD (CVL-24), LANGLEY (CVL-27), CABOT (CVL-28) and SAN JACINTO (CVL-30). TF 38 launches 527 sorties in five strikes against the Northern Force.
ISE detects the incoming U.S. planes with her radar and opens fire with her main battery's "sanshiki-dan"shells. During the first attack, ISE suffers two near misses.
1005: During the second attack, ISE's gunners claim five of the 10 attacking dive bombers. There are eight near misses, but one small bomb explodes on turret No. 2.
Throughout the action, ISE operates with OYODO, escorting carriers ZUIHO and ZUIKAKU. ISE attempts unsuccessfully to provide AA cover, but during the day's action both ZUIKAKU and ZUIHO are sunk, as are carriers CHITOSE and CHIYODA and destroyer AKIZUKI.
1228: ISE's radar picks up the next group approaching, range 95 miles on bearing 150. After this attack, the ISE takes on 98 survivors from ZUIHO.
1630: Ozawa's force is located at 20-08N, 126-28E and moving north, heading 010 at 22 knots. HYUGA and SHIMOTSUKI are steaming south of the Main Body.
1726-1729: During the fourth attack, ISE is attacked by 35 dive-bombers from port and about 50 from starboard. Seven torpedoes are launched from starboard ahead and four from the port quarter. After 34 near misses, ISE's hull plates rupture near the waterline. She takes on water that causes minor damage to her port boiler rooms. Ninety-five tons of fuel oil in the damaged tanks are contaminated by sea water. A bomb hits outboard of the port catapult and inflicts some 40 to 50 casualties. Other near misses by bombs spray her upper works with splinters. Five crewmen are killed and 71 are injured.
1742: LtCdr I. J. "Pete" Galantin's USS HALIBUT (SS-232) sights the distinctive pagoda superstructure of a Japanese battleship at 31, 000 yards through the high periscope. (HALIBUT, HADDOCK (SS-231) and TUNA (SS-203) are part of a scouting line put in place by ComSubPac to intercept crippled IJN warships escaping from the day's battles.) HALIBUT's radar also tracks destroyers SHIMOTSUKI and WAKATSUKI.
1830: HYUGA and SHIMOTSUKI rejoin the Main Body.
1843: Galantin fires six bow Mark-18 electric torpedoes at an ISE-class battleship, but they all miss.
1900: Admiral Ozawa transfers to light cruiser OYODO just before ZUIKAKU sinks. He learns that an American cruiser force is attacking ISUZU and the destroyers he left behind to assist CHIYODA. Ozawa orders Matsuda's CarDiv 4, OYODO and their destroyers to engage the Americans. All reverse course southward and set off at 16 knots.
2300: The CarDiv 4 group is again picked up by HALIBUT and tracked but LtCdr Galantin is unable to gain position for another attack.
2330: The CarDiv 4 group is unable to make contact with American cruiser force. Ozawa orders the CarDiv 4 group to reverse course northward and make port at Amami-O-Shima.
The CarDiv 4 group is located and tracked by LtCdr (later Vice Admiral) Frederick J. Harlfinger in TRIGGER (SS-237), but he is unable to attack.
HADDOCK sights HYUGA and ISE and pursues them all night, but is unable to get within torpedo range.
26 October 1944:
At 0610, HYUGA's lookouts spot torpedo tracks, but they
miss. A submarine alert is put into effect.
0630: 90 miles SE of Miyako Island. Ozawa's force turns NW towards Amami-O-Shima.
1734: East China Sea. HYUGA's lookouts spot two approaching torpedoes on bearing 135 port. ISE reports sighting a submarine on bearing 160.
2032: ISE is attacked by another submarine. Three torpedoes pass between ISE and HYUGA.
27 October 1944:
At 1200, CarDiv 4 arrives arrives safely at Sakawa Bay,
Amami-O-Shima. Ozawa transfers the Combined Fleet's flag to HYUGA from OYODO.
OYODO detaches.
28 October 1944:
The CarDiv 4 group refuels from oilers at Amami-O-Shima.
CarDiv 4 and the destroyers depart for the Inland Sea. At 2120, LtCdr (later
Vice Admiral) Vernon L. Lowrance in USS SEA DOG (SS-401) attacks the CarDiv 4
group. He misses with six Mark-18 electric torpedoes.
29 October 1944:
CarDiv 4 and the destroyers depart Amami-Oshima for the
Inland Sea. At 0415, the group is picked up at 24,000 yards and tracked on radar
by LtCdr O. C. Robbins' USS STERLET (SS-392). Robbins closes to 12,000 yards but
CarDiv 4, making 22 knots, outruns his submarine.
The CarDiv 4 group is picked up by radar then visually sighted by Cdr Thomas L. Wogan's BESUGO (SS-321) and LtCdr Henry S. Monroe's RONQUIL (SS-396), but neither submarine is able to close for an attack. CarDiv 4 arrives safely at Kure.
29 October-8 November 1944:
Two catapults aft are removed to improve the
firing arcs of turrets No. 3 and No. 4.
8 November 1944:
Departs Kure.
11 November 1944:
CarDiv 4 departs for Manila with DesDiv 43's KIRI, UME and DesDiv 61's SHIMOTSUKI. CarDiv 4's battleships carrry elements of the 127th Airfield Battalion and each carries about 1,000 metric tons of munitions, mostly in hangars, for IJA air and ground units defending the Manila area. The munitions include land mines, rockets and aircraft drop tanks.
When nearing the Philippines, reports of heavy air raids on Manila cause CarDiv 4 to divert to the Spratly Islands.
15 November 1944:
The Mobile Fleet is disbanded. ISE and HYUGA are
reassigned to CarDiv 4, Second Fleet. The carriers JUNYO and RYUHO are
reassigned to CarDiv 1, Combined Fleet.
14 November 1944:
CarDiv 4 arrives at the Spratlys. Troops, munitions and
supplies are unloaded for transshipment to the Philippines. DesDiv 43 detaches
and joins the escort of Vice Admiral Kurita's battleship group: YAMATO, KONGO
and NAGATO that is enroute from Brunei to Kure.
18-19 November 1944:
Spratlys. Battleship HARUNA, cruisers ASHIGARA and
HAGURO and light cruiser OYODO arrive from Brunei. Vice Admiral Shima Kiyohide
(former CO of OI), Commander of the Fifth Fleet, arrives from Manila aboard
DesDiv 21's HATSUSHIMO accompanied by DesDiv 2's ASASHIMO and DesDiv 7's KASUMI
and USHIO. Shima transfers his Fifth Fleet flag to cruiser ASHIGARA.
20 November 1944:
CarDiv 4 departs the Spratlys with HARUNA, ASHIGARA,
HAGURO and OYODO and destroyers.
22 November 1944:
Arrives at Lingga (near Singapore).
22 November-10 December 1944:
CarDiv 4's ISE and HYUGA at Lingga.
12 December 1944:
CarDiv 4, ASHIGARA and OYODO depart Lingga.
14 December 1944:
Arrives at Camranh Bay, Indochina. Assumes 'standby
alert' to intercept an American supply convoy heading for Mindanao. USS BASHAW
(SS-241) and USS GUAVINA (SS-362) sight CarDiv 4 at Camranh, but neither
submarine is able to attack. Vice Admiral Shima transfers his Fifth Fleet flag
from ASHIGARA to HYUGA. ASHIGARA is detached.
17 December 1944:
USS MINGO (SS-261) sights CarDiv 4 at Camranh but the
submarine, in typhoon conditions, is unable to attack.
18 December 1944:
Departs Camranh, arrives at Cap St. Jacques that
day.
28 December 1944:
Cap St. Jacques. CarDiv 4 is rejoined by ASHIGARA and
OYODO that arrive after participating with Rear Admiral (later Vice Admiral)
Kimura Masatomi's (former CO of SUZUYA) Operation "REI-GO" force in the
bombardment of the American beachhead at San Jose on Mindoro Island,
Philippines.
CarDiv 4 is reassigned to the Southwest Expeditionary Fleet.
5 January 1945:6 February 1945:
CarDiv 4, OYODO and KASUMI and DesDiv 21's ASASHIMO and
HATSUSHIMO depart Lingga for Singapore. Approaching Singapore, ISE is damaged
slightly by a magnetic mine explosion nearby.
6-9 February 1945: Operation Kita ("North"):
Singapore. Temporary repairs
are carried out. ISE and HYUGA are each loaded with 5,000 drums of aviation gasoline, 100 kiloliters of aviation gasoline in ship storage tanks, 330 drums of ordinary gasoline, 520 tons of rubber, 820 tons of tin, 50 tons of tungsten and 30 tons of mercury. OYODO takes on 300 tons of rubber, zinc, mercury, tin and gasoline. Their destroyers take on 140 tons of rubber and tin. The ships also
embark 1,150 oil field technical personnel.
10 February 1945:
OYODO is attached to CarDiv 4. At 2100, the "Completion Force" (KAN-Butai) comprised of ISE, HYUGA, OYODO and destroyers KASUMI, ASASHIMO and HATSUSHIMO sorties from Singapore.
11 February 1945:
Lt (later Vice Admiral Sir) Hugh "Rufus" MacKenzie's
submarine HMS TANTALUS sights the "Force". TANTALUS tries an
"end-around" but is bombed by an air escort and forced to go deep, unable to
attack.
13 February 1945:
1213: South China Sea. LtCdr John M. Hyde's USS BERGALL (SS-320) picks up the Force in poor weather conditions off Hainan Island at 15-34N, 110-50E. Hyde, submerged on the track, cannot get closer than 4,800 yards. He fires six torpedoes at a battleship, but they all miss. BERGALL is counter-attacked by the escorts with new, larger explosive depth-charges but escapes.
1340: LtCdr James H. Campbell's USS BLOWER (SS-325) fires five torpedoes at a battleship and one at OYODO, but they all miss. One of the torpedoes is exploded by fire from one of ISE's AA-guns.
1530: The Force comes out of a rainsquall. One of its ships launches a floatplane.
1618: Lookouts aboard HYUGA sight LtCdr H. S. Simpson's USS BASHAW (SS-241) on the surface, 22 km port side ahead. HYUGA opens fire with her 14-inch main armament. One 14-inch shell comes within a mile starboard astern of BASHAW. Simpson crash-dives and breaks off his attack.
15 February 1945:
At 1900, the Force anchors at Matsu Island Anchorage (26-09N, 119-56E), Fukien Province, China.
16 February 1945:
Formosa Strait. At 0000, the Force departs Matsu Island Anchorage for Kure via the Korean coast and the Shimonoseki Strait. Destroyers NOKAZE and KAMIKAZE join the escort briefly, then are detached southbound.
LtCdr (later Captain) Benjamin E. Adams, Jr's USS RASHER (SS-269) is alerted by Ultra to the movement of the Force. At 0507, RASHER makes radar contact south of Wenchow, China at 26-55N, 122-03E. RASHER picks up three escorts, range nine miles, heading 030 at 18 knots. In a driving rain, Adams targets the second ship. At 1,800 yards, he fires six Mark-18 electric torpedoes, but the Force changes course. All six torpedoes miss.
At 2106, the Force anchors N of Chusan (Zhoushan) Island, SE of Shanghai.
18 February 1945:
At 0700, the Force departs Chusan Island.
18 February 1945:
At 1600, the Force anchors off E side of Shozen-To (Ch´angson-do) island an SE of Sanzenpo Harbor, S Korea. (34-51N, 128-01E).
19 February 1945:
At 0700, the Force departs Shozen-To. At 1600, anchors of Mutsure-Jima. In all, the Force escapes pursuit by 23 U.S. and Allied submarines.
20 February 1945:
At 1000, arrives at Kure.
25 February 1945:
Captain Mutaguchi Kakuro (former CO of OYODO) assumes
command. Rear Admiral Nakase is reassigned to head the Naval General Staff's
Third Bureau (Intelligence).
25 February-September 1945:
Kure. No fuel, aircraft or flight crews are
available. During this period, ISE is camouflaged olive green with dark green,
yellow, gray and red-brown splotches.
1 March 1945:
CarDiv 4 is disbanded. ISE is reassigned to Kure as Reserve
Ship, 1st rank.
19 March 1945:
Vice Admiral (later Admiral) Marc A. Mitscher's Task Force
58 carriers USS ESSEX (CV-9), INTREPID (CV-11), HORNET (CV-12), WASP (CV-18),
HANCOCK (CV-19), BENNINGTON (CV-20) and BELLEAU WOOD (CVL-24) make the first
carrier attack on the Kure Naval Arsenal. More than 240 aircraft (SB2C "Helldivers", F4U "Corsairs" and F6F "Hellcats") attack battleships ISE, HYUGA, YAMATO and HARUNA, carriers AMAGI, KATSURAGI, light carrier RYUHO, escort carrier KAIYO and other ships. ISE is hit by two bombs, one of which hits near
the aircraft elevator abaft the mainmast.
The fleet is defended vigorously but unsuccessfully by 54 Kawanishi N1K2-J Shiden-Kai ("George") fighters of Captain (later General and CINC, JSDF) Genda Minoru's (of AKAGI at Pearl Harbor) 343rd NAG based at Matsuyama airfield. The 343rd's pilots led by Lt. Oshibuchi Takashi claim 52 aircraft shot down against 14 fighters and one Nakajima C6N1 Saiun ("Myrt") lost. Japanese flak claims five more planes. [1]
20 April 1945:
Kure. ISE is registered as a Reserve Ship, 4th (lowest)
rank.
20-30 April 1945:
ISE is transferred to Ondo Seto, between Kurahashijima
and Kure where she functions as a floating AA battery.
1 June 1945:
Ondo Seto. ISE, HYUGA, NAGATO and HARUNA are assigned to the
Special (Coast) Guard Fleet.
27 July 1945:
After three days of pumping ISE is restored to an even keel.
It is planned to tow ISE to drydock.
28 July 1945:
Ondo Seto. ISE is attacked by aircraft from Task Force 38's
USS TICONDEROGA (CV-14), LEXINGTON (CV-16), HANCOCK (CV-17) and BENNINGTON (CV-20).
ISE is hit by five 1,000-lb bombs dropped by F4U's from HANCOCK's Air Group 6. During
the day, ISE suffers 11 or more direct hits and many more near misses from other carrier-based aircraft. At 1400, 18 USAAF B-24 "Liberators" from Okinawa also bomb ISE, but they score no hits.
ISE founders with a 15 degree list to starboard and sinks by the bow in shallow water at 34-15N, 132-31E. At 1800, all attempts to salvage ISE are abandoned. Some of her AA guns are removed and added to nearby AA batteries.
20 November 1945:
Removed from the Navy List.
9 October 1946 - 4 July 1947:
ISE's underwater hulk section is left
where it was and she is scrapped without being raised by the Kure Dockyard of
the Harima Zosen Yard.
Thanks go to reader Mr. Takashi Hirota concerning ISE's "sniping" actions on 13 February 1945. Thanks also go to Mr. Aldert Gritter of the Netherlands, Erich Muehlthaler of Germany and John Whitman of the USA.
- Bob Hackett, Sander Kingsepp and Lars Ahlberg .
