IJN ISE: Tabular Record of Movement
© 2000-2006 Bob Hackett, Sander Kingsepp and Lars Ahlberg
Revision 3
10 December 1928:
Captain (later Rear Admiral) Iwamura Kanekoto (former CO of CA KINUGASA) assumes command.
26 April 1941:
Arrives at Kure with HYUGA.
25 September 1941:
Captain (later Rear Admiral) Takeda Isamu (former CO of OI, KASHIMA) is posted as Commanding Officer.
8 December 1941: Operation "Z" – The Attack on Pearl Harbor:
BatDiv 2 sorties from the Combined Fleet's anchorage at Hashirajima in Hiroshima Bay to an area S of the Bonin Islands with the First Fleet's BatDiv 1's NAGATO and MUTSU and light carrier HOSHO escorted by light cruisers OI and KITAKAMI and eight destroyers.
13 December 1941:
The First Fleet returns to Hashirajima.
13 December 1941-February 1942:
Hashirajima. BatDiv 2 maintains 'standby alert' and conducts battle training in the Inland Sea.
6 March 1942:
Headquarters, Combined Fleet orders CarDiv 5's SHOKAKU and ZUIKAKU, which has just left port for Truk, to divert to Chichi Jima in the Bonins to intercept Halsey's force if it approaches Japan.
11 March 1942:
The First Fleet's HYUGA and ISE sortie from Hashirajima to join the search for Halsey. The next day, the light cruisers TAMA and KISO and destroyers also sortie from Yokosuka in response to the alarm.
15 March 1942:
The IJN warships find nothing and are ordered to return to their ports.
16 March 1942:
ISE and HYUGA arrive at Ise Bay.
20 March 1942:
Departs Ise Bay.
24 March 1942:
ISE arrives at Hashirajima, two days after HYUGA.
18 April 1942: The First Bombing of Japan:
Halsey's Task Force 16.2's USS HORNET (CV-8), VINCENNES (CA-44), NASHVILLE (CL-43), oiler CIMARRON (AO-22) and destroyers GWIN (DD-433), MEREDITH (DD-434), GRAYSON (DD-435) and the MONSSEN (DD-436) accompanied by Task Force 16.1's ENTERPRISE (CV-6), SALT LAKE CITY (CA-25), NORTHAMPTON (CA-26), oiler SABINE (AO-25) and destroyers BALCH (DD-363), BENHAM (DD-397), ELLET (DD-398) and FANNING (DD-385) approach the Japanese home islands. The carriers and cruisers come to within 668 nautical miles of Japan.
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.
The 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:
Embarks supplies and armament for an Imperial Army unit at Ujina.
14 October 1943:
Ujina. Embarks the A Detachment of the 52nd Infantry Division and supplies for Truk.
15 October 1943:
ISE and battleship YAMASHIRO rendezvous at sea with the "TEI" No. 3 troop transport mission with carriers JUNYO and UNYO, CruDiv 18's light cruiser TATSUTA, DesDiv 32's FUJINAMI, SUZUNAMI and HAYANAMI.
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:
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.
5 November 1943:
Near the Bungo Suido, Japan. At 0505, LtCdr (later Admiral) I. J. "Pete" Galantin's USS HALIBUT (SS-232), alerted by Ultra, picks up the zigzagging task group on radar at 14 miles, base course 300 degrees, speed 19 knots. At 0539, Galantin fires six Mark 14 bow torpedoes at JUNYO, range 1,200 yards, depth set at 10 feet. At 0540, a torpedo hits JUNYO in the stern, but the other five miss astern. HALIBUT circles hard to port. At 0543, Galantin fires two stern torpedoes at the carrier. At 0558, Galantin tries to fire another steam torpedo at JUNYO but it malfunctions and "runs hot" in the tube.
5 November 1943:
Makes port at Tokuyama Bay.
7 November 1943:
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 the 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: The 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: The 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 Japan on a troop transport and munitions run to Manila with DesDiv 43's KIRI and UME and DesDiv 61's SHIMOTSUKI. 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, the ASHIGARA and the 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.
1 January 1945:
The CarDiv 4 group arrives at Singapore. Vice Admiral Shima transfers his flag from the HYUGA to OYODO. ASHIGARA and OYODO are detached for repairs at the Seletar Naval Base at Singapore. CarDiv 4 continues on to Lingga. Assumes 'standby alert' at Lingga.
CarDiv 4 is reassigned to the Southwest Expeditionary Fleet.
5 January 1945:12 January 1945: American Operation "Gratitude":
Halsey stands off Camranh Bay with the Third Fleet. Vice Admiral John S. McCain launches almost 1,500 sorties looking for the Japanese fleet. Task Force 38 bombs Indochina, Hong Kong and Southern Formosa and sinks 44 ships. TF 38 never locates HYUGA and ISE at their Lingga anchorage but their departure for Japan is delayed by McCain's presence. TF 38's aircraft sink two tankers (probably SAN LUIS and SHOEI MARUs) that were to have refueled CarDiv 4 off Saigon.
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 over 5,000 drums of oil plus rubber and tin. 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:
The OYODO is attached to CarDiv 4. That evening, the "Completion Force's" ISE, HYUGA, OYODO and destroyers KASUMI, ASASHIMO and HATSUSHIMO sortie from Singapore.
11 February 1945:
Lt (later Vice Admiral Sir) Hugh "Rufus" MacKenzie's submarine HMS TANTALUS sights the Completion Force. TANTALUS tries an "end-around" but is bombed by an air escort and forced to go deep, unable to attack.
13 February 1945:
At 1213, LtCdr John M. Hyde in 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. HATSUSHIMO spots the incoming torpedoes and gives the alarm. The ISE opens fire at the torpedoes with her AA guns and snipes one of them. BERGALL is counter-attacked by the escorts with new, larger explosive depth-charges but escapes.
The Force is also attacked the same day by LtCdr James H. Campbell in USS BLOWER (SS-325). He fires five torpedoes at a battleship and one at OYODO, but they all miss.
At 1515, the Force comes out of a rainsquall. One of its ships launches a floatplane. LtCdr H. S. Simpson's the USS BASHAW (SS-241) is sighted on the surface. A battleship opens fire with her main armament on the submarine. One 14-inch shell comes within a mile of BASHAW. Simpson crash-dives and breaks off his attack.
16 February 1945:
The Force departs Mako, Pescadores for Kure via the Korean coast and the Shimonoseki Strait. Destroyers NOKAZE and KAMIKAZE join the escorts briefly, then detach southbound.
LtCdr (later Captain) Benjamin E. Adams, Jr's USS RASHER (SS-269) is alerted by Ultra to the movement of the Completion 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.
19 February 1945:
The Completion Force arrives at Moji. In all, the Force has escaped pursuit by 23 U.S. and Allied submarines.
20 February 1945:
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.
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.
During the day's attacks, ISE suffers five direct hits and numerous near-misses. About 50 crewmen are killed and many others wounded. ISE settles by the bow and takes on water. Work begins to pump out her spaces.
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) and the HANCOCK (CV-17). ISE is hit by five 1,000-lb bombs dropped by F4U's from the 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:
The 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.
- Bob Hackett, Sander Kingsepp and Lars Ahlberg .
