SOKURYOSEN
IJN Hydrographic Survey Ship KATSURIKI:
Tabular Record of Movement
© 2010 Bob Hackett, Sander Kingsepp and Peter Cundall
E 1916:
Laid down at Kure Navy Yard as a 1,540 ton minelayer.
5 October 1916:
Launched and named KATSURIKI MARU.
15 January 1917:
Completed and registered in the IJN. An unknown
officer is the CO.
1 April 1920:
Renamed KATSURIKI.
15 November 1927:
Cdr (Rear Admiral, posthumously) Ara Tadashi (33) is
appointed CO.
10 December 1928:
An unknown officer assumes command.
15 November 1930:
Cdr (later Rear Admiral) Sakura Takeo (37) is appointed CO.
1 December 1931:
An unknown officer assumes command.
1 November 1934:
Cdr (Rear Admiral, posthumously) Wakisaka Johei (38) is appointed CO.
10 October 1935:
Cdr (later Rear Admiral) Matsura Tadayuki (40) is appointed CO.
1936:
Initially employed as a hydrographic survey vessel, this duty then continues throughout the vessel’s life.
1 December 1937:
Cdr Matsura is promoted Captain.
21 February 1938:
Cdr (later Rear Admiral) Nobutani Yasuji (40) is appointed CO.
1 June 1938:
Cdr Nobutani is promoted Captain.
9-11 February 1939: Hainan Island Operation:
KATSURIKI supports Vice
Admiral (later Admiral) Kondo Nobutake’s Fifth Fleet, South China Naval Force’s invasion and capture of Hainan Island.
20 April 1939:
Captain (Rear Admiral, posthumously) Nagao Motoo (42)
is appointed CO.
2 May 1940:
Captain (Rear Admiral, posthumously) Nakamura Masao (40)
is appointed CO.
1 June 1940:
An unknown officer assumes command.
11 October 1940: Imperial Naval Review:
Yokohama. KATSURIKI and 97
warships are spread across Tokyo Bay. Vice Admiral (later Admiral of the Fleet,
posthumously) Yamamoto Isoroku (former CO of AKAGI), Commander-in-Chief Combined
Fleet, accompanies Emperor Hirohito (Showa) aboard battleship HIEI for the
Emperor's annual review of the fleet. 527 aircraft also participate. HIEI,
escorted by cruisers TAKAO, KAKO and FURUTAKA, then passes among the fleet's
ships.
October 1941:
KATSURIKI is based at Kwajalein, Marshall Islands.
During the month, USN codebreakers track her movements from Kwajalein to Tarawa
Atoll, Gilbert Islands. The codebreakers determine KATSURIKI is performing
oceanic surveys and soundings in the vicinity of Tarawa preparatory to a
Japanese invasion. [1]
30 October 1941:
KATSURIKI is in the Fourth Fleet’s Survey and Patrol
Division with survey vessel (ex-sub tender) KOMAHASHI and transport KOSHU.
8 December 1941:
KATSURIKI is attached to the Kure Naval District.
10 March 1942:
Reassigned to the First Southern Expeditionary Fleet,
Combined Fleet.
16 March 1942:
Departs Yokosuka for Singapore.
E 28 March 1942:
Arrives at Singapore. Later, at an unknown date, proceeds up the Straits of Malacca to Burma.
10 April 1942:
Reassigned to the First Southern Expeditionary
Fleet, Southwest Area Fleet.
20 July 1942:
KATSURIKI is remodelled and rerated a survey ship.
25 June 1943:
Reassigned to the Southwest Area Fleet.
20 August 1944:
Captain Shiwa Kotora (50)(former CO of SOYA) is appointed CO.
21 September 1944:
LtCdr (later Rear Admiral-Ret) Chester W. Nimitz,
Jr’s HADDO (SS-255) is assigned lifeguard duty to rescue downed pilots of Task
Force 38 engaged in operations against Luzon.
At 1103, HADDO’s lookouts spot heavy smoke to the NW. By 1146, Nimitz
identifies the contacts as hospital ship TAKASAGO MARU and a minelayer. Each
ship has a floatplane circling overhead. At 1317, TAKASAGO MARU heads towards
Manila and the minelayer heads towards Palawan Passage.
Nimitz surfaces and makes a high speed “end-around”. At 2143, HADDO fires
her six bow torpedo tubes at the minelayer at a range of 2,900 yards. At 2145,
two hits are observed. At 2152, KATSURIKI sinks 80 nms SW of Manila at 13-35N,
119-06E. HADDO sees about 40 survivors in the water and attempts rescue, but the
Japanese drown themselves instead.
Captain Shiwa is KIA. He is promoted Rear Admiral, posthumously.
10 November 1944:
Removed from the Navy List.
Author's Notes:
[1] In fact, the Japanese invaded Tarawa in Dec '41.
[2] No data were found on KATSURIKI ’s movements for Aug '42-Sep '44.
Readers with access to such data are requested to post the information on the Discussion
and Questions board or j-aircraft.org's IJN Ship Message
Board
Thanks for help goes to Matthew Jones of Mississippi.
-Bob Hackett, Sander Kingsepp and Peter Cundall.
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