FUSETSUKAN!

© 2005-2009 Bob Hackett, Sander Kingsepp and Peter Cundall

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22 June 1938:
Laid down at Ishikawajima Shipbuilding.

29 June 1939:
Launched and named KYOSAI.

27 December 1939:
Completed and registered in the Yokosuka Naval District. Attached to the Jinhae Guard Unit.

12 March 1944:
At 0400, KYOSAI departs Tokyo with light cruiser TATSUTA, destroyers NOWAKI, ASAKAZE, YUNAGI and UZUKI, kaibokan HIRADO, minelayer SOKUTEN and minesweeper W-20 escorting outbound convoy "Higashi Matsu No. 2" consisting of TAKAOKA, HIBI, TAJIMA, MIHO, AWA, DAITEN, RYUKA, TAMAHOKO, KOKUYO, TSUSHIMA and ATLANTIC MARUs and SHINSEI MARU No. 1.

13 March 1944:
40 miles NNE of Hachijo-jima. At 0310, LtCdr Malcom E. Garrison's new USS SAND LANCE (SS-381) sets up and fires four stern torpedoes at the convoy. Two hit and sink TATSUTA at 32-52N 139-12E. The other two hit and sink transport KOKUYO MARU carrying 1,029 troops. SAND LANCE undergoes an 18-hour attack by the escorts. SAND LANCE, a thick-skinned BALAO-class, dives to 550-feet and escapes 105 depth charges.

19 March 1944:
At 1400, arrives at Saipan.

24 March 1944
At 0700, KYOSAI departs Saipan with subchasers CH-17, CH-31, CH-32, destroyers NOWAKI, ASAKAZE and kaibokan MANJU escorting convoy HIGASHI MATSU No.2 (return) consisting of TAKUNAN, NACHI, AWA (ex-WAWA), DAITEN, MIHO, BINGO, RYUKA, TAKAOKA, HIBI, TAMAHOKO, TATSUHARU and SHINFUKU MARUs, storeship SOYA and an unidentified ship.

1 April 1944:
At 1000, the convoy arrives at Tokyo.

15 April 1944:
At 0600, KYOSAI departs Tokyo with destroyers HOKAZE, YUNAGI, UZUKI, kaibokan MIYAKE, minelayers SARUSHIMA and YURIJIMA, minesweepers W-20, W-28 and subchasers CH-6, CH-10 and CH-12 escorting convoy "Higashi-Matsu No. 6". The convoy consists of AWAJI, HAKUBA, KATSUKAWA, TAKAOKA, BATAVIA, AWA and HOKUSHIN MARUs bound for Saipan, CHOAN MARU No. 2 and MIKAGE MARU No. 1 bound for Truk, JOKUJA, BISAN and JINSAN MARUs bound for Palau, KAMISHIMA and SHOZAN MARUs bound for Woleai, INARI and TONEGAWA MARUs bound for Guam and TATSUAKI and TAMAHOKO MARUs bound for Chichi-Jima.

18 April 1944:
TATSUAKI and TAMAHOKO MARUs are detached for Chichi-Jima escorted by KYOSAI and YURIJIMA. Arrives later that day.

3 June 1944:
KYOSAI departs Saipan with torpedo boat HIYODORI and minelayer YURIJIMA escorting a convoy consisting of SEIKA and KATSUKAWA MARUs and NISSHO MARU No. 18.

7 June 1944:
Arrives at Truk.

14 July 1944:
KYOSAI departs Manila with minesweeper W-15 escorting convoy MATA-24A consisting of one unidentified merchant ship.

17 July 1944:
Arrives at Takao.

1 February 1945:
Yellow Sea. Reassigned to the General Escort Command’s First Escort Fleet’s 103rd Escort Squadron. Engages in mine laying.

1 April 1945:
Reassigned to the Seventh Fleet’s 18th Squadron at Saeki.

1 June 1945:
Yokosuka. Reassigned to a tokko (suicide) Squadron.

5 August 1945:
After nightfall, KYOSAI departs Yokosuka for Kujyu-Kurihama beach, a probable US landing area on a mining mission off the Boso peninsula with kaibokan CD-37 (flagship of Rear Admiral Aitoku Ichiro (45)(former CO of UNYO) in command of the mission) and SHISAKA and auxiliary minelayer KINJO MARU.

6 August 1945:
E of Nojimazaki. During the forenoon all mines are sown and the unit heads back, when several air alarms are received. KYOSAI comes under a strafing attack at 34-52N, 139-58E by fighters of Vice Admiral (later Admiral) John H. Towers’ Task Force 58 returning from the Tokyo area. The planes damage KYOSAI's cutter by strafing and its fuel tank ignites. The flaming boat is jettisoned overboard. Kaibokan SHISAKA is undamaged and departs the area at high speed.

15 August 1945:
KYOSAI’s crew hear the Emperor's recorded radio announcement of the end of the war.

5 September 1945:
Removed from the Navy List.

12 October 1945:
Performs demobilization transport duties. Departs Uraga.

17 October 1945:
Arrives at Guam.

18 October 1945:
Departs Guam.

21 October 1945:
Arrives at Mortlock Island.

22 October 1945:
Departs Mortlock.

23 October 1945:
Arrives at Guam.

24 October 1945:
Departs Guam.

28 October 1945:
Arrives at Uraga.

29 October 1945:
Undergoes repairs at Uraga.

24 November 1945:
Repairs are completed.

27 November 1945:
Departs Uraga.

1 December 1945:
Officially designated a Special Transport in the Allied Repatriation Service.

That same day, arrives at Guam and departs later that day.

8 December 1945:
Arrives at Yap and departs later that day.

16 December 1945:
Arrives at Uraga.

20 December 1945:
Undergoes repairs at Uraga.

5 March 1946:
Repairs are completed.

10 March 1946:
Departs Uraga.

14 March 1946:
Arrives at Sasebo.

17 March 1946:
Departs Sasebo.

19 March 1946:
Arrives at Shanghai and departs later that day.

22 March 1946:
Arrives at Sasebo.

24 March 1946:
Departs Sasebo.

26 March 1946:
Arrives at Shanghai and departs later that day.

30 March 1946:
Arrives at Sasebo.

4 April 1946:
Departs Sasebo.

6 April 1946:
Arrives at Shanghai.

9 April 1946:
Departs Shanghai.

12 April 1946:
Arrives at Sasebo.

19 April 1946:
Departs Sasebo.

21 April 1946:
Arrives at Shanghai.

23 April 1946:
Departs Shanghai.

24 April 1946:
Arrives at Sasebo.

3 May 1946:
Undergoes repair at Tsurumi.

2 June 1946:
Repairs are completed.

15 June 1946:
Departs Uraga.

19 June 1946:
Arrives at Shanghai and departs later that same day.

22 June 1946:
Arrives at Uraga and departs later the same day.

24 June 1946:
arrives Sasebo.

19 July 1946:
Departs Sasebo.

25 July 1946:
Arrives at Korojima (near Tsientsin).

1 August 1946:
Departs Korojima.

5 August 1946:
Arrives at Hakata.

12 August 1946:
Departs Hakata.

15 August 1946:
Arrives at Korojima.

18 August 1946:
Departs Korojima.

20 August 1946:
Arrives at Chipo (Chefoo) and departs later that day.

22 August 1946:
Arrives at Hakata.

7 September 1946:
Departss Hakata.

10 September 1946:
Arrives at Korojima.

13 September 1946:
Departs Korojima.

16 September 1946:
Arrives at Hakata.

23 September 1946:
Departs Hakata.

25 September 1946:
Arrives at Korojima.

29 September 1946:
Departs Korojima.

1 October 1946:
Arrives at Hakata.

14 October 1946:
Departs Hakata.

17 October 1946:
Arrives at Korojima.

19 October 1946:
Departs Korojima.

22 October 1946:
Arrives at Hakata.

1 November 1946 Arrives at Tamano for repairs.

15 November 1946 Repairs are completed.

22 November 1946:
Departs Kagoshima.

23 November 1946:
Arrives at Amami-Oshima and departs later the same day.

27 November 1946:
Arrives at Kagoshima. 29 November 1946:
Departs Kagoshima.

30 November 1946:
Arrives at Amami-Oshima and departs later the same day.

2 December 1946:
Arrives at Kagoshima.

13 December 1946:
Departs Kagoshima.

14 December 1946:
Arrives at Amami-Oshima.

15 December 1946:
Departs Amami-Oshima.

17 December 1946:
Arrives at Kagoshima.

20 November 1947:
Ceded to the United Kingdom as a war reparation.

31 March 1948:
Completes scrapping at Tohoku Shiogama shipbuilding.

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Author's Notes:
[1] No data were found for KYOSAI's movements during 1941, '42 and '43. Readers with access to any such data are requested to post the information on the Discussion and Questions board or j-aircraft.org's IJN Ship Message Board

-Bob Hackett, Sander Kingsepp and Peter Cundall.

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