FUSETSUKAN!

© 2005-2008 Bob Hackett, Sander Kingsepp and Peter Cundall

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24 December 1931:
Tokyo. Laid down at Ishikawajima Zosensho.

1 August 1932:
Named NATSUSHIMA.

31 July 1933:
Completed.

26 June 1938: The Battle of Madang:
Yangtze River. NATSUSHIMA takes part in the battle with gunboat TOBA, minelayers TSUBAME and NASAMI. They sweep mines, lay buoys and bombard Chinese positions. Chinese troops return fire with only light arms, but cause many casualties among exposed crewmen. The Japanese land Special Naval Landing Force troops behind the fort and Madang falls.

8 December 1941: Outbreak of the Pacific War:
NATSUSHIMA is assigned to the Saeki Guard Unit. Conducts patrols in the Bungo Straits.

11 November 1942:
NATSUSHIMA departs Moji with minelayer NASAMI escorting the No. 8 Military Movement's convoy A consisting of GENMEI and KOCHI MARUs and possibly others.

25 November 1942:
Arrives at Rabaul.

24 February 1943:
NATSUSHIMA departs Ujina with minelayer NUWAJIMA escorting Military Movement No. 8's convoy E2 consisting of KURAMASAN MARU.

3 March 1943:
Departs Saeki escorting Military Movement No. 8's convoy E2 consisting of DENMARK, YAMABUKI, GENMEI and KURAMASAN MARUs.

11 March 1943:
KURAMASAN MARU and probably NATSUSHIMA, detached earlier from the convoy, arrive at Saipan. KURAMASAN MARU then steams on to Wake Island.

12 March 1943:
Arrives at Palau.

March 1943:
Arrives at Wake Island.

April 1943:
Patrols in the Port Arthur (Lushun) area.

10 December 1943:
Departs Saeki for the South Pacific, probably escorting an unidentified convoy.

4 February 1944:
NATSUSHIMA departs Yokosuka for Truk with destroyer FUJINAMI, kaibokan AMAKUSA and subchaser CH-31 escorting convoy No. 3206 consisting of GYOTEN (ex-British EMPIRE MOONBEAM), TATSUHA, ZUIKAI, RYUKO and SHINKYO MARUs. The convoy is carrying troops of the IJA’s 52nd Infantry Division.

17 February 1944: American Operation "Hailstone" - The Attack on Truk:
Auxiliary minesweeper HAGOROMO MARU joins the escort.

185 miles NW of Truk. At 0228 (JST), LtCdr (later Rear Admiral-Ret) Richard H. O’Kane's USS TANG (SS-306) fires four torpedoes and gets two hits on GYOTEN MARU at 08-02N, 149-17E. At 0320, she splits in two and sinks a few minutes later. The escorts counter-attack unsuccessfully.

In the early morning of 17 February, Vice Admiral (later Admiral) Marc A. Mitscher’s Task Force 58's five fleet carriers and four light carriers launch air attacks on Truk. Mitscher launches 30 strikes of at least 150 aircraft each. At about 1400, some of Mitscher’s planes attack convoy No. 3206. ZUIKAI MARU is hit by bombs and sinks at 1415. At 1420, TATSUHA MARU is also hit by bombs, explodes and sinks. Later, NATSUSHIMA, destroyer FUJINAMI and RYUKO MARU arrive at Truk.

18 February 1944:
The remnants of convoy No. 3206 arrive at Truk. Mitscher launches carrier strikes about every hour for two days. During the raids, TF 58 sinks 31 merchant transports and 10 naval vessels, destroys nearly 200 aircraft and damages severely about 100 more. Truk is eliminated as a major IJN fleet anchorage.

NATSUSHIMA escapes westward.

22 February 1944:
Off Tingwon, New Ireland, Bismarcks. Cdr (later Admiral/CNO) Arleigh A. Burke’s DesRon 23’s ("Little Beavers"), USS CHARLES AUSBURNE (DD-570), DYSON (DD-572) and STANLY (DD-478) engage and sink NATSUSHIMA at 02-40S, 149-40E.

30 April 1944:
Removed from the Navy List.

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Author's Notes:
[1] Little data were found for NATSUSHIMA's movements during 1941, 1942 and 1943. 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

-Bob Hackett, Sander Kingsepp and Peter Cundall.

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