SAIHYOKAN

© 2010 Bob Hackett, Sander Kingsepp and Peter Cundall

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24 June 1921:
Kobe. Laid down at Kawasaki Zosensho shipyard as a 2,330-ton ice breaker for the IJN.

3 October 1921:
Launched and named ODOMARI.

7 November 1921:
Completed and attached to the Maizuru Naval District.

15 November 1921:
Cdr (later Rear Admiral) Yoshitake Junzo (32) is appointed Commanding Officer.

10 November 1922:
Cdr (later Rear Admiral) Ota Shichihei (32) is appointed CO.

December 1922:
Assigned to the Ominato Guard District and attached to the Yokosuka Naval District. Commences regular traffic between the ports on Hokkaido and Sakhalin.

15 October 1923:
An unknown officer is appointed CO.

7 January 1924:
Rishiri Island off the coast of Hokkaido. In bad weather, and due to poor ship handling, ODOMARI runs aground on the SW coast of the Oniwaki anchorage.

4 February 1924:
Drydocked in Hakodate for repairs.

15 October 1924:
Cdr (later Rear Admiral) Monai Isao (33) is appointed CO.

1 July 1925:
An unknown officer is appointed CO.

February-March 1922:
ODOMARI’s bow is strengthened and she is modified by the addition of a raised poop deck and a ballast keel.

2 November 1931:
Cdr (Vice Admiral, posthumously) Kusakawa Kiyoshi (38) is appointed CO.

1932-1940:
Performs surveys of ice fields, keeps vital sea channels open and conducts patrols in northern waters.

15 November 1932:
An unknown officer is appointed CO.

15 November 1934:
Cdr (later Vice Admiral) Miyazato Shutoku (40) (former XO of AOBA) is appointed CO.

15 November 1935:
An unknown officer is appointed CO.

2 November 1936:
Cdr (Rear Admiral, posthumously) Eguchi Matsuro (40) is appointed CO.

1938:
Two Type 96 25-mm AA guns and two 13.2-mm machine guns are fitted.

15 November 1938:
Cdr Eguchi is promoted Captain.

15 December 1938:
Captain (Vice Admiral, posthumously) Monzen Tei (42) (former XO of HYUGA) is appointed CO.

15 November 1939:
An unknown officer is appointed CO.

8 December 1941:
In the Local Defense Squadron of the Ominato Guard District.

4 April 1943:
ODOMARI begins stopping, boarding and inspecting Soviet ships in waters north of the USSR.

15 April 1943:
Stops, boards and inspects two Soviet ships.

16 April 1943:
Stops, boards and inspects three Soviet ships.

28 April 1943:
Departs Odomari port (now Korsakov), Sakhalin. Stops, boards and inspects Soviet-flagged "Liberty-Ship" KAMENETS-PODOLSK (ex-ROBERT S. ABBOTT) and escorts it to Odomari port.

30 April 1943:
Returns to Odomari.

28 June 1943:
KAMENETS-PODOLSK is released from Odomari.

9 January 1944:
Sea of Okhotsk. At 0730, fleet oiler TEIYO MARU becomes trapped in an ice field at 45-23N, 143-30E.

10 January 1944:
ODOMARI arrives and breaks TEIYO MARU free of the ice.

2 June 1944:
Wakkanai, Hokkaido. A fire breaks out on ODOMARI.

July 1945:
Towed to Yokosuka.

30 August 1945:
Yokosuka. Surrendered.

15 September 1945:
Removed from the Navy list.

December 1945:
Considered for use as a repatriation vessel, but not used because of excessive boiler wear. Also, her thermal insulation would have rendered her unsuitable for voyages to warmer waters.

28 January-15 February 1946:
Yokosuka. Undergoes repairs.

1947:
Transferred to Tsurumi, later to Nagaura.

October 1949-March 1950:
Scrapped.

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Author's Notes:
Little data were found for ODOMARI’s wartime movements. 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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