SAIHYOKAN

© 2010-2015 Bob Hackett, Sander Kingsepp and Peter Cundall
Revision 2

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

1 October 1921:
Lt (later Capt) Kokusho Yukitaka (37) is appointed Chief Equipping Officer.

3 October 1921:
Launched and named ODOMARI.

7 November 1921:
Completed and attached to the Maizuru Naval District. Lt Kokusho is the acting Commanding Officer.

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

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

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:
Cdr (later Captain) Sato Hideo (33) 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.

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

1 July 1925:
Captain Hirayama Sakae (31)(former CO of KAMOI) is appointed CO.

1 August 1925:
Cdr Ishikawa Shingo (33) is appointed CO.

1 November 1926:
Cdr (later Captain) Ono Isao (34) is appointed CO.

1 December 1927:
Cdr (later RAdm, posthumously) Yamagata Shosuke (34) is appointed CO. Cdr Ono is promoted Captain and appointed CO of TSURUMI.

8 December 1927:
Captain Ono Isao (34) is appointed CO.

25 March 1928:
Cdr Koyama Taiji (34) (current CO of Ominato Defense Corps) is appointed CO as an additional duty.

1 May 1928:
Captain Soga Seiichiro (35) is appointed CO.

1 May 1929:
Cdr (later Captain) Yamada Sadao (36) (former CO of MINAZUKI) is appointed CO.

30 November 1929:
Cdr Yamada is promoted Captain.

1 December 1930:
Cdr (later Captain) Oni Toshitami (36) is appointed CO. Captain Yamada is appointed CO of NAKA.

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:
Cdr (later Captain) Itani Yoshiharu (38) is appointed CO.

15 November 1933:
Captain Tsukahara Taneichi (39) is appointed CO.

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

15 November 1935:
Cdr (later Captain) Morita Kazuo (39)(former CO of UJI) 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:
Captain Murayama Seiroku (42)(former CO of NIPPONKAI MARU) is appointed CO.

1 November 1940:
Captain Imamura Yukihiko (42)(former CO of SHIRATAKA) is appointed CO.

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

15 June 1942:
Captain Oka Tsuneo (41) (former CO of IWATE) is appointed CO.

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.

25 June 1943:
Intercepts the Soviet operated, US-built NOGIN (ex-EWA) in La Perouse (Soya) Strait and escorted it to Odomari port.

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

5 December 1943:
Captain Chiba Tsuguo (44) (former CO of KATSURIKI) is appointed CO.

9 January 1944:
Sea of Okhotsk. At 0730, fleet oiler TEIYO MARU escorted by destroer SHIRAKUMO becomes trapped in an ice field at 45-23N, 143-30E. At 2100 loses power.

10 January 1944:
ODOMARI arrives and breaks TEIYO MARU free of the ice. At 1000, TEIYO MARU is able to navigate, but with difficulty. By 1430, she makes it to 45-30N, 142-37E

26 February 1944:
Captain Chijiwa Choji (37)(former XO of ABUKUMA) is appointed CO.

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.

5 October 1945:
Captain Chijiwa is relieved of command. A new CO is not immediately appointed.

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.

8 January 1946:
Captain Tomura Kiyoshi (49)(former CO of Chinkai Defense Corps) is appointed CO.

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

20 March 1946:
Captain Tomura is relieved of command. No new COs are appointed.

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 go to Matthew Jones of Mississippi, USA for identifying some COs.

-Bob Hackett, Sander Kingsepp and Peter Cundall.

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