© 2007-2009 Bob Hackett, Sander Kingsepp and Peter Cundall
Revision 2
24 January 1918:
A MINEKAZE-class destroyer is ordered and named NADAKAZE.
9 January 1920:
Maizuru Navy Yard. Laid down.
26 June 1920:
Launched.
30 September 1921:
Completed and registered in the IJN.
1 December 1924:
LtCdr (later Rear Admiral) Ishido Yuzo (36) assumes command.
20 April 1925:
LtCdr (later Rear Admiral) Suzuki Kozo (36) assumes command.
1 December 1925:
LtCdr Suzuki is promoted Cdr.
15 October 1926:
An unknown officer assumes command.
23 July 1928:
LtCdr (Vice Admiral, posthumously) Goto Aritomo (38) assumes command.
10 December 1928:
LtCdr Goto is promoted Cdr.
January 1929:
Tokyo Bay. Participates in tests of the radio-controlled Hulk No. 3 (ex-UZUKI).
15 January 1929:
An unknown officer assumes command.
15 November 1929:
LtCdr (later Rear Admiral) Ueno Masao (40) assumes command.
1 December 1931:
An unknown officer assumes command.
1 December 1932:
Cdr (later Rear Admiral) Niimi Kazutaka (40) assumes command.
1 May 1933:
LtCdr (later Rear Admiral) Yamamoto Iwata (46) assumes command.
15 November 1933:
An unknown officer assumes command.
20 January 1939:
Yokosuka Navy Yard. Placed in reserve. The two forward boilers are removed
reducing speed to 20 knots. Additionally, the first and third banks of torpedo
tubes, and No. 2 4.7-inch/45 cal main gun are removed.
1 April 1940:
Designated as Special Duty Patrol Boat No. 1. Later, she is renumbered PB-2 and attached to the Yokosuka Naval District. Assigned to Yokosuka Guard Unit.
24 April 1940:
Lt Umagoshi Masahiro is appointed CO.
15 November 1940:
Lt Furuya Takuo (57) assumes command.
Late 1941:
PB-2 undergoes reconstruction. Nos. 3 and 4 4.7-inch/45 cal main guns, the second bank of torpedo tubes and depth charge equipment are removed. The stem is cut down to the waterline to form a ramp. She is fitted to carry and
launch two 46-ft Daihatsu landing craft. Here interior spaces are modified to accommodate up to 250 troops.
20 November 1941:
Reassigned to Captain Nishikawa Hayami's Patrol Boat Squadron 1.
8 December 1941: Operation "M" - The Invasion of the Philippines:
Participates in the Luzon Strait landing at Batan Island.
9 January 1942: Operation "H" - The Invasion of Celebes, Netherlands East Indies:
PB-2 departs Davao, Philippines with PB-1 and PB-34 in Rear Admiral Kubo Kuji's 1st Base Force with light cruiser NAGARA, MineSweepDiv 21's W-11, W-7, W-8, W-9 and W-12 and SubChasDiv 1's CH-1, CH-2, CH-3 escorting transports HOKUROKU, NANKAI, KINAI, AMAGISAN, KOSHIN, SHOKA, KATSURAGI and CHOWA MARUs carrying Captain (later Vice Admiral) Mori Kunizo's (former CO of SATA) Sasebo No. 1 Combined Special Naval Landing Force (SNLF).
11 January 1942: :
At 0300, the SNLF lands on Kema, Celebes. At 0400, they land on Menado. Later, 334 men of Cdr (later Captain) Horiuchi Toyoaki's (later XO of TAKAO) Yokosuka No. 1 SNLF (Air) are dropped successfully from Mitsubishi G3M1-L Nell converted transport aircraft in the Menado-Kema area. The paratroops seize Langoan airfield.
5-10 February 1942: The Invasion of Makassar, Celebes:
PB-2 is with Rear Admiral Kubo’s 1st Base Force with PB-1 and PB-34, light cruiser NAGARA, MineSweepDiv 21, SubchasDiv 2 and SubChasDiv 1’s CH-1, CH-2 and CH-3 escorting the Makassar invasion force consisting of transports HOKUROKU, NANKAI, KINAI, MONTEVIDEO, MATSUE, IKUSHIMA and YAMASHIMO MARUs
carrying Captain Mori's Sasebo Combined SNLF.
18 February 1942:
PB-2 departs Ambon for Dili, Portugese Timor with PB-1 and PB-34 and troop transports AFRICA, YAMAURA, MIIKE, ZENYO and RYOYO MARUs escorted by MineSweepDiv 21's W-7 and W-8, DesDiv 24's KAWAKAZE and YAMAKAZE and a subchaser. CruDiv 5's HAGURO and MYOKO, DesDiv 6's INAZUMA and IKAZUCHI and DesDiv 7's AKEBONO provide distant cover. Air cover is provided by seaplane carrier MIZUHO.
20 February 1942:
Portugese Timor is invaded.
29 March 1942: The Invasion of Dutch New Guinea:
Rear Admiral (later Vice Admiral) Fujita Ruitaro's (former CO of FUSO) "N" Expeditionary Force assembles at Ambon Island. Fujita's Force includes CarDiv 11's seaplane carrier CHITOSE, light cruiser KINU, DesDiv 16's YUKIKAZE and TOKITSUKAZE, torpedo boats
TOMOZURU, HATSUKARI, patrol boats PB-2, PB-1, PB-38 and PB-39, SubChasDiv 54's SHONAN MARU Nos. 5 and 17 and FUKUEI MARU No. 15, oiler SEIAN MARU and transport HOKURIKU MARU plus a Special Naval Landing Force. The N Expeditionary Force departs Ambon.
31 March 1942:
Arrives at Boela, Ceram Island. Moluccas.
1-21 April 1942:
The N Expeditionary Force invades Fak-Fak, Babo, Sorong, Manokwari, Moemi, Nabire, Seroei, Sarmi and Hollandia, New Guinea.
23 April 1942:
The N Expeditionary Force is dissolved. All units
return to Ambon Island.
1 May 1942:
Reattached to Yokosuka Naval District with PB-1.
28 May 1942:Operation "MI" - The Battle
of Midway:
PB-2, PB-1 and PB-34 depart Saipan in Vice Admiral (later
Admiral) Kondo Nobutake's (former CO of KONGO) Midway Invasion Force's Transport
Group with oiler AKEBONO MARU, transports ZENYO, ARGENTINA, BRAZIL, AZUMA,
KIYOSUMI, KEIYO, GOSHU, KANO, HOKURIKU, KIRISHIMA and NANKAI MARUs and TOA MARU
No. 2. The transports carry an airfield construction unit, LtCol Ichiki Kiyonao's
IJA detachment and two battalions of Special Naval Landing Forces (SNLF).
Rear Admiral (later Vice Admiral) Tanaka Raizo's (former CO of KONGO)
DesRon 2's light cruiser JINTSU and DesDiv 15's KUROSHIO and OYASHIO, DesDiv
16's AMATSUKAZE, HATSUKAZE, TOKITSUKAZE and YUKIKAZE and DesDiv 18's KAGERO
provide the escort with destroyer-transports SHIRANUHI, KASUMI and ARARE. Air
cover is provided by Rear Admiral (later Vice Admiral) Fujita Ruitaro's (former
CO of FUSO) seaplane tenders CHITOSE and KAMIKAWA MARU.
3 June 1942:
The convoy is bombed by nine Boeing B-17 "Flying
Fortresses". Later, the convoy is also attacked by three torpedo-carrying
Consolidated PBY "Catalina" amphibious patrol planes. Oiler AKEBONO MARU is hit
in the bow and KIYOSUMI MARU is strafed.
5 June 1942:
At 0255, the Combined Fleet's Commander-in-Chief Admiral
(Fleet Admiral, posthumously) Yamamoto Isoroku (former CO of AKAGI), aboard his
flagship YAMATO, orders Operation MI cancelled.
13 or 16 June 1942:
The Transport Group arrives at Guam and
disembarks LtCol Ichiki's detachment.
1 July 1942:
Reassigned to the Yokosuka Guard Unit.
7 August 1942: American Operation "Watchtower" - The Invasion of
Guadalcanal, British Solomons:
Rear Admiral (later Admiral) Richmond K.
Turner's (former CO of ASTORIA, CA-34), Amphibious Task Force 62, covered by
Vice Admiral (MOH/later Admiral) Frank J. Fletcher's (former CO of VERMONT,
BB-20) Task Force 61 and Rear Admiral (later Admiral) John S. McCain's (former
CO of RANGER, CV-4) Task Force 63's land-based aircraft, lands MajGen (later
General/MOH/Commandant) Alexander A. Vandegrift's 1st Marine Division on
Florida, Tulagi, Gavutu, Tanambogo and Guadalcanal opening the campaign to
retake the islands.
16 August 1942:
Truk. At 0500, DesDiv 4's ARASHI and HAGIKAZE, DesDiv
15's KAGERO and DesDiv 17's HAMAKAZE, TANIKAZE and URAKAZE depart Truk for
Guadalcanal as the first echelon of a reinforcement convoy carrying 917 men of
LtCol Ichiki Kiyonao's 28th Infantry Regiment.
The second echelon of the reinforcement convoy departs Truk consisting of BOSTON and DAIFUKU MARUs carrying 1,100 men of Ichiki's Regiment escorted by light cruiser JINTSU and PB-35 and PB-34. Rear Admiral Tanaka in JINTSU is in command of the convoy.
PB-1 and PB-2 depart Truk escorting the third echelon consisting of fast transport (ex-AMC) KINRYU MARU carrying about 1,000 troops of the Yokosuka No. 5 SNLF.
18 August 1942:
About noon, DesDiv 24's KAWAKAZE, SUZUKAZE and UMIKAZE join the second and third echelons still enroute to Guadalcanal.
19 August 1942:
Cape Taivu, E of Lunga Point, Guadalcanal. At 0100, the first echelon lands LtCol Ikki's troops.
20 August 1942:
At midnight, Ichiki's troops storm Guadalcanal's "Henderson Field" to retake the airfield, but almost all of Ichiki's men are cut down by U. S. Marines. Ichiki commits suicide.
21 August 1942:
That evening, Tanaka receives a signal from Headquarters, Eighth Fleet that Vice Admiral Kondo's Second Fleet and Vice Admiral Nagumo's Third Fleet will support Tanaka's reinforcement convoy
consisting of the second and third echelons.
24 August 1942: The Battle of the Eastern Solomons.
At 1230, Tanaka's force sights light carrier RYUJO, covered by CruDiv 8's TONE and DesDiv 16's AMATSUKAZE and TOKITSUKAZE. Later, RYUJO launches two strikes against Henderson Field. At 1357, RYUJO is attacked by aircraft from Vice Admiral Fletcher's Task Force 61's USS SARATOGA (CV-3). RYUJO is hit by four bombs and a torpedo hit that floods her starboard engine room. At 1800, RYUJO capsizes and sinks.
CarDiv 1's SHOKAKU and ZUIKAKU launch aircraft that find and damage ENTERPRISE (CV-6). That evening, aircraft from SARATOGA damage seaplane carrier CHITOSE. The same night, DesDiv 15's KAGERO, DesDiv 17's ISOKAZE, DesDiv 24's KAWAKAZE and DesDiv 30's MUTSUKI and YAYOI shell Henderson Field, then race northward to join Tanaka's convoy.
25 August 1942:
150 miles N of Guadalcanal. At 0600, six USMC Douglas SBD "Dauntless" dive-bombers attack the convoy. KINRYU MARU is hit and begins to sink. Her embarked troops are evacuated by DesDiv 30's MUTSUKI and YAYOI and PB-1 and PB-2.
BOSTON MARU is damaged by an SBD near-miss bomb. A bomb hits JINTSU's forecastle and starts fires that cause her forward magazines to be flooded. Rear Admiral Tanaka is injured and shifts his flag to KAGERO. B-17 bombers arrive and sink MUTSUKI still evacuating troops from sinking KINRYU
MARU.
25 August 1942:
The convoy returns to Shortland, Bougainville that night.
15 February 1943:
Reassigned to the General Escort Command’s 1st Escort Division. Lt (Reserve) Kito Takejiro is the CO.
26 February 1943:
PB-2 departs Moji escorting convoy No. 131 consisting of six unidentified merchant ships.
3 March 1943:
Arrives at Takao.
15 March 1943:
PB-2 departs Takao escorting convoy No. 741 consisting of three unidentified merchant ships.
18 March 1943:
Convoy No. 741 arrives at Manila.
22 March 1943:
PB-2 departs Takao escorting convoy No. 742 consisting of two unidentified merchant ships.
25 March 1943:
Arrives at Manila.
27 March 1943:
PB-2 departs Manila escorting convoy No. 3101 consisting of one unidentified merchant ship.
E 3 April 1943:
Arrives at Palau.
4 April 1943:
At 1200, PB-2 departs Palau escorting convoy No. 3202 consisting of RYUYO, SHONAN, NAGATO, RYUZAN, SHANGHAI and YASUSHIMA MARUs.
10 April 1943:
at 1100 arrives Manila.
17 April 1943:
PB-2 departs Manila escorting convoy No. 3102 consisting of 1 unidentified merchant ship.
20 April 1943:
Arrives at Palau.
23 April 1943:
PB-2 departs Palau escorting convoy No. 3205 consisting of 6 unidentified merchant ships.
29 April 1943:
Arrives at Manila.
12 May 1943:
PB-2 departs Manila escorting convoy No. 847 consisting of one unidentified merchant ship.
15 May 1943:
Arrives at Takao.
27 May 1943:
PB-2 departs Takao escorting convoy No. 266 consisting of 13 unidentified merchant ships.
1 June 1943:
Arrives at Moji.
4 June 1943:
PB-2 departs Moji escorting convoy No. 162 consisting of 10 unidentified merchant ships.
9 June 1943:
Arrives at Takao.
14 June 1943:
PB-2 departs Takao escorting convoy No. 399 consisting of 13 unidentified merchant ships.
21 June 1943:
Arrives at St Jacques.
23 June 1943:
At 0900, PB-2 departs St Jacques escorting convoy No. 587 consisting of HAWAII and ARIAKE MARUs and two unidentified merchant ships.
26 June 1943:
Arrives at Singapore.
29 June 1943:
PB-2 departs Singapore escorting convoy No. 601 consisting of 4 unidentified merchant ships.
E 2 July 1943:
Arrives at St Jacques.
5 July 1943:
PB-2 departs St Jacques escorting convoy No. 408 consisting of five unidentified merchant ships.
10 July 1943:
Arrives at Takao.
25 July 1943:
PB-2 departs Moji escorting convoy No. 180 consisting of 4 unidentified merchant ships.
30 July 1943:
Arrives at Takao.
2 August 1943:
PB-2 departs Takao escorting convoy No. 288 consisting of tanker KIYO MARU and six unidentified merchant ships.
7 August 1943:
Arrives at Moji.
12 August 1943:
PB-2 departs Moji escorting convoy No. 186 consisting of 7 unidentified merchant ships.
17 August 1943:
Arrives at Takao.
22 August 1943:
PB-2 departs Takao escorting convoy No. 317 consisting of tanker KIYO MARU and 10 unidentified merchant ships.
30 August 1943:
Arrives at St Jacques.
7 September 1943:
At 1400, PB-2 departs Saigon for Mako, Pescadore Islands with auxiliary gunboat KAZAN MARU escorting convoy No. 424 consisting of KENSEI, CHINA, MIYO, CHIYODA, JINZAN, FUKUJU, TOSEI, BELGIUM, TEIRYU, ANKO and KAIKO MARUs.
14 September 1943:
At 0800, the convoy arrives at Mako less TOSEI, TEIRYU, ANKO and KAIKO MARUs that detached earlier.
19 September 1943:
At 0950, PB-2 departs Mako for Moji with auxiliary TOYO MARU No. 3 escorting convoy No. 205 consisting of KYOKKO, SEIZAN, CHINA, TEIKO, NICHIEI, FUKUJU, DENMARK and HOKUAN MARUs.
20 September 1943:
The convoy is joined by MIYO, GINREI, KENZUI, TATSUHA, TOSEI and JINZAN MARUs.
24 September 1943:
At 1600, the convoy arrives at Moji less HOKUAN MARU that detached earlier.
30 October 1943:
At 1600, PB 2 and auxiliary gunboat KAZAN (HUASHAN) MARU depart Mutsure escorting convoy No. 110 consisting of ASAHI, MALTA, HANAKAWA, TERUKAWA, TEIKO, KIZAN, YOZAN, SANKO, SEIZAN, TEIKON, OAHIMA, CHINKAI, TAINAN, TOYO, YULIN, SHINKOKU and SEIWA MARUs.
4 November 1943:
At 1410, arrives at Takao.
7 November 1943:
At 1225, PB-2 departs Takao for Manila escorting convoy No. 776 consisting of CHINKAI, TOYO, SHINKOKU, ASAHISAN, YOZAN, RIZAN, MADRAS, TOTTORI, AKAGISAN, KIZAN and MARUs and LST BANRYU (later SS2).
10 November 1943:
At 1300, arrives at Manila.
18 November 1943:
At 1225, PB-2 departs Manila for Kau, Halmahera Island, Moluccas escorting convoy H-5A consisting of
ASAHISAN, RIZAN, MADRAS, TOTTORI, EICHIZEN, AKAGISAN and MATSUEI (SHOEI) MARUs.
22 November 1943:
Auxiliary subchaser KYO MARU No. 2 joins the convoy.
23 November 1943:
At 0600, PB-2 is detached.
30 November 1943:
At 0700, PB-2 departs Balikpapan with CHa-37 and auxiliary minesweeper Wa-103 escorting convoy 2612 consisting of YAMAGIKU, NICHIRYO and FRANCE MARUs.
1 December 1943:
At 2205, LtCdr Thomas W. Hogan's USS BONEFISH (SS-223) torpedoed and sinks NICHIRYO MARU at 01-28N, 120-53E. The convoy immediately reverses course.
2 December 1943:
At 0040, arrives at Kabetan Bay.
3 December 1943:
At 0700, departs Kabetan Bay.
5 December 1943:
SHIRANESAN MARU joins convoy.
7 December 1943:
At 1020, arrives at Palau.
13 December 1943:
At 0730, PB-2 departs Palau with auxiliary subchasers CHa-26 and CHa-27 escorting convoy 2515 consisting of oilers FUJISAN MARU, OGURA MARU No. 3, HAKUBASAN MARU and small cargo ship SHOYU MARU bound for Tarakan and SHINKOKU MARU and ammunition ship ARATAMA MARU bound for Balikpapan.
17 December 1943:
At 1700, subchaser CH-6 joins the escort. At midnight, the subchaser and the Tarakan-bound ships split away from the convoy.
19 December 1943:
At 1045, arrives at Balikpapan.
25 December 1943:
Reassigned to the Southwest Area Fleet’s 22nd Special Base Force at Balikpapan, Borneo. Escorts convoys to Saigon, Singapore and Manila.
26 December 1943:
At 1325, PB-2 departs Balikpapan escorting convoy 2614 consisting of OGURA MARU No. 3.
30 December 1943:
At 0740, NIPPONKAI MARU joins the convoy.
31 December 1943:
At 1800, subchaser CH-33 joins escort.
1 January 1944:
At 1956, arrives at Palau.
E 18 January 1944:
PB-2 joins the escort of the RIN convoy consisting of ATAGO and DURBAN MARUs and two unidentified ships escorted by torpedo boat HAYABUSA.
21 January 1944 :
Arrives at Manila.
1 May 1944:
At 0820, PB-2 departs Balikpapan escorting the "Tsurumi convoy" consisting of fleet oiler TSURUMI.
3 May 1944:
At 1904, arrives at Tarakan.
4 May 1944:
At 1036, departs Tarakan, still with TSURUMI.
5 May 1944:
At 1207, arrives at Balikpapan.
28 May 1944:
At 0800, departs Balikpapan escorting a convoy consisting of HOKKAI and NIPPON MARUs. At 2137, arrives at Kotabaru, Laut Island.
29 May 1944:
At 0755, departs Kotabaru.
30 May 1944:
HOKKAI MARU suffers steering problems and a long delay is experienced.
3 June 1944:
At 1537, arrives at Seletar Naval Base, Singapore.
7 August 1944:
At 0630, PB-2 departs Tawi Tawi with subchaser CH-4 escorting TATSUHARU MARU to Balikpapan.
11 August 1944:
At 2030, arrives at Balikpapan.
25 October 1944:
At 0650, PB-2 departs Tarakan with subchaser CH-5 and CH-31 escorting convoy M-246 consisting of UNKAI MARU No. 12, CAROLINE MARU and oilers TAKASAGO MARU No. 2, NANSHIN MARU No. 8, NANKO MARU No. 1 and HORAI MARU No. 7 At 1437, UNKAI MARU No. 12 runs aground. PB-2 is detached to guard the ship.
29 October 1944:
Arrives at Honda Bay, N of Puerto Princesa. Later that day, PB-2 and UNKAI MARU No. 12 rejoin the convoy at Puerto Princesa.
31 October 1944:
At 2000, arrives at Taytay Bay, NE Palawan.
1 November 1944:
Departs Taytay Bay. Later that day, the convoy is attacked by LtCdr George H. Laird's USS BLACKFIN (SS-322) and LtCdr William T. Kinsella's RAY (SS-271). At 0923, Laird torpedoes and sinks UNKAI MARU No. 12 and CAROLINE MARU, both at 12-57N, 120-12E. At 1042, Kinsella sinks HORAI MARU No. 7 at the same location. Later that day, the rest of the convoy arrives at Manila.
8 November 1944:
At 1900, PB-2 departs Manila for Balikpapan with subchaser CH-4, three unidentified subchasers escorting convoy B-02 consisting of MANYO MARU and oilers HISHI MARU No. 2 and KYOEI MARU.
9 November 1944:
At 1530, LtCdr Franch C. Lynch's USS HADDO (SS-255) torpedoes and sinks HISHI MARU No. 2 at 12-24N 120-45E. The escorts counter-attack HADDO with 20 depth charges, but are unsucessful.
E10 November 1944:
The convoy arrives at Balikpapan.
6 February 1945:
At 0700, PB-2 departs Surabaya with minesweeper W-11 and auxiliary subchaser CHa-104 escorting the Suiten Maru convoy consisting of SUITEN, SUGI and KENZAN MARUs and NANSHIN MARU No. 12.
9 February 1945:
At 1600, the convoy arrives safely at Balikpapan. SUGI and KENZAN MARUs are detached for Makassar prior to this time.
25 July 1945:
Java Sea. Lombok Strait, Lesser Sunda Archipelago. PB-2 is engaged in a transport mission from from Surabaya to Makassar when British LtCdr Albert G. Davies' submarine HMS STUBBORN (P-238) spots the zig-zagging PB-2. Davies sets up and fires four torpedoes from 3,000 yards. He gets hits with two torpedoes. PB-2 sinks at 07-07S, 115-40E.
Davies surfaces and maneuvers between the survivors in the water. One survivor makes a "suspicious gesture" and is immediately shot by STUBBORN’s gunnery officer. Davies then orders all the remaining survivors shot. In the midst of the shootings, an aircraft appears and forces STUBBORN down. When she resurfaces, no Japanese are in sight. Lt Kito and most of the crew are KIA.
26 July 1945:
At 1835, USN codebreakers intercept and decrypt a message that reads: “At 1100, 26th in position 07-07S, 115-53 E. PB-2 sank as a result of a torpedo attack from an enemy submarine. Special [auxiliary] subchaser CHa-36 is to proceed immediately to the above place and after having picked up survivors --.”
3 August 1945:
At 1109, codebreakers intercept and decrypt a message that reads: “PB-2 was attacked by one enemy submarine (1 torpedo) in position 07-06S, 115-42E at 1830 on July 25th while engaged in operational transportation from Surabaya to Makassar -.”
30 September 1945:
Removed from the Navy List.
Author's Notes:
Thanks go to John Whitman of the USA for info on CNO intercepts of Japanese messages.
-Bob Hackett, Sander Kingsepp and Peter Cundall
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