© 2006-2007 Bob Hackett, Sander Kingsepp and Peter Cundall
Revision 1
23 February 1944:
Osaka. Laid down at Hitachi Zosen Co. Ltd’s Sakurajima shipyard.
19 May1944:
Launched and named SHONAN.
13 July 1944:
Completed and registered in the Kure Naval District.
Assigned to the Kure Guard Unit. LtCdr Izuka Tomokichi is the Commanding Officer.
7 August 1944:
Reassigned to the General Escort Command's First Surface Escort
Division.
10 August 1944:
SHONAN departs Imari Bay (Moji) for Singapore with Rear
Admiral (Vice Admiral, posthumously) Kajioka Sadamichi's (former CO of KISO) 6th
Escort Convoy’s destroyers FUJINAMI and YUNAGI, kaibokan HIRATO, MIKURA,
KURAHASHI and CD-11 and escort carrier TAIYO escorting convoy HI-71 comprised of
oilers AZUSA, TEIYO, EIYO, ZUIHO, AMATSU, KYOKUTO and NIYO MARUs and HAKKO MARU
No. 2, fleet oiler HAYASUI, food-supply ship IRAKO, transports TEIA, AWA, NOTO,
HOKKAI, TAMATSU, NOSHIRO and MAYASAN MARUs and cargo ships KASHII, NISSHO and
ORYOKU MARUs.
15 August 1944:
HI-71 arrives at Mako, Pescadores. NIYO, HAKKO and
ORYOKU MARUs and IRAKO are detached.
17 August 1944: Operation "SHO-1-GO" (Victory) - The Defense of the
Philippines:
At 0800, in typhoon weather, HI-71 sorties from Mako for Manila.
To strengthen HI-71's escort forces, old destroyer ASAKAZE and kaibokan SADO,
MATSUWA and HIBURI arrive from Takao and kaibokan ETOROFU arrives from Saei, on
orders of 1st Surface Escort Division.
18 August 1944:
At 0524, LtCdr Louis D. McGregor's USS REDFISH
(SS-395) torpedoes and damages EIYO MARU. ASAKAZE and YUNAGI are detached to
escort her back to Takao.
Off Cape Bolinao, Luzon. At 2210, LtCdr (later Captain) Henry G. Munson's
USS RASHER (SS-269) torpedoes and sinks oiler TEIYO MARU in a surface radar
attack. At 2222, Munson torpedoes and sinks carrier TAIYO at the rear of the
convoy. At 2310, RASHER torpedoes and sinks ex-French liner TEIA MARU.
19 August 1944:
The convoy splits into two groups. At 0033, LtCdr
Munson puts two radar-directed torpedoes into the port sides of AWA and NOSHIRO
MARUs. Both ships beach themselves near Port Currimao. LtCdr Charles M.
Henderson's USS BLUEFISH (SS-222) and LtCdr (later Captain) Gordon W.
Underwood's SPADEFISH (SS-411) join in the attack on HI-71. At 0320, BLUEFISH
hits and sinks HAYASUI. SPADEFISH hits TAMATSU MARU with two torpedoes and the
big landing craft depot ship rolls over and takes down 4,755 men. HI-71 makes
for San Fernando.
E 23 August 1944:
Arrives at Manila.
27 August 1944:
At 0900, SHONAN departs Manila for Moji with kaikoban
SHIMUSHU, ETOROFU, CD-7 and CD-28, subchaser CH-41 and patrol boat PB-102 (Ex-USS STEWART, DD-224)
escorting convoy MAMO-02 consisting of KASHII, MAYASAN, NISSHO and NOTO MARUs. At
1548, anchors in Subic Bay.
28 August 1944:
At 0600, departs Subic Bay.
30 August 1944:
Arrives at Takao. Destroyers WAKABA and HATSUSHIMO
join the escort. Subchaser CH-41, patrol boat PB-102 and kaibokan CD-7 and
CD-28 are detached.
31 August 1944:
Departs Takao. Later that day, ORYOKU MARU joins the
convoy.
4 September 1944:
At 0500, arrives at Moji.
9 September 1944:
At 1200, SHONAN departs Moji for Miri, Borneo with kaikoban ETOROFU, CD-6 and CD-16, torpedo boat SAGI and auxiliary gunboat CHOHAKUSAN MARU escorting convoy MI-19 consisting of tankers CHIHAYA, SAN DIEGO, IWAKUNI, DAIMEI, KENZUI and MITSU MARUs and cargo ships DAIBIN, ENOURAU, MATSUURA, YULIN, HAKUROKU, ARISAN, TEIFU, TASMANIA , SHINSEI, DAIA, NIKKO and SHUNSHO MARU.
10 September 1944:
At 1212, CHIHAYA MARU is torpedoed and sunk by LtCdr's Edward E. Shelby's USS SUNFISH (SS-281) at 33-49N, 127-41E. The convoy immediately retires to Chinto (Chin Hajo Island) where it regroups. The escorts launch a concerted, but unsuccessful, attempt to find the submarine.
12 September 1944:
Convoy MI-19 departs Chinto.
17 September 1944:
MI-19 splits. SHONAN and SHUNSHO, NIKKO, MATSUURA,
ENOURA and KENZUI MARUs head for Keelung.
5 October 1944:
Convoy HI-77 arrives at Takao consisting of transports SANTOS, MANJU and KINUGASA MARUs, oilers OMUROSAN, OTOWASAN, ARITA, ITSUKUSHIMA, AKANE, TAIHO and KAIHO MARUs, German U-boat supply ship QUITO and an unidentified vessel. SHONAN and kaibokan ETOROFU join the escort consisting of kaibokan CHIBURI, CD-19, CD-21 and CD-27. HI-77 departs that same day for Singapore.
6 October 1944:
About 1410, LtCdr James B. Grady's USS WHALE (SS-239) torpedoes and sinks AKANE MARU. At 1757, Cdr (later Rear Admiral) Charles W. Wilkins' USS SEAHORSE (SS-304) torpedoes and sinks CD-21. 7 October 1944:
W of Manila. A wolf pack consisting of LtCdr (later Captain) Arnold H. Holtz’s USS BAYA (SS-318), LtCdr Henry D. Sturr’s BECUNA and LtCdr (later Captain) Francis W. Scanland, Jr’s HAWKBILL (SS-366) attacks convoy HI-77. At 2200, KINUGASA MARU is torpedoed and sunk by either BAYA or HAWKBILL. MANJU MARU drops depth charges to prevent further attack.
12 October 1944:
At 1500, the remainder of HI-77 arrives at Singapore.
20 October 1944:
SHONAN and kaibokan ETOROFU departs Singapore for Moji escorting convoy HI-78 consisting of tankers TOHO and KUROSHIO MARUs and an unidentified merchant.
22 October 1944:
Kaibokan TUSHIMA joins the escort.
9 November 1944:
HI-78 arrives at Moji.
14 November 1944:
SHONAN departs Imari Bay for Singapore with escort carrier SHINYO, destroyer KASHI, Eighth Escort Convoy’s flagship ETOROFU and kaibokan TSUSHIMA, DAITO, KUME, CD- 9 and CD- 61 escorting convoy HI-81 consisting of SHINSHU, KIBITSU, AKITSU, MIRI, ARITA, HASHIDATE, KIMIKAWA, MAYASAN, OTOWASAN and TOA MARUs. HI-81 makes an overnight stop off Goto Island.
15 November 1944:
Departs Goto Island. At 1156, LtCdr (later Rear Admiral) Charles E. Loughlin's USS QUEENFISH (SS-393) torpedoes and sinks AKITSU MARU at 33-17N, 32-00E with the loss of over 2,000 men aboard. SHONAN and DAITO rescue about 450 men and later transfer them to SHINSHU MARU.
16 November 1944:
Convoy HI-81 anchors off Korea, near Strange Island.
17 November 1944:
At 0800, HI-81 departs for the Shushan Islands near Shanghai. At 1815, LtCdr Evan T. Shepard's USS PICUDA (SS-382) torpedoes and sinks MAYASAN MARU with the loss of over 3,000 men aboard. SHONAN counterattacks and brings fuel oil to surface but PICUDA. At 2303, LtCdr Underwood's USS SPADEFISH (SS-411) torpedoes and sinks SHINYO at 32-59N, 123-38E. Rear Admiral (Vice Admiral, posthumously) Ishii Shizue (former CO of CHUYO) and more than 700 men are lost. Destroyer KASHI counter-attacks, but with uncertain results. SPADEFISH damages SHINSHU MARU.
18 November 1944:
At 0220, CD-61 is ordered to locate and assist SHINYO. At 0315, TSUSHIMA drops 15 depth-charges on an enemy submarine, which on the basis of fuel oil and other debris, is claimed sunk in a report at 0426. At 0800, Rear Admiral Sato aboard ETOROFU orders TSUSHIMA to proceed to the scene
and take SHINYO’s survivors aboard. At 1600, HI-81 arrives off Raffles Island E of Shanghai and awaits the rescue escorts to rejoin.
21 November 1944:
HI-81 departs for Mako.
23 November 1944:
The convoy splits into two sections, one heads for Singapore via Mako and the other for Luzon via Takao.
12 December 1944:
At 1600, SHONAN departs Singapore with kaibokan ETOROFU, KUME, CD-9 and CD-19 escorting covooy HI-82 consisting of tankers OTOWASAN, OMUROSAN, ARITA, PALEMBANG and HASHIDATE MARUs.
17 December 1944:
Arrives at Camranh Bay.
19 December 1944:
Departs Camranh Bay.
22 December 1944:
At 0550, OTOWASAN, OMUROSAN and ARITA MARUs are all torpedoed by LtCdr (later Captain-Ret) George W. Grider's USS FLASHER (SS-249). All three burst into flames and sink at 15-02N, 109-08E.
24 December 1944:
At 0900, the surviving ships arrive at Takao. HASHIDATE MARU discharges her cargo of petrol and later returns to Singapore.
E 25 December 1944:
SHONAN, KUME, ETOROFU, CD-9 and CD-19 depart Takao
with PALEMBANG MARU. The ship steams north hugging the Chinese continental coast in shallow waters.
9 January 1945:
Arrives at Moji.
6 January 1945:
Majuro, Marshall Islands. Cdr Underwood’s SPADEFISH departs on her third war patrol for the Yellow Sea area leading a wolfpack consisting of LtCdr (later Captain) Stephen H. Gimber's POMPON (SS-267), LtCdr (later Rear Admiral/ComSubPac) John H. Mauer’s ATULE (SS-403) and LtCdr (later Rear Admiral) Joseph B. Icenhower’s JALLAO.
26 January 1945:
At 0800, SHONAN departs Moji for Singapore with destroyers NOKAZE and KAMIKAZE and kaibokan KUME, CD-25 and CD-53 escorting convoy HI-91 consisting of transport/cargo liners SANUKI and KITSURIN MARUs and tankers TOJO and EIYO MARUs.
28 January 1945:
Yellow Sea. NE of Shanghai, China, off Kokuzan To. SPADEFISH and POMPON make contact with a three-ship convoy with four escorts. POMPON makes two night submerged approaches, but the escorts drive her off each time. At about 0200, while two escorts pin down POMPON astern of the convoy,
Underwood’s submerged SPADEFISH slips in on the disengaged side of convoy and attacks.
At 0313, Underwood fires three torpedoes at SANUKI MARU and all three hit. She sinks at 34-02N, 123-00E. Underwood also torpedoes and sinks KUME at 33-55N, 122-55E. Destroyers KAMIKAZE and NOKAZE, probably laden with survivors, are detached from the convoy to Mako, Pescadores.
2 February 1945:
At 1500, the convoy arrives at Hainan Island.
3 February 1945:
At 1915, departs.
8 February 1945:
Arrives at Singapore.
18 February 1945:
SHONAN departs Singapore with kaibokan CD-25 escorting convoy HI-92 consisting of oilers TOJO MARU and TATEKAWA MARU No. 2
22 February 1945:
Off Cape Paderan, Indochina. TATEKAWA MARU No. 2
hits a mine and sinks.
25 February 1945:
S of Yulin, Hainan Island. At 0420, LtCdr Miles P. Refo’s USS HOE (SS-258) torpedoes and sinks SHONAN at 17-20N, 110-35E. She takes down 198 crewmen and passengers including her CO, LtCdr Izuka.
TOJO MARU makes for Yulin while CD-25 counterattacks, dropping 20 depth charges. HOE evades and escapes undamaged.
20 April 1945:
Removed from the Navy List.
Authors' Note:
Thanks for assistance go to Dr. Higuchi Tatsuhiro of Japan. Thanks also go to Mr. Aki of Japan and Matthew Jones of Ohio for help in identifying kaibokan COs.
-Bob Hackett, Sander Kingsepp and Peter Cundall
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