© 2006 Bob Hackett, Sander Kingsepp and Peter Cundall
Revision 1
9 October 1943:
Tsurumi. Laid down at Nihon Kokan K. K.’s shipyard.
15 May 1944:
Launched and named UKURU.
31 July 1944:
Completed and registered in the Sasebo Naval District. Attached to the Kure Guard Unit. LtCdr Kuwabara Tadao (former CO of CH-33) is posted as Commanding Officer. Works up while based at Saeki.
16 October 1944:
Assigned to the General Escort Command’s First Surface Escort Division. Transferred to Moji.
26 October 1944:
UKURU departs Moji for Singapore with light cruiser KASHII (F) with Rear Admiral Yoshitomi Setsuzo (39), CO, 5th Escort Group embarked and kaibokan NOMI and CD-17, minelayers NIIZAKI and minesweeper W-21 escorting convoy HI-79 consisting of TENEI, MATSUSHIMA, KAGU, MELBOURNE, ARIMASAN MARU and fleet supply ship MAMIYA.
29 October 1944:
UKURU and CD-17 are detached from the convoy to escort
MELBOURNE MARU close to Kirun, then both rejoin the convoy.
2 November 1944:
E of Hainan. At 1432, the convoy is bombed by one B-24 "Liberator" heavy bomber from high altitude. No damage is done to the convoy.
9 November 1944:
Arrives at Singapore.
17 November 1944:
UKURU departs Singapore with light cruiser KASHII (F), kaibokan MANJU, NOMI, KASADO, MIYAKE, CD-17, CD-23 and CD-51 and minelayer NIIZAKI escorting convoy HI-80 consisting of TENEI, MATSUSHIMA, RYOEI, MUNAKATA, ARIMASAN, KUROSHIO, NICHINAN and KAIHO MARUs.
27 November 1944:
At 0930, RYOEI and ARIMASAN MARUs escorted by NIIZAKI are detached for Takao.
4 December 1944:
HI-80 arrives at Sasebo.
15 November 1944:
Reassigned to the General Escort Command’s 101st Escort Squadron with light cruiser KASHII, kaibokans DAITO, CD-23 and CD-51.
19 December 1944:
At 1330, UKURU departs Moji with light cruiser KASHII, kaibokan DAITO, CD- 23, CD- 27 and CD- 51 escorting convoy HI-85 consisting of tankers SERIA and SHINYU MARUs and convoy MOTA-38 consisting of Army transports HYUGA, KIBITSU, SHISHU and AOBASAN MARUs. The convoys hugs the littoral coast on the way south.
25 December 1944:
At 1440, enters Takao port.
27 December 1944:
UKURU departs Takao for Singapore with light cruiser KASHII and kaibokans DAITO, TSUSHIMA, CD-23, CD-27 and CD-51 escorting convoy HI-85 consisting of TEIHOKU, DAINAN, ENKEI, YAMAZAWA, ENGEN, ENCHO, DAIGYO, OTSUSAN, FUEI, OEI, SERIA MARUs and cargo ship SHINYU MARU.
28 December 1944:
TSUSHIMA is detached from the convoy and makes for Yulin, Hainan Island.
29 December 1944:
South China Sea. At 1725, minesweeper W-101 joins
HI-85’s escort.
30-31 December 1944:
On both days, sporadic attacks by B-24s are beaten off without loss.
1 January 1945:
At 1720, convoy arrives Qui Nhon Bay.
2 January 1945:
Departs Qui Nhon Bay. That evening, the convoy anchors
at Nha Trang Bay, Indochina.
3 January 1945:
At 0730, the convoy departs Nha Trang. While proceeding south, near the east entrance of Hainan Straits, the convoy is attacked by one PB4Y (B-24) which approaches from astern in a glide with its motor cut. One bomb hits TEIHOKU MARU, the last ship in the west column. TEIHOKU MARU and escort TSUSHIMA are detached to Yulin for repairs. While enroute to Yulin, they are bombed again and TSUSHIMA is damaged by a near miss.
4 January 1945:
At 1030, convoy HI-85 arrives at Cape St. Jacques where it is ordered
dissolved.
9 January 1945:
UKURU departs Cape St. Jacques for Moji with light cruiser KASHII, kaibokan DAITO, CD-23, CD-27 and CD-51 escorting convoy HI-86 consisting of fleet tanker SAN LUIS MARU and TATSUBATO, OTSUSAN, SHOEI, KYOKUUN, EIMAN, TATEBE, YOSHU and YUSEI MARUs and BANSHU MARU No. 63.
12 January 1945: Operation "Gratitude"- Task Force 38's Strikes on Indochina:
Convoy HI-86 departs Qui Nhon. From 1100 to 1700, Curtiss SB2C "Helldiver" dive-bombers and Grumann TBF "Avenger" torpedo-bombers from Rear Admiral (later Admiral) Frederick T. Sherman's (former CO of LEXINGTON, CV-2)
Task Group 38.3's USS ESSEX (CV-9), TICONDEROGA (CV-14), LANGLEY (CVL-27) and SAN JACINTO (CVL-30) attack the convoy. They sink YOSHU and EIMAN MARUs, CD-23 and CD-51 and damage fleet tanker SAN LUIS MARU, UKURU and kaibokans DAITO and CD-27. OTSUSAN, TATEBE, KYOKUUN, YUSEI and TATSUBATO MARUs and BANSHU MARU No. 63 are so damaged by bombs and fires they have to be beached and become constructive total losses.
At 1408, KASHII is hit starboard amidships by a torpedo. Then an SB2C hits her with two bombs aft that set off her depth charge magazine. KASHII sinks at 13-50N, 109-20E. Aboard KASHII, convoy HI-86's commander, Rear Admiral Shibuya Shiro (former CO of NACHI) of the 101st Escort Group is KIA. He is promoted Vice Admiral posthumously. UKURU attempts to rescue survivors of KASHII's crew, but at about 1430 an air attack develops and prevents her from rescuing more than 19 men. UKURU escapes several attacks by maneuvering into rain squalls. Only three escorts survive the air attacks. UKURU's total casualties are 12 KIA and 29 injured.
14 January 1945:
At 2200, UKURU, DAITO and CD-27 arrive at Samah, Hainan Island.
15 January 1945:
Off Yulin, Hainan Island. Between 1100 and 1240, Task Force 38's planes dive-bomb and sink empty tanker HARIMA MARU with eight airplanes on deck and also damage kaibokan DAITO. UKURU and the other escorts are closely grouped for protection along the shore near the mountains. They shoot down an F4U "Corsair“ from USS ESSEX (CV-9) as it pulls up from a strafing attack. The pilot is seen bailing out. A search is mounted, but the pilot is not found.
16 January 1945:
About 30 or 40 SB2C "Helldiver" dive-bombers and F6F fighters make another attack on shore targets and no serious damage is done to the escorts or the freighters.
17 January 1945:
Three fighters attack, but do no serious damage.
21 January 1945:
At 0300, UKURU departs Yulin for Moji with kaibokan DAITO, TSUSHIMA and CD-27 escorting convoy YUTA-15 consisting of TEIHOKU, KIBITSU and AKISHIMA MARUs.
10 February 1945:
Arrives at Moji.
February 1945:
Undergoes repairs at Yokosuka.
March 1945:
Repairs are completed. UKURU escorts convoys between Japan and Shanghai and Tsingtao, China.
8 March 1945:
LtCdr Kuwabara is reassigned. LtCdr Shimada Suetsugu assumes command.
25 March 1945:
Reassigned to the First Escort Fleet.
20 April 1945:
Departs Shanghai for Maizuru with kaibokans DAITO, OKINAWA, CD-27 and CD-57 escorting refloated KOTOBUKI MARU (ex-Italian passenger liner CONTE VERDE). [1]
22 April 1945:
KOTOBUKI MARU and her escorts are attacked by ten Consolidated B-24 "Liberators”, but they score no hits. One bomber is damaged and later forced to ditch. The convoy arrives at Tsingtao, China the same day .
25 April 1945:
Arrives at Chinkai (Jinhae) harbor, Korea. That same day, UKURU and DAITO are reassigned to Captain Abe Tokuma's 22nd Coast Defense Group.
8 May 1945:
SW of Mokpo, SW coast of Korea. Enroute to Japan, KOTOBUKI MARU hits a mine laid by USAAF 20th Air Force B-29 “Super Fortress” heavy bomber at 34-30N, 126-09E. [2]
May 1945:
KOTOBUKI MARU arrives at Maizuru under tow. The identity and number of her escorts are unclear.
15 August 1945:
Vicinity of Ominato, Honshu. UKURU is underway en route from Akita to Ominato harbor when notification of the termination of war is received.
23 August 1945:
Arrives at Sasebo.
30 November 1945:
Removed from the Navy List.
1 December 1945:
Employed as a minesweeper by Allied Forces.
10 July 1946:
Reassigned as a minesweeper tender.
2 December 1947:
Discarded by the Allies.
26 December 1947:
Transferred to the Japanese Maritime Transport
Bureau as a Central Meteorological Observatory weather survey ship. Renamed UKURU MARU.
Participates in summer season typhoon patrols with former kaibokans CHIKUBU, IKUNA and SHINNAN.
1 January 1954:
Transferred to the Japanese Maritime Safety Agency as
a patrol ship and renamed SATSUMA (PL-104).
24 November 1965:
Discarded by the JMSA for scrapping.
Authors' Note:
[1] On 8 Sep ’43, after the surrender of Italy, CONTE VERDE was scuttled by her Italian crew in the Whangpoo River, Shanghai. From 1943-44, the Japanese carried out several salvage attempts. CONTE VERDE was intended for conversion to an escort aircraft carrier, but on 8 Aug ‘44, a B-24 bomber sank her in the Whangpoo River for a second time. In Dec ‘44, the hulk was refloated. She was later repaired enabling her to steam by own power. After hitting a mine enroute to Japan, she was towed to Maizuru where she was bombed on 25 Jul ’45 and beached in Nakata Bay, Higashi-Maizuru. On 13 Jun ‘49, the wreck was refloated and began scrapping.
[2] Sources vary as to the date and place where KOTOBUKI MARU hit a mine.
Thanks for assistance go to Dr. Higuchi Tatsuhiro of Japan. Thanks also go to Jeff Donahoo of Iowa, Matthew Jones of Ohio and Mr. Aki of Japan for help in identifying kaibokan COs.
-Bob Hackett, Sander Kingsepp and Peter Cundall
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