© 2006 Bob Hackett, Sander Kingsepp and Peter Cundall
18 November 1943:
Osaka. Laid down at Hitachi Zosen Co. Ltd.’s Sakurajima shipyard.
16 February 1944:
Launched and named YASHIRO.
10 May 1944:
LtCdr Yamashita Tadayoshi is posted Chief Equipping Officer.
3 June 1944:
Completed and registered in the Kure Naval District. LtCdr Yamashita is the Commanding Officer. Assigned to the General Escort Command’s First Marine Surface Escort Division.
Attached to the Kure Guard Unit.
11 June 1944:
At 1530, YASHIRO departs Moji with destroyers ASAKAZE, ASAGAO, kaibokan CD-2 and auxiliary minesweeper TAKUNAN MARU No. 3 escorting convoy MI-08 consisting of MATSUURA, KAMO, SHINKOKU, NISHI, MINO, TAIKAI, KAKOGAWA, MYOGI, OYO (GYOKUYO) MARUs and tankers KOEI, TAIEI, CHIHAYA, RYUSHO and SAN LUIS MARUs and 12 unidentified merchant ships. Immediately after leaving port, KOEI MARU develops engine problems and is forced to return to port.
15 June 1944:
At 1040, anchors at Oshima Strait, Amami Oshima.
16 June 1944:
Departs Oshima Strait.
17 June 1944:
MATSUURA and KAMO MARUs with ASAGAO are detached and head for Kirun.
18 June 1944:
At 1300, arrives at Takao. Later, ASAGAO rejoins convoy. At 1955, the convoy departs Takao.
23 June 1944:
At 1800, arrives at Manila. CD-2 and ASAGAO are detached.
27 June 1944:
At 0600, departs Manila.
2 July 1944:
At 1700, arrives at Miri.
E 18 July 1944:
YASHIRO departs Miri with destroyer ASAKAZE, kaibokan CD-3, minelayer MAEJIMA, auxiliary gunboats PEKING and KAZAN (HUASHAN) MARUs escorting convoy MI-10 consisting of tankers HAKUBASAN, SHUNTEN, TAKETSU (BUTSU), CHIYODA and SHIMOTSU MARUs and DAIZEN, HIDA, HINAGA and FUYUKAWA MARUs and 19 unidentified ships.
E 23 July 1944:
Arrives at Manila where convoy MI-10 is joined by tankers OEI MARU and KYOEI MARU No. 6 and KAKOGAWA, TSUKUBASAN, ROKKO, RASHIN, KUROGANE, FRANCE, MYOGI MARUs and UNYO MARU No.7.
27 July 1944:
At 1100, reconstituted convoy MI-10 departs Manila.
28 July 1944:
At 1040, LtCdr Francis D. Walker's USS CREVALLE (SS-291) torpedoes and sinks HAKUBASAN MARU at 16-28N 119-38E.
2 August 1944:
Arrives at Takao. YASHIRO and destroyer ASAKAZE are detached. KUROGANE, FRANCE and RASHIN MARUs are probably also detached .
22 August 1944:
At 1410, YASHIRO departs Takao for Manila with torpedo boat HATO, kaibokan CD-8, CD-25, CD-32 and minesweepers W-38, W-39 escorting convoy TAMA-24 consisting of HIDA, KOTOKU, TEIHOKU, RAKUTO, BATOPAHAT, GENKAI and MANSHU MARUs and tankers TACHIBANA and YAMAMIZU MARU No. 2 and an unidentified ship, probably YUKIKAWA MARU.
25 August 1944:
CD-25 and GENKAI MARU are detached from the convoy and go to Pasaleng Bay to offload five MTB's from the deck of damaged HAKKO MARU No. 2 sheltering in the bay with destroyer YUNAGI. YUNAGI is detached and joins TAMA-24.
At 1024, Cdr (later Vice Admiral) Glynn R. Donaho's USS PICUDA (SS-382) torpedoes and sinks KOTOKU MARU at 18-42N, 120-49E. At 1026, in the same position, Donaho torpedoes and sinks YUNAGI as the destroyer attempts a counter-attack. At 1325, LtCdr (later Rear Admiral-Ret) Louis D. McGregor's USS REDFISH (SS-395) torpedoes and sinks BATOPAHAT MARU at 18-31N, 120-32E.
28 August 1944:
At 2100, arrives at Manila.
14 September 1944:
Off Formosa. YASHIRO hits a mine at 22-42N, 120-12E
and is slightly damaged. Later, undergoes repairs at Pusan, South Korea.
1 October 1944:
At 1700, YASHIRO departs Takao with kaibokan DAITO, patrol boat P-104, auxiliary gunboat KAZAN (HUSAHAN) MARU, subchaser CH-21 and auxiliary subchasers CHa-87 and CHa-92 escorting convoy TAMA-28 consisting of TSUYAMA, CHOSAN, MURORAN, MACASSAR, FUYUKAWA, SHINSEI and TAISEI MARUs
2 October 1944:
Luzon Strait. During a storm, LtCdr Frank C. Acker's USS POMFRET (SS-391) torpedoes and sinks TSUYAMA MARU at 20-50N, 121-31E. The ship is carrying 1600 men of the Mobile 18th Infantry Regiment. 1,273 men on board are KIA.
7 October 1944:
LtCdr Henry C. Stevenson's USS ASPRO (SS-309) torpedoes and sinks MACASSAR MARU at 17-30N, 119-53E.
8 October 1944:
At 1745, TAMA-28 arrives at North San Fernando.
11 October 1944:
At 0600, the convoy departs North San Fernando. Off San Vicente, Luzon. YASHIRO is damaged by planes of Vice Admiral (later Admiral) John S. McCain’s Task Force 38. At 1748, the convoy arrives at Masinloc anchorage.
22 October 1944:
Mako. YASHIRO joins the remnants of convoy HI-76, now probably consisting of tanker TENEI MARU and possibly TEIHOKU MARU escorted by KANJU, KURAHASHI, CD-8, CD-25, CD-130 and escort carrier SHINYO.
24 October 1944:
TENEI MARU has an engine breakdown and falls behind, but later rejoins the convoy.
26 October 1944:
At 1130 arrives at Moji. SHINYO had been detached to Kure prior to arrival.
15 November 1944:
The General Escort Command’s 102nd Escort Squadron is formed with YASHIRO, MIKURA, CD-2, CD-33, CD-34 and CD-35.
10 December 1944:
Reassigned to the First Escort Fleet.
31 December 1944:
At 0820, YASHIRO departs Moji for Singapore with kaibokans MIKURA, KURAHASHI and CD-13 and destroyers SHIGURE, HATAKAZE and DesDiv17’s HAMAKAZE and ISOKAZE escorting convoy HI-87 consisting of oilers KAMOI, TENEI, KAIHO, KUROSHIO, MATSUSHIMA, MITSUSHIMA, MIRI, MUNAKATA and SARAWAK MARUs and passenger-cargoman TATSUWA MARU. Light carrier RYUHO provides air cover.
1 January 1945:
Reassigned to the No. 102 Escort Squadron of the First Escort Fleet. The Squadron includes light cruiser KASHIMA (F), kaibokan MIKURA, CD-2, CD-33, CD-34 and CD-35.
7 January 1945:
East China Sea. The convoy is sighted by "Loughlin's Loopers", a submarine wolf pack consisting of Cdr (later Rear Admiral/MOH) Eugene R. Fluckey's USS BARB (SS-220) and LtCdr Evan T. Shepard's PICUDA (SS-382), later joined by Cdr (later Rear Admiral) Charles E. Loughlin's QUEENFISH (SS-393). At 0905, in high seas, Shepard's PICUDA heavily damages MUNAKATA MARU in the bow. She is assisted by KURAHASHI then proceeds separately to Kirun (Keelung). The convoy anchors at Shinchiku Roadstead, Formosa. At 1300, the
convoy is sighted by the wolfpack and tracked. RYUHO and SHIGURE are detached and proceed to Kirun. At 1830, in dense fog, the convoy anchors temporarily on the W Formosan coast. The ships then split up and enter Takao’s port at different times.
8 January 1945:
At 1200, YASHIRO, MIKURA, CD-13, KAMOI and KAIHO MARU enter Takao Port.
That same day, YASHIRO departs Takao with kaibokan MIKURA and CD-13 escorting fleet oiler KAMOI and KAIHO MARU. At 1330, KAIHO MARU experiences an engine breakdown. YASHIRO and CD-13 remain behind with her. At 2313, KAMOI and the other ships anchor temporarily outside Takao’s port.
9 January 1945:
Takao, Formosa. Vice Admiral John S. McCain's (former CO of RANGER, CV-4) Task Force 38 aircraft attack shipping off Takao. At 1200, 17 Grumman TBM "Avengers" and F6F "Hellcats" damage YASHIRO.
10 January 1945:
At 1700, reformed convoy HI-87 departs Takao for Mako, Pescadores. It now consists of KAMOI, SARAWAK, MATSUSHIMA, MITSUSHIMA and HASHIDATE MARUs, kaibokans YASHIRO, MIYAKE, KANJU, KURAHASHI, NOMI, SHINNAN, CD-13, CD-60 and CD-205. Destroyer SHIGURE rejoins the escort from Kirun. At 1830, MITSUSHIMA MARU suffers an engine breakdown and returns to Takao.
12 January 1945:
At 0600, TENEI MARU's steering breaks down and she is escorted by CD-60 to Hong Kong. Soon after, the rest of the convoy is advised of a pending air raid on Mako and turns about for Hong Kong.
13 January 1945:
At 1100, enters Hong Kong port.
15 January 1945:
At 0915, an air raid warning is sounded and carrier aircraft begin attacks. Bomb and machine gun attacks harry the ships all day but they escape major damage.
16 January 1945:
Hong Kong. The air attacks continue from 0820. At 1124, KAMOI is near missed. At 1240, KAMOI and TENEI MARU both suffer direct hits. At 1540, MATSUSHIMA MARU suffers a direct hit and is set on fire. At 1644, NOMI suffers damage from a near miss.
19 January 1945:
YASHIRO's CO, LtCdr Yamashita dies of wounds received in the air attacks. He is relieved by an unknown officer, probably the next senior surviving officer.
February 1945:
LtCdr Honjo Takuji assumes command. YASHIRO then conducts an anti-submarine patrol off the Chinese coast.
E 27 April 1945:
S of Japan. YASHIRO, SAKITO and CD-41 join convoy SHIMP-03 consisting of KASHIMA, BANSHU, ABUKUMAGAWA, SHINTON and TAIKYU MARUs and tanker NANRYU MARU No. 9 escorted by destroyer ASAGAO, patrol boat P-102 (ex-USS STEWART, DD-224), kaibokan UKU, CD-26, subchaser CH-20, and minesweeper W-29.
28 April 1945:
At 1200, arrives at Moji.
24 June 1945:
At 1930, YASHIRO departs Gainichiwan (Yongil Bay), Chosen (Korea) with kaibokan CD-2 and CD-13 escorting convoy SEINAI-04 consisting of ENRYAKU, MATSUURA MARUs and tanker YAMANAMI MARU.
26 June 1945:
At 0758, arrives at Hagi.
27 June 1945:
At 1045, arrives Maizuru. The convoy is dissolved.
5 July 1945:
Reassigned to the Coast Defense Squadron.
July 1945:
YASHIRO conducts patrols in the North Korean Sea.
9 August 1945:
Off Unggi, Korea. Soviet Ilyushin IL-4 bombers, IL-2 "Sturmovik" ground attackers and YAK-9 fighter-bombers damage YASHIRO, CD-87, RYUWA and MEIYU MARUs.
15 August 1945:
At sea returning to Japan from Korea, YASHIRO’s crew receives notice of the termination of the war.
30 November 1945:
Removed from the Navy List.
1 December 1945:
Assigned to Allied Occupation Forces as a minesweeper.
29 August 1947:
Ceded to the Chinese Nationalists as a war reparation. Renamed CHENG AN.
1954:
Discarded.
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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