© 1998, 2009 Allyn D. Nevitt

IJN Ariake: Tabular Record of Movement


Name Translation: "First Light," “Dawn”

Initial Command Structure:
Ship's captain: Lieutenant Commander Yoshida Shooichi [52] (prev. C.O. TACHIKAZE). Assigned to Desdiv 27 (SHIGURE, SHIRATSUYU, ARIAKE, YUGURE), Desron 1, First Fleet.

December 1941:

Desdiv 27 remained in Japanese home waters, guarding battleships and conducting antisubmarine patrols.

18-23 December:
Desdiv 27 departed Tokuyama to meet returning Pearl Harbor Striking Force, then escorted it into Hashirijima.

7-11 January 1942:
At Kure for maintenance (docked 8-10 January).

12-17 January:

With YUGURE (2nd section, Desdiv 27) and Desdiv 7, escorted HIRYU and SORYU from Hashirijima to Palau.

21-28 January:

With YUGURE, USHIO and SAZANAMI, escorted HIRYU and SORYU out of Palau for air strikes on Ambon.

19 February:

With YUGURE, joined escort of Admiral Nagumo's carrier force out of Palau in air strikes on Port Darwin, then to Staring Bay (Celebes) on 21 February.

25 February-11 March:

With YUGURE, continued escort of carrier force out of Staring Bay in operations south of Java.

11-22 March:

With YUGURE, escorted convoy from Staring Bay via the Bonins to Sasebo.

22 March-15 April:
At Sasebo for maintenance (docked 4-12 April).

15-25 April:

Desdiv 27 steamed from Sasebo to Mako (Pescadores) to meet SHOKAKU and ZUIKAKU, then escorted them to Truk.

7-8 May: Battle of the Coral Sea

With Desdiv 7 (minus SAZANAMI), Desdiv 27 escorted Admiral Takagi's Striking Force.

13-16 May:

Desdiv 27 (minus YUGURE) escorted MYOKO and HAGURO as distant cover to Ocean-Nauru occupation force; operation suspended due to detection of U.S. carrier force in the area.

17-22 May:

Desdiv 27 escorted MYOKO and HAGURO from Truk to Kure.

4-5 June: Battle of Midway

Desdiv 27 escorted Admiral Takasu's Aleutians Guard Force.

14 July:

Desdiv 27 reassigned to Desron 4, Second Fleet.

11-17 August:

Desdiv 27 escorted Second Fleet from Yokosuka to Truk. Desdiv 27 then temporarily attached to Fourth Fleet for strengthening of positions in Gilbert Islands-area.

20-30 August:

Departed Truk for Jaluit, then on 22-23 August bombarded and on 25 August occupied Nauru with ship's landing party (relieved by garrison unit on 31 August). Then steamed from Jaluit to the Shortlands.

4 September:

Troop transport run from Shortlands to Guadalcanal: With URANAMI and SHIKINAMI (and a second section of YUDACHI, HATSUYUKI and MURAKUMO) landed about 1,000 soldiers of Ichiki and Aoba Detachments at Taivu.

6 September:

Attack mission to Guadalcanal: With URANAMI, SHIKINAMI and YUDACHI, sent to attack enemy convoy off Guadalcanal; unable to locate, shelled airfield instead. Then to Rabaul as guardship for CHOKAI.

11-12 October:

Carried Comdesron 4 (Rear Admiral Takama Tamotsu [41]) from Rabaul to Shortlands.

13-16 October:

Escorted “High Speed Convoy” [Note 1] from Shortlands to Guadalcanal and back.

17 October:
Troop transport run to Guadalcanal: Desdiv 27 (minus YUGURE) made up one of five transport groups that between them carried 2,159 soldiers, six field guns, ammo, etc., to Esperance and Tassafaronga (Desdiv 27) and brought out evacuees.

29 October:

Transport run to Guadalcanal: With SHIGURE, carried food and fuel, plus chiefs-of-staff of 17th Army and 8th Fleet, to Tassafaronga.

1 November:
Lieutenant Commander Yoshida promoted to Commander.

2 November:

Troop transport run to Guadalcanal:
With TENRYU, Desdiv 27 and seven other destroyers carried food, fuel, ammunition, and 240 soldiers to (and evacuated 65 from) Tassafaronga. Landings curtailed incomplete due to adverse weather and surf conditions.

5 November:

Troop transport run to Guadalcanal:
With six other destroyers, Desdiv 27 carried about 200 soldiers apiece to Tassafaronga, total force also evacuating about 250 construction workers and wounded.

7-9 November:

Steamed from Shortlands to Truk, then
maintenance and repairs by AKASHI.

28 November-4 December:

Steamed from Truk via Rabaul to Shortlands.

7 December:

With 10 other destroyers, 3rd supply-drum transport run to Guadalcanal, aborted due to PT-boat attack. With ARASHI, escorted NAGANAMI towing damaged NOWAKI back to Shortlands.

11 December:

With 10 other destroyers, 4th supply-drum transport run to Guadalcanal. TERUZUKI lost during this mission.

12-13 December:

Steamed from Shortlands to Rabaul.

17 December:
Sighted six torpedo wakes; counterattacked and claimed sub sinking at 5-50 S, 153-15 E (70 miles SSW of Cape St. George).

19-23 December:

With KAWAKAZE, escorted KOZAN MARU (lifting 1,300 troops and munitions) from Rabaul via Shortlands to Munda.

25-26 December:

With NAGANAMI, TANIKAZE and URAKAZE, out of Rabaul to assist damaged UZUKI and NANKAI MARU. Significant damage: in air attack by B-24s while towing UZUKI: bracketed by six near-misses: 28 dead and 40 wounded, Nos. 2 and 3 gun turrets disabled, best speed 16 knots; turned tow over to URAKAZE.

3-6 January 1943:

Steamed from Rabaul to Truk.

7-12 January:

With INAZUMA, ISONAMI, YUGURE and ASASHIO, escorted ZUIKAKU, MUTSU and SUZUYA from Truk to Kure, then docked at Sasebo for repairs.

14 January-15 February:
At Sasebo for maintenance (docked 19 January-2 February). Twin 25mm machine guns replace single 40mm abreast aft funnel.

15-21 February:

Escorted convoy from Sasebo to Truk.

1-4 April:

Escorted transport AMAGI MARU from Truk to Rabaul; then returned to Truk on 6 April.

16-21 April:

With SHIGURE, HIBIKI and SAZANAMI, escorted CHUYO and TAIYO from Truk to Yokosuka.

25-30 April:

With SHIGURE, NAGANAMI and USHIO, escorted CHUYO and UNYO from Yokosuka to Truk.

17-22 May:

Escorted MUSASHI task force from Truk to Yokosuka.

8-10 June:
At Yokosuka for maintenance.

10-12 June:

With YUGURE, departed Yokosuka, escorting HIYO to Truk; then assisted torpedoed HIYO and escorted ISUZU towing carrier back to Yokosuka.

12-16 June:
At Yokosuka for maintenance: twin 25mm machine guns added on bandstand forward of bridge.

16-21 June:

Part of larger fleet deployment, Desdiv 27 (minus SHIRATSUYU) escorted RYUHO from Yokosuka to Truk.

23-27 June:
With SUZUKAZE and NIIZUKI, escorted KUMANO and SUZUYA on troop transport (5th and 28th AA Defense Units) run from Truk to Rabaul (25 June) and back.

9-11 July:

Escorted KUMANO and SUZUYA from Truk to Rabaul; then returned to Truk on 13 July.

14-17 July:

Escorted convoy from Truk to Rabaul.

15 July:
Commander Yoshida (to C.O. URAKAZE) relieved by Lieutenant Commander Kawahashi Akifumi
[54] (prev. C.O. SHIKINAMI).

17-20 July:

Escorted NAGARA from Rabaul to Truk.

20 July:

Desdiv 27 reassigned to Desron 2, Second Fleet.

23-25 July:

Steamed from Truk to Rabaul.

27-28 July:

With MIKAZUKI, troop transport run to Tuluvu (New Britain). After grounding on reef near Cape Gloucester (05-27 S, 148-25 E) with MIKAZUKI, was able to work free, removed troops and Comdesdiv 30 (Captain Orita Tsuneo [49]) from MIKAZUKI and completed the mission to Tuluvu, then returned to assist MIKAZUKI. Sunk: while so engaged by U.S. Army B-25s. At least seven, including Lieutenant Commander Kawahashi, killed in action; Captain Orita (later to Comdesdiv 32) among survivors.

15 October 1943:

Removed from Navy List.


[Note 1] “High Speed Convoy:” SADO MARU, AZUMASAN MARU, KYUSHU MARU, NANKAI MARU, SAKITO MARU and SASAKO MARU, lifting units of 2nd Division and Maizuru 4th SNLF, escorted by AKIZUKI (F-Comdesron 4 Rear Admiral Takama Tamotsu [41]) and Desdivs 2 (YUDACHI, HARUSAME, SAMIDARE, MURASAME) and 27 (minus YUGURE) from Rabaul and Shortlands to Guadalcanal and back, 13-16 October 1942. On 15 October, KYUSHU MARU, AZUMASAN MARU and SASAKO MARU lost to air attacks and/or grounding. Troops, tanks, and guns successfully landed but much tank fuel and ammunition lost.

Back to Long Lancers Page