JUNYOKAN!

11 June 1943:
Departs Yokosuka to tow CarDiv 2's HIYO, torpedoed the night before by LtCdr (later Rear Admiral) Roy S. Benson's USS TRIGGER (SS-237). HIYO was hit by two torpedoes in the starboard bow and boiler rooms, but by the time ISUZU arrives the carrier has restored power. HIYO returns to Tateyama that night using two screws with the ISUZU and HIYO's escorts, destroyers ARIAKE and YUGURE.

Ozawa's force is attacked by TBM-1C aircraft of VT-21 from Rear Admiral (later Vice Admiral) Ralph E. Davison's TG 38.4's USS BELLEAU WOOD (CVL-24) and VT-51 from SAN JACINTO (CVL-30). At 0835, CHITOSE is hit portside forward. The carrier floods, begins to lose power and lists heavily to port. At 0925, ISUZU attempts to take her in tow, but this proves impossible. At 0937, CHITOSE rolls over to port and sinks by the bow. ISUZU rescues 480 men and SHIMOTSUKI rescues another 121 crewmen. At 0950, ISUZU escorts TAMA after she is hit by an aircraft torpedo.

Later, ISUZU and DesDiv 43's MAKI are ordered to protect CHIYODA that is damaged by a second strike by aircraft from LEXINGTON (CV-6) and FRANKLIN (CV-13). Battleship/carrier HYUGA attempts to tow CHIYODA, but is prevented by a third attack. ISUZU also attempts a tow but is unable. CHIYODA sinks with all hands.

Later in the evening, while rescuing personnel of other carriers, ISUZU and several destroyers come under fire from Rear Admiral (later Admiral) Laurance T. DuBose's cruiser force. DesDiv 61's HATSUZUKI is sunk. ISUZU is slightly damaged. Thirteen crewmen are killed.

26 October 1944:
Departs the Philippine Sea for Okinawa.

27 October 1944:
Arrives at Okinawa to refuel, then departs.

29 October-14 November 1944:
Arrives at Kure. Repaired and refitted.

14 November 1944:
Departs Kure with destroyer MOMO on a troop transport run.

18 November 1944:
Arrives at Manila.

19 November 1944:
Departs Manila with MOMO for Brunei, Borneo.

55 miles W of Corregidor. ISUZU is attacked by LtCdr Frank Haylor's USS HAKE (SS-256) and hit by one of six torpedoes he fires. The ISUZU's stern is severely damaged and her rudder destroyed. After at-sea emergency repairs, ISUZU, escorted by MOMO, changes course to Singapore.

23 November 1944:
Arrives at Seletar Naval Base, Singapore. Begins temporary repairs by the No. 101 Repair Facility.

10 December 1944:
Departs Singapore. Arrives at Surabaya that night.

12 December 1944:
Surabaya. Begins permanent repairs by the No. 112 Repair Facility.

4 April 1945:
Repairs are completed. Departs Surabaya to transport an army detachment from Kupang to Sumbawa Island escorted by the torpedo boat KARI and the minesweepers W-12 and W-34. The ISUZU group is sighted off Paternoster Island by a wolf pack led by Cdr (later Rear Admiral) Francis D. Boyle's CHARR (SS-328) with LtCdr Herman E. Miller's USS BESUGO (SS-32l) and LtCdr William B. Parham's GABILAN (SS-252), but aircraft force the pack to dive and they are unable to attack.

6 April 1945:
Boyle's wolf pack is alerted about the position of the Japanese ships by an "Ultra" signals-intelligence message from ComSubPac at Pearl and takes up position near Bima Bay. They are joined there by ComSubSoWestPac's British submarine HMS SPARK.

Kupang Harbor. At dawn, the ISUZU embarks an army detachment and departs for Sumbawa. North of Sumbawa she is attacked by ten B-25 "Mitchell" bombers of the Dutch 18th Squadron based at Batchelor airfield S of Darwin, Australia. ISUZU is slightly damaged by near-misses off her starboard bow by some of the sixty 300-kg bombs dropped. Later, she lands troops at Bima Bay, on the NE coast of Sumbawa.

Near Flores Island, Netherlands East Indies. ISUZU is hit in the bow section by bombs from Consolidated B-24J "Liberator" bombers of the RAAF's No. 21 and No. 24 Squadrons based in Northern Australia. Two B-24's are shot down by Japanese aircraft. [1]

Sape Strait, between Sumbawa and Komodo islands. About 1600, Miller's BESUGO fires nine torpedoes at the ISUZU group. They miss ISUZU, but one sinks W-12.

7 April 1945:
At 0220, departs Bima with the KARI and W-34. CHARR makes radar contact at 14,000 yards and Boyle alerts GABILAN.

60 miles NW of Bima. At 0605, ISUZU is struck by one of five torpedoes fired by Parham's GABILAN. The torpedo hits portside below the bridge and causes flooding forward. ISUZU's speed falls below 10 knots, she takes on a list and is down by the bow.

At 0827, while her crew is performing emergency repairs, Boyle's CHARR fires four torpedoes at her from 1,200 yards. She is hit portside near the aft engine room by two torpedoes. Boyle fires two more torpedoes and gets another hit. At 0843, ISUZU's bow breaks off. Three minutes later she capsizes to port and sinks at 07-38S, 118-09E. HMS SPARK witnesses the ISUZU's sinking. ISUZU's escorts counter-attack CHARR, but Boyle goes deep and evades them.

Captain Matsuda and 450 crewmen are rescued by the escorts, but 190 crewmen are lost.

20 June 1945:
Removed from the Navy List.

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Authors' Notes:
[1] Dutch sources claim the aircraft and the squadrons involved in the strike were: No. 18 Dutch Squadron - 10 B-25s, No. 2 RAAF Squadron - 10 B-25, and No. 82 RAAF Wing - 9 B-24s. Two of the B-24s that attacked about 20 minutes later were shot down by Japanese Army fighters (probably Nakajima KI-43 "Oscars" and/or Nakajima KI-44 "Tojos").

Special thanks for assistance in researching the IJN officers mentioned in this TROM go to Mr. Jean-François Masson of Canada. Thanks also go to Aldert Gritter/"Adm. Gritter" of the Netherlands.

-Bob Hackett and Sander Kingsepp.

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