© 1998 Allyn D. Nevitt

IJN Satsuki: Tabular Record of Movement


Name Translation: “Fifth Month of Lunar Calendar” (May)

Initial Command Structure:
Ship's captain: Lieutenant Commander Ikeda Shunsaku [54] (prev. C.O. CHIDORI). Assigned to Desdiv 22 (NAGATSUKI, FUMIZUKI, MINAZUKI, SATSUKI), Desron 5, Third Fleet. Flagship of Comdesdiv 22, Commander Sugino Shuichi [46].

26-29 November 1941:

Desdiv 22 steamed with Desron 5 from Terashima Strait to Mako (Pescadores).

7-10 December:

Desdiv 22 departed Mako, then with Aparri (Philippines) invasion force.

22 December:

Desdiv 22 with Lingayen invasion force.

January-February 1942:

Desdiv 22 escorted troop convoys from Formosa to Malaya and Camranh Bay.

27 February:

Desdiv 22 with Western Java invasion force.

10 March:

Desron 5 deactivated; Desdiv 22 reassigned to Second Southern Expeditionary Fleet, Southwest Area Fleet.

10 April:

Desdiv 22 reassigned to 1st Surface Escort Division, Southwest Area Fleet; then Southwest Area convoy escort duties.

9 June:

Arrived Sasebo.

10 June:
Lieutenant Commander Ikeda (to C.O. USUGUMO) relieved by Lieutenant Commander Sugihara Yoshiro [57] (prev. C.O. ASAGAO).

10-17 June:
At Nagasaki for maintenance.

24 June:

Departed Sasebo, then resumed Southwest Area convoy escort duties.

19 October-30 November:
At Sasebo for maintenance and refitting: improved underwater sound detection equipment and 25mm machine guns believed installed.

10 December:

Desdiv 22 deactivated; reassigned directly to 1st Surface Escort Division.

21-29 January 1943:

With FUMIZUKI and NAGATSUKI, escorted seaplane carrier KAMIKAWA MARU from Sasebo via Truk and Rabaul to the Shortlands.

1 February:

Troop evacuation run to Guadalcanal (cover).

4 February:

Troop evacuation run to Guadalcanal (cover).

7 February:

Troop evacuation run to Guadalcanal.

12 February:

With FUMIZUKI, escorted NOJIMA to Kolombangara.

13-17 February:

With FUMIZUKI, escorted SENDAI from Shortlands to Palau.

22 February-1 March:

With FUMIZUKI and YUGURE, escorted troop convoy (4th section of Operation HEI No. 3: JUZAN MARU, SHINKYO MARU, and ARATAMA MARU lifting elements of 41st Division from Tsingtao) from Palau to Wewak and back.

25 February:

Assigned to reactivated Desdiv 22 (NAGATSUKI, FUMIZUKI, MINAZUKI, SATSUKI), Desron 3, Eighth Fleet.

6-12 March:

With KAZAGUMO, YUGUMO, AKIGUMO, and SAMIDARE, escorted troop convoy (Hansa No. 1: No. 1 Shinsei Maru, Momoyama Maru, Yasushima Maru, Oyo Maru, Aso Maru, Teiryu Maru, Sydney Maru, lifting units of 20
th Division) from Palau to Hansa Bay; then with KAZAGUMO and YUGUMO to Rabaul on 14 March.

29-30 March:

With FUMIZUKI, MINAZUKI and NAGATSUKI, troop transport run from Kavieng to Finschhafen, aborted due to air attack.

8 April:

With NAGATSUKI and MINAZUKI, troop transport run to Surumi/Gasmata.

17 April:

Troop transport run to Iboki.

4 May:

With YUBARI, NAGATSUKI and MINAZUKI, troop transport run to Surumi/Gasmata.

7-8 May:

With YUBARI, NAGATSUKI and MINAZUKI, troop transport run to Surumi/Gasmata.

11 May:

With NAGATSUKI and MINAZUKI, troop transport run to Surumi/Gasmata.

20 May:

Lieutenant Commander Sugihara (to C.O. HATSUYUKI) relieved by Lieutenant (s.g.) Kojima Saburo.

26 May:

Lieutenant Kojima relieved by Lieutenant Commander Koizumi Shiro [57] (prev. C.O. HATAKAZE).

28-29 May:

With NAGATSUKI and MINAZUKI, troop transport run to Kolombangara, aborted. Minor damage: grounded on reef southeast of Bougainville, then to Rabaul for repairs through 3 June.

4 June:

Transport run to Tuluvu.

8 June:

With NAGATSUKI, troop transport run to Tuluvu.

26-27 June:

With MOCHIZUKI and YUNAGI, troop transport run from Rabaul via Buin to Kolombangara.

2 July:

Rendova bombardment mission.

4-5 July:

With NIIZUKI, NAGATSUKI and YUNAGI, troop transport run to Kolombangara, aborted when U.S. ships were encountered.

5-6 July: Battle of Kula Gulf

Troop transport run to Kolombangara. Removed Comdesdiv 22 (Captain Kanaoka Kunizo [48]) from grounded NAGATSUKI and attempted unsuccessfully to tow off reef.

9 July:

Led troop transport run to Kolombangara. With MIKAZUKI, MATSUKAZE and YUNAGI, landed 1,200 troops and 85 tons of supplies at Vila.

12 July: Battle of Kolombangara

Troop transport run to Kolombangara. Landed troops during battle so saw no action.

17 July:
Medium damage:
in U.S. air raid on Shortlands due to near-misses and strafing: best speed 20 knots; then to Rabaul for emergency repairs.

28-31 July:

Escorted convoy from Rabaul to Truk.

4-9 August:

Escorted TAIYO from Truk to Yokosuka, then docked at Kure for repairs.

10-31 August:
At Kure for maintenance and refitting: included removal of No. 4 main gun in favor of two triple 25mm machine-guns, added twin 13mm abaft aft funnel, and replacement of single 7.7mm machine-guns abreast bridge by dual 25mm; radar-detecting device installed on bridge.

1 September:

Lieutenant Commander Koizumi relieved by Lieutenant Commander Iino Tadao [60].

5-12 September:

Steamed from Kure via Truk to Rabaul.

28 September:

Troop evacuation run to Kolombangara.

2 October:

Troop evacuation run to Kolombangara.

7 October:

With AMAGIRI and MOCHIZUKI, troop transport run from Rabaul to Surumi/Gasmata.

9 October:

With YUNAGI, troop transport run to Buka.

21 October:

With FUMIZUKI, troop transport run to Cape Dampier.

24 October:

With FUMIZUKI, troop transport run to Garove Island and Iboki. Light damage: clipped uncharted reef, best speed 16 knots.

3 November:

Arrived in Palau, escorting tanker AKEBONO MARU.

5-12 November:

Escorted convoy from Palau to Sasebo; on 9 November rescued survivors of torpedoed transport TAGA MARU; then docked for repairs.

17 November-7 December:
At Sasebo for maintenance: improved underwater sound detection equipment installed.

10-18 December:

Escorted convoys from Kure via Palau to Rabaul.

21 December:

With MINAZUKI, troop transport run to Iboki.

29 December:

With FUMIZUKI, troop transport run to Qavuvu. Among nine destroyers to deliver total of 635 men and 380 tons of supplies there between 22-31 December.

31 December:

With MATSUKAZE, troop transport run to Qavuvu. (As 29 December above)

3-4 January 1944:

Departed Rabaul, heading for Kavieng. Minor damage: in air raid near Kavieng due to near-misses and strafing: best speed 24 knots, unknown number of casualties (total of 40 between FUMIZUKI and SATSUKI) but Lieutenant Commander Iino died of wounds on 6 January.

8 January:

Lieutenant Commander Iino replaced by Lieutenant Commander Sugiyama Tadayoshi [61] (prev. C.O. OKI).

12-15 January:

Escorted convoy from Rabaul to Truk.

20-22 January:

Departed Truk, escorting convoy bound for Japan, then diverted to Saipan to assist torpedoed UNYO.

26 January-4 February:

Departed Saipan, escorting UNYO through 3 February, then to Yokosuka.

11 February-30 March:
At Sasebo for maintenance and refitting (docked 17 February-15 March): Type 13 radar mounted on mainmast (first unit of class to receive radar); twin 13mm machine guns abaft aft funnel removed; single 25mm added abreast No. 2 main gun (3) and near stern (2).

7-24 April:

Escorted troop convoys from Tateyama via Haha-jima to Palau.

29 April-4 May:

Escorted convoy from Palau to Yokosuka.

1 May:

Desron 3 reassigned to Central Pacific Area Fleet.

14-30 May:

Escorted troop convoys from Tateyama to Saipan and Guam and back to Yokosuka.

21-22 June:
At Yokosuka for maintenance and refitting: triple 25mm machine guns added abaft aft funnel; additional single 13mm (5) and 25mm (4) also added throughout ship.

30 June-5 July:

Out of Yokosuka for Bonins-area transport duty. Minor damage: in air attack on 4 July near Haha-jima due to near-miss: six injured.

17-24 July:

Escorted convoys from Kure via Manila to Lingga, then Singapore-area patrol/escort duties.

20 August:

Desdiv 22 deactivated; reassigned to Desdiv 30, Escort Squadron 31, Combined Fleet.

6-20 September:

Escorted convoys from Singapore via Miri and Brunei to Manila.

21 September:
Sunk:
by aircraft of TF 38 in air raid on Manila (15-35 N, 120-55 E). Three direct bomb hits: 52 dead and 15 injured; Lieutenant Commander Sugiyama (to Instructor, Torpedo School) among survivors.

10 November 1944:

Removed from Navy List.


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