© 1998, 2009 Allyn D. Nevitt

IJN Wakaba: Tabular Record of Movement


Name Translation: "Young Leaves"

Initial Command Structure:
Ship's captain: Lieutenant Commander Kuroki Masakichi [55]. Assigned to Desdiv 21 (WAKABA, HATSUHARU, NENOHI, HATSUSHIMO), Desron 1, First Fleet. Initially (and most-often thereafter) served as Desdiv 21 flagship.

December 1941:

Desdiv 21 remained in Japanese home waters, guarding battleships and conducting antisubmarine patrols.

18-23 December:
Desdiv 21 departed Tokuyama to meet returning Pearl Harbor Striking Force, then escorted it into Hashirijima.

14-22 January 1942:

Desdiv 21 escorted tanker convoy from Tokuyama to Davao.

24 January:

Desdiv 21 with Kendari invasion force.

8 February:

Desdiv 21 (minus HATSUHARU) with Makassar invasion force.

18 February:

Desdiv 21 (minus HATSUHARU) with Bali/Lombok invasion force.

28 February-1 March:

In Bali Strait, assisted HATSUSHIMO in sinking a Dutch merchant ship; Desdiv 21 later engaged but failed to intercept four U.S. destroyers escaping from the Java Sea.

16-25 March:

Desdiv 21 steamed from Makassar to Sasebo, then docked for maintenance.

29 May:

With ABUKUMA, Desdiv 21 departed Ominato, escorting Adak-Attu Attack Force in Aleutians operations. Attu occupied on 7 June; Adak occupation cancelled.

7-12 June:
Patrolled in Attu-area.

15 June:

With ABUKUMA and NENOHI, scouted Amchitka Island for possible airfield sites.

1-10 July:

Patrolled in Kiska-area.

18 July-8 August:

Docked at Yokosuka for maintenance.

8-12 August:

Steamed from Yokosuka to Paramushiro, then resumed Northern Area patrol/escort duties.

3-12 September:

Transport run from Paramushiro to Attu and Kiska.

30 September-3 October:

Transport run from Shimushu to Kiska.

12-16 October:

Transport run from Shimushu to Kiska.

27-30 October:

With HATSUSHIMO, escorted ABUKUMA, KISO and TAMA on troop transport run from Paramushiro to Attu.

7 November:
Lieutenant Commander Kuroki relieved by Lieutenant Commander Suetsugu Nobuyoshi [58] (prev. C.O. OKIKAZE).

7-10 November:

With HATSUSHIMO, transport run from Shimushu to Kiska.

23-25 November:

Transport run from Paramushiro to Attu.

30 November-3 December:

Escorted ABUKUMA and KISO on troop transport run from Paramushiro to Kiska.

14 December 1942-9 January 1943:

At Sasebo for maintenance and refitting: twin 25mm machine guns replace single 40mm abreast aft funnel.

9-11 January:
Steamed from Sasebo to Ominato, then resumed Northern Area patrol/escort duties.

31 January-4 February:
Escorted ASAKA MARU on transport run from Paramushiro to Kiska.

13-22 February:

With HATSUSHIMO, escorted KISO and SAKITO MARU on transport run from Paramushiro to Kiska and back.

26 March: Battle of the Komandorskis

With HATSUSHIMO, part of Fifth Fleet cover force: during escort of troop convoy from Paramushiro to Attu (aborted), engaged U.S. cruiser-destroyer group. Launched torpedoes without effect.

30 March:

Minor damage: in collision with IKAZUCHI.

31 March-3 April:

With HATSUSHIMO, escorted NACHI and MAYA from Paramushiro to Yokosuka, then docked for repairs.

1 April:

Desron 1 reassigned to Fifth Fleet.

23 April:

Departed Yokosuka, then resumed Northern Area patrol/escort duties.

20-23 June:
With HATSUSHIMO, escorted convoy from Ominato to Paramushiro.

28 June-2 July:
Escorted convoy from Paramushiro to Ominato.

7-17 July:

Initial troop evacuation run to Kiska, aborted due to weather.

22-27 July:

Second troop evacuation run to Kiska. With HATSUSHIMO, NAGANAMI, SHIMAKAZE and SAMIDARE, assigned to screening unit under Comdesdiv 21 Captain Amano Shigetaka [47]. Significant damage: on 26 July in fog-induced chain-reaction collision when rammed near stern by HATSUSHIMO; detached to return to Paramushiro. Captain Amano transferred to SHIMAKAZE to continue mission.

9 September-16 October:

At Sasebo for repairs and refitting: “X” turret removed/replaced by triple 25mm machine gun mount; twin 25mm machine guns added on bandstand forward of bridge; Type 22 radar mounted on foremast.

1 October:
Lieutenant Commander Suetsugu relieved by Lieutenant Commander Ninokata Kanehumi [59] (prev. C.O. NAGATSUKI).

16 October-13 November:

Resumed Northern Area patrol/escort duties, then returned to Kure, rejoining Desdiv 21 there.

24 November-3 December:

Desdiv 21 (WAKABA, HATSUHARU, HATSUSHIMO) escorted HIYO from Kure via Manila to Singapore.

10-22 December:

Desdiv 21 escorted HIYO from Singapore via Tarakan and Palau to Truk.

24-29 December 1943

Desdiv 21 escorted ZUIHO and UNYO from Truk to Yokosuka.

1 January 1944:

Desdiv 21 reassigned directly to Combined Fleet Headquarters.

4-9 January:
With NOWAKI and MAIKAZE, Desdiv 21 escorted ATAGO, ZUIHO, and UNYO from Yokosuka to Truk.

18-23 January:

Desdiv 21 departed Truk escorting ZUIHO and UNYO. (UNYO torpedoed on 19 January and detached to Saipan with HATSUSHIMO.) Continued with ZUIHO to reach Yokosuka.

29 January-16 February:

With HATSUHARU, escorted ZUIHO and CHIYODA from Yokosuka to Truk and back.

20-26 February:
At Sasebo for maintenance.

27-29 February:

With HATSUHARU, steamed from Sasebo to Ominato, then resumed Northern Area patrol/escort duties.

18-29 May:
At Ominato for maintenance: two single 25mm machine guns added abreast bridge bandstand mount.

24 June:

Arrived in Yokosuka from Ominato.

24-26 June:
At Yokosuka for maintenance and refitting: ten single 25mm and four 13mm machine guns added along length of ship.

28-30 June:

With HATSUHARU, transport run from Yokosuka to Iwo-jima.

10-14 July:

Transport run from Yokosuka to Iwo-jima.

20 July-11 August:
At Yokosuka for maintenance and refitting: Type 13 radar mounted on mainmast.

12-13 August:

With HATSUHARU, escorted YAMASHIRO and UNYO from Yokosuka to Kure.

14-16 August:
At Kure for maintenance.

16 August-21 September:

With HATSUHARU, escorted convoys from Kure to Formosa and Luzon and back.

12-15 October:
At Kure for maintenance and refitting: another five 25mm machine guns believed added.

14-21 October:

Desdiv 21 escorted NACHI and ASHIGARA from Kure via Amami-O-Shima to Mako (Pescadores), then was detached to Takeo, Formosa.

21-23 October:

Desdiv 21 performed aircrew (ground-support units of 2nd Air Fleet) transport run from Takeo to Manila, then departed to join Admiral Shima's 2nd Diversion Attack Force.

24 October: Battle of Leyte Gulf

Sunk: in attack by aircraft from USS FRANKLIN (CV-13); struck by one or two bombs, sank in 45 minutes off the west coast of Panay (11-36 N, 121-36 E); 42 killed, 27 injured. HATSUSHIMO rescued 74 survivors and HATSUHARU 78, including Comdesdiv 21 (Captain Ishii Hisashi [50]) and Lieutenant Commander Ninokata.

10 December 1944:

Removed from Navy List.

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