© 2009-2016 Bob Hackett and Peter Cundall
Revision 1
18 September 1944:
Tokyo. Laid down at Ishikawajima Ship Building, Ltd.
7 December 1944:
Launched and numbered CD-106.
14 January 1945:
Completed and registered in the IJN.
5 March 1945:
CD-106 arrives at Kure.
9 March 1945:
CD-102 and CD-106 depart Kure. At 1825 they arrive at Moji.
12 March 1945:
At 1745 both escorts depart Moji.
15 March 1945:
At 0900 both escorts arrive back at Moji.
16 March 1945:
At 0900, CD-106 departs Moji for Keelung with kaibokan CHIKUBU, CD-40 and CD-102 escorting convoy MOTA-43. The convoy consists of transports KIYOKAWA, HAKOZAKI, TATSUHARU and NIKKO MARUs.
17 March 1945:
At 1642 the convoy anchores off Hikin To (Pigum Do).
18 March 1945:
At 0554 departs Hikin To.
19 March 1945:
225 miles NNE of Shanghai. At 0258, at 33-07N, 122-05E, LtCdr Robert K. Worthington's USS BALAO (SS-285) attacks the convoy and torpedoes TATSUHARU and HAKOZAKI MARUs. Another torpedo just misses CD-40. HAKOZAKI MARU is torn apart by internal explosions as her cargo of gasoline, shells and torpedoes ignites and blows off her stern. She quickly sinks, but her
forward section stays afloat blazing until finally sinking at 0320.
The combination of fire, explosions and 5 degrees centigrade water means that almost all aboard perish. 928 passengers, 51 gunners and 139 crewmen, a total of 1,118 are KIA. The torpedo strike on TATSUHARU MARU kills 149 military personnel, but the ship remains afloat and later makes Shanghai.
CD-102 and CHIKUBU launch an unsuccessful depth charge counter-attack on USS BALAO, then rescue 130 survivors. Meanwhile at 1933 CD-106 arrives at Ssu Chiao Shan escorting NIKKO and KIYOKAWA MARUs.
21 March 1945:
At 0800 the other escorts arrives at Ssu Chiao Shan.
22 March 1945:
At 0300 departs Ssu Chiao Shan.
23 March 1945:
At 1825 arrives at Mazu Shan and departs later that day.
24 March 1945:
At 1603 arrives at Fuyan Tao.
25 March 1945:
At 1600 departs Fuyan Tao.
26 March 1945:
At 1700 arrives at Kirun.
28 March 1945:
Off Keelung, Formosa. CD-106 and CD-102 are damaged by near-misses of bombs from USAAF B-24s.
1 April 1945:
At 0615, CD-106 departs Keelung for Moji with kaibokan CHIKUBU, CD-40 and CD-102 escorting convoy TAMO-53 consisting of the survivors of convoy MOTA-43, NIKKO and KIYOKAWA MARUs. Both merchant ships are loaded with sugar needed for conversion to aviation fuel and butane and evacuees from Formosa, mostly women and children.
9 April 1945:
Yellow Sea. LtCdr (later MOH/Captain) George L. Street III’s (USNA ’37)USS TIRANTE (SS-420), alerted by an “Ultra” signal, intercepts convoy TAMO-53 enroute from Shanghai to Japan. Street fires three Mark 18-2 electric torpedoes at each of two targets at 36-50N,123-55E. One spread misses, but the other hits NIKKO MARU in the bow and engine room. She and sinks taking down 563 passengers, 14 gunners, 16 guard force soldiers, two signalers and 73 crewmen.
The escorts counter-attack USS TIRANTE. Street fires a Mark-27 "Cutie" acoustic homing torpedo that damages CD-102. USS TIRANTE’s crew hears "breaking-up noises," but the kaibokan does not sink. CD-102 loses seven men blown off the fantail when the Cutie hits. CHIKUBU tows CD-102 to safety and rescues some of NIKKO MARU's survivors. CD-106 and the remainder of the convoy head for Moji.
13 April 1945:
Arrives at Moji.
28 May 1945:
While in Moji Port, credited with shooting down a B-29 bomber on a mining mission. The high angle 4" gun hits the left wing of the plane which is shot down.
5 October 1945:
Removed from the Navy List.
13 October 1945:
Departs Uraga on her first repatriation voyage.
18 October 1945:
Arrives at Palau. Embarks troops and passengers to be repatriated.
19 October 1945:
Departs Palau.
26 October 1945:
Arrives at Uraga. Disembarks troops and passengers.
12 November 1945:
Enters Ishikawajima Dockyard for repairs.
1 December 1945:
Officially assigned to the Allied Repatriation Service. [1]
15 December 1945:
Repairs are completed.
22 December 1945:
Departs Uraga.
26 December 1945:
Arrives at Chichi-Jima. Embarks troops and passengers to be repatriated.
30 December 1945:
Departs Chichi-Jima.
1 January 1946:
Arrives at Uraga. Disembarks troops and passengers.
11 January 1946:
Enters dockyard at Innoshima for repairs.
23 January 1946:
Repairs are completed.
28 January 1946:
Departs Saiki.
3 February 1946:
Arrives at Guam. Embarks troops and passengers to be repatriated.
7 February 1946:
Departs Guam.
9 February 1946:
Arrives at Palau. Embarks troops and passengers to be repatriated and departs later that day.
15 February 1946:
Arrives at Okinawa. Embarks troops and passengers to be repatriated and departs later that day.
27 February 1946:
Arrives at Guam. Embarks troops and passengers to be repatriated.
28 February 1946:
Departs Guam.
3 March 1946:
Arrives at Tinian. Embarks troops and passengers to be repatriated and departs later the same day.
8 March 1946 :
Arrives at Okinawa. Embarks troops and passengers to be repatriated.
11 March 1946:
Departs Okinawa.
18 March 1946:
Arrives at Kure. Disembarks troops and passengers.
19 March 1946:
Enters dockyard at Uraga for repairs.
13 April 1946:
Repairs are completed.
18 April 1946:
Departs Kure.
21 April 1946:
Arrives at Shanghai. Embarks troops and passengers to be repatriated.
22 April 1946:
Departs Shanghai.
23 April 1946:
Arrives at Sasebo. Disembarks troops and passengers.
3 May 1946:
Departs Sasebo.
4 May 1946:
Arrives at Shanghai. Embarks troops and passengers to be repatriated.
6 May 1946:
Departs Shanghai.
8 May 1946:
Arrives at Sasebo. Disembarks troops and passengers.
15 May 1946:
Departs Sasebo.
17 May 1946:
Arrives at Shanghai. Embarks troops and passengers to be repatriated and departs later the same day.
20 May 1946:
Arrives at Sasebo. Disembarks troops and passengers.
29 May 1946:
Departs Sasebo.
31 May 1946:
Arrives at Shanghai. Embarks troops and passengers to be repatriated and departs later the same day.
2 June 1946:
Arrives at Sasebo. Disembarks troops and passengers.
11 June 1946:
Departs Sasebo.
13 June 1946:
Arrives at Shanghai. Embarks troops and passengers to be repatriated and departs later the same day.
15 June 1946:
Arrives at Sasebo. Disembarks troops and passengers.
26 June 1946:
Enters drydock at Mukojima for repairs.
12 July 1946:
Repairs are completed.
23 September 1946:
Departs Hakata.
26 September 1946:
Arrives at Korojima near Tsientsin. Embarks troops and passengers to be repatriated.
27 September 1946:
Departs Korojima.
30 September 1946:
Arrives at Hakata. Disembarks troops and passengers.
14 October 1946:
Departs Kure.
16 October 1946:
Arrives at Korojima. Embarks troops and passengers to be repatriated and departs later the same day.
19 October 1946:
Arrives at Hakata. Disembarks troops and passengers.
7 November 1946:
Departs Sasebo.
8 November 1946:
Arrives at Chubunshin (Chumunjin) South Korea. Embarks troops and passengers to be repatriated.
9 November 1946:
Departs Chubunshin.
10 November 1946:
Arrives at Sasebo. Disembarks troops and passengers.
5 July 1947:
Yokosuka. Ceded to the USA.
29 August 1947:
Scrapped.
Authors' Note:
[1] Allied occupation forces were responsible for the return of six million Japanese military personnel and civilians from Japan's defunct far-flung Empire. In addition, there were over a million Korean and about 40,000 Chinese prisoners and conscript laborers and approximately 7,000 Formosans and 15,000 Ryukyu Islanders to be repatriated.
Some Allied and many former IJN warships, from aircraft carriers to kaibokan, were used to facilitate the enormous repatriation effort. Japanese vessels and crews were used to the fullest extent possible to conserve Allied manpower and accelerate demobilization. Each ex-IJN ship first had to be demilitarized; guns removed or, in the case of large warships, barrels severed, ammunition landed, and radar and catapults removed, if fitted. Repatriation of the Chinese on Japanese ships began early in October from Hakata, but U.S. guard detachments had to be placed on many ships to prevent disorder because the Japanese crews could not control the returnees.
Japanese-run repatriation centers were established at Kagoshima, Hario near Sasebo, and Hakata near Fukuoka. Other reception centers were established and operated at Maizuru, Shimonoseki, Sasebo, Senzaki, Kure, Uraga, Yokohama, Moji and Hakodate. Allied line and medical personnel supervised the centers. Incoming Japanese were sprayed with DDT, examined and inoculated for typhus and smallpox, provided with food, and transported to his final destination in Japan.
Thanks for assistance goes Mr. Iwasaki Yutaka of Japan and Mr. Gilbert Casse of France. Also to Howard Mumm of Florida, USA for information on 28 May 1945 entry.
-Bob Hackett and Peter Cundall
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