© 2009-2016 Bob Hackett and Peter Cundall
Revision 2
1 August 1944:
Harima. Laid down at Harima Ship Building, Ltd.
10 October 1944:
Launched and numbered CD-144. Tentatively attached to Kure Naval District.
23 November 1944:
Completed and registered in the IJN. Attached to Kure Naval District.
14 January 1945:
At 0700, CD-144 departs Moji with kaibokan MANJU, CD-31, CD-132, destroyer SHIOKAZE and subchasers CH-19 and CH-57 escorting convoy MOTA-32 consisting of DAIKYO, TENSHO, SAMARANG, AIZAN, SHUNSHO, MASASHIMA and DAISHUN MARUs, TAMON MARU No. 16 and four unidentified merchants, possibly including TETSUYO and TATSUHARU MARUs. The convoy hugs the continental coast as it heads south.
20 January 1945:
Arrives at Heiniu Wan.
21 January 1945:
At 0700 departs Heiniu Wan and later that day arrives at Sanmen Bay.
22 January 1945:
Early in the morning, convoy MOTA-32 departs Sanmen Bay, China. At 1600, arrives at Namkwan (now Namquan) Bay and joins convoy TAMO-38 sheltering there consisting of DAINAN, BINGO, TOYOKAWA, RASHIN, SHINNO and TATSUWA MARUs and NICHIYU MARU No. 7. MOTA-32 anchors in five columns nearest the bay entrance.
23 January 1945:
At 0402, LtCdr (later Rear Admiral/MOH) Eugene B. Fluckey's (USNA '35) USS BARB (SS-220) discovers the anchored ships and skillfully enters the bay. At 0402, Fluckey fires a full salvo of torpedoes. DAIKYO MARU carrying ammunition spectacularly explodes and sinks. - 360 of 558 troops, 58 crewmen and 27 gunners are KIA.
Minor damage, probably from falling debris, is also inflicted on SAMARANG, AIZAN, DAISHUN and SHUNSHO MARUs and TAMON MARU No. 16.
At 0600, the remainder of the convoy departs the anchorage. Later that day arrives at Niu Shan Tao.
24 January 1944:
At 0400 departs Niu Shan Tao.
25 January 1945:
At 1200 arrives at Keelung.
26 January 1945:
At 0600 departs Kirun. Together with CD-31 and CD-132 meets up with KIBITSU MARU and escorts the ship with kaibokan MANJU to join YUTA-15 bound for Moji and also consisting of TEIHOKU (ex French PERSEE) and AKISHIMA MARUs escorted by kaibokan UKURU, TSUSHIMA, DAITO and CD-27.
27 January 1945:
At 0600 MANJU, CD-31, CD-132 and CD-144 arrives at Mako. At 1700 departs Mako with CD-31, CD-132 and MANJU.
31 January 1945:
At 0600, LtCdr (later Rear Admiral-Ret) David B. Bell's (USNA ’37) USS PARGO (SS-264) torpedoes and damages MANJU's bow at 11-15N, 109-12E.
2 February 1945:
E of Cape Laguan, Malay Peninsula. At about 0100, Cdr Thomas L. Wogan’s (USNA '30) USS BESUGO (SS-321) attacks an unidentified convoy. Wogan torpedoes and sinks CD-144 at 04-32N, 104-30E. 89 hands are lost.
10 April 1945:
Removed from the Navy List.
Thanks to Mr. Gilbert Casse of France.
-Bob Hackett and Peter Cundall
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