© 2007-2015 Bob Hackett and Peter Cundall
Revision 1
24 September 1944:
Kobe. Laid down at Mitsubishi Heavy Industries’ shipyard.
1 January 1945:
Launched and numbered CD-213.
5 January 1945:
Reserve Lt Aoyama Saburo is appointed Chief Equipping Officer.
12 February 1945:
Completed and registered in the IJN. Reserve Lt Aoyama Saburo is the Commanding Officer.
11 April 1945:
At 0700, CD-213 departs Moji for Shanghai, China with kaibokan NOMI (F), MIYAKE and CD-31 escorting convoy MOSHI-02 consisting of JUZAN MARU.
13 April 1945:
At 1400, arrives at Saishu Island and anchors, planning to depart at daybreak the next day.
14 April 1945:
Hiyo islet on NW coast of Saishu Island. At 0407, in murky weather, Cdr (later Captain/MOH) George L. Street III’s (USNA '37) USS TIRANTE (SS-420) closes the bay on the surface, noses into Saishu harbor and fires six torpedoes at the anchored convoy. Street sinks JUZAN MARU at 33-25N, 126-15E with the loss of 33 of her crew, but USS TIRANTE is sighted by flagship NOMI's lookouts.
Captain Ikeda Akira's (50) (former CO of ETOROFU), CO of the First Surface Escort Division, orders an attack. USS TIRANTE fires two torpedoes at the charging kaibokan. Both hit NOMI under the bridge detonating her shell magazine. She jack-knifes, breaks in two and sinks at 0430 with unknown casualties. [1]
CD-31 spots the submarine and attacks, but is hit by a stern torpedo from USS TIRANTE. The torpedo is a dud, but causes a fire to break out in the kaibokan's aft magazine. Later, CD-31 capsizes and sinks at 33-25N, 126-5E with unknown casualties. After 0900, the islanders rescue CD-31 and NOMI's survivors.
24 April 1945:
With minesweeper W-17, CD-213 engages in a hunt for an enemy submarine in 34-29N 129-10E claiming the submarine as damaged.
25 April 1945:
CD-213 is assigned to the General Escort Command's First Escort Fleet's 103rd Escort Squadron.
29 May 1945:
At 0800, CD-213 departs Tsingtao, N China, for Hikin To (Pigum Do), SW Korea, with kaibokan OKINAWA and CD-63 escorting convoy SE-07 consisting of KOYO, FUSAN and NIKKI MARUs and NANKI MARU No. 2, BANSHU MARU No. 62 and BANSHU MARU No. 66.
1 June 1945:
Arrives at Hikin To, then proceeds to Japan, probably escorting unidentified ships formerly of convoy SE-07.
10 July 1945:
Reassigned to the Seventh Fleet.
15 August 1945:
Tokyo. Japan accepts the Allies “Potsdam Declaration” (of unconditional surrender) and hostilities cease.
18 August 1945:
Pusan, S Korea. CD-213 strikes a mine and sinks at 35-10N, 129E with unknown casualties.
15 September 1945:
Removed from the Navy List.
Authors' Note:
[1] Captain Ikeda is KIA. He is promoted Rear Admiral, posthumously.
Many thanks to Gilbert Casse of France for general assistance and to Mr. Sander Kingsepp for identifying COs.
-Bob Hackett and Peter Cundall
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