© 2009-2017 Bob Hackett and Peter Cundall
Revision 3
20 July 1944:
Laid down at Niigata Iron Works, Ltd.
10 November 1944:
Launched and numbered CD-215.
25 November 1944:
Reserve LtCdr Saiki Tsutomu (former navigating officer of CHUYO) is appointed Chief Equipping Officer.
30 December 1944:
Completed and registered in the IJN. Reserve LtCdr Saiki Tsutomu is the Commanding Officer.
22 March 1945:
At 0400, CD-215 departs Tomie, Goto Islands for Ishigaki-Jima with kaibokan CD-219 and auxiliary minesweepers TOSHI MARU No. 7 and HIMESHIMA MARU escorting convoy SAI-05 consisting of DORYO, TAKASAKI, SEIGA and KASHIMA MARUs and NISSHO MARU No. 1.
23 March 1945:
87 miles NNW of Naha, Okinawa. At 1713, LtCdr William J. Germershausen's (USNA '35) USS SPADEFISH (SS-411) torpedoes and sinks DORYO MARU carrying a unit of IJA troops and 28 "Shinyo" explosive motor boats and some Daihatsu barges. 262 Navy passengers, 39 crewmen and 21 guards are KIA.
The kaibokan counter-attack USS SPADEFISH and drop 52 depth charges, but USS SPADEFISH evades with only slight damage.
31 March 1945:
At 1445 CD-215 arrives at Hikin Do, Chosen.
2 April 1945:
At 1630 departs Hikin Do with minesweeper W-20 on an anti submarine sweep.
11 April 1945:
At 0835 CD-25 and CD-215 arrive back at Hikin Do.
13 April 1945:
At 0700 departs Hikin Do.
14 April 1945:
At 1830 arrives at Sasebo. Docked for repairs for the remainder of the month.
24 May 1945:
CD-215 and CD-219 arrive at Ominato.
25 May 1945:
CD-215 and CD-219 depart Ominato with convoy RI consisting only of UKISHIMA MARU.
26 May 1945:
The convoy arrives at Otaru.
27 May 1945:
At 05010 CD-215 and CD-219 depart Otaru escorting Ri convoy still consisting only of transport UKISHIMA MARU.
30 May 1945:
At 1700 arrives at Kataoka bay (ETA).
1 June 1945:
At 1600 transport UKISHIMA MARU departs Kataoka bay in Ri convoy (return) escorted by kaibokan CD-215 and CD-219. The convoy sails at 12 knots.
3 June 1945:
Sea of Okhotsk. At 2054, UKISHIMA MARU is attacked by a submarine at 46-42N,145-28E, but avoids the torpedo and counter-attacks with depth charges.
5 June 1945:
At 0630 arrives at Otaru, Hokkaido. CD-219 arrives later at 1730.
6 June 1945:
At 1900 the convoy departs Otaru.
7 June 1945:
At 1530 arrives at Ominato.
30 June 1945:
1.7 miles off Iwasaki. CD-215 is damaged by unknown causes.
14 July 1945:
Muroran, southern Hokkaido. CD-215, CD-65, CD-74, minesweeper W-24 and an unidentified convoy are present in the harbor. At 0830, a formation of about 130 carrier-based aircraft of Vice Admiral (Admiral posthumously) John S. McCain, Sr's (USNA '06) Task Force 38 attacks the convoy with machine-guns, bombs and rockets. CD-65 and CD-74 are sunk at 42-21N, 140-59E.
Hokkaido. Task Force 38’s planes damage CD-215 in Hakodate harbor at 41-48N, 140-41E.
15 August 1945:
Tokyo. Japan accepts the Allies “Potsdam Declaration” (of unconditional surrender) and hostilities cease.
5 October 1945:
Removed from the Navy List.
24 October 1945:
Enters dockyard at Uraga for repairs.
20 November 1945:
Repairs are completed.
23 November 1945:
Departs Sasebo on her first repatriation voyage.
29 November 1945:
Arrives at Manila. Embarks troops and passengers to be repatriated.
1 December 1945:
Officially assigned to the Allied Repatriation Service. [1]
8 December 1945:
Departs Manila.
15 December 1945:
Arrives at Kure. Disembarks troops and passengers.
1 January 1946:
Arrives at dockyard at Tamano for repairs.
31 January 1946:
Repairs are completed.
4 February 1946:
Departs Kagoshima.
16 February 1946:
Arrives at Ishigakijima. Embarks troops and passengers to be repatriated.
8 February 1946 :
Arrives at Kirun (Keelung). Embarks troops and passengers to be repatriated and departs later that day.
10 February 1946:
Arrives at Kagoshima. Disembarks troops and passengers.
14 February 1946:
Arrives at at dockyard at Kure for repairs.
6 March 1946:
Repairs completed.
13 March 1946:
Departs Kagoshima.
14 March 1946:
Arrives at Kirun. Embarks troops and passengers to be repatriated.
15 March 1946:
Departs Kirun.
17 March 1946:
Arrives at Kagoshima. Disembarks troops and passengers.
20 March 1946:
Departs Kagoshima.
23 March 1946:
Arrives at Kirun. Embarks troops and passengers to be repatriated and departs later that day.
24 March 1946:
Arrives at Kagoshima. Disembarks troops and passengers.
4 April 1946:
Enters dockyard at Sasebo for repairs.
20 April 1946:
Repairs are completed.
22 April 1946:
Departs Kagoshima.
24 April 1946:
Arrives at Shanghai. Embarks troops and passengers to be repatriated.
25 April 1946:
Departs Shanghai.
29 April 1946:
Arrives at Kagoshima. Disembarks troops and passengers.
3 May 1946:
Departs Kagoshima.
5 May 1946:
Arrives at Shanghai. Embarks troops and passengers to be repatriated.
12 May 1946:
Departs Shanghai.
15 May 1946:
Arrives at Kagoshima. Later that day enters Kitakami dockyard for more repairs.
24 May 1946:
Repairs are completed and departs Kagoshima.
25 May 1946:
Arrives at Shanghai. Embarks troops and passengers to be repatriated.
26 May 1946:
Departs Shanghai.
29 May 1946:
Arrives at Kagoshima. Disembarks troops and passengers.
1 June 1946:
Departs Kagoshima.
3 June 1946:
Arrives at Shanghai. Embarks troops and passengers to be repatriated and departs later that day.
6 June 1946:
Arrives at Kagoshima. Disembarks troops and passengers.
10 June 1946:
Departs Kagoshima.
12 June 1946:
Arrives at Shanghai. Embarks troops and passengers to be repatriated.
13 June 1946:
Departs Shanghai.
14 June 1946:
Arrives at Kagoshima. Disembarks troops and passengers.
6 July 1947:
Shanghai. Ceded to China as a war reparation. Renamed LIAO HEI.
Authors' Notes:
[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.
-Bob Hackett and Peter Cundall
Thanks to Mr. Gilbert Casse of France for general assistance and Mr. Sander Kingsepp of Estonia for identifying COs.
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