© 2007-2017 Bob Hackett, Sander Kingsepp and Peter Cundall
Revision 4
2 March 1944:
Tsurumi. Laid down at Nippon Kokan K. K.’s shipyard.
22 June 1944:
Reserve LtCdr (Cdr, posthumously) Nakano Takehide (current CEO of CD-25) is appointed Chief Equipping Officer as a joint duty.
26 June 1944:
Launched and numbered CD-29.
1 July 1944:
Reserve Lt (later LtCdr) Kuwashima Kanenosuke (former CO of the auxiliary minesweeper KIRI MARU No. 5) is appointed Chief Equipping Officer.
8 August 1944:
Completed and registered in the IJN. Reserve Lt Kuwashima Kanenosuke is the Commanding Officer.
20 August 1944:
CD-29 is assigned to the 31st Escort Squadron, Combined Fleet.
20 October 1944: Operation SHO-I-GO ("Victory") – The Battle of Leyte
Gulf:
CD-29 departs Yashima anchorage towards the Philippines with kaibokan
CD-22, CD-31, CD-33, CD-43 and CD-132 escorting oilers TAKANE and JINEI MARUs of
Vice Admiral Ozawa Jisaburo's (37) Northern "decoy" Mobile Force’s Second Supply
Force.
22 October 1944:
Ozawa's force refuels at sea. Sound contact is made
with a submarine. At 2010, carrier ZUIKAKU and light cruiser TAMA spot torpedo
tracks and make a sharp turn to port. WAKATSUKI is detached to repel the submarine.
Ozawa is forced to cancel the refueling after receiving only one third of the
required amount.
25 October 1944: The Battle off Cape Engano:
Ozawa's force is attacked
by planes from Vice Admiral Marc Mitscher's (USNA ’10) Task Force 38’s USS ENTERPRISE (CV-6),
USS ESSEX (CV-9), USS INTREPID (CV-11), USS FRANKLIN (CV-13), USS LEXINGTON (CV-16),USS
INDEPENDENCE (CVL-22), USS BELLEAU WOOD (CVL-24), USS LANGLEY (CVL-27), USS CABOT (CVL-28)
and USS SAN JACINTO (CVL-30).
TF 38 launches 527 sorties in five strikes against Ozawa’s Northern
Force. During the day's action, carriers ZUIKAKU, ZUIHO and CHITOSE and destroyer
AKIZUKI are sunk. That same day, S of Yaku Jima, LtCdr Orme C. Robbins’ (USNA ’34) USS
STERLET (SS-392) torpedoes and sinks oiler JINEI MARU at 30-15N, 129-45E with all hands (69 crewmen KIA).
28 October 1944:
CarDiv 4’s HYUGA and ISE refuel from oilers at
Amami-Oshima. CarDiv 4 and destroyers depart for the Inland Sea. At 2120, LtCdr
(later Vice Admiral) Vernon L. Lowrance’s (USNA ’30) USS SEA DOG (SS-401) attacks CarDiv 4.
He misses with six Mark 18 electric torpedoes.
That same day, TAKANE MARU is ordered to steam to Takao, but she has a
faulty boiler that limits her speed to 12 knots and prevents her from complying.
29 October 1944:
CarDiv 4 and its destroyers depart Amami-Oshima for
the Inland Sea. At 0415, the group is picked up on radar at 24,000 yards and
tracked by LtCdr Robbins’ USS STERLET. Robbins goes to full emergency power and closes to 12,000 yards but CarDiv 4, making 22 knots, outruns USS STERLET. CarDiv 4
arrives safely at Kure.
TAKANE MARU receives new orders to proceed to Kure for repairs. At 1500,
she departs with CD-29, CD-22 and CD-33 as a separate group.
30 October 1944:
LtCdr (later Vice Admiral) Frederick J. Harlfinger’s
(USNA ’37) USS TRIGGER (SS-237) picks up TAKANE MARU with her escorts and attacks. One
torpedo broaches alerting the oiler that avoids the other torpedoes. At 1620,
Harlfinger fires again and hits TAKANE MARU starboard aft in the engine room. One
torpedo heads for CD-22, but she dodges it. CD-29 counter-attacks USS TRIGGER with
depth charges. Later, Harlfinger surfaces and notifies his wolf pack colleagues.
130 nm SW of Toizaki, Kyushu. CD-22, CD-29 and CD-33 are guarding
immobilized TAKANE MARU. At about 2100 that night, LtCdr Harley K. Nauman’s
(USNA ’34) USS SALMON (SS-182) fires four torpedoes for two hits. The escorts counter-attack.
USS SALMON crash dives, but is damaged badly by a severe depth charging. Her
pressure hull is dished in, an engine is knocked off its base plate, radio and radar equipment damaged and she is leaking heavily. USS SALMON sinks to 500 feet out
of control. Her diving officer finally checks her descent, but cannot hold her.
Nauman decides to battle surface and engage the escorts with USS SALMON’s deck guns.
USS SALMON surfaces in the midst of a heavy squall. Nauman’s crew quickly
begins to correct a 15-degree list, puts two of USS SALMON’s diesel engines on line
and stops some leaks. At about 2200, CD-29 sights a surfaced submarine off her
starboard bow, 500 meters away. CD-29 switches on her searchlight and opens fire
with her 120-mm bow gun, but loses the target after the first salvo. At 2235,
CD-22 and CD-33 arrive and attack USS SALMON from different directions. CD-22
charges the submarine intent on ramming. Nauman, in turn, charges the kaibokan.
The two vessels pass each other just 50 yards apart. CD-22 opens fire on the
submarine with her 25-mm AA gun. USS SALMON’s machine-guns, 20-mm AA and deck guns
return fire and kill four of CD-22's sailors and wound another 14. CD-22 is also
hit in the bow by a dud shell that causes a temporary leak. Her speed drops to
11 knots.
31 October 1944:
SW of Kyushu. At about 0100, LtCdr Robbins’ USS STERLET
finds TAKANE MARU dead in the water and down by the stern. No escorts are in
sight. Robbins fires six torpedoes by radar bearings and gets four hits that
finish off the oiler. TAKANE MARU sinks at 30-09N, 132-45E. She was carrying 66 crewmen and an unknown number of passengers. CD-29 briefly chases
USS STERLET but soon loses contact.[ 1]
20 November 1944:
CD-29 is reassigned to the Fifth Fleet.
27 February 1945:
CD-29, CD-22 and CD-68 escort minelayer TOKIWA and
converted minelayer KOEI MARU that lay about 1,000 mines in an area S of Yaku
Shima. [2]
13-17 March 1945:
Participates in offensive anti-submarine sweep
"AS-2" with CD-22, CD-68 and probably CD-18 from Sasebo. At 1135 13 March CD-22 and CD-29 arrive at Sasebo.
18 March 1945:
Off Noma Misaki. Carrier-based aircraft of Vice Admiral Marc A. Mitscher's (USNA ’10) Task Force 58 attack convoy KATA-504 escorted by CD-29 and subchaser CH-58. The planes sink transport KENYO MARU carrying 275 passengers, drummed fuel, explosive boats and other army stores. Five crewmen and 98 passengers are KIA. Tanker NANSEI MARU No. 1 is also sunk with unknown casualties and cargo ship KIYO MARU is damaged. They also sink auxiliary sailing vessels KAMO and TENJIN MARUs bound for Okinawa at 31-24N, 130-07E.
At 1912, USN codebreakers intercept and decrypt a message that reads: “While CD-29 and CH-58 were escorting 6 merchant vessels at Sakurashima anchorage, enemy carrier based planes attacked. 1. At 0730 eight planes attacked. Two planes shot down. Japanese losses, none. At 1330, seven planes attacked convoy. One plane shot down. KENYO MARU received a hit and sank. Although there were near hits on all ships, there was almost no damage.”
21 March 1945:
CD-29 departs Kagoshima with subchaser CH-58 and auxiliary minesweeper TAIAN MARU escorting convoy KANA-101 consisting of cargo ship KACHOSAN MARU.
22 March 1945:
At 2200, arrives at Kuji Wan, Amami Oshima.
23 March 1945:
At 0530, departs Kuji Wan. At 1030, CD-29 orders the convoy away from its intended destination of Okinawa and directs it to head to the China coast.
Off Sotsukozaki. At 1615, American carrier aircraft attack the convoy. KACHOSAN MARU is bombed and sinks at 1628 with 1,330 troops aboard including 30 soldiers from the 50th Maritime transport Battalion, 82 Kempeitai Okinawan Military Police, and 3,600 m3 of material. 60 crewmen, 62 gunners and 82 soldiers are KIA. CD-29 and CH-58 are also slightly damaged.
14 April 1945:
At 0700 CD-22 and CD-29 depart Sasebo.
15 April 1945:
At 0700 minelayer EIJO MARU arrives at Saeki escorted by kaibokan CD-22 and CD-29.
25 April 1945:
At 0600 minelayers SAISHU and NIIZAKI depart Himejima anchorage escorted by kaibokan CD-29.
26 April 1945:
At 1510 off Imari Wan minelayer NIIZAKI and CD-29 separate from CD-22 and head to Sasebo.
2 May 1945:
Minelayer TOKIWA and CD-29 anchor in Kushimoto Wan.
4 May 1945:
At 0715 minelayer KOEI MARU and CD-29 depart Saiki. At 1230 arrive NE of Iwai Shima.
9 May 1945:
At 0900 minelayer KOEI MARU and CD-29 arrive at Yawata.
11 May 1945:
At 1900 off Hakata Wan CD-22 meets up with minelayer KOEI MARU and later CD-29. The ships sail to Mutsure anchorage.
12 May 1945:
At 0700 the ships return to Hakata Wan.
19 May 1945:
At 1000 minelayers KOEI MARU, KYOSAI, SAISHU and TOKIWA and kaibokan CD-22, CD-29 and CD-44 depart Sasebo. At 1800 the ships anchor at Karatsu Wan.
21 May 1945:
At 0900 at Moji KYOSAI and SAISHU are detached and proceed to Saiki.
28 May 1945:
At 0830 departs Sasebo with minelayer KOEI MARU and CD-22. At 1550 off Karatsu Wan CD-29 hits a mine that damages her engines
severely.
30 May 1945:
At 1500 CD-29 departs Karatsu Wan under tow [by CD-22?] for Sasebo.
31 May 1945:
At 1030 arrives at Sasebo.
June-15 August 1945:
Laid up at Sasebo.
10 August 1945:
Reserve LtCdr Yoshida Komao (former CO of CD-39) is appointed CO on paper.
15 August 1945:
Surrendered to the Allied Forces.
20 November 1945:
Removed from the Navy List.
1 November 1947-1 March 1948:
Scrapped at Sasebo.
Authors’ Note:
[1] USS STERLET, USS TRIGGER and USS SALMON each receive 1/3 credit for
sinking TAKANE MARU.
[2] USS KETE may have struck a mine at that same place.
Thanks go to Dr. Higuchi Tatsuhiro of Japan and Mr. Gilbert Casse of France. Thanks also go to the late John Whitman of the USA for info on CNO intercepts of Japanese messages.
-Bob Hackett, Sander Kingsepp and Peter Cundall
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