© 2007-2016 Bob Hackett, Sander Kingsepp and Peter Cundall
Revision 4
1 July 1944:
Tsurumi, Yokohama. Laid down at Nippon Kokan K. K.’s shipyard.
8 September 1944:
Launched and numbered CD-41.
16 October 1944:
Completed and registered in the IJN. Attached to Yokosuka Naval District. Assigned to Yokosuka Guard Force.
31 October 1944:
Takao. Reconstitued convoy MOMA-06 consists of tanker SHIMOTSU, HAMBURG, ASOKAWA, TOTTORI, EIWA, ATLAS, DAITOKU, SHINSHO,
KAKOGAWA, SEKIHO and SEIWA MARUs escorted by old destroyer KURETAKE, kaibokan CD-7, CD-1, CD-3, mineweeper W-27, subchaser CH-41 and fleet supply ship KURASAKI.
1 November 1944:
At 1800, the convoy departs Takao for Manila.
2 November 1944:
At 2305, LtCdr John B. Hess’s (USNA ’37) USS POMFRET (SS-391) torpedoes and damages ATLAS MARU. Two crewmen are KIA.
3 November 1944:
At 0435, Hess attacks ATLAS MARU again, but misses. At 0500, POMFRET also torpedoes and damages HAMBURG MARU. At 1850, one of the escorts scuttles her.
4 November 1944:
bout 1330, ATLAS MARU finally goes aground. Torpedo boat SAGI arrives from Takao and joins the escort.
8 November 1944:
Off Cape Bolinao, Luzon. LtCdr Guy E. O'Neil, Jr’s (USNA ’37) USS GUNNEL (SS-253) torpedoes and sinks SAGI. The convoy later arrives at Santa Cruz, Philippines. Warned of a typhoon in the area, the convoy departs the same day and arrives at Manila Bay at 2238.
7 November 1944:
About noon, subchaser CH-30 arrives and joins the escort.
9 November 1944:
At 0925, convoy MOMA-06 arrives at Manila harbor.
26 November 1944:
Assigned to the General Escort Command's First Surface Escort Division.
27 November 1944:
At 1200 departs Kure.
28 November 1944:
At 0800 arrives at Moji.
30 November 1944:
At 0900, CD-41 departs Moji with destroyer ASAGAO, kaibokan IKUNA, SHINNAN, KANJU, CD-66, subchaser CH-28 and auxiliary subchaser CHa-223 escorting convoy MI-29 consisting of CLYDE, BRAZIL, AKISHIMA, MEIRYU, HAWAII, ENOURA, DAII, AKIKAWA and KAZUURA MARUs, HOSHI MARU No. 11 (JUICHISEI MARU) and KONAN MARU No. 1 and tankers ENGEN, SHINYU, ENCHO and ENKEI MARUs.
2 December 1944:
LtCdr (later Captain-Ret) Ralph C. Style's (USNA ’33) USS SEA DEVIL (SS-400) torpedoes and sinks HAWAII and AKIKAWA MARUs at 30-24N 128-17E. HAWAII MARU is carrying 60 Explosive Motor Boats, 50 motor vehicles and 1843 troops of 23rd Army Division and all 1843 troops together with 60 others, 83 gunners, and 148 crewmen are killed. There are no survivors documented. KONAN MARU No. 1 rescues survivors from AKIKAWA MARU. 249 troops, 7 Armed Escort 18 crewmen are however MIA. The convoy formation breaks up. BRAZIL MARU goes to Keelung, DAII, ENKYO and ENCHO MARUs go to Koniya, Amami-Oshima and CLYDE MARU, HOSHI MARU No. 11 with IKUNA go to Takao. Later, the Koniya ships rejoin at Takao, but at this point the convoy is officially dissolved.
10 December 1944:
Reassigned to the General Escort Command's First Escort Fleet.
14 December 1944:
At 0500, CD-41 departs Takao with kaibokan KANJU and IKUNA escorting convoy TAMA-36 probably consisting of KENZUI, ENOSHIMA, BRAZIL, ENOURA and DAII MARUs and JUICHISEI MARU (HOSHI MARU No. 11). ENOSHIMA MARU and JUICHISEI MARUs are bound for Aparri.
E 20 December 1944:
ENOSHIMA MARU and KANJU are detached and arrive at Aparri. ENOSHIMA MARU is carrying the main force of the No. 10 Tetsu Infantry Regiment, ca. 3,500 men, and a full load of arms, ammunition and provisions
E 20-23 December 1944:
Unloading is carried out only at night. Near each dawn, ENOSHIMA MARU departs the area and shelters in the shade of an island.
22 December 1944:
KENZUI MARU suffers an engine breakdown. At 1130, after KENZUI MARU resumes her position, she is torpedoed by LtCdr (later Cdr) William H. Hazzard's USS BLENNY (SS-324) nine miles N of North San Fernando. Even though the seas are calm, KENZUI MARU sinks rapidly taking down 1,742 of the 2,643 men of the No. 10 Tetsu Infantry Regiment and No. 32 Shipping Construction Regiment that she was carrying. Later that day, the rest of the convoy reaches North San Fernando where the convoy is dissolved.
3 January 1945:
At 1300 CD-41, CD-60 and CD-205 join convoy SAMA-14 consisting of SHINNO, RYUSHO, BINGO MARUs and at least 3 other unidentified merchant ships escorted by Minesweeper W-21 and kaibokan CD-1, CD-3, CD-130 and CD-134.
4 January 1945:
At 1700 anchors at Nanao Tao.
5 January 1945:
At 1600 departs Nanao Tao.
8 January 1945:
At 1600 arrives at Takao.
10 January 1945:
At 1700, CD-205 departs Takao for Mako with destroyer SHIGURE and kaibokan KANJU, KURAHASHI, NOMI, SHINNAN, YASHIRO, MIYAKE, CD-13, CD-41 and CD-60 escorting reorganized convoy HI-87 consisting of fleet oiler KAMOI, tankers SARAWAK, MATSUSHIMA, MITSUSHIMA and HASHIDATE MARUs.
12 January 1945:
The convoy receives a radio report that Kirun is under air attack and the ships are ordered to head for Hong Kong, not Mako.
13 January 1945:
At 1100, convoy HI-87 enters Hong Kong.
15 January 1945:
At 0915, there is an air attack on Hong Kong. Over the next two days, all of HI-87's merchants except SARAWAK MARU suffer varying degrees of battle damage.
17 January 1945:
At 1700 departs Hong Kong.
20 January 1945:
At 1000, convoy HI-88A consisting of tanker SERIA MARU departs Singapore for Moji carrying a cargo of 17,000-tons of gasoline. She is unescorted.
23 January 1945:
CD-41 and kaibokan CD-205 join SERIA MARU as escorts. At 2300, SERIA MARU arrives at Cape St. Jacques, Indochina.
24 January 1944:
At 2300 convoy HI-88A departs Cape St. Jacques.
26 January 1945:
The convoy is attacked by a four-engined bomber, identified as B-24. During the second low-level pass the aircraft is targeted by CD-41 and SERIA MARU, receives several 25-mm hits and crashes near the coast in shallow water; the crew escapes in an inflatable. CD-205 lowers a whaleboat to intercept it, but the enemy pilots manage to reach the shore first.
27 January 1945:
Off Halu Island, Indochina. At about 0700, an unknown submarine fires three torpedoes at SERIA MARU, but they all miss. The convoy briefly stops at Yulin.
28 January 1945:
Departs Yulin.
30 January 1945:
S of Hong Kong. The convoy is attacked by a lone B-24 heavy bomber, but suffers no damage.
2 February 1945:
At 0500 arrives at Ssu Chiao Shan, E of Shanghai and depart at 1200. Destroyers SUGI and KASHI join the escort of convoy HI-88A. CD-205 is detached for Shanghai.
5 February 1945:
Kaibokan KASADO meets up with the convoy as an additional escort.
6 February 1945:
At 1500 arrives at Katoku Suido. Kaibokan OKINAWA joins the convoy.
7 February 1945:
At 0500 departs Katoku Suido. Later in the day kaibokan ETOROFU joins the convoy from Sasebo. At 1630 the convoy arrives at Mutsure.
9 February 1945:
At 0900 departs Moji.
10 February 1945:
Arrives at Sasebo. Undergoes repairs.
26 February 1945:
Departs Sasebo.
27 February 1945:
Arrives at Moji.
1 March 1945:
At 0800, CD-41 departs Mutsure for Keelung with kaibokan CD-26, IKUNA, minesweepers W-15 and W-17 and subchaser CH-19 escorting convoy MOTA-40 consisting of IKOMASAN, AIZAN, DAIKI, TOYOGAWA, KITAKATA, ANKO and DOSHI MARUs.
5 March 1945:
Off Akuseki Jima, Ryukyu Islands. At 1042, LtCdr (later Captain) Walter F. Schlech's (USNA ’36) USS TILEFISH (SS-307) torpedoes and damages W-15's stern at 29-36N, 129-45E. W-15 is beached on Suwasi Island and later abandoned, a constructive total loss. [1]
9 March 1945:
At 2010, convoy MOTA-40 arrives at Keelung.
16 March 1945:
At 0100, CD-41 departs Keelung for Moji with kaibokan IKUNA and minesweeper W-17 escorting convoy TAMO-49 consisting of NANKING, IKOMASAN, KITAKATA and AIZAN MARUs. A USN PB4Y (B-24) attacks TAMO-49 and damages KITAKATA MARU at 29-09N, 122-07E.
17 March 1945:
Off Fuchow, China. At about 0100, Cdr (later Rear Admiral) William S. Post’s (USNA ’30) USS SPOT (SS-413) torpedoes and damages IKOMASAN MARU at 25-58N, 119-58E. Seven passengers, four Auxiliary Gunners and six of the crew were killed. She is beached off Matsu Island. At 0335, Cdr Post torpedoes and sinks NANKING MARU at 25-33N, 120-10E. At the time the ship was carrying 411 passengers, 32 Ship’s Gunners and 60 crew, of whom there was a single solitary survivor with a total of 502 being killed. USS SPOT is damaged by gunfire from one or more of the escorts. Later that day, USAAF B-25 “Mitchells” further damage IKOMASAN MARU. A further five crewmen are killed in this second attack. At 1630 arrives at Pai Ta Liehtao.
18 March 1945:
At 0630 departs Pai Ta Lieh Tao. later arrives at Mazu Shan (Matsu Island).
19 March 1945:
Departs Matsu Island.
20 March 1945:
At 1810 arrives at Chiu Shan Liehtao.
21 March 1945:
Departs Chiu Shan Liehtao.
22 March 1945:
Arrives at Ssu Chiao Shan.
23 March 1945:
At 1000 departs Ssu Chiao Shan.
26 March 1945:
IKOMASAN MARU is attacked and again damaged by USAAF aircraft.
28 March 1945:
At 2045 arrives at Yuya Wan.
31 March 1945:
At 1400, arrives at Moji.
25 April 1945:
Reassigned to First Escort Fleet's 102nd Escort Squadron.
E 27 April 1945:
S of Japan. CD-41 and kaibokan SAKITO and YASHIRO join convoy SHIMO-03 consisting of KASHIMA, BANSHU, ABUKUMAGAWA, SHINTON and DAIKYU MARUs and tanker NANRYU MARU No. 9 escorted by destroyer ASAGAO, patrol boat P-102 (ex-USS STEWART, DD-224), kaibokan UKU, CD-26, subchaser CH-20, and minesweeper W-29.
28 April 1945:
At 1200, SHIMO-03 arrives at Moji.
9 June 1945:
Tsushima Strait, SE of Mokpo, Korea. CD-41 and YASHIRO participated in the anti-submarine sweep AS-3. At 0455, LtCdr Warren C. Hall’s (USNA ’37) USS SEA OWL (SS-405) fires six torpedoes at CD-41. One torpedo hits her munitions magazine. CD-41 explodes and disappears at 34-18N, 127-18E. CD-41 was lost with 173 hands.
USN codebreakers intercept and decrypt a message from kaibokan YASHIRO that reads: “CD-41 torpedoed by enemy submarine. (Sunk ?) in position (34-22N, 128-11E ?).”
10 August 1945:
Removed from the Navy List.
Authors’ Note:
[1] Some sources indicate that W-15 was part of the escort of MOTA-40, but others do not.
Thanks go to John Whitman of the USA for info on CNO intercepts of Japanese messages and to Erich Muehlthaler of Germany for info on TAMA-36 and to Mr. Gilbert Casse of France for general assistance.
-Bob Hackett, Sander Kingsepp and Peter Cundall
Back to
Escort Page
