© 2008-2018 Bob Hackett and Peter Cundall
Revision 4
15 July 1944:
Tsurumi, Yokohama. Laid down at Nippon Kokan K. K.’s shipyard.
14 September 1944:
LtCdr Chiba Fukushi is appointed Chief Equipping Officer.
29 September 1944:
Launched and numbered CD-47.
2 November 1944:
CD-47 is commissioned and registered in the IJN. Attached to Yokosuka Naval District. LtCdr Chiba is the Commanding Officer.
31 December 1944:
Departs Kure.
3 January 1945:
Arrives at Yokosuka.
7 January 1945:
Departs Yokosuka and later that day arrives at Tateyama.
8 January 1945:
At 0600 CD-47 departs Tateyama with CD-6, submarine chaser CH-52 and auxiliary patrol boats KINJO MARU and YUTAKA MARU No. 7 escorting convoy No. 3107 consisting of DAISHO and NAGATSU MARUs bound for Chichi-Jima and KYUSHU MARU bound for Haha Jima.
11 January 1945:
Arrives at Haha Jima.
12 January 1945:
CD-47 departs Haha-Jima and meets up with CD-6, and submarine chaser CH-52 and auxiliary patrol boat KINJO MARU escorting convoy No. 4112 consisting of DAISHO and NAGATSU MARUs from Chichi-Jima and KYUSHU MARU from Haha Jima bound for Tateyama.
15 January 1945:
Under stormy weather, KYUSHU MARU straggles behind the convoy escorted by subchaser CH-52 and auxiliary patrol boat KINJO MARU.
16 January 1945:
At 1920, subchaser CH-52 detaches from the escort and engages in ASW sweep at position 34-15N, 140-05E.
17 January 1945:
At 2045 arrives at Tateyama.
18 January 1945:
Departs Tateyama and later arrives at Yokosuka.
26 January 1945:
At 0900, CD-47 departs Yokosuka for Chichi-Jima with subchasers CH-51, CH-52 and auxiliary subchaser TAKUNAN MARU No. 10 escorting convoy No. 3126 consisting of AITOKU, DAISHO, KYUSHU and RYUJIN MARUs. Anchors overnight at Tateyama.
29 January 1945:
At 0600, departs Tateyama.
29 January 1945:
At 2108, three North American B-25 “Mitchell” medium bombers attack the convoy. They hit auxiliary subchaser TAKUNAN MARU No. 10 with five rockets that leave her flooding and unnavigable. At about 0200, CH-52 takes her under tow, but the tow line parts and TAKUNAN MARU No. 10 sinks. Two crewmen are KIA. CD-47 is also damaged by the planes, probably by strafing, at 27-45N, 142-00E.
30 January 1945:
Arrives at Chichi-Jima. The convoy unloads and at 2230 all ships depart except RYUJIN MARU forming convoy 4130.
3 February 1945:
Arrives at Tateyama.
16 February 1945:
Yokohama. Aircraft of Vice Admiral (later Admiral)
Marc A. Mitscher’s (USNA ’10) (former CO of USS HORNET) Task Force 58 damage CD-47 and the ship proceeds to Yokohama for repairs.
12 March 1945:
Repairs are completed. Departs Yokohama and transfers to Yokosuka.
17 March 1945:
Departs Yokosuka escorting convoy No. 3317 consisting of UNYO MARU No. 6.
18 March 1945:
Arrives at Hachijo Jima.
21 March 1945:
Departs Hachijo Jima escorting convoy No. 4321 consisting of UNYO MARU No. 6 and later that day arrives at Shimoda.
23 March 1945:
At 0300 departs Shimoda with auxiliary submarine chaser TOSHI MARU No. 3 (part way only) escorting convoy No. 3323 consisting of NANKO MARU and UNYO MARU No. 6 for Hachijo Jima.
24 March 1945:
At 1700 arrives at Hachijo Jima.
25 March 1945:
CD-47 departs Shimoda with submarine chaser CH-52 and auxiliary submarine chaser FUMI MARU escorting convoy No. 3325 consisting of HAKUTETSU MARU No. 5, NIKKO MARU No. 2 and TOKO MARU and later that day arrives at Hachijo Jima.
27 March 1945:
At 0400 departs Hachijo Jima escorting convoy No. 4327 consisting of NANKO MARU and UNYO MARU No. 6 and later that day at 1700 arrives at Shimoda. It is probable auxiliary subchaser TOSHI MARU No. 3 met the convoy on the way in.
28 March 1945:
Departs Shimoda and later that day arrives at Yokosuka.
18 April 1945:
At 0600 departs Yokosuka.
20 April 1945:
Arrives at Ominato.
25 April 1945:
At 1800, CD-47 departs Ominato, Honshu for Kashiwabara,
Paramushiro Island, Kuriles with kaibokan HACHIJO and SHIMUSHU escorting convoy KI-503
consisting of fleet supply ship SHIRASAKI and AITOKU, KURETAKE and TENRYO MARUs.
2 May 1945:
Arrives at Kashiwabara.
7 May 1945:
Departs Kataoka Wan escorting a convoy.
12 May 1945:
Arrives at Otaru and departs that same day.
13 May 1945:
Arrives at Ominato.
14 May 1945:
CD-6 and CD-47 depart Ominato escorting a convoy.
15 May 1945:
Arrives at Otaru. Later that day departs Otaru with CD-205 escorting "He" convoy consisting of SHICHIYO, KOGA and TETSUYO MARUs.
19 May 1945:
Arrived at Kataoka Wan.
16 May 1945:
Departs Otaru escorting a convoy.
19 May 1945:
Arrives at Kataoka Wan.
26 May 1945:
At 2000, SHIMUSHU departs Paramushiro, Kuriles for Otaru, Hokkaido with kaibokan HACHIJO, CD-47 and CD-112 and fleet supply ship SHIRASAKI escorting the Chi convoy consisting of KURETAKE, TENRYO and KASUGAYAMA MARUs.
28 May 1945:
At 2000, at 50-00N 146-00E, in dense fog HACHIJO loses contact with the convoy.
29 May 1945:
At 1300, at 47-32N 143-31E, CD-112 departs and starts searching for HACHIJO. At 2055, LtCdr Hugh H. Lewis' (USNR) USS STERLET (SS-392) torpedoes KURETAKE and TENRYO MARUs. KURETAKE MARU's crew struggles to control flooding, but TENRYO MARU sinks soon after being hit taking down 773 men of the 23rd Air Defense Battalion and 26 gunners and 47 crewmen.
30 May 1945:
At 0600, KURETAKE MARU sinks. 372 troops and six crewmen are KIA. SHIMUSHU rescues hundreds of survivors. This ship heads towards Otaru towing two large Daihatsus. At 1200, both Daihatsus flood and sink.
31 May 1945:
Arrives at Otaru.
15 July 1945:
Off Otaru. Vice Admiral (Admiral posthumously) John S. McCain's (USNA ’06) Task Force 38’s
planes damage kaibokan CD-47, CD-55 and KASADO.
14 August 1945:
Sea of Japan, off Kasumi Ko, near Maizuru. At 1035, Cdr (later Rear Admiral-Ret) Bafford E. Lewellen’s (USNA ’31) USS TORSK (SS-423) fires experimental Mark 28 acoustic torpedoes that sink CD-47 at 35-41N, 134-38E. The kaibokan had been escorting a medium-size freighter. As the freighter enters the harbor half an hour later, USS TORSK attempts to sink her, but is unsuccessful.
Around noon, another kaibokan appears and detects USS TORSK's presence. Lewellen submerges to 400 feet and launches two new Mark 27 “Cutie” acoustic torpedoes by sonar bearings that find and sink CD-13 at 35-41N, 134-38E. Cdr Chiba is KIA and posthumously promoted Capt. USS TORSK is held down by enemy planes and patrol vessels for more than seven hours. Later, USS TORSK is credited with firing the last torpedoes and sinking the last
Japanese warships sunk in World War II.
15 September 1945:
Removed from the Navy List.
Thanks to Mr. Gilbert Casse of France and Mr. Matt Jones of Ohio, USA.
-Bob Hackett and Peter Cundall
Back to
Escort Page
