© 2006-2018 Bob Hackett, Sander Kingsepp and Peter Cundall
Revision 10
5 October 1943:
Tokyo Bay. Laid down at Yokosuka Navy Yard as kaibokan No. 27.
30 December 1943:
Launched and numbered CD-4.
20 January 1944:
Reserve Lt (later LtCdr) Hara Toshihisa (current Chief Equipping Officer of CD-2) is appointed CEO of CD-4 and CD-6 as an additional duty.
30 January 1944:
Reserve Lt (later LtCdr) Mizutani Katsuji (former CO of CH-3) is appointed CEO.
7 March 1944:
Completed and registered in the IJN. Attached to Yokosuka Naval District. Assigned to Kure Guard Force. Reserve Lt (promoted LtCdr 1 May 1944) Mizutani Katsuji is the CO.
2 April 1944:
Assigned to the General Escort Command's First Surface Escort Division.
7 April 1944:
At 0330, CD-4 departs Tateyama, Tokyo Bay with destroyer SATSUKI and kaibokan KASADO and MANJU escorting convoy HIGASHI MATSU No. 5 (outbound), consisting of tanker SEIYO MARU, and transports ASOSAN, TOSAN, MIIKE and NOTO MARUs.
10 April 1944:
At 1030 arrives at Chichi Jima.
11 April 1944:
At 1735 CD-4 departs Futami, Chichi Jima on patrol.
12 April 1944:
At 0530 returns to port. At 1700 MANJU departs Chichijima on patrol. At 1930 the kaibokan detects an enemy submarine. At 2005 SATSUKI, KASADO and kaibokan CD-4 all depart Chichi Jima to join the hunt for the enemy submarine.
13 April 1944:
At 0935 departs Chichi Jima on patrol.
14 April 1944:
At 0035 returns to port.
15 April 1944:
At 1700 departs Chichi Jima on patrol.
16 April 1944:
At 0730 returns to Chichi Jima.
18 April 1944:
At 1617 the convoy departs Chichi Jima. (KASADO, CD-4 and MANJU have already departed between 1350 and 1410).
24 April 1944:
At 1115 arrives at Palau.
26 April 1944:
At 1640, CD-4 departs Palau for Tokyo with destroyer SATSUKI and kaibokan MANJU and KASADO escorting convoy HIGASHI MATSU No. 5, consisting of ASOSAN, TOSAN, MIIKE and NOTO MARUs.
27 April 1944:
At about 0100, LtCdr (later Vice Admiral) Frederick J. Harlfinger's (USNA '37) USS TRIGGER (SS-237) torpedoes and hits and damages ASOSAN and MIIKE MARUs. At 0430, as ASOSAN MARU is being abandoned, Harlfinger torpedoes and blows the bow off kaibokan KASADO. Fuel flowing from MIIKE MARU catches fire and sets the ship abaze. MANJU is able to rescue some survivors, but MIIKE MARU drifts away and probably sinks the next day. MIIKE MARU was carrying 752 IJA troops and other passengers and 26 funerary urns. Two crewmen, seven gunners and nine passengers are KIA. KASADO and ASOSAN, TOSAN and NOTO MARUs reverse course back to Palau.
29 April 1944:
CD-4 departs Palau with destroyer SATSUKI in a repeat of HIGASHI MATSU No. 5's journey. The convoy now consists of NOTO and TOSAN MARUs.
30 April 1945:
At 1845 CD-4 sights and attacks an enemy submarine.
3 May 1944:
W of Ogasawara Gunto. LtCdr William P. Gruner's (USNA '35) USS SKATE (SS-305) fires four torpedoes at the convoy, but they all miss. CD-4 and SATSUKI counter-attack, but USS SKATE escapes damage.
4 May 1944:
Arrives at Tokyo.
14 May 1944:
At 0430, CD-4 departs Tateyama with destroyer SATSUKI, kaibokan AMAKUSA and CD-6 escorting convoy Higashi Matsu No. 8, carrying elements of the IJA's 43rd Infantry Division including the 135th and 136th Infantry Regiments. The convoy consists of MANJU MARU (ex-SANTOS MARU) and Army transports TOSAN and NOTO MARUs. The convoy steams in a wide arc in bad weather.
19 May 1944:
Arives at Saipan at 1030. Disembarks troops.
7 June 1944:
CD-4 arrives at Saipan escorting the remains of convoy No. 3530, consisting of SHINROKU and KATORI MARUs and two unidentified ships. [1]
11 June 1944:
At 0400, CD-4 departs Saipan for Tokyo Bay with torpedo boat OTORI, subchasers CH-33, CH-50 and CH-51, auxiliary subchasers TAKUNAN MARU No. 8, CHa-20, CHa-50, auxiliary minesweeper Wa-6 and auxiliary netlayer KOKKO MARU escorting convoy No. 4611, consisting of BATAVIA, HINKO, SHINTO (KAMISHIMA), IMIZU, NITCHO, REIKAI, TENRYUGAWA, KEIYO, BOKUYO (MUTSUYO), FUKOKU, MOJI, MAMIYA, INARI and TATSUTAKAWA MARUs, NISSHO MARU No. 1 and 16 other unidentified ships.
12 June 1944:
Mariana Islands area. Aircraft of Vice Admiral (later Admiral) Marc A. Mitscher's (USNA ’10) Task Force 58 attack facilities and shipping in preparation for the landings on Saipan. TG 58.4's carriers USS ESSEX (CV-9), USS LANGLEY (CVL-27) and USS COWPENS' (CVL- 25) decimate CD-4's convoy. They sink torpedo boat OTORI (casualties unknown), and merchant ships KOKKO (two crewmen KIA), BATAVIA (59 crewmen and 18 passengers KIA), HINKO (actually sank after air attack 25 June and submarine attack 19 July, nine crewmen and 12 passengers KIA), KAMISHIMA (SHINTO) (53 crewmen and 54 passengers KIA), IMIZU (67 crewmen KIA), NITCHO (14 crewmen KIA), REIKAI (40 crewmen and 42 passengers KIA), TENRYUGAWA (seven crewmen KIA), BOKUYO (45 crewmen KIA), FUKOKU (51 crewmen and 31 passengers KIA), MOJI (53 crewmen and 5 gunners KIA), KEIYO (casualties unknown) MARUs and and damage TATSUTAKAWA MARU (15 crewmen and two passengers KIA), CD-4, CH-33, CH-50 and CH-51, CHa-20 and Wa-6. CD-4 is repeatedly strafed and develops a leak after several near misses. Eight sailors are lost and 29 wounded.
TATSUTAKAWA MARU is left drifting and finished off by gunfire three days later. MAMIYA MARU is detached and sunk three days later near Iwo Jima with seven crewmen KIA.
15 June 1944:
Reassigned to the General Escort Command's Third Surface Escort Division.
E 15 June 1944:
CD-4 arrives at Chichi Jima and then departs for Yokosuka.
18 June 1944:
At 1500, arrives at Yokosuka for repairs. Twelve 25-mm AA guns (in two twin and eight single mounts), as well as two 13-mm machine guns are installed. Probably during the same refit, CD-4's Type 93 Mod. 1 sonar is replaced with a Type 3 sonar.
13 July 1944:
Departs Yokosuka and later that day arrives at Tateyama.
14 July 1944:
At 1440, CD-4 departs Tateyama for Iwo Jima with Navy Landing Ships Nos. 2 and 105 and subchasers CH-50 and CH-51 escorting convoy No. 3714, consisting of NISSHU, HASSHO and KATSURAGAWA MARUs and UNKAI MARU No. 10.
18 July 1944:
175 miles NW of Chichi Jima. At about 0200, LtCdr Albert L. Becker's (USNA '34) USS COBIA (SS-245) torpedoes and sinks UNKAI MARU No. 10, taking down 19 crewmen. Becker continues to pursue the convoy and at about 0650, he torpedoes and sinks NISSHU MARU with 1,300 troops including the 26th Tank Regiment. Three crewmen, 45 gunners and 48 soldiers including two tank crewmen are KIA and all 28 tanks are lost.
19 July 1944:
Convoy No. 3714 arrives at Iwo Jima.
E 21 July 1944:
Departs Iwo Jima.
E 26 July 1944:
Arrives at Tateyama.
29 July 1944:
CD-4 departs Tateyama for Chichi Jima with destroyer escort MATSU, flagship of the 2nd Convoy Escort Group's Commander Rear Admiral Takahashi Ichimatsu (40)(former CO of TSUGARU), destroyer HATAKAZE, kaibokan CD-12, Navy transport landing ships T.2 and T.4, and subchasers CH-51 and CH-52 escorting convoy No. 3729, consisting of SHOGEN, TONEGAWA, ENJU, KYUSHU, HOKKAI and RYUKO MARUs and UNKAI MARU No. 7.
That same day, light carrier ZUIHO, escorted by destroyer FUYUTSUKI, sorties from Yokosuka to provide air and anti-submarine cover for the convoy.
1 August 1944:
Convoy No. 3729 arrives at Futami Harbor, Chichi Jima. Upon arrival, some of the cargo ships depart for Iwo Jima. Bad weather causes delays in unloading. ZUIHO and FUYUTSUKI, after maintaining position near the lzu Shichito Islands, make for the West Inland Sea.
4 August 1944:
About 0930, an air raid warning is received from Tokyo. All ships proceed to sea in convoy No. 4804. From 1030 on, the convoy is attacked by three waves of aircraft of Rear Admiral (later Admiral) Joseph J. Clark's (former CO of USS YORKTOWN, CV-10) Task Group 58.1. The first wave attacks the convoy 20 miles NW of Chichi Jima. Destroyer HATAKAZE suffers rudder damage. At about 1100, kaibokan CD-4 is near-missed by bombs fore and aft to starboard and is strafed. She suffers slight damage with two men KIA and 21 wounded. The Japanese claim shooting down several aircraft.
In the second raid, ENJU MARU is sunk taking down 52 of her crew and 21 passengers. The third strike occurs between 1600 and 1630, during which the majority of the ships succumb to torpedo attacks from both sides of the convoy. CD-12 incurs some damage. After organizing the rescue of the convoy's survivors, flagship MATSU leads the still intact escort group and TONEGAWA MARU, the lone surviving cargo ship, northwards.
At 1254, Rear Admiral (Admiral-Ret) Laurance T. DuBose's (USNA '17) Task Unit 58.1.6, consisting of CruDiv 13's USS SANTA FE (F) (CL-60), USS MOBILE (CL-63), USS BILOXI (CL-80) and USS OAKLAND (CL-95), DesDiv 100's USS COGSWELL (DD-651), USS INGERSOLL (DD-652) and USS KNAPP (DD-653) and DesDiv 91's USS IZARD (DD-589), USS CHARRETTE (DD-581), USS BURNS (DD-588) and USS BROWN (DD-546) is detached to sink the cripples.
At 1800, CD-4 sights DuBose's warships closing from the south. Rear Admiral Takahashi orders CD-4 to protect TONEGAWA MARU and continue fleeing while his flagship MATSU attempts to draw off the Americans. At 1930, MATSU is taken under fire and sunk by shell fire of USS COGSWELL, USS INGERSOLL and USS KNAPP at 27-40N, 141-48E. Rear Admiral Takahashi Ichimatsu (40) is KIA as are all but six
of MATSU's crew. He is promoted Vice Admiral, posthumously.
Later, the Americans overtake and sink TONEGAWA MARU taking down 83 crewmen and 61 soldiers. CD-4, CD-12, HATAKAZE and subchaser CH-51 escape.
6 August 1944:
Arrives at Shimoda harbor to disembark the wounded personnel, then departs for Yokosuka.
7 August 1944:
Arrives at Yokosuka.
15 August 1944:
CD-4 departs Yokosuka with light cruiser YASOJIMA (ex-Chinese P'ING HAI) and IOSHIMA, auxiliary minesweeper TOSHI MARU No. 8, Naval transport landing ship T.134 and kaibokan CD-12 in convoy No. 3815, consisting of SHORYU MARU and HIYOSHI MARU No. 2. The warships are carrying supply drums with ammunition and food for the garrison of Iwo Jima. The merchant ships only proceed as far as Haha Jima.
25 August 1944:
After sundown, the escorts and T.134 arrive off the coast of Iwo Jima. After establishing the contact with shore units, the drums are released offshore.
6 September 1944:
CD-4 departs Yokosuka for Haha Jima with light cruiser YASOJIMA and kaibokan CD-12 and auxiliary subchaser FUMI MARU escorting convoy No. 3905, consisting of SHORYU and TOKIWASAN MARUs.
E 7 September 1944:
Arrives at Tateyama.
8 September 1944:
Submarine Chaser CH-44 and auxiliary submarine chaser TAKUNAN MARU No. 6, escorting convoy No. 3908, consisting of IKUTAGAWA MARU and Oil Tanker No. 3998. CD-4 apparently joins en route.
9 September 1944:
At 1520, No. 3905 convoy departs Tateyama. At about 1600, shortly after the ships leave port, LtCdr Anton R. Gallaher's (USNA '33) USS BANG (SS-385) torpedoes and sinks both TOKIWASAN MARU carrying the 1st Shinyo Air Base Group and taking down nine crewmen and 14 passengers, and SHORYU MARU with the loss of four of her crew and 64 passengers, at 28-58N, 137-45E.
13 September 1944:
Arrives at Chichi Jima.
14 September 1944:
At 1800 departs Chichi Jima with submarine chaser CH-44 and auxiliary submarine chaser TAKUNAN MARU No. 6 escorting convoy No. 4913, consisting of IKUTAGAWA MARU and Oil Tanker No. 3998.
17 September 1944:
At 0425, auxiliary submarine chaser TAKUNAN MARU No. 6 suffers an engine failure and starts to drift.
At 0700, kaibokan AMAKUSA departs Tateyama to assist and subsequently tow TAKUNAN MARU No. 6 which is a drift at position bearing 120 degrees 20 miles off Mikurajima.
At 0745, at position bearing 37 degrees 3 miles off Miyakejima CH-44 meets up with TAKUNAN MARU No. 6. Shortly after CH-44 returns to convoy No. 4913.
At 1015, at position bearing 140 degrees 3 miles off Oshima AMAKUSA meets up with TAKANAN MARU No. 6. TAKUNAN MARU No. 6 meanwhile has managed to repair her engine failure and can navigate on her own again.
At 1700, AMAKUSA arrives with TAKUNAN MARU No. 6 at Yokosuka outer harbor. The convoy arrives at Yokosuka at an unknown time.
10 October 1944:
Departs Tateyama with auxiliary minesweeper SEKI MARU No. 3 escorting convoy No. 3007, consisting of JUZAN MARU No. 1.
14 October 1944:
Arrives at Chichi Jima.
15 October 1944:
Departs Chichi Jima with auxiliary minesweeper SEKI MARU No. 3 escorting convoy No. 4015, consisting of JUZAN MARU No. 1.
20 October 1944:
Arrives At Yokohama.
4 November 1944:
CD-4, submarine chasers CH-44, CH-51 and CH-52 and auxiliary submarine chaser TAKUNAN MARU No. 2 depart Tateyama escorting convoy No. 3103, consisting of KAIKO, SHIBAZONO, SHOTO MARUs and Oil Tanker No. 3998.
8 November 1944:
Arrives at Chichi Jima. Late that day CD-4 with submarine chasers CH-44, CH-51, CH-52 and auxiliary submarine chaser TAKUNAN MARU No. 2 departs Chichi Jima escorting convoy No. 4108, consisting of KAIKO, SHIBAZONO, SHOTO MARUs and Oil Tanker No. 3998.
11 November 1944:
N of Hachijo Island. A patrol bomber from the 901st NAG spots a submarine in that area, attacks it with depth charges and then conducts CD-4 to the scene of attack. An oil slick is sighted and soon a sonar
contact is made from a distance of 3,300 yds. LtCdr John G. Hollingsworth's (USNA '31) USS SCAMP (SS-277) attempts to attack the approaching escort, firing a divergent spread of three torpedoes from a distance of 1,100 yds. LtCdr Mizutani evades all of them and conducts three depth charge attacks. After a
total of 70 depth charges have been expended, several giant air bubbles and large quantities of oil are sighted on the surface. USS SCAMP is lost with all 83 hands at 33-38N, 141-00E.
12 November 1944:
Arrives at Tateyama.
13 November 1944:
Arrives at Yokosuka.
15 November 1944:
CD-4 is awarded a Letter of Merit by the freshly appointed CinC of Maritime Escort Fleet, Adm Nomura Naokuni. CD-4 is the very first escort vessel to receive such award.
13 December 1944:
Repairs at Yokosuka are completed.
16 December 1944:
At 0800, CD-4 departs Yokosuka for Chichi Jima with kaibokan AMAKUSA, CD-56, minesweeper W-27 and auxiliary subchaser TAKUNAN MARU No. 2 escorting convoy No. 3217, consisting of AITOKU MARU, UNYO MARU No. 6 and HIYOSHI MARU No. 2. The convoy first arrives for assembly at Tateyama.
17 December 1944:
Departs Tateyama.
20 December 1944:
Arrives at Chichi Jima.
21 December 1944:
At 0337, HIYOSHI MARU No. 2 is mined and badly damaged and has to be beached off Kagaura. AMAKUSA also sets off a magnetic mine beneath her keel, but with the aid of two pumps borrowed from CD-56 is able to
control the flooding and proceed.
22 December 1944:
At 1400, CD-4 departs Chichi Jima for Yokosuka with the convoy on its return journey. The convoy is renumbered as No. 4222.
26 December 1944:
At 1700, arrives at Yokosuka.
31 December 1944:
Departs Yokosuka and later that day arrives at Tateyama.
1 January 1945:
CD-4 departs Tateyama for Chichi Jima with kaibokan CD-56 and auxiliary subchaser TAKUNAN MARU No. 2 escorting convoy No. 3231, consisting of SHOTO, AITOKU MARUs and UNYO MARU No. 6.
4 January 1945:
At 0100, arrives at Chichi Jima. Unlaods and departs the same day. Renamed convoy No. 4104. At about 1705, small cargo ship SHOTO MARU is torpedoed and slowly sinks. Auxiliary subchaser TAKUNAN MARU No. 2
removes most of her crew, but six men are lost. CD-4 counterattacks the submarine. [2]
8 January 1945:
At 1000, arrives at Tateyama.
9 January 1945:
Departs Tateyama and at 1500, arrives at Yokosuka.
20 January 1945:
Transfers from Yokosuka to Yokohama.
22 January 1945:
Departs Yokohama and later that day arrives at Tateyama.
23 January 1945:
At 0600 CD-4 departs Tateyama with kaibokan AMAKUSA, submarine chaser CH-44 and auxiliary submarine chaser SHONAN MARU No. 8 escorting convoy No. 3122, consisting of NAGATSU and MIYO MARUs and Oil Tanker
No. 3998.
27 January 1945:
At 0530 arrives at Chichi Jima.
28 January 1945:
At 0200 CD-4, AMAKUSA, submarine chasers CH-42 and CH-44 and auxiliary submarine chaser SHONAN MARU No. 8 depart Chichi Jima for home islands, escorting Convoy No. 4127, consisting of NAGATSU, MIYO MARUs and
Oil Tanker No. 3998.
S of Yome Jima, Bonins. After 2110, the convoy is attacked by a single Boeing B-29 "Superfortress". During the brief encounter one sailor from CD-4 is lost in the dark, probably washed overboard during an evasive manoeuvre.
30 January 1945:
Off Mikura Island. At 0735, Cdr. John J. Foote's USS THREADFIN (SS-410) torpedoes and sinks the 1,864-ton ISSEI MARU in 33-30N, 135-34E. The submarine is spotted by a Nakajima B5N2 "Kate" torpedo bomber from the 903rd NAG, who alerts the passing convoy. CD-4 is detached to the scene of attack. She conducts a depth-charge attack, forcing the submarine to the depth of 462 ft.
6 March 1945:
CD-4 departs Yokosuka escorting RYUJIN MARU.
7 March 1945:
Arrives at Hachijo Jima.
10 March 1945:
Departs Hachijo Jima escorting RYUJIN MARU.
11 March 1945:
Arrives back at Tokyo Bay and undertakes training exercises for the next fortnight.
25 March 1945:
Reserve LtCdr Ito Toshio (former CO of CH-49) is appointed CO.
27 March 1945:
Departs Yokosuka escorting convoy No. 3327, consisting of NANYO MARU No. 1.
29 March 1945:
Arrives at Hachijo Jima.
30 March 1945:
Departs Hachijo Jima escorting convoy No. 4330, consisting of NANYO MARU No. 1 and later that day arrives at Tateyama.
31 March 1945:
Departs Tateyama and later that day arrives at Nagaura Bay, Yokosuka.
8 April 1945:
Departs Yokosuka.
9 April 1945:
Arrives at Shimoda.
10 April 1945:
Departs Shimoda, escorting NANKO MARU.
11 April 1945:
Arrives at Hachijo Jima.
12 April 1945:
At 1500 departs Hachijo Jima, escorting NANKO MARU.
13 April 1945:
At 0903 arrives at Shimoda.
15 April 1945:
Reassigned to the 4th Special Attack Unit at Toba Bay as its flagship, simultaneously serving as a makeshift tender for "Shinyo" explosive boats and "Fukuryu" suicide divers. Prior to this at 0500 departs Shimoda, escorting NANKO MARU and at 1900 arrives at Hachijo Jima.
16 April 1945:
At 0400 departs Hachijo Jima, escorting NANKO MARU and later that day at 1200 returns to escort TOKO MARU. At 1507 TOKO MARU is torpedoed and sunk in 33-31N 139-36E by USS SEA DOG. 21 crewmen are KIA.
17 April 1945:
At 0400 arrives at Yokohama.
23 April 1945:
At 0900 departs Yokosuka.
24 April 1945:
At 1600 arrives at Toba Wan.
27 April 1945:
Departs Toba Wan.
29 April 1945:
At 1410 arrives back at Toba Wan.
3-6 May 1945:
Escorting a convoy in the Ise Wan area.
1 July 1945:
Departs Toba Bay for Yokosuka.
2 July 1945:
Arrives at Yokosuka.
11-16 July 1945:
Dry-docked for upkeep.
21 July 1945:
Departs Yokosuka for Toba, stopping at Shimizu en route.
24 July 1945:
Arrives at Toba, Inland Sea area, Japan. CD-4 is attacked and damaged by aircraft from Vice Admiral (Admiral posthumously) John S. McCain's (USNA '06) (former CO of USS RANGER, CV-4) Task Force 38.
25 July 1945:
Toba. After 1440, CD-4 is again attacked by aircraft from Task Force 38. She receives a direct hit to the depth charge storage aft; the ensuing explosion devastates the entire stern area and the escort vessel is run aground in shallow water to prevent her loss. 22 sailors are killed, 21 wounded (two of them die later).
28 July 1945:
Ise Bay. After 0740, the CD-4 is attacked by planes of Vice Admiral (later Admiral) Sir Bernard J. Rawlings, RN, Task Force 37's (British Pacific Fleet) carrier HMS FORMIDABLE. She receives three rocket hits and 20 near misses. At 1345 the vessel is abandoned by her crew. At 1425, CD-4 settles to the ground in 34-43N, 136-43E. Five sailors are lost.
10 August 1945:
The crew of CD-4 is disbanded. Reserve LtCdr Ito Toshio is attached to Yokosuka Naval District HQ.
15 September 1945:
Removed from the Navy List.
30 June 1948:
Refloated. Scrapped.
Authors' Note:
[1] It is unclear exactly when CD-4 became involved in escort of this ravaged convoy.
[2] The identity of the attacking submarine is unclear. Alden credits LtCdr Talbot E. Harper's (USNA '37) USS KINGFISH (SS-234); however, there is a discrepancy in the time of the attack with Japanese sources. Some Japanese sources credit SHOTO MARU to LtCdr Edmund K. Montross' (USNA '35) USS SWORDFISH (SS-193) and further claim the submarine was sunk by CD-4's counter-attack.
Postwar, during interrogation of the former CO of CD-4 regarding attacks on Convoy No. 4611, he says: "The torpedo boat was sunk and Coast Defense Ship No. 4 was severely damaged by strafing. One hundred men, about half the crew were either killed or wounded......... Next morning the weather was still bad so I returned to the area to search for survivors. During the next three days I
looked for other ships of the convoy and then returned to Japan."
Thanks go to Dr. Higuchi Tatsuhiro of Japan, Mr. Berend van der Wal of Netherlands and Mr. Gilbert Casse of France. Thanks also go to Jeff Donahoo of Iowa and Matthew Jones of Ohio, USA for help in identifying kaibokan COs.
-Bob Hackett, Sander Kingsepp and Peter Cundall
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