© 2009-2016 Bob Hackett and Peter Cundall
Revision 2
24 August 1944:
Kobe. Laid down at Mitsubishi Heavy Industries’ shipyard.
28 November 1944:
Launched and numbered CD-69.
20 December 1944:
Completed and registered in the Maizuru Naval Disrict.
5 February 1945:
At 0700, CD-69 departs Moji for Hong Kong with kaibokan CD-40 and subchaser CH-21 escorting convoy MOHO-02. The convoy consists of MIHO, KINSEN, PEKING and BANSAI MARUs. The convoy sails via the Korean coast stopping at Jinsen.
9 February 1945:
At 1915, anchors at Chusan (Shoushan) Island.
10 February 1945:
Departs the anchorage. The convoy later stops at Amoy.
14 February 1945:
At 1100, arrives at Hong Kong. [1]
20 February 1945:
CD-69 departs Hong Kong with kaibokan CD-18 escorting convoy SASHI-42 consisting of two unidentified merchant ships.
24 February 1945:
Arrives at Singapore. [1]
27 February 1945:
CD-69 departs Singapore for Moji with kaibokan CD-130 and CD-134 escorting convoy HI-98 consisting of oilers PALEMBANG MARU and RYOEI MARUs.
3 March 1945:
Cap St. Jacques, Indochina. At 0730, convoy HI-98 arrives from Singapore. CD-1 joins convoy HI-98's escort. At 0930, the convoy departs.
4 March 1945:
At 0930, LtCdr Benjamin C. Jarvis' (USNA ’39) USS BAYA (SS-318) fires six torpedoes at PALEMBANG and RYOEI MARUs. Those aimed at RYOEI MARU miss, but two torpedoes hit PALEMBANG MARU, with a cargo of gasoline, copper and crude rubber, amidships. She explodes and sinks immediately at 12-52N, 103-30E. Nearly all hands (67 crewmen, 59 gunners and nine passengers) are KIA. Only four survived. CD-69 and CD-134 remain behind and drop 47 depth-charges, but do not damage BAYA. At 2300, the convoy anchors at Tourane.
5 March 1945:
At 0600, CD-69 and CD-134 arrive at Tourane and rejoin the convoy that departs at 0700 for Samah, Hainan Island. At 1110, RYOEI MARU is torpedoed by Reserve LtCdr H. S. Simpson's USS BASHAW (SS-241) at 16-46N, 108-41E with fuel oil. She sinks within the hour taking down 19 crewmen, 19 gunners and nine passengers. At 2130 CD-69 arrives at Yulin.
8 March 1945:
At 0600, departs Yulin for Moji with kaibokan MIKURA, CD-33, CD-36 and subchaser CH-21 escorting convoy YUMO-01 consisting TATSUMIYA MARU. Later that day, the convoy is attacked at sea by USAAF 14th Air Force B-24 “Liberator” heavy bombers at 19-02, 111-50E. A bomb hits CD-69's smokestack and blows the engine room through the ship's bottom into the water. CD-69 stops instantly. She lists to port and her stern sinks about 1/2 foot below the sea's surface. 26 men are KIA, 30 injured. CD-69 drifts during the night. [2]
9 March 1945:
At 0806, USN codebreakers intercept and decrypt a message from CD-36 that reads: “At 1959 [on the 8th], Coast Defense Vessel No. 69 was bombed by enemy aircraft in position 19-02N, 110-56E. -----. Killed on Coast Defense Vessel No. 69: 3 (warrant officers and above?) and 23 ratings. Severely wounded ------. No damage to this vessel.”
At 1430 the badly damaged escort arrives at Ta Sha.
13 March 1945:
At 1600 after temporary repairs to reinforce the hull, CD-69 is towed at five knots to Hong Kong to undergo repairs.
16 March 1945:
Eight miles off Hong Kong. While in tow, CD-69 breaks in two and sinks vertically at 22-00N, 113-40E.
At 1136, codebreakers decrypt a message from the CO of CD-69 that reads: Because of heavy seas the engine room was cut off and at 0714 we sank quickly in position bearing 1300 (sic), 8 miles distant from Mawei------.”
5 October 1945:
Removed from the Navy List.
Authors’ Notes:
[1] Japanese sources conflict on this entry. Our data is primarily from Japanese author Komamiya.
[2] Japanese sources conflict on the number of casualties. Our data are from CNO intercepts of Japanese messages.
Thanks go to the late John Whitman of Virginia, USA for info on CNO intercepts of Japanese messages and for info in Rev 1. Thanks also to Mr. Gilbert Casse of France for general assistance.
-Bob Hackett and Peter Cundall
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