©2010-2016 Bob Hackett and Sander Kingsepp
Revision 1
20 February 1939:
Osaka. Laid down at Sakurajima Iron Works shipyard as a
999-ton ocean-going gunboat.
23 December 1939:
Launched and named HASHIDATE.
1 February 1940:
Cdr (Rear Admiral, posthumously) Kagawa Kiyoto (46)
is appointed Chief Equipping Officer (CEO).
30 June 1940:
Completed and fitted to act as a flagship. Cdr Kagawa is
appointed Commanding Officer (CO).
20 September 1941:
Cdr Yamashiro Katsumori (47) is appointed CO.
December 1941:
Attached to the China Area Fleet in Vice Admiral Hara
Kiyoshi's (former CO of OCA IWATE) Second China Expeditionary Fleet's 15th
Escort Squadron with gunboat SAGA and torpedo boats HIYODORI and KASASAGI.
6 December 1941: Operation "C" - The Invasion of the British Crown Colony
of Hong Kong:
Light cruiser ISUZU is attached to the 15th Escort Squadron.
25 December 1941:
Hong Kong surrenders.
26 December 1941:
Arrives at Hong Kong. Conducts patrols and
participates in rescue operations from this port.
10 April 1942:
The 15th Squadron is deactivated. Thereafter, attached
to the China Area Fleet’s Second China Expeditionary Fleet.
7 October 1942:
Cdr (Captain, posthumously) Tsuyuguchi Misao (50) is
appointed CO.
Ca. 1943:
Five additional Type 96 25 mm AA guns are fitted bring her
25 mm suite to nine barrels.
14 September 1943:
After the death of Cdr Tsuyuguchi Cdr (Captain,
posthumously) Murai Sadatoshi (50)(former XO of KUMA) is appointed CO.
Ca. 1944:
Fitted with depth charges for escort duty.
May 1944:
HASHIDATE departs Hong Kong for Takao escorting convoy No.
88 consisting of TSUKUBA MARU, SHINJU MARU and ATSURI GO MARU.
20 May 1944:
At 1755, USN codebreakers intercept and decrypt a message
from gunboat HASHIDATE that reads: “Sighted four B-24s at 1755 at 21-20N,
117-10E. We are engaging them.”
At 2025 codebreakers decrypt another message from HASHIDATE that reads: “
“Action Summary #1. 1. At 1752 we received attack from four B-24 planes and
engaged them -----. 2. -----. 3. Damage: (a) TSUKUBA MARU, SHINJU MARU and
ATSURI GO are unable to make way because of near misses (The engine room of
TSUKUBA MARU is flooding. We are afraid she will sink.) -----. (b) killed – 6
(confirmed) (c) Although we were strafed and received three hits on the side
above the water line there is no flooding. No damage to personnel or ordnance.”
22 May 1944:
Off Pratas Island, South China Sea. At about 1800, LtCdr
Albert L. Raborn’s USS PICUDA (SS-382) comes across gunboat HASHIDATE towing
crippled passenger-cargo ship TSUKUBA MARU (damaged on 20 May 1944 by 14th Air
Force B-24s), accompanied by salvage vessel SONJO MARU. PICUDA fires four bow
torpedoes and sinks HASHIDATE. She also severely damages TSUKUBA MARU with the
same salvo at 21-18N, 117-12E. SONJO MARU makes her escape and reaches Hong
Kong.
22 May 1944:
Cdr Murai is KIA.
23 May 1944:
Land-based U. S. Army aircraft attack and sink damaged
TSUKUBA MARU.
At 1238 USN codebreakers intercept and decrypt a message from an unknown
station that reads: “It appears that the HASHIDATE while escorting convoy #88
---- at 1945 while engaged together with SONJO MARU which had been dispatched
from Hong Kong in salvage operations of TSUKUBA MARU received torpedo attack in
position 21-08N, 117-20E, and sank simultaneously with latter vessel---.”
10 July 1944:
Removed from the Navy List.
Author's Notes:
[1] No data were found for HASHIDATE's movements from 1942
to May '44. Readers with access to any such data are requested to post the
information on the Discussion
and Questions board or j-aircraft.org's IJN
Ship Message Board
Thanks go to Matthew Jones and Fontessa-san of Japan for help in
identifying COs. Thanks also go to the late John Whitman for info on CNO
intercepts of Japanese messages.
-Bob Hackett and Sander Kingsepp
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