© 2009-2016 Bob Hackett and Peter Cundall
Revision 3
26 December 1944:
Uraga, Kanagawa Prefecture. Laid down as yard number 575 at Uraga Dock Company´s shipyard as warship number 5258.
8 January 1945:
Named IKARA.
19 February 1945:
LtCdr Matsumura Soichiro (former CO of YASOSHIMA) is posted Chief Equipping Officer.
22 February 1945:
Launched.
30 April 1945:
Completed and registered in the IJN. Complement is 251. Departs Uraga for Yokosuka. Later this day, arrives at Yokosuka where IKARA receives provisions and ammunition. Attached to the anti-sub training force of the Kure Guard Unit.
3 March 1945:
LtCdr Matsumura is appointed Commanding Officer.
5 May 1945:
Attached to the Maizuru Naval District in the anti-sub training force of the newly formed 51st Squadron. Later this day departs Yokosuka for Nanao via Onagawa, Hakodate and Ominato. In the evening, IKARA´s sonar makes contact with what is believed to be an enemy submarine. LtCdr Matsumura orders a depth charge attack and a dozen depth charges are dropped. Lookouts watched the surface for debris. Then something floats up resembling a torn up whale.
6 May 1945:
Arrives at Onagawa, Miyagi Prefecture.
7 May 1945:
Departs Onagawa. At midnight arrives at Hakodate, Hokkaido.
8 May 1945:
Departs Hakodate. Later this day arrives at Ominato, Aomori Prefecture where IKARA receives further provisions and ammunition. While at Ominato, LtCdr Matsumura instructs his crew that IKARA is to perform anti-sub attack training at Nanao, Ishikawa Prefecture.
10 May 1945:
Departs Ominato.
12 May 1945:
Arrives at Nanao. Thereafter IKARA undergoes almost daily an intensive anti-sub and anti-air training.
11 June 1945:
About 0345, Cdr Everett H. Steinmetz´ USS CREVALLE (SS-291) attacks HAKUSAN MARU (2211 grt) at 40-41N, 139-51E. HAKUSAN MARU is sailing empty and independently from
Niigata to Otaru when a lookout suddenly discovers approaching torpedo tracks. However, it is already too late for an escape and HAKUSAN MARU is hit portside by two
torpedoes. The first torpedo hit #2 hold which floods instantly and causes cracking of forward upper deck. HAKUSAN MARU drops one depth charge when she is hit by a
second torpedo in rear part of #3 hold. Flooding causes a 30 degree list to portside and the engines stopped. However, the ship soon recovers from her portside list.
The gun crew is able to fire two shots from the stern gun while the m/g crew on the bridge fire ten rounds.At 0348, all hands are ordered Abandon Ship. One
minute later, HAKUSAN MARU sinks at 348 degrees 4.5 nms from Henashi-saki Lighthouse, Aomori Prefecture. Six crew and 7 armed guards are KIA.
Destroyer escorts YANAGI and TACHIBANA and kaibokan IKARA are conducting an anti-sub sweep in nearby waters when they receive news of the sinking of HAKUSAN MARU.
Immediately, all three vessels dash toward the sinking location in an attempt to catch the enemy sub, but cannot find any trace.
23 July 1945:
Attached to the 1st Sea Defense Unit in Rear Admiral Matsuyama Mitsuharu´s 105th Escort Squadron of Vice Admiral Tayui Minoru´s 1st Escort Fleet.
31 July 1945:
IKARA departs Nanao independently to assist a convoy reporting being pursued by an enemy submarine. IKARA meets the convoy and guides it to Nanao.
1 August 1945:
The convoy arrives at Nanao, South Bay. Kaibokan CD-85 leads the convoy into Koguchi Passage. Several of the convoy's ships have passed safely into the bay when it is IKARA´s turn. Suddenly, two mines explode close to IKARA´s
pilothouse sending huge water columns upward. Several crewmen of the depth charge compartment on deck are blown into the water, one man is KIA and about a dozen are wounded. The main engine mounting is cracked, starboard main engine
and No.1 generator become inoperative. Welding seams in the hull are ripped open and aftship and engine room start flooding. Immediate damage control prevents the ship from sinking. Nevertheless, IKARA is unnavigable and has to be
towed into Nanao Harbor. Finally, IKARA is moored alongside Umetate Wharf, Mishima-Machi, Nanao-Shi.
15 August 1945:
Japan accepts the Allies “Potsdam Declaration” (of unconditional surrender) and hostilities cease. Soon thereafter, IKARA´s still flooding aftship settles down to the harbor bottom.
30 November 1945:
Removed from the Navy List.
Late December 1945:
Remaining maintenance and repair personnel leave the ship.
Spring 1946:
Sunk as a breakwater at an unknown northeast fishing port.
February 1947:
IKARA is still bottomed alongside Umetate Wharf. Later IKARA is patched up, drained and refloated.
April 1948:
During the improvement of the port of Akita, Akita Prefecture, the existing breakwater at the mouth of the Omono-gawa River is extended partly through the sinking of the hulks of kaibokan IKARA and TACHIBANA-class destroyer TOCHI (warship number 4816).
1970:
With the extension work of the Akita Northern Port the remains of IKARA and TOCHI are cleared.
Authors' Notes:
Thanks go to Erich Muethlthaler of Germany for info in the revisions. Thanks go to Matthew Jones of MS.
-Bob Hackett and Peter Cundall
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