© 2006-2020 Bob Hackett, Sander Kingsepp and Peter Cundall
Revision 11
15 August 1939:
Tamano. Laid down at Mitsui Engineering and Shipbuilding’s yard as kaibokan No. 12.
25 July 1940:
Named ISHIGAKI.
14 September 1940:
Launched.
15 February 1941:
Completed and registered in the Ominato Guard District. Cdr Fujitani Yasumi is appointed CO.
12 May 1941:
Assigned to the Kuriles Area Guard Unit, 2nd Section, based at Matsuwa.
3 September 1941:
Cdr (Rear Admiral, posthumously) Kawano Yasushi (47)(former XO of KUMANO) assumes command.
4 December 1941:
Departs Ominato.
8 December 1941:
At Kashiwabara Bay, Paramushiro Island, Kuriles.
13 December 1941:
Onekotan Strait. Stops and inspects Soviet steamer KUZNETSKSTROI that entered Japanese waters without permission. KUZNETSKSTROI is then directed to Tsushima Strait.
14 December 1941:
Off Matsura Jima, Kuriles. Violent winds cause auxiliary gunboat ZUIKO MARU's anchors to drag and then break. The gunboat’s boiler room begins to flood and the vessel runs aground on a reef. As a safety precaution all the crew except for 13 are put ashore that evening. After conditions worsen, ISHIGAKI and cargo ship KAIKO MARU rescue the remaining survivors. Later, ZUIKO MARU sinks.
11 January 1942:
At 1510 departs Otomae Wan, Paramushiro on patrol.
18 January 1942:
At 1000 arrives at Otomae Wan.
20 January 1942:
At 0900 departs Otomae Wan.
23 January 1942:
At 1420 arrives at Ominato.
1 February 1942:
At 0800 departs Ominato.
4 February 1942:
At 1245 arrives at Otomae Wan.
12 February 1942:
At 1500 departs Otomae Wan on patrol.
16 February 1942:
At 1130 arrives at Otomae Wan.
17 February 1942:
At 0900 KUNASHIRI and ISHIGAKI depart Otomae Wan.
20 February 1942:
At 1230 both arrive at Akkeshi.
22 February 1942:
Both KUNASHIRI and ISHIGAKI depart Akkeshi.
25 February 1942:
At 2210 ISHIGAKI arrives at Otomae Wan.
4 March 1942:
At 1455 departs Otomae Wan on patrol.
6 March 1942:
At 0618 arrives back at Otomae Wan.
11 March 1942:
At 0800 departs Otomae Wan.
14 March 1942:
At 0843 arrives at Muroran.
18 March 1942:
At 1351 departs Muroran on patrol.
21 March 1942:
At 1602 arrives at Otomae Wan.
24 March 1942:
At 0754 departs Otomae Wan on patrol and at 1234 arrives at Kashiwabara Wan. At 1547 departs Kashiwabara Wan and at 1830 arrives at Asahi Wan.
25 March 1942:
At 0827 departs Asahi Wan and at 1130 arrives at Otomae Wan.
30 March 1942:
At 0702 departs Otomae Wan on patrol.
31 March 1942:
At 1558 arrives back at Otomae Wan.
10 April 1942:
At 0600 ISHIGAKI and KUNISHIRI both depart Otomae Wan on patrol and then separate.
13 April 1942:
At 1000 arrives at Ominato.
16 April 1942:
At 1700 departs Ominato.
17 April 1942:
At 1152 arrives at Muroran.
18 April 1942:
At 1420 departs Muroran.
22 April 1942:
At 0901 arrives at Otomae Wan. At 2010 departs Otomae Wan to go to the assistance of the Navy transport KAIKO MARU that had sighted an enemy submarine at 1710 in 49-25N 155-25E (and which reported a torpedo attack the following day).
24 April 1942:
At 0720 briefly arrives at Musashi Wan and then departs at 0725. At 0903 arrives back at Otomae Wan.
26 April 1942:
At 1300 HACHIJO and ISHIGAKI depart Otomae Wan.
27 April 1942:
At 1012 ISHIGAKI arrives at Suribachi Bay, Paramushiro. Fishery Protection vessel KAIHO MARU transfers 45 tons of fuel oil to ISHIGAKI. ISHIGAKI departs at 1712 and the ship arrived at Otomae Wan at 1743.
2 June 1942:
Based at Kataoka Bay, Shimushu Island, Kuriles. Patrols in the W Aleutians area.
16 July 1942:
Onekotan Straits, Kuriles. At 0440, SHUMAGAWA MARU runs aground and suffers slight damage.
17 July 1942:
ISHIGAKI goes in to take SHUMAGAWA MARU off, but is driven aground by heavy waves and suffers light water damage.
July 1942:
ISHIGAKI departs Ominato for Shimushu escorting freighter KANO MARU that is carrying construction materials, four Daihatsu landing vessels and a scout plane.
July 1942:
At 1130 arrives at Kataoka Bay, Shimushu.
20 July 1942:
Arrives at Kakumabetsu Wan escorting KUMAGAWA MARU, that is bound for Attu.
26 July 1942:
At 1000, departs Kataoka Bay for Attu, Aleutians escorting KANO MARU.
28 July 1942:
At 1400, arrives at Holtz Bay, Attu.
23 August 1942:
Arrives at Ominato.
25 August 1942:
Ominato. Drydocked for repairs and maintenance.
6 September 1942:
Undocked. Repairs are completed.
12 September 1942:
Departs Ominato.
November 1942:
ISHIGAKI is again based at Kataoka Bay, Kuriles.
1 November 1942:
Cdr Kawano is promoted Captain.
6 November 1942:
At 1400, ISHIGAKI departs Paramushiro for Attu escorting a convoy consisting of TAIRIN and DOVER MARUs. Enroute, ISHIGAKI is detached.
12 November 1942:
At 1800, the convoy arrives at Attu. That same day, ISHIGAKI arrives back at Kataoka Bay.
November 1942:
ISHIGAKI joins the "B" convoy consisting of CHERIBON MARU that departed from Otaru, Hokkaido on 11 November for Attu.
24 November 1942:
ISHIGAKI detaches from CHERIBON MARU and reverses course back at Kataoka Bay.
5 December 1942:
ISHIGAKI completes a patrol mission and arrives back at Kataoka Wan.
6 December 1942:
Transfers to Paramushiro Strait.
11 December 1942:
Departs Paramushiro Strait on patrol.
12 December 1942:
Arrives back at Kataoka Wan.
17 December 1942:
Departs on patrol.
19 December 1942:
Returns to Paramushiro Straits area.
22 December 1942:
Transfers to Kataoka Wan.
29 December 1942:
Departs Paramushiro Straits escorting a convoy to Kiska.
6 January 1943:
Arrives at Kataoka Wan.
9 January 1943:
Departs Kataoka Wan on patrol.
15 January 1943:
Arrives back at Kataoka Wan. Oiler TEIYO MARU refuels ISHIGAKI.
21 January 1943:
Departs Kataoka Wan on patrol.
23 January 1943:
Arrives back at Kataoka Wan.
25 January 1943:
Departs Kataoka Wan escorting TOKO MARU No. 2.
28 January 1943:
Arrives back at Kataoka Wan. Transfers to Murakami Bay, Paramushiro, Kuriles. Oiler TEIYO MARU refuels ISHIGAKI.
7 February 1943:
Departs Kataoka Wan escorting a convoy.
13 February 1943:
At 1215 arrives back at Kataoka Wan.
15 February 1943:
Departs Kataoka Wan on patrol.
21 February 1943:
Arrives at Ominato and docked
26 March 1943:
Departs Ominato on patrol.
31 March 1943:
Arrives at Paramushiro.
4 April 1943:
Departs Kataoka Wan.
5 April 1943:
Arrives at Musashi Wan.
8 April 1943:
Departs Musashi Wan.
9 April 1943:
Arrives at Kataoka Wan.
12 April 1943:
Departs Kataoka Wan on patrol.
14 April 1943:
Arrives back at Kataoka Wan.
17 April 1943:
Departs Kataoka Wan on patrol.
19 April 1943:
Arrives at Musashi Wan.
22 April 1943:
Departs Musashi Wan.
23 April 1943:
Arrives at Kataoka Wan.
24 April 1943:
Departs Kataoka Wan on patrol.
27 April 1943:
Arrives back at Kataoka Wan.
29 April 1943:
Departs Kataoka Wan on patrol.
1 June 1943:
ISHIGAKI is escorting KAMISHIMA MARU to Petropavlovsk and waits in the Paramushiro Straits undertaking patrols while KAMISHIMA MARU enters Soviet territorial waters.
2 June 1943:
The ship continues patrols and is joined by HACHIJO and later KUNASHIRI.
3 June 1943:
The ship investigates establishing a base in Musashi Wan.
7 June 1943:
At 1415 departs Musashi Wan. Meets up with EIRYU MARU bound for Tennei, Karafuto and escorts this ship as far as Matsuwa Jima.
8 June 1943:
Arrives off Matsuwa Jima and undertakes patrols.
16 June 1943:
Returns to Paramushiro and resumes patrols. Later meets up with HACHIJO off Matsuwa To.
18 June 1943:
At 1900 escorts TAKASHIMA MARU from Kataoka Wan, Paramushiro ISland.
19 June 1943:
Relinquishes escort of TAKASHIMA MARU and resumes patrols.
26 June 1943:
Arrives at Musashi Wan, southern Paramushiro Island and undertakes an anti submarine search.
27 June 1943:
Ceases the search.
1 July 1943:
ISHIGAKI and KUNASHIRI depart Paramushiro Strait on an anti submarine sweep and return later that day.
3 July 1943:
Undertakes an anti submarine sweep.
8 July 1943:
At 1900, departs Otaru, Hokkaido for Odomari, Karafuto escorting a convoy consisting of MELBOURNE and FUSHIMI MARUs.
9 July 1943:
At 1800, arrives at Odomari and remains because of Typhoon warnings.
10 July 1943:
Undertakes an anti submarine sweep.
14 July 1943:
Arrives at Kataoka Wan.
15 July 1943:
Departs Kataoka Wan.
16 July 1943:
Undertakes an anti submarine sweep.
21 July 1943:
Undertakes an anti submarine sweep.
24 July 1943:
Arrives at Kataoka Wan and departs later that day.
26 July 1943:
Undertakes an mine disposal mission. Remains on patrol the rest of the month.
9 August 1943:
Undertakes an anti submarine sweep. Remains in Paramushiro area all month.
1 September 1943:
Begins patrolling off west shore of Kamchatka Peninsula.
14 September 1943:
Departs patrol position off Yavina, Kamchatka Peninsula for Kataoka Bay, Shimushu. Loads supplies at Kataoka Bay. Thereafter sorties for anti-submarine sweep. At 1820, discovers a surfaced enemy submarine 7.4 nautical miles 216 degrees from Araito Island. Opens fire and then drops depth charges. Observes one close depth charge explosion and presumes the enemy sub sunk. Returns to Paramushiro Straits after action.
20 September 1943:
Departs Paramushiro Strait. Therafter, patrols off Ozernaya (Ozernovskiy), Yavina and Opala, SW coast of Kamchatka Peninsula.
6 October 1943:
Leaves patrol position off Yavina and arrives at Kataoka Bay the same day.
7 October 1943:
Lt Seto Sueyoshi is appointed Commanding Officer.
8 October 1943:
ISHIGAKI departs Kashiwabara Bay, Paramushiro for Hokkaido escorting refrigerator ship KOKO MARU. At 1830 (JST), while 18.6 nautical miles from Uomi Saki, Araito Island, Kamchatka Peninsula, Kuriles, a lookout discovers a surfaced enemy submarine off her port bow, 3,300 yards away. At the same moment, the submarine's four-inch deck gun opens fire at KOKO MARU. At 1832, ISHIGAKI answers with her 4.7-inch bow gun.
LtCdr Francis E. Brown (USNA ’33) (former CO of USS S-39) orders USS S-44 (SS-155) to crash-dive, but ISHIGAKI's first shell scores a hit below his conning tower. USS S-44 attempts to return fire, but her gunners are blinded by the kaibokan’s 75-cm searchlight and miss. ISHIGAKI approaches to within 55 yards and scores her second hit in the submarine’s battery section. The kaibokan now takes her adversary under fire from all three 4.7-inch guns and scores three more hits. Soon, USS S-44 goes down. About eight men make it into the water before USS S-44 sinks. ISHIGAKI picks up two survivors: Chief Torpedoman´s Mate Ernest A. Duva and Radioman 3rd Class William F. Whitmore. During the encounter ISHIGAKI receives only a single MG bullet. 55 men are lost. [1][2]
10 October 1943:
Cdr Kawano is reassigned. Lt Seto Sueyoshi assumes command. The ship resumes patrolling off Kamchatka.
17 October 1943:
Returns to Paramushiro Straits.
20 October 1943:
Departs Kataoka Wan escorting a convoy consisting of IWAKI, SHINMEI and KASADO MARUs.
24 October 1943:
Arrives at Otaru.
28 October 1943:
Departs Otaru escorting a convoy consisting of KOKAI, SHINANO, KASADO and TOSHO MARUs.
29 October 1943:
Arrives at Odomari. KASADO MARU is apparently detached.
1 November 1943:
Arrives at Wakkanai. EIHO MARU joins the convoy which departs later that day.
5 November 1943:
Arrives at Paramushiro Straits.
9 November 1943:
Departs Kataoka escorting a convoy consisting of URAJIO and HINODE MARU.
Est 12 November 1943:
ISHIGAKI is detached from the convoy and patrols area C.
13 November 1943:
Late that day arrives back at Paramushiro.
14 November 1943:
Departs Paramushiro Strait and arrives at Kodomari Saki, Shimushu To to prevent salvage of Soviet tanker MARIUPOL (ex S.C.T DODD) that stranded there on 10 November.
22 November 1943:
Transfers back to Kataoka Wan.
24 November 1943:
Departs Kataoka Wan escorting a convoy consisting of MELBOURNE, SHONAN and SHINANO MARUs.
28 November 1943:
Believed to have arrived at Otaru (unconfirmed) departing later that day.
30 November 1943:
Arrives at Ominato.
1 December 1943:
Ominato, Honshu. Drydocked for repairs and maintenance.
9 January 1944:
Undocked. Repairs are completed. The ship departs Ominato and arrives at Otaru later that day.
16 January 1944:
Reassigned to the General Escort Fleet's Second Surface Escort Division. That same day departs Otaru and returns to Ominato.
18 January 1944:
Departs Ominato.
20 January 1944:
Arrives at Yokosuka. Assumes guardship duties while in port.
25 January 1944:
At 0700, departs Yokosuka for Truk with kaibokan HIRADO and subchaser CH-52 escorting convoy No. 3125 consisting of REIYO, TAMASHIMA and HANAKAWA MARUs.
E 30 January 1944:
At 1000, LtCdr (later Cdr) Joseph W. Williams' (USNA ’33) USS SPEARFISH (SS-190) torpedoes TAMASHIMA MARU. At 2205, Williams again torpedoes TAMASHIMA MARU. In this second attack her ammunition cargo explodes and she sinks instantly at 21-12N, 149-18E. Four crewmen are KIA. HIRADO drops 46 depth-charges, but USS SPEARFISH escapes undamaged. In response to the attack at 2350 auxiliary submarine chaser KYO MARU No. 8 departs from Saipan to asist the convoy.
31 January 1944:
KYO MARU No. 8 is detached and arrives back at Saipan at 1615.
4 February 1944:
Arrives at Truk.
7 February 1944:
Departs Truk escorting a convoy consisting of KOKUYO and DAITEN MARUs and possibly others.
12 February 1944:
Arrives at Saipan.
15 February 1944:
Departs Saipan.
18 February 1944:
Arrives back at Saipan.
20 February 1944:
Departs Saipan escorting a convoy consisting of DAITEN, KOKUYO and NIPPONKAI MARUs and possibly others.
29 February 1944:
Arrives at Yokosuka. Later, departs Yokosuka for Ominato.
4 March 1944:
ISHIGAKI departs Ominato escorting a convoy consisting of NITTEI MARU to Matsuwa, Kuriles.
5 March 1944:
Assigned to the Northeast Area Fleet's Kuriles Area Base Force.
11 March 1944:
Arrives at Matsuwa Jima.
30 March 1944:
Departs Matsuwa Jima escorting NITTEI MARU.
4 April 1944:
Arrives at Kushiro.
7 April 1944:
Departs Kushiro with destroyer WAKABA escorting "Nu" convoy consisting of HAKUYO, MELBOURNE and TAKASHIMA MARUs. The latter two ships apparently meet up from Ominato.
13 April 1944:
Arrives at Kataoka Wan.
15 April 1944:
Departs Kataoka Wan escorting "Ri" convoy (return leg) consisting of KOAN and SHINTYU MARUs.
24 April 1944:
Arrives at Ominato.
30 April 1944:
Departs Ominato with destroyer WAKABA escorting "Ka" convoy consisting of HACHIROGATA, RYUJIN and KOKAI MARUs.
2 May 1944:
Arrives at Akkeshi.
5 May 1944:
Departs Akkeshi escorting the same convoy.
8 May 1944:
Arrives at Matsuwa Jima.
13 May 1944:
Departs Matsuwa Jima escorting "Ka" return convoy consisting of unidentified merchant ships.
19 May 1944:
Arrives at Otaru.
20 May 1944:
Departs Otaru escorting "Ne" Convoy consisting of one unidentified merchant ship.
24 May 1944:
Arrives at Matsuwa.
31 May 1944:
At 0200, Cdr Nozo Kajiro's ISHIGAKI departs Matsuwa-Jima, Kuriles for Otaru escorting convoy "HE" consisting of MADRAS, HOKUYO, IWAKI and KOTO MARUs.
70 miles W of Matsuwa-Jima. At 1130, LtCdr David J. Zabriskie’s (USNA ’36) USS HERRING (SS-233) attacks the convoy and hits ISHIGAKI with a torpedo that blows her bow off, but she manages to drop several depth-charges before sinking at 48-30N, 151-30E. 167 sailors are lost. [3][4]
10 July 1944:
Removed from the Navy List.
Authors’ Notes:
[1] On 10 Aug ’42, as heavy cruisers AOBA, FURUTAKA KINUGASA and KAKO were returning to Kavieng, New Ireland from the Battle of Savo Island, Guadalcanal, LtCdr John R. Moore’s (USNA ’29) USS S-44 torpedoed and sank KAKO, the largest IJN warship sunk by a submarine up to that time in the war.
[2] ISHIGAKI became the first kaibokan to sink a submarine. USS S-44's two survivors were taken to Paramushiro, then to the Naval Interrogation Camp at Ofuna. The two men spent the last year of World War II working in the Ashio copper mines, but were repatriated at the end of the war. The two survivors reported that during the battle one of the crew members opened the forward torpedo hatch and waved a white pillowcase as a sign of surrender, but the Japanese continued firing as the USS S-44 went down.
[3] That same day, LtCdr (later Rear Admiral/MOH) Eugene B. Fluckey's USS BARB also torpedoed and sank MADRAS MARU with the loss of 45 crewmen, 31 gunners and 63 passengers; 161 survivors reached 2 Daihatsu barges that floated off; HOKUYO MARU with 38 men KIA and KOTO MARU taking down 30 crewmen.
[4] The next day, 1 Jun '44, USS HERRING (SS-233) sank IWAKI MARU with the loss of 30 crewmen and 20 soldiers and HIBURI MARU taking down 33 crewmen and 97 soldiers, off
Matsuwa Island, Kuriles, but was herself sunk with all hands by a shore battery of the Matsuwa Detachment of the IJA's Guards Division 52. USS HERRING was the only American submarine sunk by a shore battery in WWII.
Thanks for assistance go to Dr. Higuchi Tatsuhiro of Japan and to Mr. Gilbert Casse of France. Thanks also go to Jeff Donahoo of Iowa for help in identifying kaibokan COs.
Thanks go to Erich Muethaler of Germany for information about the loss of S-44 in Revision 4.
-Bob Hackett, Sander Kingsepp and Peter Cundall.
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