© 2007-2016 Bob Hackett, Sander Kingsepp and Peter Cundall
Revision 2
15 November 1944:
Tama, Okayama Prefecture. Laid down as Yard No. 415 at Mitsui Shipbuilding & Engineering Co., Ltd.’s shipyard.
20 January 1945:
Launched and named KANAWA.
15 March 1945:
Completed and registered in the IJN. LtCdr Takahashi Atsumi is the Commanding Officer.
The same day attached to the Sasebo Naval District and assigned to the anti-sub training force of the Kure Guard
Unit. The same day departs Tama for Kure.
19 March 1945:
Kure Arsenal. Vice Admiral (later Admiral) Marc A. Mitscher's (former CO of HORNET, CV-8) Task Force 58 carriers
USS ESSEX (CV-9), INTREPID (CV-11), HORNET (CV-12), WASP (CV-18), HANCOCK (CV-19), BENNINGTON (CV-20) and BELLEAU
WOOD (CVL-24) make the first carrier attack on the Kure Naval Arsenal. More than 240 aircraft attack battleships
HARUNA, YAMATO, ISE, HYUGA, carriers RYUHO, KAIYO, AMAGI, KATSURAGI and other ships.
KANAWA is moored to a buoy and loading ammunition from a lighter when the air attack starts. KANAWA opens fire
with her only operable machine guns.
22 March 1945:
KANAWA arrives at Saeki and starts anti-submarine training.
18 April 1945.
Arrives at Nanao via Maizuru and undergoes further anti-submarine training.
5 May 1945:
Engages in antisubmarine sweeping and escorts convoys in
the Tsushima Strait.
Attached to the 1st Escort Fleet´s 103rd Squadron. KANAWA is at Maizuru making final preparations for going into
battle. Thereafter she is based at Chinkai (Chinhae), S coast of Korea and is engaged in escorting convoys in
Korea Strait.
May 1945:
KANAWA escorts Shimonoseki – Fusan ferries TOKUJU MARU and KOAN MARU. The ships avoided the Kitakyushu area due to
continuous bombing attacks and anchor at Kogushi Bay and Yuya Bay, Yamaguchi Prefecture.
27 May 1945:
Arrives at Tsingtao, China.
June 1945:
One dawn, while escorting two cargo ships off Kao-chiao, E tip of Shantung Peninsula, KANAWA discovered a surfaced
enemy submarine ca. 1.5 nm ahead. After the sub has crash-dived KANAWA makes a depth charge attack resulting in much
oil and debris coming up to the surface.
20 June 1945:
KANAWA departs Tsingtao, China for Dairen, Manchukuo (Manchuria) with kaibokan CD-14 escorting convoy SETA-03
consisting of KONEI (KIANGNING) MARU (3222grt), KYUKO (KIUKIANG) MARU (3222grt), SHOEI MARU No. 8 (834grt), YAMABISHI
MARU No. (?) and FUTASHIMA MARU No.10 (253grt).
21 June 1945:
Off eastern end of Shantung Peninsula SHOEI MARU No.8, YAMABISHI MARU No. (?) and FUTASHIMA MARU No.10 separate
from the convoy and are escorted to Taito Bay (Taedong-man), W coast of Korea by awaiting auxiliary minesweepers
Wa-19 and Wa-20.
22 June 1945:
KANAWA, CD-14, KONEI MARU and KYUKO MARU arrive at Dairen. KANAWA and CD-14 are replenished. As substitution for
now scarce heavy oil the ships are partly loaded with soybean oil.
25 June 1945 :
KANAWA departs Dairen with kaibokan CD-14 escorting convoy TAFU-05 consisting of KYUKO MARU, KONEI MARU, KINYU
MARU No.8 (834grt) and HOSHI MARU (ex-Panamanian FOCH) (2853grt). Enroute to Taito Bay, KINYU MARU No.8 develops engine
problems and has to return to Dairen.
E 28 June 1945:
Off Taito Bay, SHOKAI MARU (280grt), SHOEI MARU No.8, FUTASHIMA MARU No.10 and YAMABISHI MARU No. (?) and auxiliary
minesweepers Wa-19 and Wa-20 join the convoy.
29 June 1945:
The convoy is attacked by two PB4Y enemy planes. No damage.
30 June 1945:
CD-132 joins the convoy. The same day CD-14 and CD-132 come under command of Ominato Guard District.
2 July 1945:
The convoy is attacked by two PB4Y enemy planes which bomb and sink FUTASHIMA MARU No.10 south of Kogunsan Archipelago
(Kogunsan-kundo), 35-46N, 126-22E.
4–5 July 1945:
On both days the convoy is in combat with enemy planes. No damage.
6 July 1945:
The convoy arrives at Chinkai.
8 July 1945:
The convoy departs Chinkai. The same day arrives at Fusan.
10 July 1945:
KANAWA is detached from the 1st Escort Fleet´s 103rd Squadron and attached to the 7th Fleet. Based at Chinkai,
KANAWA patrols off South Korea and escorts army troop transport convoys consisting mainly of wooden motor-sailing
vessels to Saishu Island (Cheju-do).
15 August 1945:
KANAWA is at Shoan Harbor (Crichton Harbor), 34-10-14N, 126-38-38E when receiving notification of the termination
of war. NB: Shoan Harbor is located WNW of Tonai Kai (Port Hamilton) (NB: Shoan Harbor is the narrow channel which
runs in a north and south direction between Shoan-To (Soan-Do), on the eastern side, and Hokitsu-To (Pogil-To) and
Roka-To (Nohwa-Do) on the western side.
18 August 1945:
KANAWA arrives at Fusan via Chinkai.
19 August 1945:
Departs Fusan with Japanese returnees embarked. The same day arrives at Hakata.
22 August 1945:
KANAWA arrives at Sasebo where she is demilitarized.
1 September 1945:
About 180 crew members are released.
10 September 1945:
About 25 further crew members are released. KANAWA is moored at Omura Bay.
5 October 1945:
Removed from the Navy List.
12 October 1945:
Departs Sasebo on her first repatriation voyage.
19 October 1945:
Arrives at Manila. Embarks troops and passengers to be repatriated and departs later that same day.
21 October 1945:
Arrives at Davao. Embarks troops and passengers to be repatriated and departs later that same day.
23 October 1945:
Arrives at Tacloban. Embarks troops and passengers to be repatriated.
28 October 1945:
Departs Tacloban.
3 November 1945:
Arrives at Kagoshima. Disembarks troops and passengers.
1 December 1945:
Officially assigned to the Allied Repatriation Service as a special cargo ship. [1]
4 December 1945:
Departs Kure.
10 December 1945:
Arrives at Manila. Embarks troops and passengers to be repatriated.
17 December 1945:
Departs Manila.
24 December 1945:
Arrives at Kure. Disembarks troops and passengers.
25 December 1945:
Undergoes repairs at Kure.
26 January 1946:
Repairs are completed.
5 February 1946:
Departs Kagoshima.
7 February 1946:
Arrives at Kirun (Keelung). Embarks troops and passengers to be repatriated and departs later that same day.
10 February 1946:
Arrives at Kagoshima. Disembarks troops and passengers.
12 February 1946:
Departs Kagoshima.
15 February 1946:
Arrives at Kirun. Embarks troops and passengers to be repatriated and departs later that same day.
18 February 1946:
Arrives at Kagoshima. Disembarks troops and passengers.
21 February 1946:
Departs Kagoshima.
25 February 1946:
Arrives at Kirun. Embarks troops and passengers to be repatriated and departs later that same day.
27 February 1946:
Arrives at Kagoshima. Disembarks troops and passengers.
1 March 1946:
Departs Kagoshima.
3 March 1946:
Arrives at Kirun. Embarks troops and passengers to be repatriated and departs later that same day.
6 March 1946:
Arrives at Kagoshima. Disembarks troops and passengers.
8 March 1946:
Departs Kagoshima.
10 March 1946:
Arrives at Kirun. Embarks troops and passengers to be repatriated.
11 March 1946:
Departs Kirun.
15 March 1946:
Arrives at Kagoshima. Disembarks troops and passengers.
27 March 1946 :
Departs Kagoshima.
30 March 1946:
Arrives at Kwaren (Hua Lien). Embarks troops and passengers to be repatriated and departs later that day.
1 April 1946:
Arrives at Kagoshima. Disembarks troops and passengers.
5 April 1946:
Departs Kagoshima.
10 April 1946:
Arrives at Kwaren. Embarks troops and passengers to be repatriated.
11 April 1946:
Departs Kwaren.
13 April 1946:
Arrives at Kagoshima. Disembarks troops and passengers.
20 April 1946:
Undergoes repairs at Tamano.
5 May 1946:
Repairs are completed.
13 May 1946:
Departs Kagoshima.
15 May 1946:
Arrives at Shanghai. Embarks troops and passengers to be repatriated.
16 May 1946:
Departs Shanghai.
18 May 1946:
Arrives at Kagoshima. Disembarks troops and passengers.
3 July 1946:
Departs Kagoshima.
6 July 1946:
Arrives at Koroshima (near Tsientsin). Embarks troops and passengers to be repatriated. and departs later that same day.
8 July 1946:
Arrives at Pusan. Embarks troops and passengers to be repatriated and departs later that same day.
11 July 1946:
Arrives at Hakata. Disembarks troops and passengers.
17 July 1946:
Departs Hakata.
20 July 1946 :
Arrives at Korojima. Embarks troops and passengers to be repatriated.
22 July 1946:
Departs Korojima.
25 July 1946:
Arrives at Hakata. Disembarks troops and passengers.
5 August 1946:
Departs Hakata.
8 August 1946:
Arrives at Korojima. Embarks troops and passengers to be repatriated.
9 August 1946:
Departs Korojima.
12 August 1946:
Arrives at Hakata. Disembarks troops and passengers.
16 August 1946:
Departs Hakata.
17 August 1946:
Arrives at Sasebo.
20 August 1946:
Undergoes repairs at Sasebo.
9 September 1946:
Repairs are completed.
27 September 1946:
Departs Kure.
30 September 1946:
Arrives at Okinawa. Embarks troops and passengers to be repatriated and departs later that same day.
2 October 1946:
Arrives at Kure. Disembarks troops and passengers.
4 October 1946:
Departs Kure.
7 October 1946:
Arrives at Okinawa. Embarks troops and passengers to be repatriated and departs later that same day.
9 October 1946:
Arrives at Kure. Disembarks troops and passengers.
10 October 1946:
Departs Ujina.
12 October 1946:
Arrives at Okinawa. Embarks troops and passengers to be repatriated and departs later that same day.
15 October 1946:
Arrives at Kure. Disembarks troops and passengers.
17 October 1946:
Departs Sasebo.
19 October 1946:
Arrives at Okinawa.
20 October 1946:
Departs Okinawa. Embarks troops and passengers to be repatriated.
22 October 1946:
Arrives at Kure. Disembarks troops and passengers.
25 October 1946:
Departs Ujina.
27 October 1946:
Arrives at Okinawa. Embarks troops and passengers to be repatriated.
28 October 1946:
Departs Okinawa.
30 October 1946:
Arrives at Kure. Disembarks troops and passengers.
7 November 1946:
Departs Kure.
9 November 1946:
Arrives at Okinawa. Embarks troops and passengers to be repatriated and departs later that same day.
11 November 1946:
Arrives at Kure. Disembarks troops and passengers.
14 November 1946:
Departs Ujina.
16 November 1946:
Arrives at Okinawa. Embarks troops and passengers to be repatriated and departs later that same day.
18 November 1946:
Arrives at Kure. Disembarks troops and passengers.
19 November 1946:
Undergoes repairs at Tamano.
7 December 1946:
Repairs are completed.
16 July 1947:
Departs Sasebo.
14 August 1947:
Singapore. Ceded to the United Kingdom as a war reparation.
1947:
Singapore. Scrapped.
Authors' Note:
[1] Allied occupation forces were responsible for the return of six million Japanese military personnel and civilians from Japan's defunct far-flung Empire. In addition, there were over a million Korean and about 40,000 Chinese prisoners and conscript laborers and approximately 7,000 Formosans and 15,000 Ryukyu Islanders to be repatriated.
Some Allied and many former IJN warships, from aircraft carriers to kaibokan, were used to facilitate the enormous repatriation effort. Japanese vessels and crews were used to the fullest extent possible to conserve Allied manpower and accelerate demobilization. Each ex-IJN ship first had to be demilitarized; guns removed or, in the case of large warships, barrels severed, ammunition landed, and radar and catapults removed, if fitted. Repatriation of the Chinese on Japanese ships began early in October from Hakata, but U.S. guard detachments had to be placed on many ships to prevent disorder because the Japanese crews could not control the returnees.
Japanese-run repatriation centers were established at Kagoshima, Hario near Sasebo, and Hakata near Fukuoka. Other reception centers were established and operated at Maizuru, Shimonoseki, Sasebo, Senzaki, Kure, Uraga, Yokohama, Moji and Hakodate. Allied line and medical personnel supervised the centers. Incoming Japanese were sprayed with DDT, examined and inoculated for typhus and smallpox, provided with food, and transported to his final destination in Japan.
Thanks go to Dr. Higuchi Tatsuhiro of Japan. Many thanks go to Erich Muehthaler of Germany for the major rewrite of the TROM in in Rev 2.
-Bob Hackett, Sander Kingsepp and Peter Cundall.
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