© 2006-2017 Bob Hackett, Sander Kingsepp and Peter Cundall
Revision 10
10 August 1943:
Tokyo. Laid down at the Uraga Dock Co. shipyard as kaibokan No. 330.
30 August 1943:
Temporarily assigned to the Sasebo Naval District.
9 December 1943:
Launched and named KASADO.
27 February 1944:
Completed and registered in the Kure Naval District. Assigned to the Kure Guard Unit. LtCdr (reserve) Kawashima Noboru (former CO of W-8) is appointed Commanding Officer.
29 February 1944:
Departs Yokosuka.
2 March 1944:
Arrives at Saeki.
20 March 1944:
Attached directly to the Combined Fleet.
30 March 1944:
Departs Kure.
7 April 1944:
At 0330, KASADO departs Tateyama, Tokyo Bay with destroyer SATSUKI and kaibokan MANJU and CD-4 escorting convoy HIGASHI MATSU No. 5 (outbound) consisting of tanker SEIYO MARU, and transports ASOSAN, TOSAN, MIIKE and NOTO MARUs.
10 April 1944:
At 1030 arrives at Chichijima. At 1810 KASADO departs to patrol harbour entrance.
11 April 1944:
At 0600 arrives back at Chichijima.
12 April 1944:
At 2005 SATSUKI, KASADO and kaibokan CD-4 all depart Chichijima to hunt an enemy submarine located by MANJU.
13 April 1944:
At 0630 KASADO and MANJU arrive back at Chichijima. At 1735 KASADO departs alone on patrol.
14 April 1944:
At 0600 KASADO arrives back from patrol.
16 April 1944:
At 1715 KASADO departs Chichijima on patrol.
17 April 1944:
At 0630 KASADO enters port.
18 April 1944:
At 1617 the convoy departs Chichijima. (KASADO, CD-4 and MANJU have already departed between 1350 and 1410).
24 April 1944:
At 1115 arrives at Palau. At 1400 departs Palau on patrol.
25 April 1944:
At 0740 arrives back at Palau.
26 April 1944:
At 0730 KASADO departs Palau on patrol, returning at 1150. At 1640, KASADO departs Palau for Tokyo with destroyer SATSUKI and kaibokan MANJU and CD-4 escorting convoy HIGASHI MATSU No. 5 (outbound) consisting of transports ASOSAN, TOSAN, MIIKE and NOTO MARUs.
27 April 1944:
At 0250, LtCdr (later Vice Admiral) Frederick J. Harlfinger's (USNA ’37) USS TRIGGER (SS-237) torpedoes and hits and damages ASOSAN and MIIKE MARUs. At 0430, as ASOSAN MARU is being abandoned, Harlfinger torpedoes and blows the bow off KASADO. Fuel flowing from MIIKE MARU catches fire and sets the ship abaze. MANJU is able to rescue some survivors, but MIIKE MARU drifts away and probably sinks the next day. 9 passengers being repatriated, 7 gunners and 2 crewmen are killed. KASADO and ASOSAN, TOSAN and NOTO MARUs reverse course back to Palau.
28 April 1944:
Arrives at Palau and carries out emergency repairs. A temporary false bow is fitted.
26 May 1944:
At 0600 departs Palau with auxiliary submarine chaser ZUIYO MARU escorting transport KOSHIN MARU.
28 May 1944:
At 1630 arrives at Davao.
Late May 1944:
Arrives at Manila. Undergoes temporary repairs, probably at Cavite Navy Base.
7 June 1944:
Departs Manila escorting convoy MATA-22A consisting only of KOSHIN MARU.
9 June 1944:
Arrives at Takao.
11 June 1944:
Departs Takao with submarine chaser CH-58, auxiliary submarine chaser CHa-90 and auxiliary gunboat CHOHAKUSAN MARU escorting TAMO-20A convoy consisting of ten unidentified merchant ships.
12 June 1944:
Arrives at Takao where gunboat OKITSU joins convoy before departing later that day. KASADO apparently also departs.
14 June 1944:
OKITSU is detached from the convoy.
17 June 1944:
Arrives at Sasebo. Undergoes permanent battle-damage repairs.
September 1944:
Escorts convoys to Singapore.
10 October 1944:
Departs Moji and at 1700 arrives at Imari Wan.
16 October 1944:
At 1820, KASADO departs Imari Bay for Manila with subchasers CH-17, CH-18, CH-23, CH-27, CH-28 escorting convoy MOMA-05 consisting of TAIHAKU, KOMEI, TENSHO, TAISHO, TATSUURA, TAIYO, ESASHI, DORYU, PACIFIC, AOKI, TAIZAN (ex British ST QUENTIN), SAIHO and SUGIYAMA MARUs. Embarked are the 54th Independent Mixed Brigade plus a detachment of IJA explosive motor boats. The convoy is carrying about 10,000 reinforcements for the Philippines.
20 October 1944:
KASADO, MANJU and MIYAKEare attached to 21st Sea Defense Force.
21 October 1944:
At 1600, arrives at Takao, Formosa. KASADO is detached.
22 October 1944:
At 1200 arrives at Mako.
23 October 1944:
Departs Mako on an anti submarine sweep.
26 October 1944:
At 0400 arrives back at Mako.
27 October 1944:
At 0800, Convoy MI-23 arrives at Mako. Special repair ship HAKUSA (ex-Chinese FU Hsing) is detached from MI-23. KASADO and MIYAKE receive orders to escort HAKUSA to Singapore.
17 November 1944:
At 1800 KASADO departs Singapore with light cruiser KASHII (F), kaibokan MANJU, UKURU, NOMI, MIYAKE, CD-17 and CD-51 and minelayer NIIZAKI escorting convoy HI-80 consisting of TENEI, MATSUSHIMA, RYOEI, MUNAKATA, ARIMASAN, KUROSHIO, NICHINAN and KAIHO MARUs.
20 November 1944:
At 0600 CD-23 joins the convoy from St Jacques. At 1240, CD-17 is detached for Saigon.
24 November 1944:
At 1300 NICHINAN MARU and MANJU and CD-51 having detached arrive at Van Phong. CD-51 later rejoins the main convoy.
27 November 1944:
At 0930, RYOEI and ARIMASAN MARUs are detached for Takao escorted by NIIZAKI.
4 December 1944:
HI-80 arrives at Sasebo.
26 December 1944:
KASADO and ETOROFU together with KUME, SHONAN, CD-9 and CD-19 depart Kirun escorting the remnants of HI-82 consisting of only of tanker PALEMBANG MARU.
5 January 1945:
Arrives at Moji.
8 January 1945:
Departs Moji.
9 January 1945:
Arrives at Sasebo. Drydocked.
3 February 1945:
At 0200 departs Kure and at 1700 arrives at Mutsure.
4 February 1945:
At 0300 departs Mutsure. At 1900 arrives at Kokusan Gunto.
5 February 1945:
At 0700 departs and meets up with HI-88A convoy consisting of SERIA MARU escorted by destroyers KASHI and SUGI and kaibokan CD-41.
6 February 1945:
At 1500 the convoy arrives at Katoku Suido. Kaibokan OKINAWA joins at about this time.
7 February 1945:
At 0500 departs Katoku Suido. Later in the day kaibokan ETOROFU joins the convoy from Sasebo. At 1630 the convoy arrives at Mutsure.
10 February 1945:
At 1200 ETOROFU departs Moji with kaibokan KASADO, OKINAWA and CD-39 escorting convoy MOTA-35 consisting of two unidentified merchant ships.
14 February 1945:
At 1400 arrives at Ssu Chiao Shan. ETOROFU and KASADO detach at this point.
15 February 1945:
ETOROFU and KASADO join convoy TAMO-42 consisting of Naval transports T-108 annd T-162.
16 February 1945:
At 2000 arrives at Liu Heng Tao.
17 February 1945:
Departs Liu Heng Tao.
20 February 1945:
At 0050 arrives at Seito (Tsingtao) and departs at 1000.
23 February 1945:
At 1700 the convoy arrives at Moji.
6 March 1945:
At 1600 departs Maizuru.
8 March 1945:
At 1500 arrives at Ominato and remains there for the rest of the month.
March 1945:
Reassigned to the Ominato Naval Guard District.
7 April 1945:
KASADO and KUNASHIRI depart Ominato escorting convoy KI-602 consisting of CHOWA and KOKAI MARUs.
10 April 1945:
Reassigned to the 104th Escort Squadron.
13 April 1945:
At 0200 arrives at Kataoka Wan.
19 April 1945:
At 1300 departs Kataoka Wan escorting convoy TSU-901 consisting of KOKAI MARU.
25 April 1945:
Arrives at Kushiro.
26 April 1945:
At 2000 departs Kushiro still escorting TSU-901.
28 April 1945:
Arrives at Hakodate.
6 May 1945:
FUKUE and KASADO depart Ominato and later that day arrive at Otaru.
7 May 1945:
At 1452, KASADO departs Otaru, Hokkaido for the Kuriles with kaibokan ETOROFU and FUKUE escorting convoy KI-704 consisting of KOKAI, SHOKA, KOJO and EIHO MARUs.
14 May 1945:
At 1815, arrives at Paramushiro, Kuriles.
19 May 1945:
At 0130, KASADO departs Paramushiro with kaibokan ETOROFU and FUKUE escorting convoy O-904 consisting of KOKAI, SHOKA, KOJO MARUs and tanker EIHO MARU.
24 May 1945:
At 2145, arrives at Otaru.
28 May 1945:
At 2000 departs Otaru with kaibokan CD-47 (from Wakkanai) escorting O convoy consisting of HOKUSHIN and AWA MARUs.
1 June 1945:
Arrives at Matsuwa Jima.
June 1945:
LtCdr Matsumura Masakatsu is appointed Commanding Officer.
7 June 1945:
KASADO departs Manila escorting convoy MATA-22A consisting of one unidentified merchant ship.[NB highly dubious]
9 June 1945:
Arrives at Takao.
22 June 1945:
W of Hokkaido, off Otaru. At about 0100, LtCdr Everett H. Steinmetz’ (USNA ’35) USS CREVALE (SS-291) torpedoes and blows the bow off KASADO. Twenty-seven crewmen are KIA.
23 June 1945:
Arrives at Otaru. Never becomes operational again.
15 July 1945:
Off Otaru. Vice Admiral (later Admiral) John S. McCain's (USNA ’06) (former CO of USS RANGER, CV-4) Task Force 38 planes damage KASADO and kaibokan CD-47 and CD-55. KASADO is towed to Ominato, Honshu for temporary repairs.
26 July 1945:
Temporary repairs are completed.
15 August 1945:
At Otaru, Hokkaido when notice of the termination of the war is received.
20 August 1945:
Arrives at Sasebo under her own power.
30 November 1945:
Removed from the Navy List.
31 May 1948-25 September 1948:
Scrapped by Amakusa Kaiji.
Authors' Note:
Thanks for assistance go to Dr. Higuchi Tatsuhiro of Japan and Gilbert Casse of France. Thanks also to Matthew Jones of Ohio for help in identifying COs. Thanks also go to Erich Muethlthaler of Germany for
info in Rev 9.
-Bob Hackett, Sander Kingsepp and Peter Cundall
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