[1] A survivor of Kuwa captured after she was sunk in December 1944, Leading Seaman Matsubara Kiichi, reported as part of a detailed description that Kuwa had a distinctive new fire control director atop the pilothouse, hence three levels above the main deck. According to Matsubara, Kiri was the only other so fitted. This interesting detail remains unconfirmed but the testimony is persuasive.

[2] Probably Shinnan Gunto/Nagashima. It is likely that Isuzu, Momo, Sugi, Kuwa stayed together until reaching Shinnan Gunto and from there the cruiser got back underway after some stopgap repairs with just MOMO, but this is speculation. At some point, Kuwa and Sugi seem to have detached, and the damaged cruiser wiht Momo alone proceeded to Singapore. According to a PoW survivor of Kuwa after leaving damaged Isuzu she proceeded to Saigon. There, "they did not land, but took on oil" and headed back to Manila. This seems unusual, but may be true given the context. It is not unlikely that Kuwa accompanied limping Isuzu part of the way to Singapore (where cruiser arrived 22 November) which would make refueling somewhere necessary for return to Manila.

[3] While most say 1 December, some accounts have the third echelon of TA No.7 operation departing on 30 November. However the Special Base Force 31 record showing Take at Cavite still on the morning of 1 December and additionally, the activation signal the afternoon of 1 December helps clarify the actual date convincingly.

[4] Destroyer Take is generally credited with the torpedo hit that sank Cooper. This "general crediting" comes from the majority of post-war accounts on both sides, but the chronology indicates the question should remain open. It is known Kuwa had time to engage with both main batteries, and divers found Kuwa's torpedo mount trained to port and empty -- torpedoes apparently fired. It seems possible she did have time to fire them. The USN accounts make clear Kuwa was still fighting at 0015 when Cooper was torpedoed. According to the same accounts, Kuwa appeared to sink at 0021. Given the ambiguity of her sinking time (see next note) the final verdict for sinking Cooper is best left ambiguous and should be studied by trajectory and distance analysis by those so inclined. The probability appears to be in favor of a Take torpedo.

[5] Both Allied and Japanese sources have tended to agree that Kuwa was quickly left wrecked and burning and sank in the vicinity of a mere ten minutes or so. However, one of two survivors accounts - Hirabayashi Takashi - in 2005 expressly mentioned that the sinking was much slower than that, as much as an hour or more, and not particularly abrupt. According to him, Kuwa lurched to port and settled bow down upright about 1-2 hours after being hit. Against this it must be considered the other survivor account from 1945 - Matsubara Kiichi - supports the conventional view, saying "she [Kuwa] sank in approximately ten minutes." The only definite thing is Kuwa had sunk by 0330 when Take and Transport No.140 passed through the patch of survivors.