[1] - This was not the first time old destroyers had been asked to augment the screen of a returning task force through the dangerous waters of Formosa Strait. In late November previous, the Ume and Kiri had done the same for Kurita's returning fleet, only to have similar issues of not being able to keep up. They had broken off by the time KONGO was torpedoed and sunk.

[2] - At the time the flagship was sailing 600 meters abeam of Kamikaze to starboard. Pargo fired four torpedoes at a range of 2,999 yards and reported "How many torpedoes hit will never be known because at 0227 [0327 IJN], 15 secs. First torpedo hit was immediately followed by a tremendous explosion which tore the destroyer stem from stern and blew the middle sky high. A column of fire and streaks of molten metal went up from under the bridge at least 3,000 feet in the most spectacular sight any of us had ever seen. Burning embers were still falling downward one minute later, and the target had completely disintegrated. The nearest thing that can describe it are the pictures of the USS Shaw blowing up at Pearl Harbour on December 7th; so we have unofficially chalked this up as “revenge for the Shaw.” The pip of radar broke into several parts and the interference on our APR ceased with the explosion. 0232 [0332 IJN] The target faded completely from sight at 3,000 yards and from the radar screen at 4,500 yards." At 1058 Kamikaze radioed news of the sinking and reported was engaged in rescue efforts. Sinking position is conventionally given as (12-48 N, 109-38 E); but Kamikaze gave the position that was used above.

[3] - Though Commanding officer LtCdr. Ebihara Tarou survived the sinking and arrived safely at Singapore, he was unfortunately killed in action on 29 March 1945 when the transport had had been ordered to return to Japan aboard was sunk. (Given the date he is likely in convoy HI-88J and may have been aboard either KAIKO MARU or one of the coast defense ships lost that same day: CD-84, CD-18 or CD-130.) Nokaze had the dubious distinction of being the last of 39 Japanese destroyers to fall victim to U.S. submarines during the war.