© 2006-2018 Bob Hackett, Sander Kingsepp and Peter Cundall
Revision 11
21 February 1942:
Tsurumi, Yokohoma. Laid down at Nihon Kokan K. K's yard.
28 November 1942:
Launched and named SADO.
20 February 1942:
Cdr Matsubayashi Motonari (50) is posted as Chief Fitting-Out Officer.
27 March 1943:
Completed and registered in the Yokosuka Naval District. Cdr Matsubayashi is posted as Commanding Officer.
1 April 1943:
Assigned to the Southwest Area Fleet's First Surface Escort Division.
18 April 1943:
At 1600 departs Yokosuka.
21 April 1943:
At 0923 arrives at Moji.
24 April 1943:
At 1320 departs Moji escorting J convoy consisting of RYOTOKU and ISUZU MARUs and SUMIRE MARUs and IJA oiler TONAN MARU and three unidentified merchant ships.
29 April 1943:
At 1150 arrives at Takao.
3 May 1943:
At 1100 SADO departs Takao in convoy No. 258 consisting of SHIGANOURA MARU and five unidentified merchant ships.
7 May 1943:
At 0750 arrives at Moji.
12 May 1943:
At 1200 SADO departs Moji escorting the “P” convoy consisting of KINUGASA and NEKKA MARUs and one unidentified merchant ships.
15 May 1943:
At 1300 arrives at Takao. NEKKA MARU has detached for Kirun.
18 May 1943:
At 1000 SADO departs Takao escorting convoy No. 263 consisting of KOTO MARU No.2 GO, SHOYU and HAKUROKU (HAKUSHIKA) MARUs and five unidentified merchant ships.
22 May 1943:
At 1600 arrives at Moji.
31 May 1943:
At 0600 SADO departs Moji escorting convoy No. 161 consisting of HONAN (5401 GRT), RIKKO, TEIA (ex French ARAMIS), NEKKA and FUJI MARUs, survey ship HAKUSA and one unidentified merchant ship.
3 June 1943:
NEKKA and FUJI MARUs and HAKUSA are detached for Kirun.
4 June 1943:
At 0900 arrives at Takao.
8 June 1943:
At 1100 SADO departs Takao escorting convoy No. 270 consisting of KEMBU, SUEZ, SATSUMA, TATSUNO MARUs and four unidentified merchant ships.
12 June 1943:
At 1500 SADO arrives at Sasebo and is docked for repairs.
13 June 1943:
The convoy arrives at Moji.
27 June 1943:
At 1000 departs Sasebo and at 1600 arrives at Moji.
29 June 1943:
At 1030 SADO departs Moji escorting the “W” convoy consisting of tanker NISSHO MARU and two unidentified merchant ships.
1 July 1943:
At 1200 arrives at Takao.
3 July 1943:
At 0800 SADO departs Takao escorting the “H” convoy consisting only of HOKUROKU MARU.
6 July 1943:
At 1600 arrives at Moji.
10 July 1943:
At 1200, SADO departs Moji for Singapore as the sole escort for convoy HI-01, the first of the formal "HI" fast convoys between Moji and Singapore and return. The convoy consists of the tanker ITSUKUSHIMA MARU and an unidentified ship.
19 July 1943:
At 1130, arrives at Singapore.
23 July 1943:
At 1600, SADO departs Singapore escorting convoy HI-02 consisting of tanker TATEKAWA MARU and cargo ship TARUSHIMA MARU.
29 July 1943:
At 1020, arrives at Takao.
30 July 1943:
At 1400, departs Takao with a further three ships joining, being MANKO MARU and two unidentified ships.
3 August 1943:
At 1030, arrives at Moji.
10 August 1943:
At 1400, SADO departs Moji escorting convoy No. 185 consisting of passenger-cargo ships KACHIDOKI (ex American PRESIDENT HARRISON), TEIBI (ex French BERNARDIN DE ST PIERRE) and GINYO MARUs, cargo ship ASUKA MARU and tankers CHIYODA, TACHIBANA, TONAN, SAN RAMON, YAMAMIZU, MATSUMOTO and NICHIRIN MARUs and one unidentified ships.
15 August 1943:
Arrives at Mako.
30 August 1943:
Convoy HI-07, consisting of oilers ITSUKUSHIMA, GOYO (ex cargo), NAMPO, OMUROSAN and NANEI MARUs and cargo-passenger ship USSURI MARU, arrives at Mako from Moji. SADO replaces kaibokan ETOROFU as escort.
6 September 1943:
At 1330 arrives at Singapore.
11 September 1943:
At 1100, convoy HI-08, consisting of tankers ITSUKUSHIMA and OMUROSAN MARUs and three unidentified merchant ships, departs Singapore with SADO at sea and proceeds north.
19 September 1943:
At 1700 arrives at Tomie, Goto Retto.
21 September 1943:
At 0725, departs Tomie and arrives at Sasebo at noon. Drydocked for repairs.
27 September 1943:
At 0645 departs Sasebo and at 1745 arrives at Moji.
29 September 1943:
At 0900 SADO departs Moji escorting convoy TE-01 consisting of NAMPO, ICHIYO, HAKONE, NIPPO, ZUIHO, NICHIRAN and IKOMA MARUs.
3 October 1943:
At 1136 arrives at Takao.
5 October 1943:
Recalled Cdr Taniguchi Nobuyoshi (45) assumes command.
8 October 1943:
PB-36 departs Takao for Moji with destroyer HASU escorting convoy No. 210 consisting of MALTA, HOKKO, NORWAY, KOKKO, KOSHIN, YULIN, TOKUSHIMA, SHINNO and YAMABATO MARUs.
E 11 October 1943:
Off Niu Shan Islands HASU is detached.
13 October 1943:
At 1200 SADO relieves PB-36.
15 October 1943:
At 1124 SADO detaches on a submarine sweep. The convoy arrives at Moji less SHINNO and YAMABATO MARUs that were detached earlier.
16 October 1943:
At 0945 the submarine hunt ends. At 1645 another submarine contact results in a further hunt beginning.
18 October 1943:
At 1247 SADO meets up with convoy No. 211 consisting of SYDNEY, SHOBU, TSUSHIMA, YAMAZURU, YASUKUNI (5794 GRT), HAKURIKU (HAKUSHIKA) MARUs, KOTO MARU No.2 GO, tanker KYOEI MARU No. 5 and one unidentified merchant ship.
20 October 1943:
At 0920 SADO arrives at Sasebo. Meanwhile the convoy arrives at Moji. Docked for repairs.
31 October 1943:
At 0800 departs Sasebo for Moji.
1 November 1943:
At 1030 arrives at Moji.
3 November 1943:
At 1300 SADO departs Moji escorting convoy No. 111 consisting of FUJIKAWA (2829 GRT), OMINE, YUHO and FUJIKAWA, DAIHO, FUKUYO, TOHO, SHINKYO, KYOKKO, AKAGANE MARUs and one other unidentified ship.
8 November 1943:
At 1758 arrives at Takao.
13 November 1943:
At 1000 SADO and torpedo boat HAYABUSA departs Takao escorting convoy No.219 consisting of HAKKO and SHOBU MARUs and nine unidentified merchant ships. The convoy sails at 8 knots.
15 November 1943:
Assigned to the General Escort Fleet's First Surface Escort Division.
19 November 1943:
At 1728 arrives at the Terajima Straits.
20 November 1943:
At 0835 departs Terajima Straits. later that day the convoy arrives at Moji. Meanwhile SADO has detached.
21 November 1943:
At 0930 arrives at Sasebo and docked.
23 December 1943:
At 1320 departs Sasebo.
24 December 1943:
At 1100 arrives at Moji.
26 December 1943:
At 1148 departs Moji on a training exercise.
28 December 1943:
At 1628 arrives at Moji.
31 December 1943:
At 0600, SADO departs Moji escorting convoy HI-29 consisting of oilers OKIGAWA, KUROSHIO MARUs, cargo passenger ships KACHIDOKI (ex American PRESIDENT HARRISON) and ASOSAN MARUs. That same day, Navy oilers ASHIZURI and SHIOYA depart Sasebo and join the convoy.
2 January 1944:
At 0250 detaches from the convoy on an anti submarine hunt. At 2200 rejoins the convoy.
4 January 1944:
At 1600, convoy HI-29 arrives at Takao. GOYO MARU joins the convoy. OKIGAWA MARU, ASHIZURI and SHIOYA are detached.
6 January 1944:
At 1500, SADO departs Takao with patrol boat PB-36 also escorting the Rinji (special) M convoy consisting of IJN oilers ASHIZURI and SHIOYA and OKIKAWA MARU.
9 January 1944:
At 1530, convoy HI-29 arrives at Manila. The Rinji M convoy is detached.
10 January 1944:
At 1200, departs Manila still in HI-29 convoy.
15 January 1944:
At 2000, convoy HI-29 arrives at Singapore.
19 January 1944:
At 1100 SADO departs Singapore for Moji escorting convoy HI-30 consisting of oilers GOYO and ARIAKE MARUs and two unidentified ships.
26 January 1944:
At 1620 SADO detaches from the convoy and undertakes a anti submarine sweep.
28 January 1944:
At 1100, arrives at North San Fernando, Philippines. Departs that same day at 1800.
30 January 1944:
At 1200, the convoy arrives at Takao.
31 January 1944:
At 1600 departs Takao.
2 February 1944:
LtCdr Russell Kefauver’s (USNA ’33) USS TAMBOR (SS-198) sights the convoy and begins tracking the five ships.
3 February 1944:
East China Sea, 200 miles SE of Shanghai, China. At about 0400, Kefauver makes a visual attack on the surface. He fires three torpedoes at ARIAKE MARU and gets one hit amidships. At about 0415, ARIAKE MARU sinks at 28-53N, 124-19E. 19 passengers and 38 crewmen are KIA. Kefauver fires three more torpedoes at GOYO MARU. At 0416, he gets two hits in her engine room. She erupts in flames. drifts away and disappears into a rain squall. From 0418 to 1315, SADO conducts depth charge attacks on USS TAMBOR and drops more than 70 depth charges, but USS TAMBOR slips away. Two days later, GOYO MARU is presumed sunk at about 28-44N, 123-38E. Three passengers and 15 of the crew are killed.
6 February 1944:
After reversing course, the convoy arrives at Keelung, Formosa at 1615.
8 February 1944:
At 1630 SADO departs Keelung escorting convoy TAMO-1A consisting of three unidentified merchant ships.
12 February 1944:
At 1300, after detaching, SADO arrives at Sasebo.
21 February 1944:
At 0700, kaibokan ETOROFU departs Moji for Singapore escorting convoy HI-47 consisting of oilers AMATSU, OMINESAN, OTOWASAN and KYOKUHO MARUs and NOSHIRO MARU.
23 February 1944:
At 0900 SADO departs Sasebo and soon after meets up with HI-47.
26 February 1944:
At 0850, the convoy arrives at Takao.
27 February 1944:
At midnight, SADO departs Takao for Singapore with kaibokan ETOROFU and IKI escorting convoy HI-47 consisting of oilers AMATSU, OMINESAN, OTOWASAN and KYOKUHO MARUs and NOSHIRO MARU and five unidentified merchants.
28 February 1944:
SADO is detached from convoy HI-47 and returns to Takao arriving at 1130, joining convoy HI-49 consisting of tankers EIHO, KYOKUHO, ASASHIO MARUs, transport HAKOZAKI MARU (from Takao to Manila) and one unidentified merchant ship and kaibokan SHIMUSHU.
29 February 1944:
At 2100, the convoy departs Takao.
5 March 1944:
At 2315, arrives at Cape St Jacques.
7 March 1944:
At 1700, departs Cape St Jacques with destroyer SHIOKAZE as additional escort.
9 March 1944:
SADO departs Singapore escorting convoy SHISA-09A consisting of YOSHU, OAKITA, MIYAURA MARUs, KOTO MARU No. 2 GO and one unidentified merchant ship.
11 March 1944:
At 1810, arrives Singapore.
15 March 1944:
At 1000, SADO departs Singapore with destroyer SHIOKAZE escorting convoy HI-50 consisting of tankers MANEI, EIHO, MEDAN, and OKIGAWA MARUs and SANUKI, USSURI, SHOHEI MARUs and four unidentified merchant ships.
18 March 1944:
At 1600, arrives at Cape St Jacques.
20 March 1944:
At 1500, departs Cape St Jacques. The tanker KUROSHIO MARU joins at this point.
24 March 1944:
At 1900, arrives at Manila.
27 March 1944:
At 1400, departs Manila.
30 March 1944:
At 1000, arrives Takao.
1 April 1944:
At 1600, departs Takao on a submarine hunt to support HI-50 convoy. The ship then meets up with HI-50 convoy which still consists of MANEI, EIHO, OKIGAWA, SANUKI, MEDAN, USSURI, SHOHEI and KUROSHIO MARUs and four unidentified ships escorted by destroyer SHIOKAZE.
2 April 1944:
At 1700, arrives at Mako.
4 April 1944:
At 1600, departs Mako still with HI-50 convoy.
Est 5 April 1944:
ORYOKU MARU joins from out of Kirun.
8 April 1944:
At 1010, arrives at Moji. At 1830 SADO departs Moji.
9 April 1944:
At 0900 arrives at Sasebo.
13 April 1944:
Drydocked at Sasebo.
26 April 1944:
At 0915 departs Sasebo.
27 April 1944:
At 0800 arrives at Moji.
3 May 1944:
At 0445, SADO departs Moji for Singapore via Manila with escort carrier TAIYO, destroyers ASAGAO (that meets up from Sasebo), HIBIKI and INAZUMA, kaibokan CD-5, CD-7, CD-13,escorting convy HI-61 consisting of tankers AKANE, TATEKAWA, NICHIEI, AZUSA, JINEI, EIYO, OTORISAN, SARAWAK and ASANAGI MARUs, transport MIZUHO MARU and fleet oiler HAYASUI.
E 6 May 1944:
KURAHASHI meets up with convoy.
7 May 1944:
ASAGAO is detached. Later JINEI MARU develops engine troubles and is detached for Takao escorted by KURAHASHI.
8 May 1944:
LtCdr (later Cdr) Victor B. McCrea's (USNA ’32) USS HOE (SS-258) attacks convoy HI-61. AKANE MARU suffers minor damage.
9 May 1944:
At 2055, HI-61 arrives at Manila. TATEKAWA, NICHIEI and AZUSA MARUs are detached.
12 May 1944:
At 0900 HI-61 departs Manila for Singapore.
17 May 1944:
At 2100 arrives at Singapore.
23 May 1944:
At 0700, SADO departs Singapore for Moji with escort carrier TAIYO and kaibokans KURAHASHI, CD-5, CD-7 and CD-13 escorting convoy HI-62 consisting of transports KINUGASA, NOSHIRO, NISSHO, TAMATSU and TEIRITSU (ex-French LECONTE de LISLE) MARUs and tankers OTORISAN, SARAWAK and NICHINAN (5175 gt) MARUs.
29 May 1944:
At 0900 HI-62 arrives at Manila.
1 June 1944:
At 0400, HI-62 departs Manila.
8 June 1944:
Arrives at Mutsure anchorage, later proceeds to Moji arriving at 0230.
9 June 1944:
At 0700 SADO departs Moji alone and at 1930 arrives at Sasebo. Undergoes repairs.
9 July 1944:
At 1130 departs Sasebo and at 1740 arrives at Karatsu.
10 July 1944:
Departs Karatsu Wan and at 1500 arrives at Moji.
13 July 1944:
At 1600, SADO departs Mutsure for Manila with Rear Admiral Sato Tsutomu (40) (former ComSubRon 1) Eighth Escort Convoy Command’s escort carrier SHINYO, light cruiser KASHII and kaibokan CHIBURI, CD-7 and CD-17 escorting convoy HI-69 consisting of escort carriers KAIYO and TAIYO each loaded with aircraft, KIMIKAWA, KOEI, AKI, ASAMA, SAIGON, HAKKO MARU, OTOWASAN, OMUROSAN, KUROSHIO, HARIMA, SERIA, KACHIDOKI (ex American PRESIDENT HARRISON), MANKO, MANJU and TENEI MARUs.
18 July 1944:
Near Takao, Formosa. About 0600, LtCdr (later Cdr) John J. Flachsenhar's (USNA ’35) USS ROCK (SS-274) fires four torpedoes at HARIMA MARU, but misses. Cdr Alan Banister's (USNA ’28) USS SAWFISH (USS 276) then fires nine torpedoes at the convoy. HARIMA MARU is hit by a single torpedo, but she remains able to steam. At 1055, LtCdr Roger M. Keithy's (USNA ’35) USS TILEFISH (SS-307) torpedoes and heavily damages CD-17. The convoy continues to Manila without stopping at Takao as originally planned (less MANKO MARU detached the day before and damaged HARIMA MARU and CD-17 that put into Takao).
20 July 1944:
At 2100 arrives at Manila at 2100. KAIYO and TAIYO begin unloading aircraft.
25 July 1944:
At 0530, SADO departs departs Manila for Singapore with escort carrier SHINYO, light cruiser KASHII and kaibokan CHIBURI, CD-7, CD-9, CD-13 and CD-17 escorting convoy HI-69 that now consists of KIMIKAWA, HAKKO, OTOWASAN, OMUROSAN, KUROSHIO, SERIA, KACHIDOKI and TENEI MARUs.
31 July 1944:
At 1745 arrives at Singapore.
4 August 1944:
At 2100, SADO departs Singapore for Moji with escort carrier SHINYO, light cruiser KASHII, destroyer SHIMOTSUKI and kaibokan CHIBURI and CD-13 and CD-19 escorting convoy HI-70 consisting of MANJU, KINUGASA, ARIMASAN MARUs and oilers SERIA, KUROSHIO, HAKKO, OMUROSAN and OTOWASAN MARUs.
12 August 1944:
SADO is detached to hunt an enemy submarine. Later, she proceeds to Kirun separately.
14 August 1944:
At 1630 arrives at Kirun.
15 August 1944:
At 1800 departs Kirun escorting transport MIZUHO MARU.
16 August 1944:
At 1800 arrives at Saei.
17 August 1944: Operation "SHO-1-GO" (Victory) - The Defense of the Philippines:
HIBURI and old destroyer ASAKAZE and kaibokan MATSUWA, ETOROFU and SADO arrive from Takao on the orders of 1st Surface Escort Division to strengthen convoy HI-71's escort forces. HI-71 is comprised of oilers AZUSA, TEIYO, NIYO, EIYO, ZUIHO, AMATSU and KYOKUTO MARUs, fleet oiler HAYASUI, transports TEIA (ex French ARAMIS), AWA, NOTO, HOKKAI, NOSHIRO MARUs and IJA landing craft depot ships TAMATSU and MAYASAN MARUs and cargo ships KASHII, NISSHO and ORYOKU MARUs. The convoy's screen is provided by Rear Admiral (Vice Admiral, posthumously) Kajioka Sadamichi (39)(former CO of KISO) of 6th Escort Convoy with destroyers FUJINAMI and YUNAGI, kaibokan HIRATO, KURAHASHI, MIKURA, SHONAN and CD-11 and escort carrier TAIYO. At 0800, in typhoon weather, HI-71 sorties from Mako for Manila.
Two hours after leaving NIYO MARU suffers engine problems and returns to Mako.
18 August 1944:
At 0524, LtCdr (Rear Admiral-Ret) Louis D. McGregor's (USNA ’30)USS REDFISH (SS-395) torpedoes and damages EIYO MARU. ASAKAZE and YUNAGI are detached to escort her back to Takao. Off Cape Bolinao, Luzon. At 2210, LtCdr (later Captain) Henry G. Munson's (USNA ’32) USS RASHER (SS-269) torpedoes and sinks oiler TEIYO MARU in a surface radar attack. 41 crewmen and 58 passengers are KIA. At 2222, Munson torpedoes and sinks carrier TAIYO at the rear of the convoy. Because of the fire and speed of sinking, most of her crew are lost and about 790 passengers perish; but by some miracle, Captain Sugino Shuichi (46) is among the just over 400 surviving crew and passengers.At 2310, USS RASHER, still on the surface, hits transport TEIA MARU with three torpedoes using radar bearings. The ex-French liner is set afire and sinks. TEIA MARU was carrying 4,795 Army and 427 civilians. 2,316 troops, 275 passengers, six guards, four gunners, 10 special lookouts, and 54 crewmen are KIA.
19 August 1944:
The convoy splits into two groups. Just past midnight, USS RASHER, still running on the surface, closes on an eastbound group of three large ships and one escort. At 0033, LtCdr Munson puts two radar-directed torpedoes into the port sides of AWA and NOSHIRO MARUs. Both ships beach themselves near Port Currimao. LtCdr (later Cdr) Charles M. Henderson's (USNA ’34) USS BLUEFISH (SS-222) and LtCdr (later Captain) Gordon W. Underwood's (USNA ’32) USS SPADEFISH (SS-411) join in the attack on HI-71. At 0320, USS BLUEFISH hits and sinks HAYASUI. aptain Sugiura Keizaburo (49) is KIA. He is promoted Rear Admiral, posthumously. The number of survivors is unknown. USS SPADEFISH hits TAMATSU MARU with two torpedoes and the big IJA landing craft depot ship rolls over and takes down 4,755 troops and 135 crewmen. HI-71 makes for San Fernando.
21 August 1944:
Rear Admiral Kajioka orders SADO, HIBURI and MATSUWA to proceed to Manila.
22 August 1944:
Hidai Bay, 25 nms W of Manila Bay. At 0456, Cdr (MOH, posthumously) Samuel D. Dealey’s (USNA ’30) USS HARDER (SS-257) torpedoes both MATSUWA and HIBURI in their port sides and stops them dead in the water. SADO signals for assistance.
At 0524, SADO is torpedoed by LtCdr (Rear Admiral-Ret) Chester W. Nimitz Jr’s (USNA ’36) USS HADDO (SS-255). At 0649, MATSUWA is sunk by USS HARDER. 134 sailors are KIA and 12 wounded.
At 0720, USS HADDO fires three torpedoes at the two remaining derelicts. One torpedo misses, but the others hit SADO squarely and sink her at 14-15N 120-25E. Cdr Taniguchi and 72 crewmen are KIA. Cdr Taniguchi is posthumously promoted Captain.
At 0755, HIBURI also sinks bow first at 14-15N, 120-25E. 154 hands are killed and wounded.
10 October 1944:
Removed from the Navy List:
Authors' Note:
Thanks for assistance go to Dr. Higuchi Tatsuhiro of Japan and Mr. Gilbert Casse of France. Thanks also go to Mr. Aki of Japan and Matthew Jones of Ohio for help in identifying kaibokan COs.
-Bob Hackett, Sander Kingsepp and Peter Cundall
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