Revision 2
18 January 1909: Kure Navy Yard. Laid down as the second unit of the two-ship
KAWACHI-class dreadnought battleships.
1 February 1909: Provisionally attached to Kure Naval District.
30 March 1911: Launched and named SETTSU.
Crown Prince Yoshihito (future Emperor Taisho) represents the Imperial
family during the ceremony. Attached to Kure Naval District.
1 December 1911: Captain (later Vice Admiral) Tanaka Morihide
(13)(former CO of ASAMA) is appointed the Chief Equipping Officer (CEO).
1 July 1912: Completed, commissioned in the IJN and placed in 1st
reserve at Kure. Captain Tanaka Morihide is the CO.
28 August 1912: Reclassified as a battleship.
1 December 1912: Assigned to First Fleet. Captain (later Vice
Admiral) Yamanaka Shibakichi (15)(former CO of the protected cruiser HIRADO)
is appointed the CO.
10 February 1913: Departs on her first training cruise, arrives at
Makung, Pescadores, on 17th.
21 February 1913: Departs Makung to patrol south China coast.
28 February 1913: Returns to Sasebo.
11 April 1913: Departs Inchon, Korea, to patrol south China coast.
22 April 1913: Arrives at Chinhae, Korea.
1 December 1913: Captain (later Vice Admiral) Kimura Takeshi
(15)(former CO of NISSHIN) is appointed the CO.
12 February 1914: Departs Koniya harbor on Amami-Oshima Island for
a patrol in East China Sea and Korea Strait in company of KONGO and TSUKUBA,
rendezvousing with SATSUMA en route. During the patrol various tests are
conducted including the comparative tests of fire control equipment embarked
on the battleships.
18 February 1914: Arrives at Chinhae in company of KONGO.
20 March 1914: During Crown Prince Hirohito's (future Emperor Showa)
and his younger brother Nobuhito (future Prince Takamatsu) visit to Etajima
Naval Academy aboard SATSUMA, SETTSU serves as the accompanying vessel.
28 August 1914: World War 1 Begins: Departs Sasebo to patrol the sea
lanes south of Japan, in the South China Sea and the Yellow Sea, as part of
Japan's contribution to the war effort under the terms of the Anglo-Japanese
Alliance.
18 August 1914: Reassigned to First Fleet.
4 September 1914: Returns to Sasebo in company of KAWACHI.
31 October-7 November 1914: - the Battle of Qingdao: SETTSU and her
sister KAWACHI, with two dozen 12-inch guns between them, lead the Allied
bombardment fleet during tthe Battle of Qingdao, the siege of Germany's
well-fortified colony on the Shandong Peninsula. The attached British
pre-dreadnought HMS TRIUMPH joins with four 10-inch and fourteen 7.5-inch
guns. Also present are five Japanese pre-dreadnoughts,three armored cruisers,
and a support armada of more than 100 vessels. After a week-long bombardment
reduces most of fortifications, the allied land army takes Qingdao.
1 December 1914: Reassigned to BatDiv 1 at First Fleet. Captain
(later Vice Admiral) Nagata Yasujiro (15)(former CO of KURAMA) is appointed
the CO.
13 December 1915: Captain (later Vice Admiral) Kawahara Kesataro
(17)(former CO of IBUKI) is appointed the CO.
1 December 1916: Placed in 2nd reserve at Kure. Captain (later Rear
Admiral) Honda Chikatami (17)(former CO of ITSUKUSHIMA) is appointed the CO.
1 October 1917: Placed in 1st reserve at Kure.
1 December 1917: Reassigned to BatDiv 2, First Fleet. Captain
(later Rear Admiral) Inutsuka Sukejiro (21)(former CO of ITSUKUSHIMA) is
appointed the CO.
27 February 1918: Departs Makung to patrol the Chinese coast,
returning to Sasebo on 3 March.
23 July 1918: Reassigned to BatDiv 1, First Fleet. During that period,
four 3-in deck guns are replaced by two AA guns of the same caliber.
20 August 1918: Reassigned to BatDiv 2, First Fleet.
28 October 1918: 10th Naval Review: Yokohama. Emperor Taisho takes the
triumphal naval review aboard SETTSU.
10 November 1918: Captain (later Vice Admiral) Uchida Kosaburo
(22)(former CO of AKI) is appointed the CO.
10 June 1919: Captain (later Rear Admiral) Furukawa Hiroshi
(22)(former CO of ASAHI) is appointed the CO.
9 October-4 November 1919: Conversion to Imperial Inspection vessel.
6 November 1919: Placed in the 3rd reserve.
20 November 1919: Captain (later Rear Admiral) Imaizumi Tetsutaro
(25)(former CO of ASAMA) is appointed the CO.
1 April-31 August 1920: At Kure Navy Yard. SETTSU is drydocked for
reboilering and hull upkeep.
3 June 1920: Captain (later Rear Admiral) Yokoo Hisashi (23)(former
CO of KIRISHIMA) is appointed the CO.
20 November 1920: Captain (later Rear Admiral) Takemitsu Kazu
(26)(former CO of ASAHI) is appointed the CO.
1 April-12 October 1921: At Kure Navy Yard. Drydocked for hull
upkeep.
10 September 1921: Placed in 1st reserve.
10 October 1921: Temporarily attached to Etajima Naval Academy as
guard ship and training vessel.
20 November 1921: Captain (later Vice Admiral) Oyamada Shigezo
(27)(former CO of ASAMA) is appointed the CO.
6 February 1922: The Washington Treaty: Washington, DC. Japan, United
States, Britain, France and Italy agree to limit the displacement and main
armament of their capital ships, aircraft carriers and cruisers and to limit the
total tonnage of their capital ships and carriers. Battleships and aircraft
carriers are set at a ratio of 5:5:3 for the navies of Great Britain, the United
States and Japan.
1922: Kure. Originally slated for retention under the terms of the
Washington Naval Treaty, SETTSU is "traded" for battleship MUTSU and subsequently
disarmed.
1 April 1922: Placed in 3rd reserve.
14 October 1922: Placed in 4th reserve.
10 November 1922: Captain (later Rear Admiral) Matsudaira Morio
(28)(former XO of YAMASHIRO) is appointed the CO of SETTSU and IBUKI as
additional duty.
20 January 1923: Captain (later Rear Admiral) Taketomi Kanichi
(27)(former CO of SUNOSAKI) is appointed the CO.
May 1923: One 41st Year Type 12-cm gun landed from SETTSU is donated
to Kashii Shrine in Fukuoka Prefecture. It is still displayed there today.
1 June 1923: Placed in 1st reserve.
23 August 1923: Still in reserve, SETTSU is used as an accommodation
ship by Kure Sailor Corps.
1 October 1923: Placed in 3rd reserve and reclassified as a Special
Service vessel/target ship. Reattached to Kure Naval District.
20 November 1923: Captain (later Rear Admiral) Matsumoto Takumi
(29)(former CO of NISSHIN) is appointed the CO.
3 December 1923-16 February 1924: The main guns and the associated
equipment are landed at Kure Navy Yard.
1 April-30 June 1924: The first conversion at Kure Navy Yard.
SETTSU is converted into a gunnery target ship. One boiler room and the
center funnel are removed. Her deck and conning bridge roof receive additional
DS (Ducol steel) plating to absorb hits from 203mm/8-inch shells. She now
displaces 16,130 tons and is capable of 16 knots.
19 April 1924: Placed in 1st reserve.
4-6 October 1924: Dry-docked at Kure Navy Yard.
1 December 1924: Placed in 3rd reserve. Captain (later Rear Admiral)
Migita Kumagoro (29)(former CO of KUMA) is appointed the CO.
2 February 1925: Departs Kure, towing the hull of the unfinished
battleship TOSA.
3 February 1925: Arrives at Saeki Bay, Kyushu. The navigating
equipment is removed from TOSA and explosive charges are placed to one of her
engine rooms.
6 February 1925: Departs Saeki Bay for the designated scuttling area
S of Bungo Channel, towing TOSA, but returns after ecountering heavy seas.
8 February 1925: Departs Saeki Bay for an area 10 miles W of
Okinoshima, again towing TOSA. The first attempt to trigger the scuttling charges
ends in failure. A small detachment is dispatched to TOSA to open her engine room
Kingston valves.
9 February 1925: 10 miles W of Okinoshima. After the Kingston valves
are opened, TOSA finally sinks around 0700. SETTSU returns to Kure.
20 April 1925: Captain Yamamoto Tokihiko (31)(former CO of YAHAGI)
is appointed the CO of SETTSU and KUMA (until 15 June) as additional duty.
1 June 1925: Placed in 1st reserve.
20 October 1925: Captain Yamamoto is appointed the CO of TAMA (until
1 December) as additional duty.
1 December 1925: Placed in 3rd reserve.
1 July 1926: Placed in 2nd reserve.
1 September 1926: Placed in 1st reserve.
1 December 1926: Placed in 4th reserve. Captain (later Rear Admiral)
Sezaki Nihei (32)(former CO of KINU) is appointed the CO.
1 April-1 May 1927: Captain Sezaki is appointed the CO of the oiler
IRO as additional duty.
28 September 1927: Captain Imagawa Magane (31)(current CO of ASAHI)
is appointed the CO of SETTSU as additional duty.
1 December 1927: Captain Tsuda Takehiko (33)(former CO of NATORI)
is appointed the CO.
30 November 1929: Captain (later Rear Admiral) Chiya Sadae (34) is
appointed the CO.
1 December 1930: Captain Isa Takuya (34)(former CO of SATA) is
appointed the CO.
1 February 1931: Following the death of Captain Isa on 31 January,
Captain Harada Bunichi (35)(former CO of ASAMA) is appointed the CO of SETTSU.
1 April 1931: Captain Shiraishi Kunio (35)(former CO of IWATE) is
appointed the CO.
1 December 1931: Captain Ishii Junzo (36)(former ComSubDiv 16) is
appointed the CO.
1 December 1932: Captain Inoue Kokichi (37)(former Chinkai Naval
District staff officer) is appointed the CO.
15 November 1933: Cdr (later Captain) Ohashi Goro (37)(former CO of
ONDO) is appointed the CO.
1 June 1934: Captain Ohashi is appointed the CO of HIRADO as
additional duty.
15 November 1934: Captain Kobayashi Saburo (37)(former CO of ERIMO)
is appointed the CO.
18 April 1935: Captain (later Rear Admiral) Mizusaki Shojiro
(38)(former CO of SATA) is appointed the CO.
15 November 1935: Cdr (later Captain) Narahashi Norimoto (39)(former
XO of KITAKAMI) is appointed the CO.
29 February-31 July 1936: The second conversion at Kure Navy Yard.
Radio-control is added, allowing SETTSU to be maneuvered by operators on
board destroyer YAKAZE. Deck, funnel and bridge armor are further increased to
ensure SETTSU's ability to survive up to 30 kg/66 lb practice bombs hits.
1 December 1936: Captain (later Vice Admiral) Sakonjo Naomasa
(40)(former XO of KAKO) is appointed the CO.
1 August 1937: Reassigned directly to the Combined Fleet.
Late August 1937: Embarks a battalion of Sasebo 4th SNLF
(approximately 1,000 men) destined for Shanghai.
29 August 1937: Off Saddle Islands (Maan). The SNLF battalion is
transferred to light cruiser NATORI and destroyer YAKAZE and ferried upriver.
20 July 1938: Captain (later Rear Admiral) Suzuki Chozo (40)(former
CO of the oiler NARUTO) is appointed the CO.
15 November 1939: Captain (Vice Admiral, posthumously) Harada Kaku
(41)(former CO of TAIGEI) is appointed the CO of the light carrier HOSHO and
SETTSU as additional duty.
10 March 1940: Captain (later Vice Admiral) Kogure Gunji
(41)(former Yokosuka/Tokyo Bay Naval District staff officer) is appointed the
CO.
1940: After modifications, SETTSU is used to train carrier pilots.
SETTSU is the stand-in for USS ARIZONA for torpedo-bomber pilots preparing for
the raid on Pearl Harbor. Most bombers are based at Iwakuni and practice level
bombing using SETTSU as a target ship. Since SETTSU is limited to the Western
Inland Sea, due to the distance trainees can not participate in more than one
dive bombing drill a day without interfering with their basic training.
11 October 1940: Imperial Naval Review: Yokohama Bay. 98 warships are
spread across Tokyo Bay for the Emperor's annual review of the fleet. Vice
Admiral (later Admiral of the Fleet, posthumously) Yamamoto Isoroku (former CO
of AKAGI), Commander-in-Chief, Combined Fleet, accompanies Emperor Hirohito
(Showa) aboard battleship HIEI. SETTSU is in the No. 2 row with four battleships
and destroyers of the 1st Squadron.
1 November 1940: Captain (Vice Admiral, posthumously) Izaki Shunji
(42)(current CO of MOGAMI) is appointed the CO of SETTSU as aditional duty.
28 November 1940: Captain (later Rear Admiral) Mori Tokuji (40)(former
chief of staff of Ominato Naval District) is appointed the CO.
1 September 1941: Captain (later Rear Admiral) Matsuda Chiaki
(44)(former CO of KAMOI) is appointed the CO.
Late November-early December 1941: Departs Formosa for the Philippines
area, simulating radio traffic originating from Carrier Striking Force in an
attempt to cover the departure of Nagumo's carriers from the Kuriles. SETTSU
consecutively assumes the identity of all six fleet carriers plus RYUJO and
ZUIHO. Prior to her departure two Type 93 13-mm twin AA machine guns are mounted
to the former main gun barbettes (one forward and one aft).
1 December 1941: Receives new call sign JFDQ.
1941-1945: During the Pacific War, the target ship is stationed in
the Inland Sea, and used for bombing and torpedo training.
10 February 1942: Captain (later Rear Admiral) Ishii Keishi
(43)(former chief of staff of Ominato Naval base port office) is appointed the
CO.
20 May 1942: Captain (later Rear Admiral) Shimamoto Hisagoro
(44)(former ComSubDiv 7) is appointed the CO.
1 October 1942: Captain (later Rear Admiral) Nagai Mitsuru
(45)(former ComSubDiv 4) is appointed the CO.
2 February 1943: Captain (later Rear Admiral) Hase Shinzaburo
(44)(former chief of the Education Bureau's 1st section) is appointed the CO.
13 April 1943: Captain (later Rear Admiral) Sato Katsuya (44)(former
CO of ERIMO) is appointed the CO.
25 June 1943: Captain (Rear Admiral, posthumously) Miura Kanzo
(47)(former CO of Usa Naval Air Group/NAG) is appointed the CO.
4 August 1943: Captain (later Rear Admiral) Soma Shinshiro
(42)(former CO of OI) is appointed the CO.
1 March 1944: Temporarily attached to Vice Admiral Kakuta Kakuji's
First Air Fleet for target ship duties.
March-June 1944: Serves as target for the 522nd and 762nd NAGs in
the Inland Sea, cruising between Tokuyama and Oita. During that period the
Type 93 13-mm AA machine guns are replaced by Type 96 25-mm twin AA guns.
A hydrophone is installed and depth charges fitted.
5 May 1944: Reassigned directly to the Combined Fleet.
1 June 1944: Reattached to Combined Fleet HQ.
10 August 1944: Reserve Captain Oto Masanao (39)(former CO of
MAMIYA) is appointed the CO.
3 January 1945: Kure. SETTSU is assigned to target and aircraft
training duties with carriers HOSHO and KAIYO and destroyer YUKAZE.
11 March 1945: Departs Oita with carrier HOSHO and destroyer YUKAZE
for target ship duty for the 252nd NAG.
1 July 1945: The crew is reduced to 21 officers and petty officers,
353 men and two navy civilians (probably cobblers or barbers). Transferred to
Tsukumo Seto (the entrance channel to Etauchi Bight).
19 July 1945: Proceeds from Tsukumo Seto to a new location off
Osu on the N coast of Etajima Island.
24 July 1945: After 1500, SETTSU is attacked by some 30 carrier
aircraft, identified as either Grumman F6F "Hellcat" bomb-carrying fighters
or bomb-carrying Grumman TBF "Avengers". She receives a direct bomb hit to the
starboard, just forward of the after compass bridge, killing two sailors and
wounding two. A nearby whaler is likewise demolished in this explosion. There
are also five near misses off the starboard side, the closest of which splits
the hull plating, opening a serious leak to the engine room on. Strafing
attacks cause negligible damage.
Captain Oto decides that the damage cannot be repaired and runs his
ship aground in shallow water at Etajima. The hull develops a list to port.
After that date, all 25-mm AA guns and most provisions are landed. SETTSU
is used as an ad hoc accommodation ship thereafter.
26 July 1945: The gradual flooding causes SETTSU to ground on an even
keel.
28 July 1945: The already grounded SETTSU is attacked by three
carrier aircraft dropping bombs and making strafing runs. She receives two
direct hits. The first bomb penetrates the upper deck to the starboard of the
forebridge, exploding in No. 3 crew space. The second bomb hits on the port side
approximately in the same area, but does not penetrate the upper decks.
29 July 1945: The remainder of the crew abandons the ship.
15 August 1945: Hostilities cease. Placed in 4th reserve.
20 November 1945: Removed from the Navy List.
19 February 1946: SCAPIN (Supreme Command of Allied Powers) issues
the directive authorizing the scrapping of HYUGA, HARUNA and SETTSU.
June 1946-August 1947: The hulk of SETTSU is raised and towed to
Harima's shipyard at Kure where it is scrapped.
Author's Notes: Thanks go to Richard Wolff for assistance with various
Japanese source materials.
- Bob Hackett and Sander Kingsepp.
