© 2006-2015 Bob Hackett, Sander Kingsepp and Peter Cundall
Revision 3
1 August 1944:
Laid down at Sasebo Navy Yard.
1 September 1944:
Named UKU.
12 November 1944:
Launched.
30 December 1944:
Completed and registered in the Kure Naval District.
Attached to the Kure Guard Unit based at Saeki Bay.
LtCdr (Reserve) Suzuki Seishiro (former CO of Auxiliary gunboat HOKOKU MARU) assumes command.
8 February 1945:
Reassigned to the General Escort Command’s First Escort Fleet.
13 February 1945:
At 0400 departs Kure and at 0730 arrives at Moji.
14 February 1945:
At 1100 UKU together with kaibokan CD-72, CD-150, sub-chaser CH-60 and minesweeper W-21 depart Moji escorting MOTA-37 convoy consisting of DAIKO, DAIIKU MARUs and three unidentified merchant ships.
18 February 1945:
At 1700 arrives at Ssu Chiao Shan. W-21 is detached.
19 February 1945:
At 0800 departs Ssu Chiao Shan. At 1800 arrives at Niubi Shan.
20 February 1945:
Departs Niubi Shan.
21 February 1945:
Off Wenchow, China. CD-150 and CD-72 are damaged in a collision.
22 February 1945:
Arrives at Tanshui, Formosa.
23 February 1945:
At 0700 departs Tanshui and at 1200 arrives at Kirun (Keelung).
28 February 1945:
At 0300 departs Kirun with CD-72 and submarine chaser CH-21 escorting TAMO-46 consisting of an DAIKO, BRAZIL, TAIFU (?), TENRYU and JUZAN MARUs and at 1930 arrives at Tungta Tao.
1 March 1945:
At 0745 departs Tungta Tao. At 1400 arrives at Mazu Shan.
3 March 1945:
At 0000 departs Mazu Shan.
4 March 1945:
At 1800 arrives at Ssu Chiao Shan.
5 March 1945:
At 0500 departs Ssu Chiao Shan.
9 March 1945:
At 1020 arrives at Mutsure.
12 March 1945:
At 0700 departs Mutsure.
21 March 1945:
At 1900 arrives at Chiu Shan Liehtao.
22 March 1945:
Off Amoy, China. At 0100, UKU and kaibokan SHINNAN are
joined by MITSUSHIMA MARU and cargo ship AKISHIMA MARU.
At 1030 arrives at Ssu Chiao Shan.
23 March 1945:
At 1000 departs Ssu Chiao Shan.
26 March 1945:
At 1845 arrives at Mutsure.
27 March 1945:
At 0620, departs Mutsure and at 0700 arrives at Moji.
26 April 1945:
Coast of China. At 0755, UKU departs the Shusan Sea area for Moji with destroyer ASAGAO, kaibokan CD-26, patrol boat PB-102 (ex-USS STEWART, DD-224), minesweeper W-29 and subchaser CH-20 escorting convoy SHIMO-03 consisting of KASHIMA, BANSHU, ABUKUMAGAWA, SHINTON and TAIKYU MARUs and NANRYU MARU No. 9.
27 April 1945:
Yellow Sea. Off S Korea. Convoy SHIMO-03 is attacked by aircraft and unidentified submarine(s). The planes make many attacks and bomb and strafe the convoy. UKU and patrol boat No. 102 are damaged at 34-52N, 124-23E. Two of UKU’s crewmen are KIA.
28 April 1945:
At 1200, arrives at Moji. That same day, UKU is reassigned to the General Escort Command’s First Escort Fleet’s 103rd Escort Squadron.
9 May 1945:
Off Futaoi Lighthouse near 34-06N, 130-47E. UKU strikes a mine, most probably laid by B-29 "Super Fortresses" from Tinian, Marianas, and suffers medium damage.
22 July 1945:
Western Inland Sea. Completes repairs.
15 August 1945:
Tsushima Strait. While escorting an unidentified convoy, UKU’s crew receives notice of the termination of the war.
3 October 1945:
Departs Kure on her first repatriation voyage.
5 October 1945:
Removed from the Navy List.
11 October 1945:
Arrives at Guam. Embarks troops and passengers to be repatriated.
12 October 1945:
Departs Guam.
14 October 1945:
Arrives at Truk. Embarks troops and passengers to be repatriated.
15 October 1945:
Departs Truk.
16 October 1945:
Arrives at Endabi. Embarks troops and passengers to be repatriated.
18 October 1945:
Departs Endabi.
20 October 1945:
Arrives at Guam. Embarks troops and passengers to be repatriated.
21 October 1945:
Departs Guam.
26 October 1945:
Arrives at Uraga. Disembarks troops and passengers.
27 October 1945:
Begins repairs at Uraga.
30 November 1945:
Completes repairs.
1 December 1945:
Officially assigned to the Allied Repatriation Service as a special cargo ship. [1]
6 December 1945:
Departs Uraga.
12 December 1945:
Arrives at Guam. Embarks troops and passengers to be repatriated.
13 December 1945:
Departs Guam.
16 December 1945:
Arrives at Palau. Embarks troops and passengers to be repatriated.
19 December 1945:
Departs Palau.
24 Decenber 1945:
Arrives at Uraga. Disembarks troops and passengers.
28 December 1945:
Begins repairs at Uraga.
16 February 1946:
Completes repairs.
19 February 1946:
Departs Uraga.
28 February 1946:
Arrives at Guam. Embarks troops and passengers to be repatriated.
2 March 1946:
Departs Guam.
6 March 1946:
Arrives at Okinawa. Embarks troops and passengers to be repatriated.
8 March 1945:
Departs Okinawa.
10 March 1945:
Arrives at Sasebo. Disembarks troops and passengers.
3 April 1946:
Departs Sasebo.
5 April 1946:
Arrives at Shanghai. Embarks troops and passengers to be repatriated.
6 April 1946:
Departs Shanghai.
8 April 1946:
Arrives at Sasebo. Disembarks troops and passengers.
23 April 1946:
Departs Sasebo.
24 April 1946:
Arrives at Shanghai. Embarks troops and passengers to be repatriated.
26 April 1946:
Departs Shanghai.
28 April 1946:
Arrives at Sasebo. Disembarks troops and passengers.
6 May 1946:
Departs Sasebo.
8 May 1946:
Arrives at Shanghai. Embarks troops and passengers to be repatriated.
10 May 1946:
Departs Shanghai.
13 May 1946:
Arrives at Sasebo. Disembarks troops and passengers.
22 May 1946:
Departs Sasebo.
31 May 1946:
Arrives at St Jacques. Embarks troops and passengers to be repatriated.
2 June 1946:
Departs St Jacques.
5 June 1946:
Arrives at Bangkok. Embarks troops and passengers to be repatriated and departs later that day.
19 June 1946:
Arrives at Uraga. Disembarks troops and passengers.
1 July 1946:
Begins repairs at Tamano.
15 July 1946:
Completes repairs.
21 July 1946:
Departs Kure.
23 July 1946:
Arrives at Okinawa. Embarks troops and passengers to be repatriated.
25 July 1946:
Departs Okinawa.
28 July 1946:
Arrives at Kure. Disembarks troops and passengers.
29 July 1946:
Departs Kure.
30 July 1946:
Arrives at Okinawa. Embarks troops and passengers to be repatriated and departs later that day.
2 August 1946:
Arrives at Kure. Disembarks troops and passengers.
4 August 1946:
Departs Kure.
6 August 1946:
Arrives at Okinawa. Embarks troops and passengers to be repatriated.
7 August 1946:
Departs Okinawa.
9 August 1946:
Arrives at Kure. Disembarks troops and passengers.
11 August 1946:
Departs Ujina.
13 August 1946:
Arrives at Okinawa. Embarks troops and passengers to be repatriated.
14 August 1946:
Departs Okinawa.
16 August 1946:
Arrives at Kure. Disembarks troops and passengers.
18 August 1946:
Departs Ujina.
21 August 1946:
Arrives at Okinawa. Embarks troops and passengers to be repatriated.
22 August 1946:
Departs Okinawa.
24 August 1946:
Arrives at Kure. Disembarks troops and passengers.
26 August 1946:
Departs Ujina.
30 August 1946:
Arrives at Okinawa. Embarks troops and passengers to be repatriated and departs later that day.
2 September 1946:
Arrives at Kure. Disembarks troops and passengers.
4 September 1946:
Departs Kure.
6 September 1946:
Arrives at Okinawa. Embarks troops and passengers to be repatriated.
7 September 1946:
Departs Okinawa.
9 September 1946:
Arrives at Kure. Disembarks troops and passengers.
11 September 1946:
Departs Kure.
14 September 1946:
Arrives at Okinawa. Embarks troops and passengers to be repatriated.
16 September 1946:
Departs Okinawa.
17 September 1946:
Arrives at Kure. Disembarks troops and passengers.
19 September 1946:
Departs Kure.
21 September 1946:
Arrives at Okinawa. Embarks troops and passengers to be repatriated.
23 September 1946:
Departs Okinawa.
24 September 1946:
Arrives at Kure. Disembarks troops and passengers.
27 September 1946:
Begins repairs at Tamano.
8 October 1946:
Completes repairs.
13 October 1946:
Departs Ujina.
15 October 1946:
Arrives at Okinawa. Embarks troops and passengers to be repatriated and departs later that day.
18 October 1946:
Arrives at Kure. Disembarks troops and passengers.
5 December 1946:
Departs Kure.
7 December 1946:
Arrives at Naze, Amami O-Shima. Embarks troops and passengers to be repatriated.
10 December 1946:
Departs Naze.
11 December 1946:
Arrives at Kure. Disembarks troops and passengers.
4 July 1947:
Tsingtao, China. Ceded to the United States as a war reparation. Later scrapped.
Authors' Note:
[1] Allied occupation forces were responsible for the return of six million Japanese military personnel and civilians from Japan's defunct far-flung Empire. In addition, there were over a million Korean and about 40,000 Chinese prisoners and conscript laborers and approximately 7,000 Formosans and 15,000 Ryukyu Islanders to be repatriated.
Some Allied and many former IJN warships, from aircraft carriers to kaibokan, were used to facilitate the enormous repatriation effort. Japanese vessels and crews were used to the fullest extent possible to conserve Allied manpower and accelerate demobilization. Each ex-IJN ship first had to be demilitarized; guns removed or, in the case of large warships, barrels severed, ammunition landed, and radar and catapults removed, if fitted. Repatriation of the Chinese on Japanese ships began early in October from Hakata, but U.S. guard detachments had to be placed on many ships to prevent disorder because the Japanese crews could not control the returnees.
Japanese-run repatriation centers were established at Kagoshima, Hario near Sasebo, and Hakata near Fukuoka. Other reception centers were established and operated at Maizuru, Shimonoseki, Sasebo, Senzaki, Kure, Uraga, Yokohama, Moji and Hakodate. Allied line and medical personnel supervised the centers. Incoming Japanese were sprayed with DDT, examined and inoculated for typhus and smallpox, provided with food, and transported to his final destination in Japan.
Thanks go to Dr. Higuchi Tatsuhiro of Japan, Mr Jeff Donahoo of Iowa, USA and Mr. Gilbert Casse of France.
-Bob Hackett, Sander Kingsepp and Peter Cundall.
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