IJN Light Cruiser KISO: Tabular
Record of Movement
© 1997-2021 Bob Hackett and Sander Kingsepp
Revision 8
10 June 1919:
Laid down at Mitsubishi's Nagasaki yard as the last unit
of the KUMA class light cruisers.
14 December 1920:
Launched and named KISO.
15 January 1921:
Captain (later Vice Admiral) Tateno Tokujiro
(28)(former inspector at Sasebo Naval Arsenal) is appointed the Chief
Equipping Officer (CEO).
30 April 1921:
Captain Tateno is appointed the CO.
4 May 1921:
Completed and registered in the IJN. Attached to Kure
Naval District. Captain Tateno is the CO.
10 May 1922:
Captain (later Rear Admiral) Wada Kenkichi (29)(former
CoS of Lushun/Port Arthur Guard District) is appointed the CO.
1 December 1922:
Placed in reserve. Captain (later Rear Admiral) Mori
Raizo (28)(former CoS of the Interim Southern Islands Defense Unit) is appointed
the CO.
1 October 1923:
Captain (later Rear Admiral) Honshuku Naojiro
(30)(former CO of AKASHI) is appointed the CO.
13 February-1 July 1924:
Captain Honshuku is appointed the CO of NOMA
as additional duty.
1 December 1924:
Captain Mizuno Kumao (31)(former CO of
KARASAKI/ex-EKATERINOSLAV) is appointed the CO.
15 April 1925:
Captain Sato Hideo (33)(current CO of the survey vessel
YAMATO) is appointed the CO of KISO as additional duty.
10 July 1925:
Captain Aoki Kunitaro (31)(former CO of TAMA) is
appointed the CO of KISO and MUROTO (until 1 August) as additional duty.
1 December 1926:
Captain (later Vice Admiral) Hamada Kichijiro
(33)(former chief of the Personnel Bureau's 2nd section at Navy Ministry)
is appointed the CO.
10 June 1927:
Captain (later Vice Admiral) Arima Yutaka (33)(former
NGS staff officer) is appointed the CO.
15 November 1927:
Captain (later Rear Admiral) Yamaguchi Seishichi
(32)(former CO of TENRYU) is appointed the CO.
1 May 1928:
Attached to Yokosuka Naval District.
4 December 1928:
Captain (later Rear Admiral) Mitsui Seizaburo
(34)(former Naval Academy instructor) is appointed the CO.
1 May 1929:
Captain Ono Isao (34)(former CO of TSURUMI) is appointed
the CO.
30 November 1929:
Captain (later Rear Admiral) Araki Sadaaki
(35)(former CO of MUROTO) is appointed the CO.
1 May 1930:
Placed in reserve.
15 May 1930:
Captain Soga Seiichiro (35)(former CO of SUNOSAKI) is
appointed the CO.
14 November 1931:
Captain (later Vice Admiral) Okawachi Denshichi
(37)(former CO of ONDO) is appointed the CO.
1 December 1932:
Captain (later Vice Admiral), the Marquis, Komatsu
Teruhisa (37)(former CO of JINGEI) is appointed the CO.
15 November 1933:
Captain (Admiral, posthumously) Ito Seiichi
(39)(formerly attached to Japanese Embassy at Hsinking, Manchukuo) is
appointed the CO.
10 March 1934:
Captain (later Vice Admiral) Kakuta Kakuji
(39)(former Shanghai SNLF staff officer) is appointed the CO.
15 November 1934:
Captain (later Rear Admiral) Mizuno Junichi
(37)(former CO of ONDO) is appointed the CO.
15 November 1935:
Captain (later Vice Admiral) Oka Arata
(40)(former Naval Attaché to the UK) is appointed the CO.
10 November 1936:
Captain (later Vice Admiral) Kudo Kyuhachi
(39)(former CO of TENRYU) is appointed the CO.
1 June 1938:
Placed in reserve. Captain (later Rear Admiral)
Nakamura Motoji (39)(current CO of ISUZU) is appointed the CO.
15 June 1938:
Captain (Vice Admiral, posthumously) Kajioka
Sadamichi (39)(former CO of KASUGA) is appointed the CO.
15 December 1938:
Captain (later Rear Admiral) Tashiro Sohei
(41)(former CO of KINU) is appointed the CO.
30 March 1939:
Captain (later Rear Admiral) Yagi Hidetsuna
(42)(former CO of SHIRETOKO) is appointed the CO.
1 April 1939:
Placed in reserve.
17 April 1939:
Yokohama. Accompanied by destroyers HIBIKI,
SAGIRI, AKATSUKI, Captain (later Admiral) Richmond K. Turner's USS ASTORIA
(CA-34) arrives via the Panama Canal and Hawaii from Annapolis, Maryland,
carrying the remains of the former Japanese Ambassador to the United States,
Saito Hiroshi. ASTORIA steams into harbor with the United States ensign at
half-staff. KISO returns a 21-gun salute fired by ASTORIA. That afternoon,
American sailors carry Ambassador Saito's ceremonial ashes urn ashore. After a
state funeral the next day, the Japanese host a tea party for Captain Turner and
his officers at Foreign Minister Arita Hachiro's residence attended by the U.S.
Ambassador Joseph C. Grew, naval attache Captain Harold M. Bemis and the Vice
Minister of the Navy, Vice Admiral (later Fleet Admiral, posthumously) Yamamoto
Isoroku. [1]
1 November 1939:
Captain Mori Ryozo (39)(former CO of AKASHI) is
appointed the CO.
15 October 1940:
Captain (later Rear Admiral) Kiyama Tatsuo
(42)(former Yokosuka Sailor Corps instructor) is appointed the CO.
1-12 March 1941:
Captain Kiyama is appointed the CO of SANTOS MARU as
additional duty.
10 November 1941:
Captain (later Rear Admiral) Ono Takeji (44)(former
NGS staff officer) is appointed the CO. KISO is in Vice Admiral Hosogaya
Boshiro's (former CO of MUTSU) CruDiv 21 with flagship, light cruiser TAMA in
Hosogaya's Fifth Fleet.
2 December 1941:
Akkeshi, Hokkaido Island. KISO and TAMA are
camouflaged for operations in Northern waters. White patches are added to their
superstructures and their bows and sterns are painted white. The remainder of
the ships' superstructures and hulls retain their original colors: Maizuru
Arsenal dark gray for KISO and Yokosuka Arsenal dark gray for TAMA.
4 December 1941:
KISO and TAMA depart Akkeshi.
8 December 1941: Operation "Z" - The Attack on
Pearl Harbor:
Kuriles. KISO and TAMA depart Matsuwa Shima to
patrol the area. Both cruisers' hulls are damaged by heavy weather.
21 December 1941:
KISO and TAMA arrive at Ominato, Japan.
25 December 1941:
KISO and TAMA depart Ominato.
26 December 1941:
KISO and TAMA arrive at Yokosuka.
27 December 1941:
Yokosuka. KISO and TAMA are docked together in No.
5 drydock. Their hulls are repaired.
16 January 1942:
Undocked.
21 January 1942:
CruDiv 21 departs Yokosuka.
26 January 1942:
CruDiv 21 arrives at Akkeshi.
1 February 1942:
CruDiv 21 departs Akkeshi. Patrols in Northern
waters.
20 February 1942:
CruDiv 21 arrives at Akkeshi.
4 March 1942:
CruDiv 21 departs Akkeshi.
4 March 1942:
Thirty-eight aircraft of Vice Admiral (later Fleet
Admiral) William F. ("Bull") Halsey's (former CO of SARATOGA, CV-3) Task Force
16's USS ENTERPRISE (CV-6), escorted by SALT LAKE CITY (CA-25) and NORTHAMPTON
(CA-28) make a dawn raid on Marcus Island, located between Midway and the Bonin
Islands, about 1,000 miles from Tokyo.
9 March 1942:
KISO and TAMA arrive at Yokosuka.
10-12 March 1942:
Drydocked at Yokosuka Navy Yard for a refit.
11 March 1942:
Hashirajima. In response to an alarm that an enemy
fleet is closing the homeland, the First Fleet's battleships HYUGA and ISE
sortie to search for Halsey.
12 March 1942:
KISO, TAMA and destroyers depart Yokosuka to search
for Halsey, but find nothing.
19 March 1942:
Arrives at Yokosuka.
26 March 1942:
CruDiv 21 departs Yokosuka.
5 April 1942:
CruDiv 21 arrives at Akkeshi.
18 April 1942: The First Bombing of Japan:
Halsey's TF 16 with USS
HORNET (CV-8), cruisers, destroyers and an oiler accompanied by ENTERPRISE,
cruisers, destroyers and another oiler approach Japan. The carriers and
cruisers come to within 668 nautical miles of the mainland.
Discovery of his force by guardboat NITTO MARU No. 23 compels Halsey to
order the HORNET to launch LtCol (later Gen/Medal of Honor) James H. Doolittle's
16 Army North American B-25 "Mitchell" twin-engine bombers of the 17th Bomb
Group earlier than planned from Captain (later Admiral) Marc A. Mitscher's
HORNET.
ENTERPRISE's VB-3 and VB-6's Douglas "Dauntless" SBD dive-bombers and
VF-6's Grumman "Wildcat" F4F fighters attack the picket boats encountered near
TF 16. They damage armed merchant cruiser AWATA MARU and guardboats IWATE MARU
No. 1, CHOKYU MARU, ASAMI MARU No. 2, KAIJIN MARU, CHINYO MARU No. 3, EIKICHI
MARU, KOWA MARU, NAGATO MARU and NANSHIN MARU No. 26.
Guardboats NITTO MARU No. 23 and NAGATO MARU, damaged by SBDs and F4Fs,
are sunk by the gunfire of NASHVILLE (CL-43).
Doolittle's planes strike targets in Tokyo, Yokohama, Osaka, Nagoya and
Kobe. KISO and TAMA depart Akkeshi in pursuit of Halsey.
19 April 1942:
Guardboat IWATE MARU No. 1 sinks as the result of
damage inflicted by ENTERPRISE's planes. Submarine I-74 rescues her crew.
KISO scuttles guardboat NANSHIN MARU No. 26, damaged by ENTERPRISE's
planes.
22 April 1942:
I-74 transfers IWATE MARU No. 1's crew to KISO.
24 April 1942:
KISO arrives at Akkeshi.
25 April 1942:
Departs Akkeshi.
26 April 1942:
Arrives at Muroran.
30 April 1942:
Departs Muroran.
1 May 1942:
Arrives at Akkeshi.
6 May 1942:
Departs Akkeshi Bay for the Kiska and Adak, Aleutians
areas escorting converted seaplane tender KIMIKAWA MARU.
12 May 1942:
150 miles S of Kiska. KIMIKAWA MARU launches seaplanes
for photo-reconnnaisance of Adak and Kiska. The Adak mission is successful, but
Kiska is obscured by weather.
15 May 1942:
Arrives at Ominato. During her stay, KISO's camouflage
white patches are painted over and the ship is restored to her orignal dark
gray color.
28 May 1942: Operation "AL" - The Seizure of Attu and Kiska:
Departs
Mutsu Bay, Kawauchi in Vice Admiral Hosogaya's Northern Force with Captain Ono
Takeji's Kiska Invasion Force: CruDiv 21, destroyers HIBIKI, AKATSUKI and
HOKAZE, auxiliary cruiser ASAKA MARU, seaplane tender KIMIKAWA MARU and
transports HAKUSAN and KUMAKAWA MARUs.
CruDiv 21 accompanies Rear Admiral (later Vice Admiral) Omori Sentaro's
(former CO of ISE) Attu Invasion Force: DesRon 1's light cruiser ABUKUMA, DesDiv
21's HATSUHARU, HATSUSHIMO, WAKABA and NENOHI, transport KINUGASA MARU and
minelayer MAGANE MARU with the Main Body's CruDiv 5's NACHI, destroyers INAZUMA
and IKAZUCHI, oilers FUJISAN and NISSAN MARUs, three cargo ships and Rear
Admiral (later Vice Admiral) Kakuta Kakuji's (former CO of NAGATO) Carrier
Striking Force's CarDiv 4's JUNYO and RYUJO, CruDiv 4/2's TAKAO and MAYA, DesDiv
3's SHIOKAZE and DesDiv 7's AKEBONO, SAZANAMI and USHIO.
1 June 1942:
The Invasion Force arrives at Paramushiro.
1 June 1942:
Departs Paramushiro.
7 June 1942:
The Invasion Force lands troops on Kiska.
10 June 1942:
Kiska. KISO, several other ships and a few destroyers
are attacked by a formation of six B-24 "Liberator" heavy bombers. They come
through the pass W of Kiska Harbor under a 1,500 foot overcast and drop their
bombs. The leading plane is hit by anti-aircraft fire from the ships and
disintegrates. KISO is undamaged.
14 June 1942:
KISO is attacked by Consolidated PBY "Catalina" flying
boats and sustains near misses.
18 June 1942:
Departs Kiska.
24 June 1942:
Arrives at Mutsu Bay.
28 June 1942:
CruDiv 21's KISO and TAMA depart for the Aleutians with
DesRon 1's ABUKUMA and Rear Admiral Kakuta's Second Mobile Force: CarDiv 4's
JUNYO and RYUJO reinforced by CruDiv 5's HAGURO, MYOKO and NACHI, DesDiv 4's
ARASHI, MAIKAZE, HAGIKAZE and NOWAKI, DesDiv 7's USHIO, SAZANAMI, DesDiv 9's
ASAGUMO, MINEGUMO and NATSUGUMO, DesDiv 10's AKIGUMO, KAZAGUMO, MAKIGUMO and
YUGUMO and DesDiv 17's URAKAZE.
CruDiv 21 covers the second reinforcement convoy to Kiska, then patrols
SW of Kiska in anticipation of an American counterattack.
7 July 1942:
Departs the area.
16 July 1942:
CruDiv 21 arrives at Yokosuka.
16 July-2 August 1942:
Refit at Yokosuka.
2 August 1942:
Departs Yokosuka.
16 August 1942.
CruDiv 21 arrives at Ominato.
20 August 1942:
Departs Ominato. Patrols S of Kiska thereafter. Covers
the transfer of the Attu garrison to Kiska.
18 September 1942:
KISO, ABUKUMA and NACHI arrive at Ominato.
20 September 1942:
Captain (later Rear Admiral) Kawai Iwao (47)(former
Fourth Fleet staff officer) is appointed the CO.
21 October 1942:
CruDiv 21 departs Ominato.
23 October 1942:
Kakumabetsu Bay, Paramushiro. Oiler TEIYO MARU
refuels KISO.
25 October 1942:
CruDiv 21 enters Kashiwabara, Paramushiro Island to
embark part of the Yonekawa Force.
27 October 1942:
CruDiv 21 departs Paramushiro with ABUKUMA, escorted
by DesDiv 21's HATSUSHIMO and WAKABA carrying the Yonekawa Detachment to Attu.
29 October 1942:
Arrives at Attu. Disembarks troops.
30 October 1942:
CruDiv 21 departs Attu for Paramushiro.
1 November 1942:
At Paramushiro as guard ship.
14 November 1942:
Departs Paramushiro.
17 November 1942:
Embarks an army detachment at Otaru with ABUKUMA.
20 November 1942:
At 0830, departs Otaru with ABUKUMA.
23 November 1942:
At 0615, arrives at Kakumabetsu Bay, Paramushiro
Island. Refuels from auxiliary oiler TEIYO MARU. At 1400, departs for Attu with
ABUKUMA and destroyer WAKABA.
25 November 1942:
At 1810, arrives at Attu. Disembarks troops, then
departs.
28 November 1942:
Arrives at Kakumabetsu. Both cruisers refuel and
embark supplies.
30 November 1942:
Departs Paramushiro with ABUKUMA.
3 December 1942:
Arrives at Kiska, delivers supplies and departs.
7 December 1942:
Arrives at Kataoka Bay, Paramushiro. Refuels from
auxiliary oiler TEIYO MARU. Departs that same day.
10 December 1942:
Arrives at Ominato.
11 December 1942:
Departs Ominato.
12 December 1942:
Arrives at Maizuru. Refit.
16 December 1942:
Drydocked.
22 December 1942:
Undocked.
30 December 1942:
Departs Maizuru.
31 December 1942:
Arrives at Ominato.
2 January 1943:
Departs Ominato.
5 January 1943:
Arrives at Paramushiro.
5-18 January 1943:
Loads supplies.
7 January 1943:
Kataoka Bay. Refuels from auxiliary oiler TEIYO MARU.
13 January 1943: American Occupation of Amchitka Island, Aleutians.
90
miles from Kiska. The Alaska Defense Command's Army BrigGen Lloyd E. Jones'
troops land at Constantine Harbor covered by Rear Admiral (later Admiral) Thomas
C. Kinkaid's (former CO of INDIANAPOLIS, CA-35) Task Force 8. The landing is
unopposed. Jones' troops occupy the island. A fighter strip is constructed in
the next few weeks and is operational the next month.
16 January 1943:
Refuels from auxiliary oiler TEIYO MARU.
18 January 1943:
Departs Paramushiro for Kiska on a resupply mission
with destroyer WAKABA.
23 January 1943:
En route to Kiska, KISO and WAKABA spot an "enemy"
submarine. Later, they learn that LtCdr Yamamoto Hideo's I-35 was patrolling in
the same area. They are recalled before reaching Kiska because of American
landings on Amchitka.
24 January 1943:
Arrives at Kabutosan, Paramushiro and unloads
supplies. Refuels from auxiliary oiler TEIYO MARU.
2 February 1943:
Refuels from TEIYO MARU.
7 February 1943:
Refuels from TEIYO MARU.
13 February 1943:
Departs Paramushiro with converted transport SAKITO
MARU on a supply run to Kiska. The transport's speed is slowed because of the
presence of an American squadron off Kiska.
20 February 1943:
Arrives at Kiska. KISO and the transport unload
supplies.
22 February 1943:
KISO arrives at Kashiwabara, Paramushiro.
23 February 1943:
Refuels from TEIYO MARU.
4 March 1943:
Kashiwabara Bay. Refuels from TEIYO MARU.
7 March 1943:
Embarks more supplies. Departs Paramushiro with
converted armed merchant cruiser ASAKA MARU and transport SAKITO MARU bound for
Attu. Escorted by the Fifth Fleet's cruisers NACHI and the MAYA, light cruisers
TAMA and ABUKUMA and destroyers IKAZUCHI, INAZUMA, USUGUMO, HATSUSHIMO and
WAKABA.
10 March 1943:
Arrives at Attu. KISO and the transports land
supplies, while the other units patrol.
13 March 1943:
All units arrive safely at Kashiwabara.
15 March 1943:
Departs Paramushiro.
18 March 1943:
Arrives at Ominato.
20 March 1943:
Arrives at Maizuru. Refit.
28 March 1943:
Vice Admiral Kawase Shiro (former XO of KIRISHIMA)
assumes command of the Fifth Fleet.
4 April 1943:
Drydocked. During refit the KISO's 90-cm searchlights
are replaced by three Type 96 110-cm searchlights. Two Type 96 twin-mount
25-mm AA guns are added at port and starboard above the aft torpedo tube.
She is also fitted with a No. 21 air-search radar.
17 April 1943:
The KISO hoists the flag of DesRon 1.
20 April 1943:
Undocked.
28 April 1943:
Departs Maizuru.
3 May 1943:
Arrives at Paramushiro.
11 May 1943: American Operation "Landcrab" - The Invasion of Attu,
Aleutians:
Rear Admiral Kinkaid's Task Force 16, covered by Rear Admiral
Francis W. Rockwell's (former CO of THATCHER (DD-162) Task Force 51, lands
elements of the Army's 4th and 7th Infantry Divisions under MajGen Eugene M.
Landrum at Holtz Bay and Massacre Bay who later capture the island.
That same day, the KISO departs Paramushiro with DesDiv 21's HATSUSHIMO
and WAKABA to escort the converted seaplane tender KIMIKAWA MARU transporting
eight Mitsubishi F1M2 ("Pete") floatplanes and two Nakajima A6M2-N ("Rufe")
fighter floatlanes of the 452nd NAG to Attu. After the American landings on
Attu, KIMIKAWA MARU and her escorts are ordered to return to Paramushiro.
15 May 1943:
Arrives at Paramushiro.
16 May 1943:
Kataoka Bay. Refuels from oiler TEIYO MARU.
19 May 1943:
The flag of DesRon 1 shifted back to ABUKUMA.
21 May 1943:Operation "KE" - The Evacuation of Kiska:
The Imperial
General Headquarters decides to evacuate the garrison at Kiska Island,
Aleutians.
25 May 1943:
Departs Kataoka Bay, Paramushiro with ABUKUMA, four
destroyers to land supplies and to evacuate some officers from Attu. The units
wait for more favorable weather 150 miles SW of Attu.
29 May 1943:
Since Attu's fall is imminent, the operation is
canceled.
31 May 1943:
KISO returns to Kataoka Bay.
10 June 1943:
Rear Admiral (later Vice Admiral) Kimura Masatomi
(former CO of SUZUYA) assumes command of DesRon 1.
18 June 1943:
Departs Paramushiro.
23 June 1943:
Arrives at Ominato.
27 June 1943:
Departs Ominato.
30 June 1943:
Arrives at Paramushiro.
7 July 1943: Operation "KE" - The Evacuation of Kiska:
KISO and TAMA
depart Paramushiro with the Evacuation Task Force consisting of Rear Admiral
Kimura's DesRon 1's ABUKUMA with DesDiv 6's HIBIKI, DesDiv 9's ASAGUMO, USUGUMO,
DesDiv 10's YUGUMO, KAZAGUMO and AKIGUMO, Guard Unit No. 1's DesDiv 21's WAKABA
and HATSUSHIMO, DesDiv 32's NAGANAMI and Guard Unit No. 2's DesDiv 11's
SHIMAKAZE, DesDiv 27's SAMIDARE with the Supply Force's converted cruiser AWATA
MARU, oiler NIPPON MARU and kaibokan KUNASHIRI.
The mission is aborted due to weather.
18 July 1943:
Returns to Paramushiro.
19 July 1943:
Refuels from oiler TEIYO MARU.
22 July 1943:
Departs Paramushiro.
26 July 1943:
At 1745, while steaming in column, KUNASHIRI collides
with ABUKUMA, hitting her starboard quarter. WAKABA veers to starboard and is
hit by HATSUSHIMO on her starboard quarter. HATSUSHIMO ricochets against the
NAGANAMI. WAKABA and KUNASHIRI are sent back to Paramushiro.
29 July 1943:
Kiska. KISO and the remaining units anchor in Trout
Lagoon.
29 July 1943:
Departs Kiska in the No. 2 Transport Unit with ABUKUMA
(No. 1 Transport Unit) and DesDiv 10. KISO evacuates 1,189 personnel from Kiska.
31 July 1943:
Arrives at Paramushiro.
3 August 1943:
Departs Paramushiro.
6 August 1943:
Arrives at Otaru.
10 August 1943:
Departs Otaru.
11 August 1943:
Arrives at Ominato.
6 September 1943:
Departs Ominato.
9 September 1943:
KISO arrives at Kure.
14 September 1943:
Departs Kure. Arrives at Ujina.
15 September 1943:
Embarks troops of the IJA's 17th Infantry
Division's 107th Infantry and departs Ujina with TAMA in troop movment "Tei No.
1".
22 September 1943:
Arrives at Ponape, Caroline Islands. Disembarks
troops and departs.
23 September 1943:
Arrives at Truk.
29 September 1943:
Departs Truk with TAMA.
4 October 1943:
KISO arrives at Kure. Captain Sawa Takeo (46)(former
assistant gunnery officer of ISE) is appointed the CO.
9 October 1943:
Departs Kure for Shanghai.
11 October 1943:
Arrives at Shanghai.
12 October 1943:
Embarks 474 troops of the IJA's 17th Division 54th
InfantryRegiment's 2nd Battalion and departs Wusong (Shanghai) with TAMA in the
first convoy of movement "Tei No. 4".
13 October 1943:
East China Sea. Lookouts aboard LtCdr John A.
Moore's USS GRAYBACK (SS-208) spot KISO and TAMA making 16 knots. One of the
cruisers is correctly identified as one of the KUMA-class, but the other is
misidentied as one of the NAGARA-class. Moore gives chase at flank speed for a
few minutes, but then the cruisers zig towards him. Before he can set up for an
attack, they zag away.
18 October 1943:
Arrives at Truk.
19 October 1943:
Departs Truk with destroyer UZUKI.
21 October 1943:
Arrives at Rabaul. Disembarks troops and departs
with TAMA. Destroyer SAMIDARE joins the convoy's escort.
53 miles from Cape St. George. The cruisers are attacked by RAAF Bristol
"Beaufort" bombers from Guadalcanal. KISO sustains a direct hit by a 250-lb.
bomb. TAMA's hull plates are damaged by near misses. Both cruisers return to
Rabaul. KISO undergoes emergency repairs. TAMA departs Rabaul later that day.
At 0020, USN codebreakers intercept a message from KISO that reads: "At
0020 in position 53 miles bearing 40 degrees from Cape St. George received bomb
hit in starboard engine room. Can make half speed. [---] This ship is heading
for Rabaul."
At 1215, USN codebreakers intercept a message from CO of TAMA that reads:
"In command of KISO, UZUKI proceeding to Rabaul at 24 knots. At 0004, 40 miles
from Cape St. George attacked by enemy aircraft. KISO received hit in No. 2
[---] as a result of low altitude bombing which started fires and stopped her.
This vessel stood by and while doing so, was attacked at 0036 by two monoplanes.
Four near misses, but no damage. Eventually took KISO in tow and screened by
UZUKI headed again for Rabaul. Between 0200 and 0300 received 2 more attacks
with no further damage. KISO after emergency repairs at Rabaul will have to go
to the Empire via Truk on repairs."
28 October 1943:
KISO departs Rabaul.
30 October 1943:
Arrives at Truk. Undergoes further temporary
repairs.
4 November 1943:
Departs Truk.
8 November 1943:
Arrives at Tokuyama Fuel Depot. Refuels.
9 November 1943:
Departs Tokuyama.
10 November 1943:
Arrives at Maizuru. Drydocked. Undergoes permanent
repairs and modification. Two 140-mm gun mounts are removed and replaced by a
12-7-cm twin AA gun. Three 25-mm triple and six single mounts are also installed,
bringing their total to 19 (three triple, two twin and six single mounts).
7 February 1944:
Captain Imamura Ryonosuke (49)(former staff officer
of China Area Fleet) is appointed the CO.
27 February 1944:
Undocked.
3 March 1944:
Repairs and modification are completed. Departs
Maizuru.
4 March 1944:
Arrives at Mutsu Bay. Remains there for the next three
months.
11 March 1944:
Refuels from oiler TEIYO MARU.
9 May 1944:
Refuels from oiler TEIYO MARU.
28 May 1944:
Kawauchi Bay. Refuels from oiler TEIYO MARU.
19 June 1944:
Departs Ominato.
22 June 1944:
Arrives at Yokosuka.
30 June 1944:
Departs Yokosuka with TAMA carrying army
reinforcements to Ogasawara Gunto (Bonins).
1 July 1944:
Lands troops at Futami Harbor, Chichi Jima, Bonins.
2 July 1944:
Departs Chichi-jima.
3 July 1944:
Arrives at Yokosuka with TAMA.
11 August 1944:
Departs Yokosuka.
12 August 1944:
Arrives at Kure. Guard and training duties.
September 1944:
Kure. Tests a new shipborne surface No. 215
fire-control radar, but it does not perform well and is removed.
20 October 1944: American Operation "KING TWO" - The Invasion of Leyte,
Philippines:
Admiral Halsey's Third Fleet of 738 ships including 18 aircraft
carriers, six battleships, 17 cruisers, 64 destroyers and over 600 support ships
land the Army's X Corps (24th Infantry and 1st Cavalry Divisions) and the XXIV
Corps (7th, 77th and 96th Infantry Divisions) that begin the campaign to retake
Leyte.
25 October 1944: Operation "SHO-1-GO" - The
Battle off Samar:
Vice Admiral Kurita Takeo's (former CO of
KONGO) First Diversion Attack Force (battleships YAMATO, NAGATO, HARUNA, KONGO
and five heavy cruisers) surprises Rear Admiral (later Vice Admiral) Clifton A.
F. Sprague's (former CO of TANGIER, AV-8) Task Unit 77.4.3's "Taffy Three" of
six escort carriers, three destroyers and four destroyer escorts. Kurita's force
sinks GAMBIER BAY (CVE-73), HOEL (DD-533), JOHNSTON (DD-557) and the SAMUEL B.
ROBERTS (DE-413) and damages FANSHAW BAY (CVE-70) and KALININ BAY (CVE-68).
27 October 1944:
Departs Kure for Sasebo with carrier JUNYO and
DesDiv 30's UZUKI, YUZUKI and the AKIKAZE carrying a resupply of ammunition for
Vice Admiral Kurita's fleet.
30 October 1944:
Departs Sasebo.
1 November 1944:
Arrives at Mako.
2 November 1944:
Departs Mako with JUNYO, UZUKI, YUZUKI and AKIKAZE.
3 November 1944:
160 miles W of Cape Bolinao, Luzon, Philippines. Lt
Cdr (later Admiral/CINCPACFLT) Bernard A. Clarey in USS PINTADO (SS-387)
receives an "Ultra" signal from ComSubPac's codebreakers alerting him that a
Japanese carrier, "a battleship or cruiser" and three destroyers are heading S
through the Formosa Strait. Clarey's wolfpack of PINTADO, JALLAO (SS-368) and
ATULE (SS-403) with LtCdr John P. Roach's pack of HADDOCK (SS-231), HALIBUT
(SS-232) and TUNA (SS-203) form a picket line to intercept the carrier group.
At 2200, Clarey picks up the carrier flanked by two destroyers with
another destroyer ahead and a light cruiser astern. Clarey notes the carrier has
a small island forward of amidships. He sets up and fires all six of his bow
torpedoes - four at the carrier and two at a destroyer. Suddenly, one of the
destroyers comes between the torpedoes and the carrier. LtCdr Yamazaki Nitaro's
AKIKAZE is hit by four torpedoes. She blows apart and sinks in four minutes with
all hands. KISO, JUNYO, UZUKI and YUKUZI are not hit. They escape and are not
located again by the wolfpacks.
6 November 1944:
Arrives at Brunei. Ammunition is unloaded.
8 November 1944:
Departs Brunei with JUNYO, cruisers TONE, HAGURO and
ASHIGARA, DesDiv 30's UZUKI and YUZUKI following the battleships YAMATO, KONGO
and NAGATO, light cruiser YAHAGI with DesDiv 17's HAMAKAZE, URAKAZE, ISOKAZE and
YUKIKAZE towards Pratas Island (near the Formosa Strait).
Later, KISO, JUNYO, TONE and DesDiv 30 are detached to Manila.
10 November 1944:
Arrives at Manila. Assigned as the flagship of
DesRon 1, Fifth Fleet, replacing ABUKUMA, sunk on 26 October.
13 November 1944:
Manila Bay. Because of the threat of American
carrier strikes on Luzon, KISO is ordered to return to Brunei that evening
carrying Vice Admiral Shima Kiyohide (former CO of OI), CinC, Fifth Fleet.
That morning, before she can depart, while underway in the bay, the KISO
and other shipping are attacked by more than 350 carrier planes of Rear Admiral
(later Admiral) Frederick C. Sherman's (former CO of LEXINGTON, CV-2) TF 38's
carrier task groups 38.1's USS HORNET (CV-12), MONTEREY (CVL-26) and COWPENS
(CVL-25), TG 38.3's ESSEX (CV-9), TICONDEROGA (CV-14) and LANGLEY (CVL-27) and
TG 38.4's ENTERPRISE and SAN JACINTO (CVL-30). [2]
Between 0800 and 0923, three bombs hit the KISO to starboard - one in the
bow, one near her boiler rooms and one near her aft gun mounts. She loses all
power and by 1330 her foredecks are awash. KISO sinks in shallow water eight
miles W of Cavite at 14-35N, 120-50E.
TF 38's raid on Manila also sinks destroyers HATSUHARU and OKINAMI and
seven merchant ships. Destroyers AKISHIMO and already damaged AKEBONO are hit
while alongside a pier at nearby Cavite dockyard. They are set afire by bombs
and sink the next day.
Eighty-nine men are lost and 105 wounded. The majority of these
casualties are amongst the embarked Fifth Fleet staff personnel. Captain Imamura
and most of KISO's crew survive.
20 March 1945:
Removed from the Navy List.
15 December 1955:
Manila Bay. The Nippon Salvage Company refloats
KISO's wreck.
30 January 1956:
The hulk of KISO is brought into Manila Harbor for
breaking up.
Authors' Notes:
[1] This action reciprocated a similar action by the
Japanese in 1925, when light cruiser TAMA returned the body of the late United
States Ambassador to Japan, Edgar A. Bancroft.
[2] Sherman was in temporary command of Vice Admiral Marc A. Mitscher's
TF 38.
Thanks for assistance in researching IJN officers mentioned in this TROM
go to Jean-François Masson of Canada. Thanks also goes to "Adm. Gurita" of the
Netherlands and diver Kevin Denlay of Australia and to the late John Whitman.
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