@Revised - Anthony Tully - June 2023

Name Translation: "White Fir"

1 February 1944: Laid down at Yokosuka Navy Yard. 16 June 1944: Launched and named MOMI ("White Fir").

18 July 1944:
Special Duty Lt (j.g.) (Lt, posthumously) Sato Eiichi is appointed Equipping Officer.

20 July 1944:
Lt (j.g.) (LtCdr, posthumously) Suzuki Masahiko (71) (former Crew, YAMATO) is appointed Equipping Officer.

10 August 1944:
LtCdr Furukawa Tameo (60) (former CO of YUNAGI) is appointed Chief Equipping Officer. Lt (LtCdr, posthumously) Tanaka Kunio (70) is appointed Equipping Officer.

25 August 1944:
Lt (j.g.) (later LtCdr, posthumously) Kuwamura Toyokichi (71) (former Navigator, INAZUMA) is appointed Equipping Officer.

5 September 1944:
LtCdr (later Cdr, posthumously) Yonei Tsuneo (60) (former CEO / CO of MATSU) is appointed Chief Equipping Officer. LtCdr Furukawa is reassigned.

7 September 1944:
Completed at Yokosuka; assigned same date to Desron 11, Combined Fleet, for training. Ship's captain: Lieutenant Commander Yonei Tsuneo [60] (prev. C.O. MATSU).

Initial Command Structure:
Commanding Officer: LtCdr Yonei Tsuneo (60)
Torpedo Officer: Lt (j.g.) Kuwamura Toyokichi (71)
Gunnery Officer: Lt Tanaka Kunio (70)
Navigator: Lt (j.g.) Suzuki Masahiko (71)
Chief Engineer: Lt (j.g.) Sato Eiichi (Spec. Duty)

14 October:
1412: Commander Mobile Fleet Admiral Ozawa directed that Desron 11, Desdiv 41 and Desdiv 61 are transferred from 2-YB to Mobile Fleet. All five ships of DesRon 11 (TAMA flag) SUGI, MOMI, KASHI, KAYA, HINOKI were at sea en-route to Iwakuni except TAMA already at Iwakuni and SUGI which was at Kure.[VADM Shima Kiyohide's 2-YB had been ordered to proceed to sea to "mop up" imagined enemy cripples from the air battles of Formosa. Ozawa was re-assigning ships not scheduled to sail with Shima.]

15 October 1944:
Torpedo Officer Lt (j.g.) Kuwamura is promoted Lt.
MOMI, KASHI, KAYA, and HINOKI arrived at Iwakuni and joined TAMA.

17 October:
1135: MOMI, KASHI, KAYA and HINOKI at Kure.

19 October:
1743: By Combined Fleet Dispatch Order # 477 Desdiv 43 [MOMI flag], UME, and MOMO are ordered to proceed from Kure escorting KAIYO and RYUHO to Sasebo. There they are to prepare to depart for Keelung to transport armaments and material for the reconstruction of the 61st Air Depot on Formosa.

21 October:
0700: MOMI departed Kure with KAIYO for Sasebo.

22 October:
MOMI and KAIYO arrived at Sasebo.
RYUHO departed Kure with UME and MOMO following KAIYO to Sasebo.

25 October:
1100: MOMI flying flag of Comdesdiv 43 departed Sasebo with UME and MOMO escorting carriers RYUHO and KAIYO to Formosa. Convoy is under the command of Comdesdiv 43.

27 October:
1000: Convoy arrived at Keelung.

29 October-2 November:
1330: MOMI, UME, MOMO departed Keelung escorting KAIYO and RYUHO back to the homeland. MOMI returned to Kure with RYUHO.

15 November:
Assigned to Captain (later RAdm, posthumously) Iwagami Jiichi's (50) (former ComDesDiv 7) DesDiv 52Desdiv 52 (HINOKI, KUWA, MOMI, SUGI, KASHI), Desron 11, Combined Fleet.

17 November:
MOMI cruised into the Kuroshima Strait.

18 November:
MOMI arrive at Kure. Undertook repairs and maintenance upkeep.

20 November:
Desdiv 52 reassigned to Escort Squadron 31, Fifth Fleet.

24 November:
Sailed to Moji, northern Kyusuhu.

25 November 1944:
2000: Departed Moji as part of the guard of the big Convoy HI-83. This was screened by escort carrier KAIYO, destroyers KAMIKAZE, YUZUKI, HINOKI, MOMI, KAYA and kaibokan CD-35, CD-64, CD-63 and CD-207. The convoy was comprised of transport/cargo liners SANUKI MARU (7,158 tons), ORYOKU MARU (7,365 tons) and NISSHO MARU (6,520 tons) for Manila and tankers KYOKUUN MARU (10,045 tons), SEISHIN MARU (5,239 tons), HARIMA MARU (10,045 tons), TOA MARU (10,022 tons) and EISHO MARU (2,850 tons) for Singapore. (Another unidentified cargo ship accompanied them as far as Takao.)

26 November 1944:
Departed Sasebo.

30 November 1944:
0600: Convoy HI-83 arrived at Takao. The Manila contingent of three transports and the cargo ship is detached from the convoy. The convoy proceeded subsequently to Manila with KAMIKAZE and YUZUKI. The tanker contingent went on with KAIYO and the coast defense ships to Singapore. Meanwhile, HINOKI, MOMI, and KAYA detached from the convoy duty here.

1 December 1944:
Navigator Lt (j.g.) Suzuki is promoted Lt.

6 December:
0900: Departed Keelung with HINOKI escorting AOBA to meet in Formosa Strait carrier JUNYO northbound from Mako on 7 December. However, bad weather forced them to return.

9 December:
Morning: Departed Keelung with HINOKI escorting AOBA to Kure.

12 December:
1630: AOBA, HINOKI and MOMI arrived at Kure.

17 December:
0830: Departed Kure with HINOKI and SHIGURE, escorting UNRYU on transport mission to Manila. The carrier is carrying among other cargo thirty `Ohka' suicide piloted rocket bombs. The carrier is to proceed to Manila via Mako (Dec 19th) to arrive Manila late 21 December or early 22 December. There she will offload the cargo and come under VADM Shima Kiyohide's Second Striking Force command and await instructions. Entire force is under command of UNRYU's CO Capt. Kaname Konishi, and ComDesDiv 52 Capt. Iwagami Juichi has charge of screen defense.

18 December:
Departed through Shimonoseki Strait after overnight stay and headed south. Force encountered typhoon weather which slowed progress.

19 December:
Action:
- 1637 UNRYU hit by one torpedo of six fired by enemy submarine [USS Redfish SS-395] bringing the carrier to a halt. HINOKI and SHIGURE begin counter-attack, while MOMI stands in close to the stalled carrier.
- 1657 UNRYU exploded and sank bow first after a second torpedo hit from a second attack. So violent and sudden is the destruction, that there are only 146 survivors rescued even though the search is carried on well into the night. 1,241 officers, men, and passengers are lost. MOMI rescued the senior (and only) surviving officer Assistant Navigator Morino Hiroshi [73].

20 December:
Morning: MOMI and HINOKI proceeded to Takao to offload the survivors. SHIGURE remained behind to hunt the submarine but a rudder malfunction caused her to return to Sasebo rather than go on to Manila.

22 December:
MOMI and HINOKI steamed from Takao to Manila to pick up Comdesron 31.[He had landed in Manila this day]

24 December:
1500: Arrived Cavite. Comdesron 31 boarded MOMI.

25 December:
0200: HINOKI and MOMI departed Manila carrying as much of the aviation personnel of the 933rd Air Group as they could. With an invasion of Luzon judged imminent it was desired that they be evacatued by all means.

26 December:
1600: MOMI with Comdesron 31 aboard and HINOKI arrived at Camranh Bay. Disembarked passengers. Since some 933rd Air Group remained at Manila, a return trip to retreive them was directed.

27 December:
HINOKI and MOMI departed Camranh Bay; arrived same day at St.James.[They must have returned to Camranh Bay given next]

28 December:
0730: MOMI and HINOKI departed Camranh Bay.
1630: Arrived at Cape St.James.

29 December:
1130: MOMI and HINOKI departed St.James.
1500: Arrived at overnight stay.

30 December:
1500: MOMI and HINOKI departed overnight stay for St.James.
1800: Arrived at St.James. Comdesron 31 disembarked from MOMI.

31 December:
0730: MOMI and HINOKI departed St.James for Manila escorting victualling storeship IKUTAGAWA MARU (4,013 tons) Convoy is under command of Comdesdiv 52 flag HINOKI.

1945

5 January 1945:
1120: Departed Manila for St.James with IKUTAGAWA MARU having been ordered to sea upon sighting of the Luzon invasion force. ComDesdiv 52 aboard HINOKI as before. That afternoon, engaged first by enemy destroyers and then aircraft of the Lingayen Invasion fleet.
Action:
- 1540 Sighted enemy ships to the southwest. Changed course to southeast. Increased speed. Enemy began stern chase.
- 1550 Enemy [USS BENNION (DD-662) ] opened fire.
- 1557 HINOKI and MOMI returned fire.
- 1640 Enagement ended; no damage received.
By this time orders had been changed. At 1615 during the battle ComSouthWestArea Fleet had ordered HINOKI and MOMI to break off from escort duty and that evening to storm into Lingayen Gulf where the enemy was projected to be landing. (Though this was basically a suicidal mission it was hoped with surprise the two Desdiv 52 units could inflict considerable damage among the slow moving transports and barges if they could slip in amongst the Americans undetected) The two Matsu-class dutifully obeyed while IKUTAGAWA MARU boldy proceeded alone and reached Camranh Bay safely. Shortly thereafter enemy aircraft attacked the two destroyers:

Action:
- 1717 HINOKI received a bomb hit that knocked out the No.1 boiler room and rendered her unnavigable. MOMI took up a defensive position clockwise circling the crippled flagship. Possibly damaged by rockets at this time.

- Sunk:
- 1910: MOMI while defending HINOKI is struck by a torpedo in the port side under No.2 stack in attack by aircraft of TF 77.4.1, 28 miles west-southwest of Manila (14 N, 120-20 E), and blew up, vanishing in a cloud of foam and steam, apparently with the loss of skiper LtCdr Komei Tsuneo and all 210 of her crew. LtCdr Yonei and Lts Kuwamura, Tanaka, Suzuki, and Sato are all posthumously promoted one rank. [1]

- 2300: HINOKI meanwhile got back underway (no survivors of MOMI had been seen) using aft engine and returned to Manila next morning. Comdesdiv 52 radioed a spot report and claimed four planes shot down, but only one was certain. [On 7 January HINOKI put back to sea only to encounter the surface forces of the Lingayen Invasion force and is sunk in a brisk night engagement. Again there were no known survivors.]

10 March 1945:
MOMI Removed from Navy List.

Notes and Sources:

Acknowledgements: Special thanks to Anthony Tully, Bill Somerville, and Matthew Jones for contributing to this TROM.