© 1998 Allyn D. Nevitt
@Updated - January 1, 2012 - Allyn Nevitt
@Revised - Allyn Nevitt with Anthony Tully - September 2016
Name Translation: "Wind over the Field"
Initial Command Structure:
Ship's captain: Lieutenant Commander Kawahashi Akifumi [54] (former CO of W-8) Assigned to Captain (later RAdm, posthumously) Kagawa Kiyota (46) (former CEO / CO of HASHIDATE)’s Desdiv 1 (KAMIKAZE, NAMIKAZE, NUMAKAZE, NOKAZE), Ominato Guard District.
Torpedo Officer: Reserve Lt (j.g.) (later Lt) Orikasa Chugo.
Gunnery Officer: Lt (j.g.) (later LtCdr, posthumously) Amano Takayuki (66) (former Navigator, NOKAZE).
Navigator: Reserve Lt (j.g.) (later LtCdr, posthumously) Shimada Saburo.
Chief Engineer: Special Duty Lt (j.g.)
(Eng.) (later Lt (Eng.) Matsudaira Mampei.
4 December 1941:
Departed Ominato, then Hokkaido-Kuriles patrol/escort duties.
20 December 1941:
Reserve Lt (j.g.) (later Lt) Mishima Torao is appointed Navigator. Lt (j.g.) Shimada is appointed Navigator of HATSUHARU.
15 April 1942:
Lieutenant Commander Kawahashi (to C.O. SHIKINAMI) relieved by Lieutenant Commander Tokiwa Teizo [58](former Torpedo Officer, KINUGASA)
20 April 1942:
Lt (j.g.) Oshima Kiyoshiko (68) (former Crew, TAMA) is appointed Gunnery Officer. Lt (j.g.) Amano is later posted to the Crew of RO-111.
25 May 1942:
Participated in Aleutians Islands attack operations.
1 June 1942:
Torpedo Officer Lt (j.g.) Orikasa is promoted Lt. Chief Engineer Lt (j.g.) (Eng.) Matsudaira is promoted Lt (Eng.).
9 October:
Departed Ominato, then Hokkaido-area patrol/escort duties.
10 December:
Departed Ominato, then Hokkaido-Yokosuka convoy escort duties.
20 December 1942:
Special Duty Lt (j.g.) Otomo Nobufusa is appointed Chief Engineer. Lt Matsudaira is reassigned.
12 January 1943:
Cdr (later RAdm, posthumously) Wakida Kiichiro (48) (former ComDesDiv 22) is appointed ComDesDiv 1. Captain Kagawa is later posted ComDesDiv 31.
1 May 1943:
ComDesDiv 1 Cdr Wakida is promoted Captain.
17 May-15 June 1943:
Reassigned directly to VADM Hosogaya Boshiro's (36) Fifth Fleet, then back to Desdiv 1.
1 June 1943:
Navigator Lt (j.g.) Mishima is promoted Lt.
15 June 1943:
Reassigned to Captain Wakida’s DesDiv 1.
1 July:
Departed Ominato, then supported Kiska evacuation.
20 July 1943:
Reserve Lt (j.g.) (later Lt) Yukitoshi Yoshio (former Crew, NAGANAMI) is appointed Navigator. Lt Mishima is appointed CO of TAKUNAN MARU NO. 6.
1 August 1943:
Special Duty Lt Shishikura Noboritsugi is appointed Chief Engineer. Lt (j.g.) Otomo is reassigned.
5 August:
Hokkaido-Kuriles convoy escort duties.
10 August 1943:
Lt (j.g.) (later Lt) Fujii Harumi (70) (former Crew, TONE) is appointed Gunnery Officer. Lt (j.g.) Oshika is appointed Gunnery Officer of INAZUMA.
Special Duty Lt Irie Kuro is appointed Chief Engineer. Lt Shishikura is reassigned.
20 August 1943:
Cdr (later RAdm, posthumously) Watanabe Yasumasa (49) (former CO of HATSUKAZE) is appointed ComDesDiv 1. Captain Wakida is appointed ComDesDiv 21.
1 November 1943:
ComDesDiv 1 Cdr Watanabe is promoted Captain.
10 November:
Lieutenant Commander Tokiwa (to C.O. INAZUMA) relieved by Lieutenant Commander Ebihara Taro [59] (prev. C.O. FUMIZUKI).
18 December 1943:
DesDiv 1 flagship NUMAKAZE is sunk with all hands. ComDesDiv 1 Captain Watanabe is KIA and posthumously promoted RAdm. The position of ComDesDiv 1 remains vacant.[Desdiv 1 reduced to NAMIKAZE, NOKAZE, KAMIKAZE.]
20 December 1944:
1359: NOKAZE ordered to drydock for upkeep and fittings at Ominato.
LtCdr Ebihara Taro (59) (current CO of KAMIKAZE) is appointed Acting ComDesDiv 1 as an additional duty.
21 December 1943
Reserve Lt (j.g.) (later Lt, posthumously) Maruyama Shinko is appointed Torpedo Officer. Lt Orikasa is reassigned.
2 February 1944:
Undocked. NOKAZE now flagship of Desdiv 1.
15 February:
Departed Ominato, then resumed Hokkaido-Kuriles convoy escort duties.
17 March 1944:
Action
- 0338: NOKAZE and NAMIKAZE ordered to depart Akkeshi Bay, southwest Hokkaido, immediately to join in the hunt for an enemy submarine (USS-TAUTOG- SS-199) that had sunk NICHEREN MARU and destroyer SHIRAKUMO around midnight in a convoy that had left Ominato on the 14th.
1 April 1944:
Navigator Lt (j.g.) Yukitoshi is promoted Lt.
26 April 1944:
2205: NOKAZE with HATSUHARU departed Ominato for Tenei Island in the Kuriles, escorting freighters FUSHIMI MARU (4,935 tons) and HIBURI MARU (4,366 tons).
28 April 1944:
Lt (j.g.) (later LtCdr, posthumously) Yoshida Mitsuo (70) (former Division Officer, SHINYO) is appointed Gunnery Officer. Lt (j.g.) Fujii is appointed Gunnery Officer of HATSUSHIMO.
29 April 1944:
Arrived at Hittokappu Bay, Etorofu Island with FUSHIMI MARU, having separated from HATSUHARU and HIBURI MARU.[Reason unknown].
30 April 1944:
NOKAZE departed Hitokappu Bay escorting out freighter FUSHIMI MARU, then returned. At 1240 departed again for Akkeshi Bay, Hokkaido.
1 May 1944:
0825: Arrived at Akkeshi Bay, refueled, and at 2000 departed on convoy duty.
Gunnery Officer Lt (j.g.) Yoshida is promoted Lt.
2 May 1944:
0415: NOKAZE grounded on a reef while engaged in convoy duty. She is finally pulled off at 0500 5 May by another vessel. During the days aground, the following damage incurred: The blade tips of both propellers were broken. The echo ranging and sound head were broken, and the hull damaged so that it was not safe to make speed greater than 16 knots.
5 August 1944:
Special Duty Lt (j.g.) Tsuchiya Shigeo is appointed Chief Engineer. Lt Irie is reassigned.
9 September 1944:
NOKAZE departed Kataoka Bay to go to the aid of torpedo-damaged sister ship NAMIKAZE. [Which had been torpedoed and fantail severed at 1950 8 September by USS SEAL (SS-183) ]
10 September 1944:
KAMIKAZE joined NAMIKAZE first, and set about towing operations.
11 September 1944:
NOKAZE arrived at the scene, and screened KAMIKAZE as she towed NAMIKAZE to a nearby bay for temporary repairs.
13 September 1944:
NOKAZE escorted KAMIKAZE as the latter towed the crippled NAMIKAZE out of temporary anchorage at 7 knots. Later that day they arrived at Otaru, Hokkaido.
15 September 1944:
Lt (j.g.) Minaguchi Takashi (72) (former Crew, NOKAZE) is appointed Navigator. Lt Yukitoshi is later posted Equipping Officer of T-10.
21 December:
Drydocked at Ominato for maintenance.
26 December 1944:
NOKAZE and KAMIKAZE ordered by CoS Combined Fleet to engage in training exercises till about 13 January.
5 January 1945:
Desdiv 1 ordered to depart on the 10th for Kure.
10 January 1945:
Attached to Combined Fleet.
13 January 1945:
NOKAZE departed Ominato for the Inland Sea.
22 January 1945:
NOKAZE and KAMIKAZE carried out practice against targets in the Hashirajima area.
26 January:
0800: Departed Moji with KAMIKAZE, escorting Convoy HI-91 towards Singapore. Composition in addition to Desdiv 1: SANUKI MARU (9,246 tons), TOKI MARU, EIYO MARU, and KITSURIN MARU with Kaibokans SHONAN, KUME, CD-24, and CD-53.
28 January 1945:
- Action:
- 0240 Kaibokan KUME torpedoed by USS SPADEFISH (SS-411); breaks into flames, and foundered stern first.
- 0313 SANUKI MARU is torpedoed and sunk by the same submarine. KAMIKAZE moves to rescue her survivors then those of the sinking KUME. Then proceeded with NOKAZE to Chinkai, South Korea, to disembark the survivors.
29 January 1945:
1630: NOKAZE and KAMIKAZE departed Chinkai; intending to arrive at at Keelung at 1000 on 1 February, having been detached from HI-91.
31 January 1945:
0800: NOKAZE and KAMIKAZE arrived at Kiru.
3 February 1945:
1032: NOKAZE and KAMIKAZE arrived at Keelung. Original plans were for them to do convoy duty to Singapore, but other schedules intervened.
8 February 1945:
1500: "North Operation" for Cardiv 4 is ordered, to depart Singapore for Japan 10 February, and Desdiv 1 is directed to standby to assist the screen duty. [1]
10 February 1945:
1425: By order of Combined Fleet Desdiv 1 placed under command of ComCardiv 4 RADM Matsuda Chiaki and ordered to reinforce its escort for "North Operation": the return home of Cardiv 4 and OYODO from Singapore.
2300: NOKAZE and KAMIKAZE released from convoy duty to proceed to Mako for the new assignment.
11 February 1945:
0850: NOKAZE and KAMIKAZE arrived at Mako.
14 February 1945:
1023: Desdiv 1 rendezvoused with Cardiv 4 to augment its screen as ordered. However the sea is such that the two old destroyers have trouble matching the fleet speed of 18 knots; they have to increase speed to 21 knots just to attain 18 knots through the water.
15 February 1945:
1745: Comdesdiv 1 Ebihara requested that Mako prepare fresh water and other supplies to be ready; for Desdiv 1 will arrive there by 0900 next day.[It had been decided to release Desdiv 1 at next stop from trying to continue north].
1930: Arrived at overnight stop at Matsu Island on the Chinese coast just north of Formosa Strait. Desdiv 1 refuels. Since SHIOKAZE was arriving in the area, she is detailed to take Desdiv 1's place in screen duty.
16 February 1945:
0024: Comcardiv 4 Matsuda released Desdiv 1 from the escort assignment, directing them to return to Mako since they can't keep pace. The "North Force" resumes its voyage to Japan and NOKAZE and KAMIKAZE detach and head for Mako, arriving at 0900 that morning.
1745: NOKAZE and KAMIKAZE departed Mako for Singapore making overall speed of 13 knots. They have embarked between them 50 passengers, among them survivors of the super-battleship MUSASHI assigned to ships at Singapore.
20 February:
- Sunk: At 0327 while Desdiv 1 is south-bound NOKAZE is struck starboard side under the bridge by torpedo, one of four fired by USS PARGO (SS-264) off Cape Varella in the South China Sea (12-27'N, 109-40'E). [2] Exploded violently and sinks at once. KAMIKAZE counter attacked with depth charges, but did not believe attack was successful.
- 1015: KAMIKAZE stopped sweep, having expended 20 depth charges. Commenced search for survivors, returning to the scene. She found a 10 mile long oil slick floating southward and followed it, eventually finding survivors adrift in the current. Twenty-one survivors – including LtCdr Ebihara and Chief Engineer Lt (j.g.) Tsuchiya – are eventually rescued, but 209 officers and men are KIA. Among the dead are Torpedo Officer Lt (j.g.) Maruyama, Gunnery Officer Lt Yoshida, and Navigator Lt (j.g.) Minaguchi, all of whom are posthumously promoted one rank.
- 1058: KAMIKAZE reported sinking of NOKAZE and then proceeded to Singapore as scheduled with the survivors aboard. Increased speed to 21 knots and maintained zig-zagging to avoid further submarines.
That same date, upon receipt of this news DesDiv 1 is deactivated. LtCdr Kasuga resumed full-time duty as CO of KAMIKAZE.
22 February 1944:
2200: KAMIKAZE arrived at Singapore. Survivors disembarked. [3]
10 April 1945:
Removed from Navy List.
Acknowledgements: Special thanks to Anthony Tully, Bill Somerville, and Matthew Jones for contributing to this TROM.
