© 1997-2020 Bob Hackett and Sander Kingsepp
Revision 8
4 September 1941:
Laid down at Yokosuka Navy Yard as the second unit of
the AGANO class light cruisers (hull No. 133).
15 May 1942:
Named
NOSHIRO.
19 July 1942:
Launched and provisionally attached to Yokosuka Naval
District. Admiral Prince Fushimi Hiroyasu represents the Imperial family.
1 May 1943:
Captain (later Rear Admiral) Tawara Yoshioki (43)(former
CO of AOBA) is appointed the Chief Equipping Officer (CEO).
30 June 1943:
Completed and commissioned. Attached to Yokosuka Naval
District. Assigned to the First Fleet for training. Captain Tawara Yoshioki is
the CO.
1 July 1943:
Continues fitting-out at Yokosuka Naval Base.
7-9 July 1943:
Dry-docked at Yokosuka Navy Yard.
15 July 1943:
Departs Yokosuka for Hashirajima anchorage.
16 July 1943:
Arrives at Hashirajima. Conducts exercises in Suo Nada
Sea and off Otsujima Naval Base in Inland Sea, then returns to Hashirajima.
22 July 1943:
Departs Hashirajima for Agenosho Bay, Yashiro Island.
24-26 July 1943:
Stops at Agenosho, then returns to Hashirajima
anchorage.
30 July 1943:
Departs Hashirajima for a training sortie, returns the
following day.
3 August 1943:
Departs Hashirajima for a training sortie to Iyo Nada
Sea, returns the following day.
5 August 1943:
Departs Hashirajima for Kure. Conducts exercises en
route.
6 August 1943:
Arrives at Kure Naval base. Embarks provisions and
ammunition for the upcoming sortie to Truk.
15 August 1943:
NOSHIRO is reassigned to Vice Admiral Kurita Takao's
Second Fleet.
16 August 1943:
The flag of ComDesRon 2, Rear Admiral Takama Tamotsu
is transferred from NAGARA to NOSHIRO. Departs Kure for Yashima anchorage for
an overnight stop, during which IJA troops are embarked.
17 August 1943:
Departs Yashima for Truk, joining Vice Admiral
Shimizu Mitsumi's squadron with battleships YAMATO, NAGATO and FUSO, cruisers
ATAGO and TAKAO, DesDiv 10's AKIGUMO, YUGUMO, DesDiv 16's AMATSUKAZE,
HATSUKAZE, DesDiv 24's SUZUKAZE, UMIKAZE and DesDiv 61's WAKATSUKI. Off
Yokosuka the escort carrier TAIYO and DesDiv 7's USHIO likewise join Shimizu's
squadron.
23 August 1943:
Arrives at Truk, where the IJA troops are debarked.
18 September 1943:
The Combined Fleet sorties to Brown Island,
Eniwetok in response to air raids on Tarawa, Makin and Abemama Atolls launched
from Rear Admiral (later Vice Admiral) Charles A. Pownall's Task Force 15's
carriers USS LEXINGTON (CV-16), PRINCETON (CVL-23) and BELLEAU WOOD (CVL-24).
Vice Admiral Ozawa Jizaburo, in tactical command, leads the fleet's
first section of BatDiv 1's YAMATO and NAGATO, CarDiv 1's SHOKAKU and ZUIKAKU
(followed by ZUIHO on 19 September), CruDiv 5's MYOKO and HAGURO, CruDiv 7's
MOGAMI, CruDiv 8's CHIKUMA and TONE, DesRon 2's NOSHIRO and her destroyers
with DesRon 10's AGANO and her destroyers.
Vice Admiral Kurita leads the second section with his Advance Force of
CruDiv 4's ATAGO and TAKAO.
Admiral (Fleet Admiral, posthumously) Koga Mineichi, CinC, Combined
Fleet, remains at Truk with the fleet's flagship MUSASHI with BatDiv 2's FUSO
and BatDiv 3's KONGO and HARUNA. No contact is made with Task Force 15.
25 September 1943:
The fleet arrives back at Truk.
5-6 October 1943:
Rear Admiral (later Vice Admiral) Alfred E.
Montgomery's Task Force 14's carriers USS ESSEX (CV-9), YORKTOWN (CV-10),
LEXINGTON (CV-16), INDEPENDENCE (CV-22), BELLEAU WOOD (CVL-24) and COWPENS
(CVL-25) launch air raids on Wake Island and the Marshall Islands.
17 October 1943:
The Japanese intercept radio traffic that suggests
the Americans are planning another air raid on Wake. This time, Admiral Koga
sorties from Truk to Brown Atoll, Eniwetok to intercept the enemy task force
with BatDiv 1's YAMATO, MUSASHI and NAGATO, BatDiv 2's FUSO, Bat Div 3's KONGO
and HARUNA, CarDiv 1's SHOKAKU, ZUIKAKU and ZUIHO, CruDiv 4's ATAGO, TAKAO,
MAYA and CHOKAI, CruDiv 7's SUZUYA and MOGAMI, CruDiv 8's CHIKUMA, TONE,
DesRon 2's NOSHIRO, DesRon 10's AGANO and light cruiser OYODO and their
destroyers.
20 October 1943:
Arrives at Brown Island, Eniwetok.
23 October 1943:
Departs Brown and sorties to a position 250 miles
south of Wake. Participates in the search of a floatplane from MOGAMI,
missing with its crew after crash-landing at sea. Returns after no contact is
made with enemy forces.
26 October 1943:
The fleet returns to Truk.
1 November 1943: American Operation "Shoestring II": The Invasion of
Bougainville:
Rear Admiral (later Vice Admiral) Theodore S. Wilkinson's Third
Amphibious Force, TF 31, lands LtGen (later General/MOH/Commandant) Alexander A.
Vandegrift's 1st Marine Amphibious Corps at Cape Torokina, Empress Augusta Bay,
Bougainville, Solomons.
3 November 1943:
NOSHIRO departs Truk for Rabaul with CruDiv 4's
ATAGO, TAKAO and MAYA, CruDiv 7's SUZUYA and MOGAMI, CruDiv 8's CHIKUMA and four
destroyers to attack the American forces off Bougainville.
5 November 1943: The Carrier Raid on
Rabaul:
The cruiser force arrives at Rabaul. About noon, while
refueling in Simpson Harbor from oiler KOKUYO MARU, the cruisers are attacked by
97 aircraft from Rear Admiral (later Admiral) Frederick C. Sherman's (former CO
of LEXINGTON) Task Force 38's USS SARATOGA (CV-3) and PRINCETON (CVL-23). They
bomb and damage ATAGO, TAKAO, MAYA, MOGAMI and CHIKUMA, light cruiser AGANO and
destroyers AMAGIRI and FUJINAMI. NOSHIRO is hit by a dud Mk. 13 torpedo.
6 November 1943:
Departs Rabaul with light cruiser AGANO to "destroy
the remnants of the U.S. Fleet."
7 November 1943:
NOSHIRO and AGANO return to Simpson Harbor, Rabaul
after being recalled.
11 November 1943:
During the second carrier raid on Rabaul conducted
by Rear Admiral (later Vice Admiral) Alfred Montgomery's TG 50.3, NOSHIRO is
strafed, receiving minor damage to the hull. She departs Rabaul for Truk in
company of MAYA, submarine tender CHOGEI and destroyers KAZAGUMO, SAMIDARE,
WAKATSUKI, HAYANAMI and FUJINAMI.
12 November 1943:
NOSHIRO and the destroyers FUJINAMI and HAYANAMI are
detached to assist AGANO, torpedoed by (later Rear Admiral-Ret) Walter G.
Ebert's USS SCAMP (SS-277).
13 November 1943:
250 miles NNW of Kavieng, New Ireland. NOSHIRO
rendezvouses with AGANO and takes her in tow, escorted by light cruiser NAGARA
and destroyer URAKAZE.
14 November 1943:
The tow line parts. NAGARA takes over, escorted by
the URAKAZE. NOSHIRO departs for Truk where she arrives the following day.
20 November 1943: American Operation "Galvanic" - The Invasion of the
Gilberts:
Forces under Vice Admiral (later Admiral) Raymond A. Spruance
(former CO of MISSISSIPPI, BB-41), Commander, Central Pacific, invade Tarawa and
Makin Islands. The invasion fleet of 200 ships includes 13 battleships and 11
carriers.
24 November 1943:
Departs Truk to ferry reinforcements to Kwajalein,
Eniwetok and Roi-Namur.
26 November 1943:
Arrives at Kwajalein.
27 November 1943:
Departs Kwajalein for Eniwetok.
28 November 1943:
Arrives at Eniwetok.
29 November 1943:
Departs Eniwetok for Roi-Namur.
30 November 1943:
Arrives at Roi-Namur.
3 December 1943:
Departs Roi-Namur for Truk.
5 December 1943:
Arrives at Truk.
15 December 1943:
Captain Kajiwara Sueyoshi (47)(former CO of KASHIMA)
is appointed the CO. On that same day, Rear Admiral (Vice Admiral, posthumously)
Hayakawa Mikio (44) is appointed the new ComDesRon 2.
21 December 1943:
Departs Truk to assist the fleet oiler
TERUKAWA MARU
(ex-NORA MAERSK), torpedoed by USS SCAMP (SS-277) 145 miles N from Dublon Island.
Recalled to Truk after TERUKAWA MARU is sunk.
22 December 1943:
Returns to Truk.
23 December 1943:
Departs Truk for a navigation training sortie,
returning the following day.
30 December 1943: Transport Operation "BO-3":
Departs Truk on a
troop transport run to Kavieng with light cruiser OYODO, DesDiv 10's YAMAGUMO
and DesDiv 30's AKIKAZE. NOSHIRO is carrying 600 men of the 51st Infantry
Division 1st Mixed Independent Regiment and 1,500 tons of equipment and
ammunition.
1 January 1944:
Arrives at Kavieng at 0445 (JST) and completes
unloading her cargo by 0630. At 0827 receives air raid warning and commences
preparations to sail. After 0842 the light cruiser group is attacked by aircraft
from Rear Admiral Sherman's TG 37.2's USS BUNKER HILL (CVL-17) and MONTEREY
(CVL-26). A bomb hit to starboard puts No. 2 turret out of action; NOSHIRO also
receives a near hit off the starboard bow, flooding the forward powder magazine.
Ten sailors are killed. During the attack she expends sixty-three 15-cm,
twenty-nine 8-cm (3-in) and 1,612 25-mm and 13.2-mm rounds.
Departs Kavieng for Truk in company of OYODO, escorted by YAMAGUMO.
2 January 1944:
Arrives at Truk, where makeshift repairs are
conducted by AKASHI.
18 January 1944:
Departs Truk for Yokosuka, escorting the light
carrier ZUIHO and escort carrier UNYO with HATSUSHIMO, HAYANAMI and WAKABA. Rear
Admiral Hayakawa is in tactical command of the squadron.
19 January 1944:
140 miles east-southeast of Guam (12-52N, 146-26E).
UNYO is torpedoed and heavily damaged by USS HADDOCK (SS-231). NOSHIRO, HAYANAMI
and HATSUSHIMO assist UNYO, being towed to Saipan by NOSHIRO.
20 January 1944:
Arrives at Saipan.
21 January 1944:
Departs Saipan for Yokosuka.
24 January 1944:
Arrives at Yokosuka.
1 February-19 March 1944:
Drydocked in No. 5 drydock for refit, battle
damage repairs and modifications. Six triple and eight single 25-mm Type 96 AA
guns are fitted, removing two 13.2-mm twin machine guns. This brings NATORI's
25-mm suite to 32 barrels (eight triple and eight single mounts).
Type 2 IR IFF sets are installed to the upper bridge level. The lower deck
scuttles are plated over.
14 February 1944:
The flag of ComDesRon 2 is temporarily transferred
to TAKAO.
28 March 1944:
Departs Yokosuka for Lingga (near Singapore), again
designated as the flagship of DesRon 2.
3 April 1944:
Arrives at Davao.
5 April 1944:
Departs Davao for Lingga with CruDiv 4's ATAGO, TAKAO
and CHOKAI, CruDiv 5's MYOKO and HAGURO and DesDiv 27's HARUSAME. The cruiser
group is attacked by USS DACE (SS-247), but she misses with six bow torpedoes.
The cruisers are also sighted by USS DARTER (SS-227), but she is unable to
attack.
7 April 1944:
The cruiser group is sighted coming out of Davao Bay by
USS SCAMP (SS-277), but she is also unable to attack.
9 April 1944:
Arrives at Lingga.
5 May 1944:
Departs Lingga. Arrives at Singapore.
7 May 1944:
Departs Singapore. Arrives at Lingga.
11 May 1944:
Departs Lingga for the old USN anchorage at Tawi Tawi
(southernmost Philippines) in the Sulu Sea. She sails with FUSO, BatDiv 1's
YAMATO and NAGATO, BatDiv 3's KONGO and HARUNA, CruDiv 4's ATAGO, TAKAO, MAYA,
CHOKAI, BatDiv 7's TONE, CHIKUMA, KUMANO, SUZUYA and DesRon 2's HARUSAME,
SHIMAKAZE and KISHINAMI (and possibly HAMANAMI). The sortie is led by Vice
Admiral Kurita in ATAGO. Floatplanes of 936th NAG from Singapore provide
anti-submarine cover.
14 May 1944:
Arrives at Tawi Tawi.
16 May 1944:
Departs Tawi Tawi for Davao with DesDiv 31's OKINAMI on
a transport mission.
17 May 1944:
Arrives at Davao.
18 May 1944:
Departs Davao. LtCdr Charles H. Andrews' USS GURNARD
(SS-254), patrolling off the approaches to Davao Gulf sights NOSHIRO.
In poor visibility conditions, Andrews misidentifies NOSHIRO as "either a large
cruiser or a battleship" zigzagging at 23 kts and escorted by two
destroyers. Just as Andrews is about to fire, he experiences a malfunction, but
fires a full salvo of six bow torpedoes. Andrews has to flood the negative
buoyancy tank to keep GURNARD from broaching in full view of the Japanese. He
goes deep. GURNARD's crew hear two explosions. The destroyers drop 32 depth
charges, but GURNARD is not damaged.
19 May 1944:
Arrives at Tawi Tawi.
27 May 1944: American Operation "Horlicks" - The Invasion of Biak:
Rear Admiral (later Admiral) William M. Fechteler's Task Force 77 lands MajGen
Horace H. Fuller's 41st Division on Biak off New Guinea.
8 June 1944:
Tawi Tawi. NOSHIRO receives fresh provisions from supply
ship KITAKAMI MARU.
10 June 1944: Operation "Kon" - The Relief of Biak:
At 1600, DesRon
2's NOSHIRO and destroyers OKINAMI and SHIMAKAZE depart Tawi Tawi for Batjan
with BatDiv 1's YAMATO and MUSASHI. On station nearby, Cdr (MOH, posthumously)
Sam Dealey's USS HARDER (SS-257) reports the "Kon" Force leaving Tawi Tawi.
12 June 1944: American Operation "Forager" - The Invasion of Saipan:
Vice Admiral (later Admiral) Richmond K. Turner's Task Force 52 lands Marine
LtGen Holland M. Smith's V Amphibious Corps and the invasion of Saipan begins.
That day, NOSHIRO arrives at Batjan where she is joined by CruDiv 5's HAGURO
and MYOKO, but Operation "Kon" is "postponed".
13 June 1944:
At 2200, departs Batjan.
15 June 1944:
E of Mindanao. The YAMATO group is sighted and
reported by LtCdr (later Captain) Slade D. Cutter's USS SEAHORSE (SS-304).
17 June 1944:
At 1000, refuels from the 1st Supply Force's oilers
HAYUSUI, NICHIEI, KOKUYO MARU and SEIYO MARU.
At 1650 hours, Vice Admiral Ugaki's Task Force joins Vice Admiral Ozawa's
"A" Force: CarDiv 1's TAIHO, ZUIKAKU, SHOKAKU, Rear Admiral (later Vice Admiral)
Kimura Susumu's (former CO of HARUNA) DesRon 10's light cruiser YAHAGI and
DesDiv 10's ASAGUMO, ISOKAZE and TANIKAZE, DesDiv 17's URAKAZE, DesDiv 61's
WAKATSUKI, HATSUZUKI, AKIZUKI, SHIMOTSUKI and MINAZUKI and Rear Admiral (later
Vice Admiral) Joshima Takatsugu's (former CO of SHOKAKU) "B" Force: CarDiv 2's
JUNYO, HIYO and RYUHO, BatDiv 1's NAGATO, CruDiv 7's MOGAMI and DesDiv 4's
MICHISHIO, NOWAKI and YAMAGUMO and DesDiv 27's SHIGURE, SAMIDARE, AKISHIMO and
SHIRATSUYU.
Forces "A" and "B" deploy 100 miles behind Vice Admiral Kurita's "C" Force
(Vanguard): CarDiv 3, BatDivs 1, 3, CruDivs 4, 7, Rear Admiral (Vice Admiral,
posthumously) Hayakawa Mikio's (former CO of NAGATO) DesRon 2's NOSHIRO with
DesDiv 31's KISHINAMI, OKINAMI and ASASHIMO, DesDiv 32's FUJINAMI, HAMANAMI and
SHIMAKAZE.
Philippine Sea. Later, the Mobile Fleet is sighted by LtCdr (later Rear
Admiral) Herman J. Kossler's USS CAVALLA (SS-244).
18 June 1944:
At 2100 hours, Vice Admiral Ozawa splits the Mobile
Fleet. Forces "A" and "B" proceed southward. Kurita's Force "C" Vanguard
proceeds due east.
19 June 1944: Operation "A-GO" - The
Battle of the Philippine Sea:
Kurita's Second Fleet steams
about 100 miles ahead of Ozawa's carriers. The Mobile Fleet launches 374
aircraft, including floatplanes, in four raids against Admiral Raymond A.
Spruance's Task Force 58. In the "Great Marianas Turkey Shoot", Ozawa loses 244
planes in the raids. Spruance loses 22 aircraft in the fighting including some
to flak on Guam. NOSHIRO is undamaged.
22 June 1944:
Arrives with the Mobile Fleet at Nakagusuku Bay,
Okinawa for refueling.
23 June 1944:
Departs Nakagusuku Bay for Hashirajima anchorage.
24 June 1943:
Arrives at Hashirajima.
Late June-early July 1944:
Kure. Dry-docked for a refit. Two triple
25-mm mounts are installed amidships and ten single mounts along the upper
deck and the floatplane platform. In addition, four 25-mm portable mounts are
embarked, bringing NOSHIRO's 25-mm AA suite to 48 barrels (ten triple and
eighteen single mounts). Type 13 air-search and Type 22 surface-search radars
are installed.[1]
8 July 1944:
NOSHIRO departs Kure with destroyer SHIMAKAZE, DesDiv
27's AKISHIMO and HAYASHIMO, DesDiv 31's KISHINAMI, OKINAMI and ASASHIMO,
DesDiv 32's FUJINAMI and HAMANAMI and DesDiv 27's SHIGURE and SAMIDARE,
carrying IJA troops and materiel as part of Group "A": BatDiv 1's YAMATO and
MUSASHI, CruDiv 4's ATAGO, TAKAO, MAYA and CHOKAI, CruDiv 7's KUMANO, SUZUYA,
TONE and CHIKUMA and Group "B": BatDiv 3's KONGO and BatDiv 1's NAGATO,
CruDiv 7's MOGAMI and DesRon 10's light cruiser YAHAGI with DesDiv 2's
KIYOSHIMO, DesDiv 4's NOWAKI and DesDiv 17's URAKAZE, YUKIKAZE, HAMAKAZE and
ISOKAZE.
10 July 1944:
Group "A" detaches from Group "B". Departs Okinawa for
Lingga (south of Singapore) to join the Mobile Fleet.
16 July 1944:
CruDivs 4, 7, DesRon 2 detach from Group "A" for
Singapore. BatDiv 1 and other escorts continue to Lingga Roads.
19 July 1944:
Arrives at Singapore. Unloads the troops and their
equipment.
20 July 1944:
Departs Singapore. Arrives at Lingga.
20 July-17 October 1944:
Remains in the vicinity of Lingga for three
months, conducting training with fleet units.
8 September 1944:
Lingga anchorage. NOSHIRO receives fresh provisions
from supply ship KITAKAMI MARU.
1 October 1944:
Lingga anchorage. NOSHIRO receives fresh provisions
from KITAKAMI MARU.
13 October 1944:
Admiral Toyoda Soemu, CinC, Combined Fleet, orders
the SHO-1-GO plan activated.
18 October 1944:
NOSHIRO steams with the fleet from Lingga to Brunei
Bay, Borneo, leading the left column of the cruiser force with ATAGO, TAKAO,
CHOKAI and MAYA.
20 October 1944: American Operation "King Two" - The Invasion of Leyte,
Philippines:
Admiral (later Fleet Admiral) William F. 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. That same day, the Mobile
Fleet arrives at Brunei, Borneo and refuels.
22 October 1944: Operation "SHO-1-GO"(Victory) -
The Battle of Leyte Gulf:
DesRon 2's flagship NOSHIRO and DesDiv 2's
HAYASHIMO, AKISHIMO, KIYOSHIMO, DesDiv 31's KISHINAMI, OKINAMI, ASASHIMO and
DesDiv 32's FUJINAMI, NAGANAMI, HAMANAMI and destroyer SHIMAKAZE sortie with
Kurita's First Mobile Striking Force, Force "A" (Center Force). Vice Admiral
Ugaki Matome (former CO of HYUGA), aboard YAMATO, leads the first section of
Force A's BatDiv 1's YAMATO, MUSASHI and NAGATO, CruDiv 4's ATAGO, TAKAO, CHOKAI
and MAYA and CruDiv 5's MYOKO and HAGURO. NOSHIRO leads the leftmost column of
the force, followed by OKINAMI and NAGANAMI.
23 October 1944:
The Battle of the Palawan Passage:
At 0533, Vice Admiral Kurita's
flagship ATAGO is hit by four torpedoes from Cdr David McClintock's USS DARTER
(SS-227). TAKAO is also hit by torpedoes from DARTER, set afire and goes dead in
the water. LtCdr Clagett's USS DACE (SS-247) sinks MAYA. At 0553, ATAGO
sinks by the bow. Vice Admiral Kurita and his CoS Rear Admiral (later Vice
Admiral) Koyanagi Tomiji are rescued by KISHINAMI.
After 2000 the enemy communications monitoring unit embarked on NOSHIRO
twice registers messages transmitted by American submarines in the vicinity of
their squadron.
24 October 1944:- The Battle of the Sibuyan
Sea:
Force "A" endures 11 raids by over 250 Task Force 38 carrier
aircraft from USS ESSEX (CV-9), LEXINGTON (CV-16), INTREPID (CV-11), CABOT,
(CVL-28), FRANKLIN (CV-13) and ENTERPRISE (CV-6). YAMATO is hit by bombs and is
down by the bow. NAGATO is also hit and HARUNA near-missed. Cruiser MYOKO is
hit by a torpedo and TONE is hit by bombs. NOSHIRO, leading YAMATO during that
time, is undamaged. After the first wave of planes departs, NOSHIRO reports
sighting periscopes in the Sibuyan Sea. She expends 120 15-cm Type 0, 210 8-cm
and 18,000 25-mm rounds during the attacks, claiming 3 enemy aircraft shot
down, plus 7 downed jointly with other IJN ships.
25 October 1944: The Battle off
Samar:
At 0558, Force "A" opens fire at "Taffy 3's" escort carriers
USS ST. LO (CVE-63), WHITE PLAINS (CVE-66), KALININ BAY (CVE-68), FANSHAW BAY
(CVE-70) (F), KITKUN BAY (CVE-71) and GAMBIER BAY (CVE-73). The carriers are
screened by destroyers USS HOEL (DD-533), JOHNSTON, (DD-557), HEERMANN (DD-532)
and destroyer escorts USS SAMUEL B. ROBERTS (DE-413), DENNIS (DE-405), RAYMOND
(DE-341) and JOHN C. BUTLER (DE-339).
At 0741, Captain W. V. R. Vieweg's GAMBIER BAY is burning amidships and
listing 20 degrees to port. CHIKUMA, TONE, HAGURO and CHOKAI concentrate their
fire on GAMBIER BAY from her port side. On the starboard side, NOSHIRO and at
least one destroyer join in, closing the range to under five miles.
At 0808, NOSHIRO hits escort carrier WHITE PLAINS with several 6-in
shells. At 0838, NOSHIRO is hit starboard side by a 5-in shell from an
American destroyer, killing one sailor and injuring three.
At 1243 NOSHIRO is attacked by bomb-carrying Grumman TBM-1C "Avengers",
scoring several near misses off the port quarter. The fuel tanks Nos. 2 and 4
develop leaks and the port outboard shaft is disabled, reducing her maximum
speed to 32 kts. NOSHIRO's AA gunners claim 6 torpedo bombers plus 8 downed
jointly with other ships. During that day one hundred 15-cm Type 0 and 160 No.
4 rounds, 450 8-cm and 24,000 25-mm rounds are expended.
26 October 1944:
W of Panay. At 0834, Kurita's force is attacked by
the first wave of about 80 TBM-1C torpedo bombers from TG 38.1's USS WASP
(CV-18) and COWPENS (CVL-25). One bomb hit starts a fire in NOSHIRO's AA shell
magazine, which is extinguished quickly.
NOSHIRO manages to evade a torpedo attack of six "Avengers", but at 0852
another "Avenger" launches a Mk.13 torpedo that hits in her No. 3 boiler room
port side amidships. It instantly floods and her No. 1 boiler room floods
shortly thereafter. The inrush of seawater throws all boilers off line. NOSHIRO
comes to a halt and takes on a 16-degree list to port. After the port forward
engine room is flooded, the list increases to 26 degrees. Destroyer HAMANAMI
comes alongside and removes ComDesRon 2, Rear Admiral Hayakawa.
After counterflooding and jettisoning the torpedoes the list is reduced
to 8 degrees. By 1020, when the destroyers are ready to take the crippled
cruiser in tow, 28 TBMs and Grumman SB2C-3 "Helldiver" dive-bombers from
TG 38.1's HORNET (CV-12) arrive. At 1039 NOSHIRO receives another torpedo hit
to starboard beneath her No. 2 turret and goes down by the bow. Ten minutes
later all hands receive the order to assembly topside.
By 1100 NOSHIRO develops a 10-degree list to port that quickly starts
to increase. At 1106, Kajiwara orders her battle flag lowered and gives the
order to abandon ship. At 1113, NOSHIRO sinks by the bow at 11-42N, 121-41E.
Destroyers AKISHIMO and HAMANAMI rescue over 628 survivors (328 by AKISHIMO,
over 300 by HAMANAMI including Captain Kajiwara). At least 82 are lost. [2]
During that day twenty 15-cm Type 0 rounds, 35 8-cm and 11,000 25-mm
rounds are expended. NOSHIRO's AA gunners claim 3 aircraft plus 5 downed
jointly with other ships.
20 December 1944:
Removed from the Navy List.
Authors' Notes:
[1] NOSHIRO was equipped with a Type 21 surface and
air-search radar as built.
[2] Captain Kajiwara was officially relieved of duty on 3 November 1944.
Thanks for assistance in researching the IJN officers mentioned in this
TROM go to Jean-François Masson of Canada. Thanks also go to Aldert
Gritter/"Adm. Gurita" of the Netherlands.
Thanks to the late John Whitman and to Gengoro Toda of Japan for info
about supply ship KITAKAMI MARU.
- Bob Hackett and Sander Kingsepp.
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