@Revised - Allyn Nevitt with Anthony Tully - August 2018

Name Translation: "Tide Running Full"

Initial Command Structure:
Ship's captain: Commander Kikkawa Kiyoshi [50] (prev. C.O. KAWAKAZE). Assigned to Desdiv 8 (OSHIO, ASASHIO, ARASHIO, MICHISHIO), Desron 2, Second Fleet. Flagship of Comdesdiv 8, Captain Abe Toshio [46].

29 November-2 December 1941:
Desdiv 8 steamed from Terashima Strait to Mako (Pescadores).

4-24 December:
Desdiv 8 escorted Admiral Kondo's Southern Force Main Body out of Mako as distant cover to Malaya and Philippine invasion forces.

31 December 1941-5 January 1942:
Desdiv 8 escorted 3rd Malaya troop convoy from Mako towards Singora, then put into Hong Kong.

11 January:
Desdiv 8 departed Hong Kong, escorting troop convoy to Davao.

31 January:
Desdiv 8 with Ambon invasion force.

8 February:
Desdiv 8 with Makassar invasion force.

18 February:
Desdiv 8 decparted Makassar with Bali/Lombok invasion force. Convoy consisted of OSHIO, ASASHIO, MICHISHIO, ARASHIO and escorted transports SAGAMI MARU and SASAGO MARU. Aboard the transports are troops of the Kanemura Detachment of the 48th Infantry Division. Distant cover provided by light cruiser NAGARA (RAdm Kubo Kyuji (38) and Desdiv 21 (HATSUSHIMO, WAKABA, NENOHI).

19-20 February: Battle of Badoeng Strait
- 19 February:
Action:
- 0200 SAGAMI MARU and SASAGO MARU begin to disembark their troops.
Was guarding transport SASAGO MARU off Bali when Allied ships attacked. Assisted ASASHIO in sinking of PIET HEIN and damage to TROMP and USS STEWART (DD-224), later rescued 10 PIET HEIN survivors.
- ARASHIO and MICHISHIO departed Sanur escorting the the damaged SAGAMI MARU.
- 2030 OSHIO, ASASHIO and SASAGO MARU requested to reverse course and return to Sanur to pick up eight landing barges overlooked.
- 2145 Having arrived back at Sanur, SASAGO MARU began embarking the barges.
- 2350 Embarkation completed; however, enemy ships attacked with gunfire. Night surface battle began.

- 20 February:
- 0046 Struck at the mainmast by 5.9 inch shell from Dutch cruiser TROMP. It penetrated to the powder supply room of No.2 turret and exploded killing seven men. Somewhat miraculously, the main magazines were not set off.

22 February-10 April:
Emergency repairs at Makassar.

10 April:
Desdiv 8 reassigned to Desron 4, Second Fleet.

10-22 April:
Steamed from Makassar via Formosa to Yokosuka, then docked for repairs.

15 May-29 December:
Designated a "Special Duty Ship" while under repair in Japan.

25 May-20 December:
Commander Kikkawa (to C.O. YUDACHI) relieved; command then rotated among various officers while under repair.

14 July:
Desdiv 8 reassigned to "Special Reserve."

20 December:
Commander Hirose Hiromu [51] (prev. C.O. HARUSAME) appointed ship's captain.

29 December 1942-9 January 1943:
Reassigned to Desdiv 8, then steamed from Maizuru via Rabaul to the Shortlands.

10 January:
Supply-drum transport run to Guadalcanal.

22 January:
Escorted a transport carrying construction units from Rabaul to Kolombangara.

1 February:
Troop evacuation run to Guadalcanal.

4 February:
Troop evacuation run to Guadalcanal.

7 February:
Troop evacuation run to Guadalcanal (cover).

13 February:
Departed Rabaul with ARASHIO, escorting two transports to Wewak.

18 February:
Departed Wewak for Rabaul with ARASHIO on escort mission. (Believed to be escorting minelayer SHIRATAKA). [1]

20 February:
Action:
- 0557 Convoy attacked by USS ALBACORE (SS-218). OSHIO hit by torpedo in forward part of starboard engine room which tears a thirty-five foot hole. The No.3 boiler room in front of it also floods. Went dead in the water, flooding heavily but remains on an even keel.
- 0607 ARASHIO attacked by torpedoes; missed. Drops twenty-one depth charges, then goes to assist OSHIO. ARASHIO attempts to take in tow but the keel is buckled. Engine rooms on both sides now flooded. With the destroyer settling deeper and starting to buckle most of the crew abandoned ship.
Sunk:
- 0630 After having shipped an estimated 700 tons of water, OSHIO's hull suddenly jacknifes at the No.2 stack and the ship sank quickly in position seventy miles northwest of Manus Island (00-50 S, 146-06 E). Eight lost; survivors, including Commander Hirose (to C.O. SHIMAKAZE), rescued by ARASHIO. ARASHIO had transferred most of the crew already and completing rescue rapidly, then left the scene. [2]

1 April 1943:
Removed from Navy List.

Note 1- It is necessary to hedge here because it is not directly stated that Oshio and Arashio were assigned to Shirataka's escort and that they travelled together. However, the three ships departed Wewak on 18 February, and when USS Albacore attacked them it reported the third ship as Shirataka-type minelayer matching page 145 of ONI recognition manual. Not only that, but Shirataka returned to Wewak on 20 February, apparently having aborted a voyage.

Note 2 - We know the Arashio finished rescue relatively quickly, because at 1100 L time (0900 IJN time) when Albacore returned to periscope depth for the second time two and half hours after Oshio sank, none of the ships were in sight. It is of interest that at least one OSHIO survivor was picked up by the Allies and made a PW after days adrift. So some had been left behind.