© 1998 Allyn D. Nevitt
@Revised - Anthony Tully - February 2019
Name Translation: "White Dew" 30 November: 25 December: 26 December: 27 December: 28 December: 7 January 1943: 16 February: 18 February: 19 February: 25 February: 2 March: 11 March: 20 March: 24 March: 21 July: 29 March-3 April: 2 April: 3 April:
Sunk::
10 August 1944:
Acknowledgements: Special thanks to Anthony Tully, Bill Somerville, and Matthew Jones for contributing to this TROM.
Initial Command Structure:
Ship's captain: Commander Sugitani Nagahide [51] (prev. C.O. YAYOI). Assigned to Desdiv 27 (SHIGURE, SHIRATSUYU, ARIAKE, YUGURE), Desron 1, First Fleet.
December 1941:
Desdiv 27 remained in Japanese home waters, guarding battleships and conducting antisubmarine patrols.
18-23 December:
Desdiv 27 departed Tokuyama to meet returning Pearl Harbor Striking Force, then escorted it into Hashirijima.
18 January-4 February 1942:
With SHIGURE (1st section, Desdiv 27) escorted convoys from Moji to Formosa and back to Kure.
17 February-2 March:
With SHIGURE, escorted ZUIHO from Yokosuka to Davao and back to Hashirijima.
15-25 April:
Desdiv 27 steamed from Sasebo to Mako (Pescadores) to meet SHOKAKU and ZUIKAKU, then escorted them to Truk.
25 April:
Commander Sugitani (to C.O. UMIKAZE) relieved by Lieutenant Commander Hashimoto Kanematsu [55] (prev. C.O. KAMIKAZE).
7-8 May: Battle of the Coral Sea
Desdiv 27 escorted Admiral Takagi's Striking Force.
13-16 May:
With SHIGURE and ARIAKE, escorted MYOKO and HAGURO as distant cover to Ocean-Nauru occupation force; operation suspended due to detection of U.S. carrier force in the area.
17-22 May:
Desdiv 27 escorted MYOKO and HAGURO from Truk to Kure.
4-5 June: Battle of Midway
Desdiv 27 escorted Admiral Takasu's Aleutians Guard Force.
14 July:
Desdiv 27 reassigned to Desron 4, Second Fleet.
11-17 August:
Desdiv 27 escorted Second Fleet from Yokosuka to Truk. Desdiv 27 then temporarily attached to Fourth Fleet for strengthening of positions in Marshalls-area.
18-21 August:
Troop transport run from Truk to reoccupy Makin Atoll after U.S. raid.
22 August-5 September:
Out of Jaluit on Marshalls-area troop transport duty.
9-12 September:
Departed Jaluit, then scouted and bombarded Ndeni Island, looking for U.S. seaplane base. Then joined fleet patrolling north of the Solomons.
26-30 September:
Joined troop convoy at Palau then escorted it to Rabaul.
1-9 October:
Departed Rabaul, joined troop convoy from Palau, then escorted it via Rabaul to the Shortlands.
10 October:
Troop transport run to Guadalcanal.
12 October:
With YURA, Desdiv 27 (minus ARIAKE) out of Shortlands to assume escort of returning NISSHIN and CHITOSE following the Battle of Cape Esperance.
13-16 October:
With AKIZUKI and Desdiv 2, Desdiv 27 (minus YUGURE) escorted troop convoy (“High Speed Convoy:” SADO MARU, AZUMASAN MARU, KYUSHU MARU, NANKAI MARU, SAKITO MARU and SASAKO MARU, lifting units of 2nd Division) from Shortlands to Guadalcanal and back. KYUSHU MARU, AZUMASAN MARU and SASAKO MARU lost to air attacks and/or grounding, but all troops, tanks, and guns were successfully landed.
17 October:
Troop transport run to Guadalcanal: Desdiv 27 (minus YUGURE) made up one of five transport groups that between them carried 2,159 soldiers, 6 field guns, ammo, etc., to Esperance and Tassafaronga (Desdiv 27) and brought out evacuees.
25 October:
Action:
Attack mission to Guadalcanal; assisted in sinking USS SEMINOLE (AT-65) and YP-284 and damaging USS ZANE (DMS-14).
2 November:
Troop transport run to Guadalcanal: With TENRYU, Desdiv 27 and seven other destroyers carried food, fuel, ammunition, and 240 soldiers to (and evacuated 65 from) Tassafaronga. Landings curtailed incomplete due to adverse weather and surf conditions.
5 November:
Troop transport run to Guadalcanal: With six other destroyers, Desdiv 27 carried about 200 soldiers apiece to Tassafaronga, total force also evacuating about 250 construction workers and wounded.
8 November:
Troop transport run to Guadalcanal: With six other destroyers, Desdiv 27 (minus ARIAKE) carried unspecified number of troops and provisions to Tassafaronga.
12-13 November: First Naval Battle of Guadalcanal
Desdiv 27 (minus ARIAKE) served as distant screening force to Admiral Abe's Bombardment Force so played no role in battle. Stood by crippled HIEI during air attacks and removed survivors, then to Truk on 18 November.
20-22 November:
Steamed from Truk to Rabaul.
23-24 November:
Transport run to Lae/Salamua, aborted due to air attack. Removed survivors from bombed HAYASHIO and scuttled with torpedo.
28-29 November:
Troop transport run to Buna, aborted due to air attack.
Action:
Medium damage: in attack by B-17s; direct bomb hit on bow. The bomb struck around frame 33 behind No.1 turret and exploded in No.1 crew space. Casualties were light but the blast blew out hull plates on the each side tearing a hole at the waterline. The bow buckled forward and flooding was severe; best speed nine knots. Turned back escorted by MAKIGUMO.
1735 Arrived Rabaul with MAKIGUMO now also joined by HARUSAME. Began emergency repairs.
18-22 December:
0630: Departed Rabaul for Truk; arrived 1030 22 December.
No.1 turret was removed from the damaged bow by the transport HAKUSAN MARU (10,389 grt) to prepare for drydocking.
Air-raid halts repair work.
HAKUSAN MARU departs for Yokosuka with SHIRATSUYU's turret aboard.
SHIRATSUYU entered the floating drydock at Truk for repairs.
Provisional repairs completed; left the floating drydock at Truk.
0800 Departed Truk for the homeland with the also damaged NOWAKI escorting a convoy.
Group runs into heavy seas and SHIRATSUYU's repairs begin to come apart and take on water. Course is changed for Saipan.
1100 Arrived at Saipan. Temporary repairs made. NOWAKI and convoyed resumed the voyage the next day, leaving SHIRATSUYU behind.
1200: SHIRATSUYU departed Saipan for Japan.
1115 Arrived at Sasebo, then drydocked the next day for repairs.
Left drydock. Repairs continued.
Left Sasebo and arrived at Nagasaki for full repairs.
Entered drydock for full repairs. The damaged bow is removed and replaced.
20 July:
Desdiv 27 reassigned to Desron 2, Second Fleet.
Left drydock, repairs completed. Cruised to Sasebo and re-stocked munitions.
31 July-5 August:
With AKEBONO and USHIO, escorted UNYO from Yokosuka to Truk.
12-16 August:
With AKEBONO, USHIO, NOWAKI and MAIKAZE, escorted UNYO from Truk to Yokosuka.
26 August-2 September:
With AKEBONO, NOWAKI and MAIKAZE, escorted UNYO from Yokosuka to Truk.
14 September:
Lieutenant Commander Hashimoto (to C.O. KAZAGUMO) relieved by Lieutenant Commander Matsuda Kuro [55] (prev. C.O. HASU).
14-22 September:
Escorted MAMIYA from Truk to Yokosuka.
4-17 October:
Escorted convoys from Yokosuka via Truk to Rabaul.
23 October:
Transport run to Garove Island and Iboki.
26 October:
Troop transport run to Qavuvu.
29 October:
Troop transport run to Qavuvu.
2 November: Battle of Empress Augusta Bay
Action:
Attack mission to Bougainville; engaged U.S. cruiser-destroyer group. Medium damage:Damaged port beam amidships by collision from bow of SAMIDARE; later strafed by aircraft; torpedo tubes and main battery director knocked out; four dead, two wounded.
6-8 November:
Steamed from Rabaul to Truk.
12-17 November:
Escorted MYOKO and HAGURO from Truk to Sasebo, then docked for repairs. (“X” turret probably removed/replaced by triple 25mm mount during this refit.)
24-29 December:
Escorted MYOKO, HAGURO and TONE from Kure to Truk.
2-5 January 1944:
Escorted MYOKO, HAGURO and TONE on troop transport run from Truk to Kavieng (4 January) and back.
11 January-1 February:
Escorted convoys from Truk to Yokosuka and back; on 31 January rescued survivors of torpedoed YASUKUNI MARU.
10-15 February:
With MICHISHIO and TAMANAMI, escorted MUSASHI and OYODO from Truk to Yokosuka.
24-29 February:
Escorted MUSASHI from Yokosuka to Palau.
9-24 March:
Escorted MYOKO, HAGURO and tanker convoy from Palau to Balikpapan, then escorted convoy back to Palau.
Because of the threat of imminent enemy carrier air attack, most of the Combined Fleet including the headquarters evacuates from Palau. Departed PALAU with HARUSAME, SHIRATSUYU, FUJINAMI, URAKAZE, ISOKAZE, TANIKAZE, and HAMAKAZE escorting super-battleship MUSASHI and cruisers ATAGO, CHOKAI, TAKAO, HAGURO and MYOKO toward Lingga Roads.
Action:
- 1744 MUSASHI struck by torpedo in port bow from USS TUNNY (SS-282). Because of the damage the battleship is ordered to proceed home to Japan. Assigned to the escort screen with MICHISHIO and FUJINAMI.
Noon: Force is arriving at southern entrance of Bungo Strait.
1656: Anchored in West Inland Sea for overnight.
0734: Departed overnight layover.
Arrived at Kure convoying MUSASHI.
21 April-18 May:
Escorted convoys from Shanghai-area via Manila (“Take” troop convoy), Bangka and Balikpapan to Tawitawi.
30-31 May:
Desdiv 27 escorted Crudiv 5 from Tawitawi to Davao to take part in Biak troop transport operations.
2 June:
Troop transport run to Biak (cover), aborted due to early enemy detection; then to Sorong on 4 June.
8 June:
Action:
Troop transport run to Biak (cover), aborted due to enemy interception. Minor damage: in air attacks due to strafing; four dead and five injured; later engaged Allied cruiser-destroyer group; then via Batjan to Davao on 12 June.
14-15 June:
Departed Davao, escorting 1st Supply Force.
Action:
- 0241 Anti-submarine alert. Torpedo wakes reported.
- Turning to port to comb the reported wakes SHIRATSYU cut too close across the path of the tanker SEIYO MARU. The tanker rammed her full amidships portside cutting her clean in two. The wreckage burst into flames and began sinking, going under within three minutes. As the afterpart went down, some of her depth charges exploded, killing many in the water. As a result casualties were nearly half the complement: 104 officers and men including Lieutenant Commander Matsuda were lost, with eight wounded. SEIYO MARU suffered slight damage to her prow, but proceeded after rescueing survivors. The position was 90 nautical miles southeast of Surigao Strait.
Removed from Navy List.Notes and Sources:
