Japanese cruiser Kiso
Encyclopedia
was the fifth and last of the five light cruiser
s in Kuma class
, which served with the Imperial Japanese Navy
during World War II
. It is named after the Kiso River
in central Honshū
, Japan
.
s, it was intended for use both as a long-range, high speed scout ship and also as a command vessel for destroyer
or submarine
flotillas.
Nagasaki shipyards. Soon after completion, Kiso was fitted with both a forward and an aft flat superstructure, with a rotating floatplane take-off platform located aft for experimental and testing purposes.
Kiso was then assigned to cover the landings of Japanese troops in Siberia
during Japan's Siberian Intervention
against the Bolshevik
Red Army
. It was subsequently based at Port Arthur
, and patrolled the China
coast between the Kwantung Leased Territory
and Tsingtao.
On 17 April 1939, Kiso fired a 21-gun salute
as the USS Astoria
arrived at Yokohama
carrying the remains of Hiroshi Saito
, the Japanese ambassador to the United States
, who died while on assignment to Washington D.C..
Boshiro Hosogaya
, and was painted in Arctic camouflage
for operations in northern waters. At the time of the attack on Pearl Harbor
, the Kiso was patrolling in the Kuril islands
, and after suffering hull damage due to severe weather, was forced to return to Yokosuka
by the end of the year.
From January to end April 1942, Kiso resumed its patrol assignment in northern waters, accompanied by its sister ship
, .
In April, after the Doolittle Raid
, Kiso was one of many vessels sent in unsuccessful pursuit of US Navy Task Force 16 with the USS Hornet
, and USS Enterprise
. Kiso's main batteries scuttled guard boats No. 26 Nanshin Maru and No. 1 Iwate Maru after those vessels had been damaged by planes from the Enterprise during the Doolitte Raid.
In May 1942, Kiso accompanied the converted seaplane tender Kimikawa Maru
on a scouting mission to Kiska
and Adak
, in the Aleutian Islands. The Adak mission was successful, but Kiska was obscured by weather. At the end of (28 May 1942), Kiso was part of the Battle of the Aleutian Islands
, in "Operation AL" (the seizure of Attu and Kiska). The invasion force landed troops on Kiska on 7 June 1942, with Kiso covering. On 10 June 1942, offshore Kiska, Kiso and several other ships and a few destroyer
s were attacked by a formation of six B-24 Liberator
heavy bombers. Kiso was undamaged. Likewise, on 14 June 1942 Kiso was attacked by PBY Catalina
flying boats, with near misses. Kiso returned safely to Mutsu Bay
on 24 June 1942.
On 28 June 1942, Kiso and Tama participated in the second reinforcement convoy to Kiska, then patrolled southwest of Kiska in anticipation of an American counter-attack, returning to Yokosuka
on 16 July 1942. From 16 July - 2 August 1942, after refit at Yokosuka, Kiso returned north to patrol around Kiska, and covered the transfer of the Attu garrison to Kiska on 20 August 1942, returning to Ominato on 18 September 1942. Kiso continued a series of patrol and resupply missions to the Kuriles and Aleutians from October through the end of March 1943.
On 28 March 1943, Vice Admiral Shiro Kawase assumed command of the Fifth Fleet. Kiso was sent to dry dock
on 4 April 1943 for a major refit, during which its 900-mm searchlight
s were replaced by three Type 96 1100-mm searchlights. Two Type 96 twin-mount 25-mm AA guns were added at port and starboard above the aft torpedo-tube mounts. She was also fitted with a No. 21 air-search radar
.
On 11 May 1943, Kiso was sent with the destroyers and to escort the Kimikawa Maru transporting eight Mitsubishi F1M2
("Pete") Type 0 observation floatplanes and two Nakajima A6M2-N ("Rufe") fighter floatplanes of the No. 452 Kaigun Kokutai to Attu. However, the Americans invaded and retook Attu the same day, and the mission was scrubbed. Kiso was sent instead on 21 May 1943 to assist in the evacuation of Japanese forces from Kiska. After several attempts due to poor weather, Kiso managed to evacuate 1,189 troops from Kiska on 29 July 1943. It continued its patrols in the area until the end of August.
, Caroline Islands
to Truk, arriving 23 September 1943 and returning to Kure
on 4 October 1943.
Likewise, on 12 October 1943, Kiso and Tama embarked troops in Shanghai
. Kiso had a narrow escape from the while in the East China Sea
, but safely arrived at Truk on 18 October 1943. From Truk, Kiso was assigned to carry the troops further, to Rabaul
, New Britain
. On 21 October 1943, 53 miles (85.3 km) from Cape St. George, the cruisers were attacked by RAAF Bristol Beaufort
bombers from Guadalcanal
. Kiso sustained a direct hit by a 250-lb. bomb. The damage was severe enough to force a return to Maizuru
for repairs. After arriving at Maizuru on 10 November 1943, Kiso was also modified by having its two 140-mm gun mounts removed and replaced by a dual 127-mm HA gun mount. Three triple mount and six single mount Type 96 25-mm AA guns were also installed bringing their total to 19 (3x3, 2x2, 6x1).
After modifications were completed on 3 March 1944, Kiso was sent north again to resume its patrol duties for the following three months. On 30 June 1944, Kiso and Tama were sent from Yokosuka with army reinforcements to Ogasawara islands, returning on 3 July 1944. Kiso was then kept in the Inland Sea area from 10 August 1944 for training and guard duties.
With the invasion of Leyte
starting 20 October 1944, Kiso was ordered south, but was still at Kure taking on a resupply of ammunition for Vice Admiral Kurita's fleet at the time of the Battle off Samar
on 25 October 1944. After departing Sasebo
with carrier and DesDiv 30's , and , Kiso was spotted 160 miles (257.5 km) west of Cape Bolinao, Luzon
, Philippines by the . The USS Pintado was accompanied by the and the and was working in close cooperation with the , and the . The USS Pintado fired all six of its bow torpedoes, but one of the Japanese destroyers came between the carrier and cruisers, sacrificing itself.
Admiral Kurita's ammunition was unloaded by 8 November 1944, whereupon the Kiso, together with the Junyo, cruisers , and , DesDiv 30's Uzuki and the Yuzuki following the battleships , and , light cruiser with DesDiv 17's , and the returned towards Japan. Kiso, Junyo, Tone and DesDiv 30 were detached to Manila instead. Kiso became the flagship of the Fifth Fleet, replacing .
On 13 November 1944, on the threat of American carrier strikes on Luzon
, Kiso was ordered to return to Brunei
that evening carrying Vice Admiral Kiyohide Shima. Before she could leave for Brunei, she was attacked by more than 350 carrier planes of Task Force 38's carrier task groups 38.1's , and , TG 38.3's , and and TG 38.4's and . Three bombs hit Kiso to starboard - one in the bow, one near her boiler rooms and one near her aft gun mounts. Kiso sank in shallow water eight miles (13 km) west of Cavite
at 14°35′N 120°50′E. Captain Imamura and most of the Kiso's crew survived.
The Kiso was removed from the Navy List on 20 March 1945.
After the war, the wreck was salvaged on 15 December 1955, by the Nippon Salvage Company, which refloated the wreckage into Manila
Harbor for breaking up.
Light cruiser
A light cruiser is a type of small- or medium-sized warship. The term is a shortening of the phrase "light armored cruiser", describing a small ship that carried armor in the same way as an armored cruiser: a protective belt and deck...
s in Kuma class
Kuma class cruiser
-See also:*List of World War II ships...
, which served with the Imperial Japanese Navy
Imperial Japanese Navy
The Imperial Japanese Navy was the navy of the Empire of Japan from 1869 until 1947, when it was dissolved following Japan's constitutional renunciation of the use of force as a means of settling international disputes...
during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. It is named after the Kiso River
Kiso River
The is a river in Japan roughly 193 km long, flowing through the prefectures of Nagano, Gifu, Aichi, and Mie before emptying into Ise Bay a short distance away from the city of Nagoya. It is the main river of the Kiso Three Rivers and forms a major part of the Nōbi Plain...
in central Honshū
Honshu
is the largest island of Japan. The nation's main island, it is south of Hokkaido across the Tsugaru Strait, north of Shikoku across the Inland Sea, and northeast of Kyushu across the Kanmon Strait...
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
.
Background
Kiso was the fifth and last vessel completed in the Kuma-class of light cruisers. As with its sister shipSister ship
A sister ship is a ship of the same class as, or of virtually identical design to, another ship. Such vessels share a near-identical hull and superstructure layout, similar displacement, and roughly comparable features and equipment...
s, it was intended for use both as a long-range, high speed scout ship and also as a command vessel for destroyer
Destroyer
In naval terminology, a destroyer is a fast and maneuverable yet long-endurance warship intended to escort larger vessels in a fleet, convoy or battle group and defend them against smaller, powerful, short-range attackers. Destroyers, originally called torpedo-boat destroyers in 1892, evolved from...
or submarine
Submarine
A submarine is a watercraft capable of independent operation below the surface of the water. It differs from a submersible, which has more limited underwater capability...
flotillas.
Early career
Kiso was completed on 4 May 1921 at Mitsubishi Heavy IndustriesMitsubishi Heavy Industries
, or MHI, is a Japanese company. It is one of the core companies of Mitsubishi Group.-History:In 1870 Yataro Iwasaki, the founder of Mitsubishi took a lease of Government-owned Nagasaki Shipyard. He named it Nagasaki Shipyard & Machinery Works, and started the shipbuilding business on a full scale...
Nagasaki shipyards. Soon after completion, Kiso was fitted with both a forward and an aft flat superstructure, with a rotating floatplane take-off platform located aft for experimental and testing purposes.
Kiso was then assigned to cover the landings of Japanese troops in Siberia
Siberia
Siberia is an extensive region constituting almost all of Northern Asia. Comprising the central and eastern portion of the Russian Federation, it was part of the Soviet Union from its beginning, as its predecessor states, the Tsardom of Russia and the Russian Empire, conquered it during the 16th...
during Japan's Siberian Intervention
Siberian Intervention
The ', or the Siberian Expedition, of 1918–1922 was the dispatch of troops of the Entente powers to the Russian Maritime Provinces as part of a larger effort by the western powers and Japan to support White Russian forces against the Bolshevik Red Army during the Russian Civil War...
against the Bolshevik
Bolshevik
The Bolsheviks, originally also Bolshevists , derived from bol'shinstvo, "majority") were a faction of the Marxist Russian Social Democratic Labour Party which split apart from the Menshevik faction at the Second Party Congress in 1903....
Red Army
Red Army
The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army started out as the Soviet Union's revolutionary communist combat groups during the Russian Civil War of 1918-1922. It grew into the national army of the Soviet Union. By the 1930s the Red Army was among the largest armies in history.The "Red Army" name refers to...
. It was subsequently based at Port Arthur
Lüshunkou
Lüshunkou is a district in the municipality of Dalian, Liaoning province, China. Also called Lüshun City or Lüshun Port, it was formerly known as both Port Arthur and Ryojun....
, and patrolled the China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
coast between the Kwantung Leased Territory
Kwantung Leased Territory
The Kwantung Leased Territory was a territory in the southern part of the Liaodong Peninsula in Inner Manchuria that existed from 1898 to 1945. It was one of the numerous territorial concessions that the Empire of China was compelled to award to foreign countries at the end of the 19th century...
and Tsingtao.
On 17 April 1939, Kiso fired a 21-gun salute
21-gun salute
Gun salutes are the firing of cannons or firearms as a military or naval honor.The custom stems from naval tradition, where a warship would fire its cannons harmlessly out to sea, until all ammunition was spent, to show that it was disarmed, signifying the lack of hostile intent...
as the USS Astoria
USS Astoria (CA-34)
The second USS Astoria was a United States Navy New Orleans-class heavy cruiser that participated in both the Battle of the Coral Sea and the Battle of Midway, but was then sunk in August 1942 at the Battle of Savo Island...
arrived at Yokohama
Yokohama
is the capital city of Kanagawa Prefecture and the second largest city in Japan by population after Tokyo and most populous municipality of Japan. It lies on Tokyo Bay, south of Tokyo, in the Kantō region of the main island of Honshu...
carrying the remains of Hiroshi Saito
Hiroshi Saito
is a former governor of Yamagata Prefecture. He was first elected in 2005. A native of Yamagata, Yamagata, he joined the Bank of Japan upon graduation from Tokyo University of Foreign Studies in 1981. He also received MIPP in 1989 and MA in 1990 from Paul H...
, the Japanese ambassador to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, who died while on assignment to Washington D.C..
Operations in northern waters
On 10 November 1941, Kiso was assigned to CruDiv 21 in the Japanese 5th fleet under Vice AdmiralVice Admiral
Vice admiral is a senior naval rank of a three-star flag officer, which is equivalent to lieutenant general in the other uniformed services. A vice admiral is typically senior to a rear admiral and junior to an admiral...
Boshiro Hosogaya
Boshiro Hosogaya
, was an admiral in the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War II.-Biography:Hosogaya was born to a farming family in Nozawa, Nagano prefecture in 1888. He graduated from the 36th class of the Imperial Japanese Naval Academy in 1908. He was ranked 16th in a class of 191 cadets. As a midshipman, he...
, and was painted in Arctic camouflage
Camouflage
Camouflage is a method of concealment that allows an otherwise visible animal, military vehicle, or other object to remain unnoticed, by blending with its environment. Examples include a leopard's spotted coat, the battledress of a modern soldier and a leaf-mimic butterfly...
for operations in northern waters. At the time of the attack on Pearl Harbor
Attack on Pearl Harbor
The attack on Pearl Harbor was a surprise military strike conducted by the Imperial Japanese Navy against the United States naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, on the morning of December 7, 1941...
, the Kiso was patrolling in the Kuril islands
Kuril Islands
The Kuril Islands , in Russia's Sakhalin Oblast region, form a volcanic archipelago that stretches approximately northeast from Hokkaidō, Japan, to Kamchatka, Russia, separating the Sea of Okhotsk from the North Pacific Ocean. There are 56 islands and many more minor rocks. It consists of Greater...
, and after suffering hull damage due to severe weather, was forced to return to Yokosuka
Yokosuka, Kanagawa
is a city located in Kanagawa, Japan. As of 2010, the city had an estimated population of 419,067 and a population density of 4,160 people per km². It covered an area of 100.62 km²...
by the end of the year.
From January to end April 1942, Kiso resumed its patrol assignment in northern waters, accompanied by its sister ship
Sister ship
A sister ship is a ship of the same class as, or of virtually identical design to, another ship. Such vessels share a near-identical hull and superstructure layout, similar displacement, and roughly comparable features and equipment...
, .
In April, after the Doolittle Raid
Doolittle Raid
The Doolittle Raid, on 18 April 1942, was the first air raid by the United States to strike the Japanese Home Islands during World War II. By demonstrating that Japan itself was vulnerable to American air attack, it provided a vital morale boost and opportunity for U.S. retaliation after the...
, Kiso was one of many vessels sent in unsuccessful pursuit of US Navy Task Force 16 with the USS Hornet
USS Hornet (CV-8)
USS Hornet CV-8, the seventh ship to carry the name Hornet, was a of the United States Navy. During World War II in the Pacific Theater, she launched the Doolittle Raid on Tokyo and participated in the Battle of Midway and the Buin-Faisi-Tonolai Raid...
, and USS Enterprise
USS Enterprise (CV-6)
USS Enterprise , colloquially referred to as the "Big E," was the sixth aircraft carrier of the United States Navy and the seventh U.S. Navy ship to bear the name. Launched in 1936, she was a ship of the Yorktown class, and one of only three American carriers commissioned prior to World War II to...
. Kiso's main batteries scuttled guard boats No. 26 Nanshin Maru and No. 1 Iwate Maru after those vessels had been damaged by planes from the Enterprise during the Doolitte Raid.
In May 1942, Kiso accompanied the converted seaplane tender Kimikawa Maru
Japanese seaplane tender Kimikawa Maru
Kimikawa Maru was a seaplane tender of the Imperial Japanese Navy. The ship was built by the Kawasaki Dockyard Co. at Kobe as a cargo ship for a civilian ship company. In July 1941 the ship was taken-over by the IJN and converted into an auxiliary seaplane tender. She was able to operate 6 Aichi...
on a scouting mission to Kiska
Kiska
Kiska is an island in the Rat Islands group of the Aleutian Islands of Alaska located at . It is about long and varies in width from - Discovery :...
and Adak
Adak Island
Adak Island is an island near the western extent of the Andreanof Islands group of the Aleutian Islands in Alaska. Alaska's southernmost town, Adak, is located on the island...
, in the Aleutian Islands. The Adak mission was successful, but Kiska was obscured by weather. At the end of (28 May 1942), Kiso was part of the Battle of the Aleutian Islands
Battle of the Aleutian Islands
The Aleutian Islands Campaign was a struggle over the Aleutian Islands, part of Alaska, in the Pacific campaign of World War II starting on 3 June 1942. A small Japanese force occupied the islands of Attu and Kiska, but the remoteness of the islands and the difficulties of weather and terrain meant...
, in "Operation AL" (the seizure of Attu and Kiska). The invasion force landed troops on Kiska on 7 June 1942, with Kiso covering. On 10 June 1942, offshore Kiska, Kiso and several other ships and a few destroyer
Destroyer
In naval terminology, a destroyer is a fast and maneuverable yet long-endurance warship intended to escort larger vessels in a fleet, convoy or battle group and defend them against smaller, powerful, short-range attackers. Destroyers, originally called torpedo-boat destroyers in 1892, evolved from...
s were attacked by a formation of six B-24 Liberator
B-24 Liberator
The Consolidated B-24 Liberator was an American heavy bomber, designed by Consolidated Aircraft of San Diego, California. It was known within the company as the Model 32, and a small number of early models were sold under the name LB-30, for Land Bomber...
heavy bombers. Kiso was undamaged. Likewise, on 14 June 1942 Kiso was attacked by PBY Catalina
PBY Catalina
The Consolidated PBY Catalina was an American flying boat of the 1930s and 1940s produced by Consolidated Aircraft. It was one of the most widely used multi-role aircraft of World War II. PBYs served with every branch of the United States Armed Forces and in the air forces and navies of many other...
flying boats, with near misses. Kiso returned safely to Mutsu Bay
Mutsu
Mutsu may refer to:* Mutsu, Aomori, a city in Aomori prefecture, Japan* Mutsu Province, one of the old provinces of Japan* Mutsu , a merchant ship that was Japan's only nuclear-powered ship...
on 24 June 1942.
On 28 June 1942, Kiso and Tama participated in the second reinforcement convoy to Kiska, then patrolled southwest of Kiska in anticipation of an American counter-attack, returning to Yokosuka
Yokosuka, Kanagawa
is a city located in Kanagawa, Japan. As of 2010, the city had an estimated population of 419,067 and a population density of 4,160 people per km². It covered an area of 100.62 km²...
on 16 July 1942. From 16 July - 2 August 1942, after refit at Yokosuka, Kiso returned north to patrol around Kiska, and covered the transfer of the Attu garrison to Kiska on 20 August 1942, returning to Ominato on 18 September 1942. Kiso continued a series of patrol and resupply missions to the Kuriles and Aleutians from October through the end of March 1943.
On 28 March 1943, Vice Admiral Shiro Kawase assumed command of the Fifth Fleet. Kiso was sent to dry dock
Dry dock
A drydock is a narrow basin or vessel that can be flooded to allow a load to be floated in, then drained to allow that load to come to rest on a dry platform...
on 4 April 1943 for a major refit, during which its 900-mm searchlight
Searchlight
A searchlight is an apparatus that combines a bright light source with some form of curved reflector or other optics to project a powerful beam of light of approximately parallel rays in a particular direction, usually constructed so that it can be swiveled about.-Military use:The Royal Navy used...
s were replaced by three Type 96 1100-mm searchlights. Two Type 96 twin-mount 25-mm AA guns were added at port and starboard above the aft torpedo-tube mounts. She was also fitted with a No. 21 air-search radar
Radar
Radar is an object-detection system which uses radio waves to determine the range, altitude, direction, or speed of objects. It can be used to detect aircraft, ships, spacecraft, guided missiles, motor vehicles, weather formations, and terrain. The radar dish or antenna transmits pulses of radio...
.
On 11 May 1943, Kiso was sent with the destroyers and to escort the Kimikawa Maru transporting eight Mitsubishi F1M2
Mitsubishi F1M
-See also:-Bibliography:* Francillon, R.J. Japanese Aircraft of the Pacific War. London:Putnam, 1970. ISBN 370 00033 1.* Green, William. War Planes of the Second World War, Volume Six: Floatplanes. London: Macdonald & Co., Ltd., 1962....
("Pete") Type 0 observation floatplanes and two Nakajima A6M2-N ("Rufe") fighter floatplanes of the No. 452 Kaigun Kokutai to Attu. However, the Americans invaded and retook Attu the same day, and the mission was scrubbed. Kiso was sent instead on 21 May 1943 to assist in the evacuation of Japanese forces from Kiska. After several attempts due to poor weather, Kiso managed to evacuate 1,189 troops from Kiska on 29 July 1943. It continued its patrols in the area until the end of August.
Operations in southern waters
On 15 September 1943, Kiso was assigned south, and ferried troops from PonapePohnpei
Not to be confused with Pompeii, the ancient city destroyed by Vesuvius in AD 79.Pohnpei "upon a stone altar " is the name of one of the four states in the Federated States of Micronesia , situated among the Senyavin Islands which are part of the larger Caroline Islands group...
, Caroline Islands
Caroline Islands
The Caroline Islands are a widely scattered archipelago of tiny islands in the western Pacific Ocean, to the north of New Guinea. Politically they are divided between the Federated States of Micronesia in the eastern part of the group, and Palau at the extreme western end...
to Truk, arriving 23 September 1943 and returning to Kure
Kure, Hiroshima
is a city in Hiroshima prefecture, Japan.As of October 1, 2010, the city has an estimated population of 240,820 and a population density of 681 persons per km². The total area is 353.74 km².- History :...
on 4 October 1943.
Likewise, on 12 October 1943, Kiso and Tama embarked troops in Shanghai
Shanghai
Shanghai is the largest city by population in China and the largest city proper in the world. It is one of the four province-level municipalities in the People's Republic of China, with a total population of over 23 million as of 2010...
. Kiso had a narrow escape from the while in the East China Sea
East China Sea
The East China Sea is a marginal sea east of China. It is a part of the Pacific Ocean and covers an area of 1,249,000 km² or 750,000 square miles.-Geography:...
, but safely arrived at Truk on 18 October 1943. From Truk, Kiso was assigned to carry the troops further, to Rabaul
Rabaul
Rabaul is a township in East New Britain province, Papua New Guinea. The town was the provincial capital and most important settlement in the province until it was destroyed in 1994 by falling ash of a volcanic eruption. During the eruption, ash was sent thousands of metres into the air and the...
, New Britain
New Britain
New Britain, or Niu Briten, is the largest island in the Bismarck Archipelago of Papua New Guinea. It is separated from the island of New Guinea by the Dampier and Vitiaz Straits and from New Ireland by St. George's Channel...
. On 21 October 1943, 53 miles (85.3 km) from Cape St. George, the cruisers were attacked by RAAF Bristol Beaufort
Bristol Beaufort
The Bristol Beaufort was a British twin-engined torpedo bomber designed by the Bristol Aeroplane Company, and developed from experience gained designing and building the earlier Blenheim light bomber....
bombers from Guadalcanal
Guadalcanal
Guadalcanal is a tropical island in the South-Western Pacific. The largest island in the Solomons, it was discovered by the Spanish expedition of Alvaro de Mendaña in 1568...
. Kiso sustained a direct hit by a 250-lb. bomb. The damage was severe enough to force a return to Maizuru
Maizuru, Kyoto
is a city located in Kyōto, Japan, on an inlet of the Sea of Japan.As of 2008, the city has an estimated population of 89,626 and the density of 264 persons per km². The total area is .The city was founded on May 27, 1943....
for repairs. After arriving at Maizuru on 10 November 1943, Kiso was also modified by having its two 140-mm gun mounts removed and replaced by a dual 127-mm HA gun mount. Three triple mount and six single mount Type 96 25-mm AA guns were also installed bringing their total to 19 (3x3, 2x2, 6x1).
After modifications were completed on 3 March 1944, Kiso was sent north again to resume its patrol duties for the following three months. On 30 June 1944, Kiso and Tama were sent from Yokosuka with army reinforcements to Ogasawara islands, returning on 3 July 1944. Kiso was then kept in the Inland Sea area from 10 August 1944 for training and guard duties.
With the invasion of Leyte
Leyte
Leyte is a province of the Philippines located in the Eastern Visayas region. Its capital is Tacloban City and occupies the northern three-quarters of the Leyte Island. Leyte is located west of Samar Island, north of Southern Leyte and south of Biliran...
starting 20 October 1944, Kiso was ordered south, but was still at Kure taking on a resupply of ammunition for Vice Admiral Kurita's fleet at the time of the Battle off Samar
Battle off Samar
The Battle off Samar was the centermost action of the Battle of Leyte Gulf, one of the largest naval battles in history, which took place in the Philippine Sea off Samar Island, in the Philippines on 25 October 1944...
on 25 October 1944. After departing Sasebo
Sasebo, Nagasaki
is a city located in Nagasaki Prefecture, Japan. As of 2011, the city has an estimated population of 259,800 and the density of 609 persons per km². The total area is 426.47 km². The locality is famed for its scenic beauty. The city includes a part of Saikai National Park...
with carrier and DesDiv 30's , and , Kiso was spotted 160 miles (257.5 km) west of Cape Bolinao, Luzon
Luzon
Luzon is the largest island in the Philippines. It is located in the northernmost region of the archipelago, and is also the name for one of the three primary island groups in the country centered on the Island of Luzon...
, Philippines by the . The USS Pintado was accompanied by the and the and was working in close cooperation with the , and the . The USS Pintado fired all six of its bow torpedoes, but one of the Japanese destroyers came between the carrier and cruisers, sacrificing itself.
Admiral Kurita's ammunition was unloaded by 8 November 1944, whereupon the Kiso, together with the Junyo, cruisers , and , DesDiv 30's Uzuki and the Yuzuki following the battleships , and , light cruiser with DesDiv 17's , and the returned towards Japan. Kiso, Junyo, Tone and DesDiv 30 were detached to Manila instead. Kiso became the flagship of the Fifth Fleet, replacing .
On 13 November 1944, on the threat of American carrier strikes on Luzon
Luzon
Luzon is the largest island in the Philippines. It is located in the northernmost region of the archipelago, and is also the name for one of the three primary island groups in the country centered on the Island of Luzon...
, Kiso was ordered to return to Brunei
Brunei
Brunei , officially the State of Brunei Darussalam or the Nation of Brunei, the Abode of Peace , is a sovereign state located on the north coast of the island of Borneo, in Southeast Asia...
that evening carrying Vice Admiral Kiyohide Shima. Before she could leave for Brunei, she was attacked by more than 350 carrier planes of Task Force 38's carrier task groups 38.1's , and , TG 38.3's , and and TG 38.4's and . Three bombs hit Kiso to starboard - one in the bow, one near her boiler rooms and one near her aft gun mounts. Kiso sank in shallow water eight miles (13 km) west of Cavite
Cavite
Cavite is a province of the Philippines located on the southern shores of Manila Bay in the CALABARZON region in Luzon, just 30 kilometers south of Manila. Cavite is surrounded by Laguna to the east, Metro Manila to the northeast, and Batangas to the south...
at 14°35′N 120°50′E. Captain Imamura and most of the Kiso's crew survived.
The Kiso was removed from the Navy List on 20 March 1945.
After the war, the wreck was salvaged on 15 December 1955, by the Nippon Salvage Company, which refloated the wreckage into Manila
Manila
Manila is the capital of the Philippines. It is one of the sixteen cities forming Metro Manila.Manila is located on the eastern shores of Manila Bay and is bordered by Navotas and Caloocan to the north, Quezon City to the northeast, San Juan and Mandaluyong to the east, Makati on the southeast,...
Harbor for breaking up.
External links
- Tabular record: CombinedFleet.com: Kiso history