Okinawa was an escort ship ("Kaibokan") of 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 the Second World War. She belonged to the Ukuru class

Ukuru class escort ship

The were a class of ships in the service of the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War II.The Japanese called these ships Kaibōkan, "ocean defence ships" , a name used to denote a multi-purpose vessel....

. The ship is most notable for its possible participation in the sinkings of two submarines.

Design and building

The Ukuru class escorts were very similar to the preceding Mikuru class. The main difference was a simplified hull form which enabled a shorter building time. Okinawa was built by the Nihon Kokan shipyard at Tsurumi. The building started on 10 December 1943 and some 8 months later the ship was completed. She was named after the island of Okinawa.

In service

During her career Okinawa spent most of the time escorting various ships in convoys. In November 1944 she participated in the Japanese Operation TA, the reinforcement of Leyte, by escorting troop transports. In December of the same year, Okinawa escorted the carrier Kaiyo

Japanese aircraft carrier Kaiyo

was a escort carrier operated by the Imperial Japanese Navy in World War II. The ship was originally built as the ocean liner Argentina Maru. She was purchased by the IJN on 9 December 1942, converted into an escort carrier, and renamed Kaiyo. The ship was primarily used as an aircraft transport,...

.
On 14 April 1945, Okinawa together with the escorts CD-8 and CD-32 attacked a submerged submarine with depth charges.

Some sources mention the possibility that the submarine was sunk in that attack although the causes for the loss of Snook remain unknown.
On 27 May 1945, Okinawa and the escort ship Aguni

Japanese escort ship Aguni

Aguni was a escort ship of the Imperial Japanese Navy during the Second World War. She was named after the Aguni Island. The ship was heavily damaged from a radar-guided glide bomb on 27 May 1945....

 were attacked by American aircraft in the Korea Strait. Okinawa was not damaged but Aguni suffered heavy damage from a radar-guided glide bomb.
After that Okinawa returned to escort duties. On 19 June 1945 the cargo ship Konzan Maru was torpedoed and sunk by the submarine .
Okinawa, the escorts CD-63

Japanese escort ship CD-63

CD-63 was an escort ship of the Imperial Japanese Navy during the Second World War. She belonged to the C Type class. CD-63 was built by Mitsubishi at their Kobe Shipyard and completed in October 1944. During the war CD-63 was mostly busy on escort duties. She survived the war and was scrapped in...

 and CD-207

Japanese escort ship CD-207

CD-207 was an escort ship of the Imperial Japanese Navy during the Second World War. She belonged to the C Type class. CD-207 was built by Naniwa Dock Company and completed in October 1944. During the war CD-207 was mostly busy on escort duties. She survived the war and was ceded to the US Navy...

 counter-attacked the submarine with depth charges. The submarine was sunk with all hands. On 30 July 1945 Okinawa was sunk by aircraft from the carrier near Maizuru.