Japanese escort ship No.13

History
Imperial Japanese Navy
Name	CD-13
Builder	Nippon Kokan K. K.
Laid down	18 December 1943[1]
Launched	9 February 1944[1]
Completed	3 April 1944[1]
Commissioned	3 April 1944[1]
Stricken	15 September 1945[1]
Fate	Torpedoed and sunk by USS Torsk, 14 August 1945[1]
General characteristics
Class and type	Type C escort ship
Displacement	745 long tons (757 t) (standard)
Length	67.5 m (221 ft)
Beam	8.4 m (27 ft 7 in)
Draught	2.9 m (10 ft)
Propulsion	Geared diesel engines 1,900 hp (1,417 kW) 2 shafts
Speed	16.5 knots (30.6 km/h; 19.0 mph)
Range	6,500 nmi (12,000 km) at 14 kn (26 km/h; 16 mph)
Complement	136
Sensors and processing systems	Type 22-Go radar Type 93 sonar Type 3 hydrophone
Armament	As built : 2 × 120 mm (4.7 in)/45 cal DP guns 6 × Type 96 Type 96 25 mm (0.98 in) AA machine guns (2×3) 12 × Type 3 depth charge throwers 1 × depth charge chute 120 × depth charges From 1944 : as above, plus 1 × 81 mm (3.2 in) mortar

CD-13 was a Type C escort ship (Kaibōkan) of the Imperial Japanese Navy during the Second World War.

History

CD-13 was laid down by Nippon Kokan K. K. at their Tsurumi Shipyard on 18 December 1943, launched on 9 February 1944, and completed and commissioned on 3 April 1944.[1] She was assigned to the Kure Guard Force, Yokosuka Naval District under Reserve Lieutenant Kondo Genichi.[1] During the war CD-13 was mostly busy on escort duties.[1][2]

On 26 June 1945, she was attached to the 4th escort unit, Maizuru Guard Force, Maizuru Naval District.[1] On 14 August 1945, she arrived in pursuit of the American submarine USS Torsk which had just sunk her fellow Type C escort ship CD-47 off Maizuru in the Sea of Japan at 35°42′N 134°36′E.[1] Torsk spotted her on sonar and fired two Mark 27 torpedoes from a depth of 400 feet (120 m).[1][3] At 1225, she received a single torpedo hit to the stern and at 1235, the order to abandon ship was given.[1] She sank at 1255 at 35°41′N 134°35′E.[1] 28 crewman were killed.[1]

CD-13 was struck from the Navy List on 15 September 1945.[1] She was the last Japanese ship sunk in action during World War II (ships would continue to be lost to mines).[1]

References

1. Hackett, Bob; Cundall, Peter; Kingsepp, Sander; Casse, Gilbert; van der Wal, Berend (2012). "IJN Escort CD-13: Tabular Record of Movement". combinedfleet.com. Retrieved 31 January 2021.
2. Toda, Gengoro S. "第十三號海防艦の艦歴 (Coastal Defense Ship 13 - Ship History)". Imperial Japanese Navy - Kaibokan (海防艦) (in Japanese).
3. "Chapter VII: 1945". The Official Chronology of the U.S. Navy in World War II. 2006. Retrieved 19 January 2012.

Additional sources

• "Escort Vessels of the Imperial Japanese Navy special issue". Ships of the World (in Japanese). Vol. 45. Kaijinsha. February 1996.
• Model Art Extra No.340, Drawings of Imperial Japanese Naval Vessels Part-1 (in Japanese). Model Art Co. Ltd. October 1989.
• The Maru Special, Japanese Naval Vessels No.49, Japanese submarine chasers and patrol boats (in Japanese). Ushio Shobō. March 1981.