INTERROGATION NAV NO. 19
USSBS NO. 94

OPERATIONS OF MAIN BODY OF SECOND FLEET

TOKYO 12 October 1945

Interrogation of: Commander ISAWA, Yutaka, IJN, a regular officer of the Japanese Navy; was commanding gunnery for 15cm guns on the battleship Haruna. From November 1942 to April 1943, attached to the 2nd Torpedo Flotilla in the South Pacific; student at the Naval Academy from May 1943 until March 1944; from September 1944 to March 1945 attached to the Navy Department; serving in the Navy Air Fleet at IZUMI and KYUSHU from April to August 1945.

Interrogated by: Commander T. H. Moorer, USN.

SUMMARY

Movement of the Main Body of the Japanese Second Fleet November 1941 to April 1942

The movement of the Main Body of the Japanese Second Fleet with reasons therefore are shown below. The Main Body was initially composed of the following capital ships:

Battleships Heavy Cruisers
Haruna
Kongo
Takao (Flagship of Vice Admiral KONDO)
Atago
Chokai
Maya

Movements of the Japanese Fleet

Date Location Mission
28 November 1941 INLAND SEA Fleet Rendezvous
28 November-5 December Enroute PESCADORES ISLANDS Preparation for war
5 December-8 December Enroute SAIGON Area
8 December-18 December Off coast-vicinity SAIGON Support of BRITISH MALAYA Operations
18 December-20 December Enroute point 300 miles west of LUZON
20 December-23 December Vicinity MACCLESFIELD BANK LUZON Invasion
23 December-25 December Enroute FORMOSA via CAMRANH Bay
25 December-15 January TAKAO Service and Repairs
15 January-19 January Enroute PALAU Support of BRITISH MALAYA Operations
20 January-25 January PALAU Rendezvous with PEARL HARBOR Force which arrived from JAPAN. This increased the total force to: 4 Battleships, 4 carriers, 8 heavy cruisers, 20 destroyers
25 January-1 February Enroute KENDARI
1 February-5 February KENDARI
5 February-20 February BANDA SEA Support of Invasion Forces. 19 February attack on PORT DARWIN
20 February-25 February Enroute CHRISTMAS Island Area via OMBAI Strait
25 February-1 March CHRISTMAS Island Area Support of JAVA and SUMATRA Invasion
1 March-1 April Operations in CELEBES--TIMOR--JAVA Area Bombardment of CHRISTMAS Island; Destruction of Allied Shipping

--90--

Date Location Mission
1 April-5 April Enroute CEYLON
5 April-13 April INDIAN OCEAN Area Operations against British, Attack on TRINCOMALEE
13 April-18 April Enroute INLAND SEA

Note: The above dates are approximate.

No unit of the Main Body of the Second Fleet received damage during the operations. During the period covering the invasion of the PHILIPPINES and NETHERLANDS EAST INDIES, the force was not attacked by air or surface craft.

--91--

Table of Contents ** Previous Interrogation (18) * Next Interrogation (20)

Transcribed and formatted for HTML by Stephen Svonavec, HyperWar Foundation