Japanese cruiser Noshiro
Encyclopedia
The was an Agano class light cruiser
which served with the Imperial Japanese Navy
during World War II
.
s, and like other vessels of her class, she was intended for use as the flagship of a destroyer
flotilla.
on 19 July 1942 and completed less than a year later on 30 June 1943. Initially assigned to the Japanese 1st Fleet, on 15 August 1943, Noshiro was reassigned to Vice Admiral
Takeo Kurita
's Second Fleet
as the flagship
of DesRon 2, replacing Jintsu
, which had been sunk a month earlier at the Battle of Kolombangara
.
s USS Lexington (CV-16)
, USS Princeton (CVL-23)
and USS Belleau Wood (CVL-24)
, the Combined Fleet
sortied to Eniwetok with a massive force but failed to make contact and returned to Truk in the Caroline Islands
.
Likewise, from 17 October 1943 – 26 October 1943, the Combined Fleet failed to contact Task Force 15 after it bombed Wake Island
.
On 1 November 1943, the United States launched Operation Shoestring to retake Bougainville
in the Solomon Islands
. The day after the Battle of Empress Augusta Bay
(2 November 1943), Noshiro departed Truk with CruDiv 4's Atago
, Takao
and Maya
, CruDiv 7's Suzuya and Mogami
, CruDiv 8's Chikuma and four destroyers, arriving at Rabaul
on 5 November 1943. While refueling in Simpson Harbor from the oiler Kokuyo Maru the cruisers were attacked by 97 planes from Task Force 38's USS Saratoga (CV-3)
and Princeton (CVL-23). Noshiro was hit by a dud Mark 13
aerial torpedo
.
From 12 November 1943, Noshiro assisted its sister ship
, Agano
, after the latter was torpedoed by USS Scamp (SS-277)
, and attempted to tow it back to Truk.
On 20 November 1943, American "Operation Galvanic" to retake the Gilbert Islands
invaded Tarawa. The invasion fleet of 200 ships included 13 battleships and 11 carriers. Noshiro responded by sailing from Truk with Suzuya, Kumano
, Chokai, Oyodo
and several destroyers. The group was attacked on 1 January 1944 by aircraft from USS Bunker Hill (CV-17)
and USS Monterey (CVL-26)
. One of Noshiro's gun turret
s was put out of action temporarily by the attack and ten crewmen killed.
On 19 January 1944, Noshiro was dispatched from Truk to assist the Japanese aircraft carrier Unyo
after it had been torpedoed by the USS Haddock (SS-231)
by towing it back to Saipan
. Noshiro continued on to Yokosuka
, going into dry dock
for repairs and refit on 1 February 1944. Six triple-mount and eight single-mount Type 96 25 mm AA guns were fitted. This brought the Noshiro's 25 mm total to 32 barrels (8x3) (8x1).
and Lingga on 5 April 1944 with CruDiv 4's Atago, Takao and Chokai, CruDiv 5's Myoko and Haguro
and the destroyer Harusame
.
The cruiser group was attacked by USS Dace (SS-247)
, which missed with all six bow torpedoes, and was also sighted by USS Darter (SS-227)
, which failed to achieve an attack vector. Likewise, the cruiser group was sighted coming out of Davao Bay on 7 April 1944 by the USS Scamp (SS-277), which was also unable to attack, and by USS Gurnard (SS-254)
on 18 May 1944 which fired a full salvo of six bow torpedoes, all of which missed.
Noshiro was at "Operation A-Go" – The Battle of the Philippine Sea
on 19 June 1944, where it was flagship of Rear Admiral Mikio Hayakawa.
From late June-early July 1944, Noshiro again was dry docked and refitted at Kura
. Two more triple-mount Type 96 25 mm AA gun mounts were installed amidships bringing the total number of 25 mm guns to 48 barrels (10x3, 18x1). A Type 13 air-search and Type 22 surface-search radar
were also fitted.
On 8 July 1944, Noshiro departed Kure with the destroyers carrying army troops and material to Singapore
, and remained in the vicinity for the following three months conducting training.
On 18 October 1944, Noshiro was ordered to Brunei
, in preparation for the Battle of Leyte Gulf
, which begins on 22 October 1944. Noshiro, as DesRon 2's flagship, sortied with Admiral Kurita's First Mobile Striking Force, Force "A" (Center Force). At the Battle of the Sibuyan Sea on 24 October 1944, Force A was attacked 11 times by over 250 carrier aircraft from Task Force 38 with USS Essex (CV-9)
, USS Lexington (CV-16)
, USS Intrepid (CV-11)
, USS Cabot (CVL-28)
, USS Franklin (CV-13)
and the USS Enterprise (CV-6)
. Although the Yamato, Nagato
, Haruna
, Myoko and Tone were damaged, Noshiro escaped unharmed.
The following day, at the Battle off Samar
, Noshiro hit the escort carrier USS White Plains (CVE-66)
with several 6-inch shells, but was in turn hit starboard side by a 5-inch shell from an American destroyer. She also participated in the sinking of , which was one of two cases of an aircraft carrier being sunk solely by naval gunfire.
On 26 October 1944, west of Panay
, Kurita's force was attacked by 80 Grumman TBM-1C Avenger
torpedo-bombers from USS Wasp (CV-18)
and USS Cowpens (CVL-25)
. One bomb exploded in Noshiro's AA shell magazine, starting a fire that was quickly extinguished.
In the second attack, six more Avengers attacked Noshiro, which dodged their torpedoes, but in the third wave, an Avenger launched a Mark 13 aerial torpedo that hit in the No. 3 boiler room. It instantly flooded, and the No. 1 boiler room flooded shortly thereafter. The inrush of water threw all of Noshiro's boilers off line, and she came to a halt with a 16-degree list to port.
While emergency repairs were carried out and Noshiro dead in the water, the destroyer Hamanami
came alongside and removed Rear Admiral Hayakawa, who later transferred to Yamato
. At 1014, a fourth attack of 28 TBMs and SB2C-3 Helldiver
dive-bombers from USS Hornet (CV-12)
struck with another torpedo to starboard beneath Noshiro's No. 2 main turret. Noshiro's AA gunners later claimed to have shot down six of the attacking planes. Captain Kajiwara ordered the forward magazines flooded in an attempt to righten the ship. Five minutes later, with the forward deck awash and the list steadily increasing, Kajiwara gave the order to abandon ship. At 1113, Noshiro sank at 11°42′N 121°41′E south of Mindoro
.
The destroyers Akishimo
and Hamanami rescued Captain Kajiwara and 328 survivors.
Noshiro was removed from the Navy List on 20 December 1944.
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...
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...
.
Background
Noshiro was the second of the four vessels completed in the Agano-class of light cruiserLight 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, and like other vessels of her class, she was intended for use as the flagship of a 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...
flotilla.
Early career
Noshiro was launched at Yokosuka Naval ArsenalYokosuka Naval Arsenal
was one of four principal naval shipyards owned and operated by the Imperial Japanese Navy, and was located at Yokosuka city, Kanagawa prefecture on Tokyo Bay, south of Yokohama...
on 19 July 1942 and completed less than a year later on 30 June 1943. Initially assigned to the Japanese 1st Fleet, on 15 August 1943, Noshiro was reassigned to Vice Admiral
Vice 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...
Takeo Kurita
Takeo Kurita
Vice Admiral was a vice-admiral in the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War II.-Early life:Kurita was born in Mito city, Ibaraki Prefecture in 1889. He was sent off to Etajima in 1905 and graduated from the 38th class of the Imperial Japanese Naval Academy in 1910, ranked 28th out of a class of...
's Second Fleet
IJN 2nd Fleet
The was a fleet of the Imperial Japanese Navy.-History:First established on 28 December 1903, the IJN 2nd Fleet was created by the Imperial General Headquarters as a mobile strike force of cruisers and destroyers to pursue the Imperial Russian Navy's Vladivostok-based cruiser squadron while the...
as the flagship
Flagship
A flagship is a vessel used by the commanding officer of a group of naval ships, reflecting the custom of its commander, characteristically a flag officer, flying a distinguishing flag...
of DesRon 2, replacing Jintsu
Japanese cruiser Jintsu
was a Sendai-class light cruiser in the Imperial Japanese Navy, named after the Jinzū River in the Gifu and Toyama prefectures of central Japan.-Background:...
, which had been sunk a month earlier at the Battle of Kolombangara
Battle of Kolombangara
The Battle of Kolombangara was a naval battle of the Pacific campaign of World War II, fought on the night of 12/13 July 1943, off Kolombangara in the Solomon Islands.-Background:...
.
Battles in the Gilbert Islands and Solomon Islands
On 18 September 1943, in reaction to air raids on Tarawa launched by USN aircraft carrierAircraft carrier
An aircraft carrier is a warship designed with a primary mission of deploying and recovering aircraft, acting as a seagoing airbase. Aircraft carriers thus allow a naval force to project air power worldwide without having to depend on local bases for staging aircraft operations...
s USS Lexington (CV-16)
USS Lexington (CV-16)
USS Lexington , known as "The Blue Ghost", is one of 24 s built during World War II for the United States Navy. The ship, the fifth US Navy ship to bear the name, is named in honor of the Revolutionary War Battle of Lexington...
, USS Princeton (CVL-23)
USS Princeton (CVL-23)
The fourth USS Princeton was a United States Navy lost at the battle of Leyte Gulf in 1944.-Construction and deployment:The ship was laid down as the Tallahassee by the New York Shipbuilding Corporation, Camden, New Jersey, 2 June 1941...
and USS Belleau Wood (CVL-24)
USS Belleau Wood (CVL-24)
USS Belleau Wood was a United States Navy active during World War II in the Pacific Theater, from 1943 to 1945. The ship also served in the First Indochina War under French Navy temporary service as Bois Belleau....
, the Combined Fleet
Combined Fleet
The was the main ocean-going component of the Imperial Japanese Navy. The Combined Fleet was not a standing force, but a temporary force formed for the duration of a conflict or major naval maneuvers from various units normally under separate commands in peacetime....
sortied to Eniwetok with a massive force but failed to make contact and returned to Truk in the 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...
.
Likewise, from 17 October 1943 – 26 October 1943, the Combined Fleet failed to contact Task Force 15 after it bombed Wake Island
Wake Island
Wake Island is a coral atoll having a coastline of in the North Pacific Ocean, located about two-thirds of the way from Honolulu west to Guam east. It is an unorganized, unincorporated territory of the United States, administered by the Office of Insular Affairs, U.S. Department of the Interior...
.
On 1 November 1943, the United States launched Operation Shoestring to retake Bougainville
Bougainville Island
Bougainville Island is the main island of the Autonomous Region of Bougainville of Papua New Guinea. This region is also known as Bougainville Province or the North Solomons. The population of the province is 175,160 , which includes the adjacent island of Buka and assorted outlying islands...
in the Solomon Islands
Solomon Islands
Solomon Islands is a sovereign state in Oceania, east of Papua New Guinea, consisting of nearly one thousand islands. It covers a land mass of . The capital, Honiara, is located on the island of Guadalcanal...
. The day after the Battle of Empress Augusta Bay
Battle of Empress Augusta Bay
The Battle of Empress Augusta Bay, on 1–2 November 1943—also known as the Battle of Gazelle Bay, Operation Cherry Blossom, and in Japanese sources as the Sea Battle of Bougainville Bay Shore —was a naval battle fought near the island of Bougainville...
(2 November 1943), Noshiro departed Truk with CruDiv 4's Atago
Japanese cruiser Atago
was one of four Takao-class heavy cruisers, designed to be an improvement over the previous Myōkō-class design. These ships were fast, powerful, and heavily armed. The Takao-class ships were approved under the 1927 fiscal year budget as part of the Imperial Japanese Navy's strategy of the Decisive...
, Takao
Japanese cruiser Takao
was the first of four Takao-class heavy cruisers, designed to be an improvement over the previous Myōkō-class design. The Myōkō had proved to be unstable and required modifications, which were incorporated into the Takao design....
and Maya
Japanese cruiser Maya
was one of four Takao-class heavy cruisers, designed to be an improvement over the previous Myōkō-class design. These ships were fast, powerful and heavily armed, with enough firepower to hold their own against any cruiser in any other navy in the world...
, CruDiv 7's Suzuya and Mogami
Japanese cruiser Mogami
was the lead ship in the four-vessel Mogami-class of heavy cruisers in the Imperial Japanese Navy. It was named after the Mogami River in Tohoku region of Japan. The Mogami class ships were constructed as "light" cruisers with 5 triple 6.1" DP guns...
, CruDiv 8's Chikuma and four destroyers, arriving at 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...
on 5 November 1943. While refueling in Simpson Harbor from the oiler Kokuyo Maru the cruisers were attacked by 97 planes from Task Force 38's USS Saratoga (CV-3)
USS Saratoga (CV-3)
USS Saratoga was the second aircraft carrier of the United States Navy and the fifth ship to bear her name. She was commissioned one month earlier than her sister and class leader, , which is the third actually commissioned after and Saratoga...
and Princeton (CVL-23). Noshiro was hit by a dud Mark 13
Mark 13 torpedo
The Bliss-Leavitt Mark 13 torpedo was the U.S. Navy's most common aerial torpedo of World War II. It was designed with unusually squat dimensions for its type: diameter was and length . In the water, the Mark 13 could reach a speed of for up to . The Mark 13 ran slower than the Mark 14 torpedo...
aerial torpedo
Aerial torpedo
The aerial torpedo, airborne torpedo or air-dropped torpedo is a naval weapon, the torpedo, designed to be dropped into water from an aircraft after which it propels itself to the target. First used in World War I, air-dropped torpedoes were used extensively in World War II, and remain in limited...
.
From 12 November 1943, Noshiro assisted 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...
, Agano
Japanese cruiser Agano
|-External links:*Tabular record:...
, after the latter was torpedoed by USS Scamp (SS-277)
USS Scamp (SS-277)
USS Scamp , a Gato-class submarine, was the first ship of the United States Navy to be named for the scamp, a member of the Serranidae family....
, and attempted to tow it back to Truk.
On 20 November 1943, American "Operation Galvanic" to retake the Gilbert Islands
Gilbert Islands
The Gilbert Islands are a chain of sixteen atolls and coral islands in the Pacific Ocean. They are the main part of Republic of Kiribati and include Tarawa, the site of the country's capital and residence of almost half of the population.-Geography:The atolls and islands of the Gilbert Islands...
invaded Tarawa. The invasion fleet of 200 ships included 13 battleships and 11 carriers. Noshiro responded by sailing from Truk with Suzuya, Kumano
Japanese cruiser Kumano
Kumano was one of four Mogami-class heavy cruiser of the Imperial Japanese Navy. She was completed at the Kawasaki Shipyard in Kobe on 31 October 1937. She displaced with a length of and a beam of , and had a top speed of...
, Chokai, Oyodo
Japanese cruiser Oyodo
Light cruiser , named after the Ōyodo River in Kyūshū, Japan was a light cruiser of the Imperial Japanese Navy, the only ship of her class.-Background:...
and several destroyers. The group was attacked on 1 January 1944 by aircraft from USS Bunker Hill (CV-17)
USS Bunker Hill (CV-17)
USS Bunker Hill was one of 24 s built during World War II for the United States Navy. The ship, the second US Navy ship to bear the name, was named for the Battle of Bunker Hill. Bunker Hill was commissioned in May 1943, and served in several campaigns in the Pacific Theater of Operations, earning...
and USS Monterey (CVL-26)
USS Monterey (CVL-26)
USS Monterey was an Independence-class light aircraft carrier of the United States Navy, in service during World War II and used in training for several years thereafter....
. One of Noshiro's gun turret
Gun turret
A gun turret is a weapon mount that protects the crew or mechanism of a projectile-firing weapon and at the same time lets the weapon be aimed and fired in many directions.The turret is also a rotating weapon platform...
s was put out of action temporarily by the attack and ten crewmen killed.
On 19 January 1944, Noshiro was dispatched from Truk to assist the Japanese aircraft carrier Unyo
Japanese aircraft carrier Unyo
Unyō was a Taiyō-class escort carrier operated by the Imperial Japanese Navy in World War II.-Construction and conversion:The liner of the shipping line Nippon Yusen, laid down in the Mitsubishi shipyard in Nagasaki in December 1938, launched in October 1939 and commissioned in July 1940, was...
after it had been torpedoed by the USS Haddock (SS-231)
USS Haddock (SS-231)
, a Gato-class submarine, was the second submarine of the United States Navy to be named for the haddock, a small edible Atlantic fish, related to the cod...
by towing it back to Saipan
Saipan
Saipan is the largest island of the United States Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands , a chain of 15 tropical islands belonging to the Marianas archipelago in the western Pacific Ocean with a total area of . The 2000 census population was 62,392...
. Noshiro continued on 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...
, going into 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...
for repairs and refit on 1 February 1944. Six triple-mount and eight single-mount Type 96 25 mm AA guns were fitted. This brought the Noshiro's 25 mm total to 32 barrels (8x3) (8x1).
Battles in the Philippines
Retrofit was completed by 28 March 1944, enabling Noshiro to depart for DavaoDavao
Davao refers to several closely related places in Mindanao in the Philippines. The term is used most often to refer to the city.*Davao Region, an administrative region*Davao del Norte province*Davao del Sur province*Davao Oriental province...
and Lingga on 5 April 1944 with CruDiv 4's Atago, Takao and Chokai, CruDiv 5's Myoko and Haguro
Japanese cruiser Haguro
|-External reference links: -External links:**...
and the destroyer Harusame
Japanese destroyer Harusame
was the fifth of ten s, and was built for the Imperial Japanese Navy under the "Circle One" Program . This vessel should not be confused with the earlier Russo-Japanese War-period torpedo boat destroyer with the same name.-History:...
.
The cruiser group was attacked by USS Dace (SS-247)
USS Dace (SS-247)
, a Gato class submarine, was the first submarine of the United States Navy to be named for any of several small North American fresh-water fishes of the carp family....
, which missed with all six bow torpedoes, and was also sighted by USS Darter (SS-227)
USS Darter (SS-227)
USS Darter , a Gato-class submarine, was the first ship of the United States Navy to be named for the darter.Her keel was laid down on 20 October 1942 by the Electric Boat Company of Groton, Connecticut. She was launched on 6 June 1943 , and commissioned on 7 September 1943, Commander William S....
, which failed to achieve an attack vector. Likewise, the cruiser group was sighted coming out of Davao Bay on 7 April 1944 by the USS Scamp (SS-277), which was also unable to attack, and by USS Gurnard (SS-254)
USS Gurnard (SS-254)
, a Gato-class submarine, was the first ship of the United States Navy to be named for the gurnard, a trigloid fish having three free pectoral rays, a food fish of the genus Trigla. The striped gurnard inhabits the South Atlantic....
on 18 May 1944 which fired a full salvo of six bow torpedoes, all of which missed.
Noshiro was at "Operation A-Go" – The Battle of the Philippine Sea
Battle of the Philippine Sea
The Battle of the Philippine Sea was a decisive naval battle of World War II which effectively eliminated the Imperial Japanese Navy's ability to conduct large-scale carrier actions. It took place during the United States' amphibious invasion of the Mariana Islands during the Pacific War...
on 19 June 1944, where it was flagship of Rear Admiral Mikio Hayakawa.
From late June-early July 1944, Noshiro again was dry docked and refitted at Kura
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 :...
. Two more triple-mount Type 96 25 mm AA gun mounts were installed amidships bringing the total number of 25 mm guns to 48 barrels (10x3, 18x1). A Type 13 air-search and Type 22 surface-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...
were also fitted.
On 8 July 1944, Noshiro departed Kure with the destroyers carrying army troops and material to Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
, and remained in the vicinity for the following three months conducting training.
On 18 October 1944, Noshiro was ordered 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...
, in preparation for the Battle of Leyte Gulf
Battle of Leyte Gulf
The Battle of Leyte Gulf, also called the "Battles for Leyte Gulf", and formerly known as the "Second Battle of the Philippine Sea", is generally considered to be the largest naval battle of World War II and, by some criteria, possibly the largest naval battle in history.It was fought in waters...
, which begins on 22 October 1944. Noshiro, as DesRon 2's flagship, sortied with Admiral Kurita's First Mobile Striking Force, Force "A" (Center Force). At the Battle of the Sibuyan Sea on 24 October 1944, Force A was attacked 11 times by over 250 carrier aircraft from Task Force 38 with USS Essex (CV-9)
USS Essex (CV-9)
USS Essex was an aircraft carrier, the lead ship of the 24-ship built for the United States Navy during World War II. She was the fourth US Navy ship to bear the name. Commissioned in December 1942, Essex participated in several campaigns in the Pacific Theater of Operations, earning the...
, USS Lexington (CV-16)
USS Lexington (CV-16)
USS Lexington , known as "The Blue Ghost", is one of 24 s built during World War II for the United States Navy. The ship, the fifth US Navy ship to bear the name, is named in honor of the Revolutionary War Battle of Lexington...
, USS Intrepid (CV-11)
USS Intrepid (CV-11)
USS Intrepid , also known as The Fighting "I", is one of 24 s built during World War II for the United States Navy. She is the fourth US Navy ship to bear the name. Commissioned in August 1943, Intrepid participated in several campaigns in the Pacific Theater of Operations, most notably the Battle...
, USS Cabot (CVL-28)
USS Cabot (CVL-28)
USS Cabot was an in the United States Navy, the second ship to carry the name. Cabot was commissioned in 1943 and served until 1947. She was recommissioned as a training carrier from 1948 to 1955. From 1967 to 1989, she served in Spain as '...
, USS Franklin (CV-13)
USS Franklin (CV-13)
The USS Franklin , nicknamed "Big Ben," was one of 24 s built during World War II for the United States Navy, and the fifth US Navy ship to bear the name. Commissioned in January 1944, she served in several campaigns in the Pacific Theater of Operations, earning four battle stars...
and the USS Enterprise (CV-6)
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...
. Although the Yamato, Nagato
Japanese battleship Nagato
Nagato was a battleship of the Imperial Japanese Navy; the lead ship of her class. She was the first battleship in the world to mount 16 inch guns, her armour protection and speed made her one of the most powerful capital ships at the time of her commissioning.She was the flagship of Admiral...
, Haruna
Japanese battleship Haruna
, named after Mount Haruna, was a warship of the Imperial Japanese Navy during :World War I and :World War II. Designed by the British naval engineer George Thurston, she was the fourth and last battlecruiser of the , among the most heavily armed ships in any navy when built...
, Myoko and Tone were damaged, Noshiro escaped unharmed.
The following day, at 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...
, Noshiro hit the escort carrier USS White Plains (CVE-66)
USS White Plains (CVE-66)
USS White Plains was an Casablanca class escort carrier of the United States Navy.She was laid down on 11 February 1943 at Vancouver, Washington, by the Kaiser Shipbuilding Company, Inc., under a Maritime Commission contract as Elbour Bay ; renamed White Plains on 3 April 1943; redesignated...
with several 6-inch shells, but was in turn hit starboard side by a 5-inch shell from an American destroyer. She also participated in the sinking of , which was one of two cases of an aircraft carrier being sunk solely by naval gunfire.
On 26 October 1944, west of Panay
Panay
Panay may refer to*Panay Island*Panay *Panay, Capiz*Panay River*Panay Gulf* USS Panay *Panay incident...
, Kurita's force was attacked by 80 Grumman TBM-1C Avenger
TBF Avenger
The Grumman TBF Avenger was a torpedo bomber developed initially for the United States Navy and Marine Corps, and eventually used by several air or naval arms around the world....
torpedo-bombers from USS Wasp (CV-18)
USS Wasp (CV-18)
USS Wasp was one of 24 s built during World War II for the United States Navy. The ship, the ninth US Navy ship to bear the name, was originally named Oriskany, but was renamed while under construction in honor of the previous , which was sunk 15 September 1942...
and USS Cowpens (CVL-25)
USS Cowpens (CVL-25)
USS Cowpens , nicknamed The Mighty Moo, was an 11,000-ton that served the United States Navy from 1943 to 1947....
. One bomb exploded in Noshiro's AA shell magazine, starting a fire that was quickly extinguished.
In the second attack, six more Avengers attacked Noshiro, which dodged their torpedoes, but in the third wave, an Avenger launched a Mark 13 aerial torpedo that hit in the No. 3 boiler room. It instantly flooded, and the No. 1 boiler room flooded shortly thereafter. The inrush of water threw all of Noshiro's boilers off line, and she came to a halt with a 16-degree list to port.
While emergency repairs were carried out and Noshiro dead in the water, the destroyer Hamanami
Japanese destroyer Hamanami
was a of the Imperial Japanese Navy.On 11 November 1944, Hamanami was escorting troop convoy TA No. 3 from Manila, Philippines to Ormoc. She was sunk by aircraft of Task Force 38 in Ormoc Bay, west of Leyte , with 63 killed and 42 injured. rescued 167 survivors, including ComDesDiv 32 and...
came alongside and removed Rear Admiral Hayakawa, who later transferred to Yamato
Japanese battleship Yamato
, named after the ancient Japanese Yamato Province, was the lead ship of the Yamato class of battleships that served with the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War II. She and her sister ship, Musashi, were the heaviest and most powerfully armed battleships ever constructed, displacing...
. At 1014, a fourth attack of 28 TBMs and SB2C-3 Helldiver
SB2C Helldiver
The Curtiss SB2C Helldiver was a carrier-based dive bomber aircraft produced for the United States Navy during World War II. It replaced the Douglas SBD Dauntless in US Navy service. Despite its size, the SB2C was much faster than the SBD it replaced...
dive-bombers from USS Hornet (CV-12)
USS Hornet (CV-12)
USS Hornet is a United States Navy aircraft carrier of the Essex class. Construction started in August 1942; she was originally named , but was renamed in honor of the , which was lost in October 1942, becoming the eighth ship to bear the name.Hornet was commissioned in November 1943, and after...
struck with another torpedo to starboard beneath Noshiro's No. 2 main turret. Noshiro's AA gunners later claimed to have shot down six of the attacking planes. Captain Kajiwara ordered the forward magazines flooded in an attempt to righten the ship. Five minutes later, with the forward deck awash and the list steadily increasing, Kajiwara gave the order to abandon ship. At 1113, Noshiro sank at 11°42′N 121°41′E south of Mindoro
Mindoro
Mindoro is the seventh-largest island in the Philippines. It is located off the coast of Luzon, and northeast of Palawan. The southern coast of Mindoro forms the northeastern extremum of the Sulu Sea.-History:...
.
The destroyers Akishimo
Japanese destroyer Akishimo
was a of the Imperial Japanese Navy.On 10 November 1944, Akishimo was escorting troop convoy TA No. 4 from Manila to Ormoc. She suffered heavy damage in an air attack by U.S. Army B-25 Mitchells during the withdrawal: she took a direct bomb hit and lost her bow; 20 killed and 35 injured...
and Hamanami rescued Captain Kajiwara and 328 survivors.
Noshiro was removed from the Navy List on 20 December 1944.