December 1941 Combined Fleet Battle Order

[BACK] Last Change: 17.11.2002 17:10

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Main Force

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VAdm Shiro Takasu

BatDiv1: Nagato, Mucu, Jamato (from 41/12/16)
BatDiv2: Ise, Hijuga, Fuso, Jamashiro

CarDiv3 (RAdm Torao Kawahara) : Hosho, Zuiho

CruDiv9: (RAdm FukudziKishi): Oi, Kitakami

12:

DesRon1:

DesDiv6: Akacuki, Hibiki, Ikazuci, Inazuma
DesDiv7:
DesDiv21: Hacuharu, Hacushimo, Nenohi, Wakaba
DesDiv27: Ariake, Jugure, Shiracuju, Shigure

41/12	InlandSea
41/12/07	BatDiv2, BatDiv1, Hosho, cruisers and 8 DD departed Hashiradzima to Bonin Islands
41/12/13	arrived back

Southern Expeditionary Force - SoExpFor - Malaysia Landing - Operation "E"

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VAdm Nobutake Kondo

DD	3: DesDiv34

A) Main Force - MaFor

1) Covering Group

(VAdm Nobutake Kondo)

BB	BatDiv3/Sect2: Kongo, Haruna
CA	CruDiv4: Atago/FF, Takao
DD	DesDiv4Maikaze, Nowaki, Arashi, Hagikaze DesRon1/DesDiv6: Akacuki, Hibiki DesRon2/DesDiv8: Asashio, Oshio, Micishio, Arashio

2) Submarine Group

SubRon5
(RAdm Tadashige Daigo):

CL	Jura
SS: 6	SubDiv28: I-59,I-60 SubDiv29 SubDiv30: I-60

SubRon6
(RAdm Cinoki Kono)

SS	4: SubDiv13, SubDiv19

3) Aircraft Group (Air Fleet11) - Formosa airfields

VAdm Nishizo Cukahara
AirFlt21 (RAdm Takeo Tada) : 27 bomb., 50 fighters, 5 reconnaissance
AirFlt23 (RAdm Tamanada) : 90 bomb., 50 fighters, 7 reconnaissance.

B) Malayan Group - MalGrp

VAdm Dzisaburo Ozawa

1) Southern Expeditionary Fleet - SoExpFlt

VAdm Dzisaburo Ozawa

CL	Kashii, Shimushu

2) Supporting Group - SupGrp

RAdm Takeo Kurita

CA	CruDiv7 (RAdm Takeo Kurita) : Mogami, Mikuma, Kumano, Suzuja Cokai

DesRon3 (RAdm Shintaro Hashimoto):
CL	Sendai
DD	15: DesDiv11Fubuki, Shirajuki, Hacujuki DesDiv12 (Cap Nobuki Ogawa) : Shirakumo/DF, Murakumo, Shinonome DesDiv19: Isonami, Uranami, Ajanami, Shikinami DesDiv20: Asagiri, Jugiri, Amagiri, Sagiri

3) Aircraft Group (AirFlt22)

RAdm Sadaici Macunaga
99 bomb., 39 fighters, 6 reconnaissance

4)Submarine Group - SubRon4

(RAdm Secuzo Joshitomi)

CL	Kinu
SS	8: SubDiv18 SubDiv19 SubDiv21

41/12/04	departed Samah Harbor
41/12/07	Covering Forces start cruise off Cape CaMau
41/12/08	Landing in Singora, Thepha and Patani in Southern Thailand Ajanami and Shikinami assist army AK Awajisan Maru off Kota Bharu MaFor/SubGrp: SubDiv28 at Kobe
41/12/09	Kota Bharu Landing CruDiv7 + Cokai sent to night torpedo attack on Prince of Wales and Repulse DesRon3 departed to Cam Ranh Bay
41/12/10	Crudiv7 & Cokai ordered back (Prince of Wales & Repulse sunk by land based planes)
41/12/11	Cokai arrived Cam Ranh Bay
41/12/13	Cokai departed Cam Ranh Bay to screen 2nd Landing convoy
41/12/19	Uranami, Jugiri & Ajanami sinking O-20 in Siam Bay
41/12/20	Cokai arrived back to Cam Ranh Bay

C) North Philippines Group - NorPhilGrp - Operation "M"

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VAdm Ibo Takahashi

1) Supporting Group - SupGrp

VAdm Ibo Takahashi

CA	CruDiv16: Ashigara, Maja
CL	CruDiv16: Kuma
AV	CarDiv12: Kamikawa Maru, Sanjo Maru

DesRon4

RAdm Shodzi Nishimura

CL	Naka
DD	8: DesDiv2: Murasame, Judaci, Samidare, Harusame DesDiv9: Nacugumo, Jamagumo, Minegumo

DesRon5

RAdm Akisaburo Hara

CL	Natori
DD	DesDiv5: Harukaze, Asakaze, Macukaze, Hatakaze DesDiv22: Fumizuki, Minazuki, Nagacuki, Sacuki

2) 1st Base Defence Division - BasDefDiv1

AM	Shirataka, Aotaka
Gunboat Division 1 Minesweeper Division 21

3) 2nd Base Defence Division - BasDefDiv2

RAdm Sueto Hirose

AM	Wakataka
PT	MTBDiv21: Cidori, Manazuru, Tomozuru, Hacukari
Gunboat Division 2, Gunboat Division 3 MineDiv11, MineDiv30

41/12/07	SupGrp departed Mako Harbor
41/12/08	D-Day Batan Is.
41/12/10	D-Day AparrI-SupGrp attacked by B-17 from 14.BS
41/12/14	SupGrp returned to Mako
41/12/19	SupGrp departed Mako for Lingayen Gulf Landing
41/12/22	D-Day Lingayen Gulf
41/12/23	SupGrp back in Mako

D) South Philippines Group - SoPhilGrp

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RAdm Takeo Takagi

1) Supporting Group - SupGrp

RAdm Takeo Takagi

CV	CarDiv4 (RAdm Kakudzi Kakuta) : Rjudzo
DD	DesDiv15 (till 12/12): Kuroshio, Ojashio, Nacushio, Hajashio DesDiv16 (till 12/12): Hacukaze, Jukikaze, Amacukaze, Tokicukaze
AM	MineDiv17 (RAdm Kobajashi): Icukushima, Jaejama

2) Legaspi Landing Group - LegLandGrp

RAdm Kjudzi Kubo (ComBaseFor1)

CL	Nagara
DD	DesDiv24: Jamakaze, Kawakaze, Umikaze, Suzukaze
	CarDiv11 (RAdm Ruitaro Fudzita) : Citose, Mizuho

3rd Base Defence Division :

Gunboat Division 4
MineDiv13

3) Davao Landing Group - DavLandGrp

DesRon2 (from 41/12/12) (RAdm Raizo Tanaka):

CL	Dzincu
DD	8: DesDiv15 Nacushio, Kuroshio, Ojashio DesDiv16: Hacukaze, Jukikaze, Tokicukaze, Amacukaze

41/12/04	A1, B2 departed Samah Harbor
41/12/06	LegLandGrp departed Palau SupGrp departed Palau
41/12/07	A1, B2 start cruise off Cape Camau
41/12/08	SupGrp strike Philippines airfields - Davao
41/12/10	land Aparri and Vigan SupGrp - Icukushima start lay mines in San Bernardino Strait escorted by Kuroshio and Ojashio SupGrp Jaejama lay mines in Surigao Strait escorted by Nacushio, Hajashio
41/12/11	SupGrp - Icukushima, Ojashio and Kuroshio ended minelaying operations in San Bernardino Strait SupGrp - Jaejama lay mines in Surigao Strait escorted by Nacushio, Hajashio
41/12/12	land Legaspi
41/12/14	SupGrp returned to Palau
41/12/17	CovGrp departed Palau
41/12/20	land Davao
41/12/24	DesDiv24 + Jukikaze, Tokicukaze support Lamon Bay, Luzon landing
41/12/25	land Jolo Is.

Pearl Harbor Attack Force - see in "Pearl Harbor Raid"

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South Seas Force (4th Fleet) - SoSeFor

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VAdm Shigejoshi Inoue

A) Defence Group - DefGrp

1) Truk Atoll

CL	Kashima
DD	2:DesDiv29

2) Kwajalein Atoll

SS	SubRon7: 7 - SubDiv27, SubDiv33

AirFlt24 (VAdm Eidzi Goto): Citose kokutai, Jokohama kokutai

3) Carolines

4th Base Defence Division :
Gunboat Division 5, Gunboat Division 6
MineDiv14
PCBoatsDiv56, PCBoatsDiv57, PCBoatsDiv58

4)Marshalls

6th Base Defence Division :
Gunboat Division 8
MineDiv16
PCBoatsDiv62, PCBoatsDiv63, PCBoatsDiv64, PCBoatsDiv65

B) Guam Landing Group - GuamLandGrp

RAdm AritomoGoto

CA	CruDiv6: Aoba, Kinugasa, Kako, Furutaka
DD	DesDiv23: Juzuki, Kikuzuki, Oboro, Uzuki

5th Base Defence Division :

Gunboat Division 7
MineDiv15
PCBoatsDiv59, PCBoatsDiv60

C) Wake Landing Force - WakeLandGrp

1st Landing Attempt 1941/12/08 - 12/11

RAdm Sadamici Kadzioka

CruDiv18 (RAdm Kuninori Marumo): Tenrju, Tacuta

DesRon6:

CL	Jubari
DD	DesDiv29: Oite, Hajate DesDiv30: Mucuki, Kisaragi, Mocizuki, Jajoi

2:SubDiv26:

P - 32, P - 33

Kongo Maru, Konrju Maru

41/12/08	Kwajalein - sail to Wake
41/12/10	off Wake - attempt to Landing
41/12/11	off Wake - sunk Hajate (coastal batteries), Kisaragi (VMF - 211) damaged by coastal batteries: Oite, Mocizuki, Jajoi damaged by VMF-211 aircraft: Tenrju, Kongo Maru

2nd Wake Island Invasion Force - 1941/12/21 - 1941/12/28 - 2ndWakeInvFor

RAdm Hiroaki Abe

Carrier Group - CarGrp

CV	CarDiv2: Hirju, Sorju
DD	DesDiv17 (Det): Tanikaze, Urakaze

Citose, Kijokawa Maru

CruDiv6: Aoba, Furutaka, Kako, Kinugasa
CruDiv8 (RAdm Hiroaki Abe) : Cikuma, Tone

Tacuta
Jubari (DesRon6/SF)

DesRon6:

Mocizuki, Jajoi
DesDiv29: Junagi, Asanagi, Oite
DesDiv30: Mucuki

Juzuki

P - 32, P - 33

41/12/16	CarGrp detached from StrFor1
41/12/21	departed Kwajalein Hirju and Sorju strike Wake
41/12/22	Hirju and Sorju strike Wake
41/12/23	off Wake
41/12/28	Kure

D) Gilberts Landing Force - GilbLandFor

RAdm Kijohide Shima (ComMineDiv19)

DD	Junagi, Asanagi
AM	MineDiv19: Okinoshima, Tokiwa, Cuguru

41/12/08

departed Kwajalein to Gilbert Islands operation

Advanced Submarine Force - AdvSubFor

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VAdm Micumi Shimizu

A) Hawaian Water Group

Midget Submarine Group - MidgSubGrp

SS	SubDiv3: I-16, I-18, I-20, I-22, I-24

SubRon1:

RAdm Cutomu Sato

SS	SubDiv1: 4: I-9/SF

SubRon2:

RAdm Shigeaki Jamazaki

SS 7:

SubDiv7 (Cap Hisagoro Shimamoto): I-1, I-2, I-3
SubDiv8 (Cap Kaoru Takezaki): I-7/SF, I-19, I-21, I-23

SubRon3:

RAdm Shigejoshi Miwa

SS	SubDiv11, SubDiv12, SubDiv20 9: I-8/SF, I-171, I-172, I-16, I-18, I-20, I-22, I-24

B) Long Range Reconnaissance Submarines

Cdr Jasucika Kajabara

SS	I-10 (Fiji, Samoa) , I-26 (Aleutians)

41/11/16	SubRon2/SubDiv8 departed Jokosuka for Hawaii I-10 departed Jokosuka for Fiji
41/11/23	SubRon2/SubDiv7 departed Jokosuka for Hawaii
41/11/30	I-10 recon. Suva Bay, Fiji
41/12/04	I-10 recon. Pago Pago
41/12/06	SubRon3 - reconnaissance Lahain
41/12/07	SubRon1 - NE of Oahu SubRon2 - between Oahu and Molokai SubRon3 - S of Oahu I-10 S of Oahu
41/12/10	I-10 sinking Panama m/s Donerail (ex Danish Nordhval) (4473 BRT) 200 miles SE of Hawai (08-00N, 152-00W) SubRon1 ordered to hunt CV sighted by I-6 NE of Oahu
41/12/14	I-4 sinking freighter Hoegh Merchant (Norway, 4858 BRT) 20 nm ENE of P.H. I-10 hunting CV, then ordered to US West Coast
41/12/15	SubRon2 shell Kahului, Maui
41/12/19	I-10 arrived Kwajalein
41/12/31	SubRon2: Hawaii shore bombardement: I-1 shell harbor at Hilo,
42/01/14	I-5 departed Hawaii area for Kwajalein
42/01/16	SubRon2 departed Hawaii area for Kwajalein
42/01/22	SubRon2 arrived Kwajalein

Northern Force (5th Fleet)

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VAdm Boshiro Hosogaja

CL	CruDiv21: Kiso, Tama CruDiv (Aux)22: Akagi Maru, Awata Maru, Asaka Maru

7th Base Defence Division

Gunboat Division 10
MineDiv17
PCBoatsDiv66

Hongkong Landing Force

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CL	Isuzu
DD	DesDiv6: Ikazuci, Inazuma
PT	MTBDiv11: Kidzi, Kari CortRon15: Hijodori, Kasasagi

41/12/04	departed Mako
41/12/21	sinking river gunboat HMS Cicada
41/12/24	Ikazuci departed Hongkong