Jintsu Katori,Niizuki Survivors

[IANHULKMCLEOD]

Hello Fontessa
Do you know of any from any source in Japan?
Any assistance would be greatly appreciated!
Best regards Ian

[fontessa]

Hello IANHULKMCLEOD,

Unfortunately I don’t have detailed information on survivors. I think ijnfleetadmiral may have the information.
According to WIKI, as for JINTSU, 21 survivors was rescued by I-180, and several survivors was rescued by US ships. WIKI also says that the three boats escaped from the sinking KATORI sank by the shooting of a US aircraft. But CDR EGUCHI Hozumi 江口穂積 (51) (KATORI XO) survived. He was KIA as XO of ZUIHO on 25 October 1944. According to the war diary of 3rd Torpedo Squadron NIIZUKI was lost in Battle of Kula Gulf, but the detail was not left.

Among major officers of JINTSU, KATORI and NIIZUKI, only CDR EGUCHI Hozumi 江口穂積 (51) (KATORI XO) survived the sinking.
The below is his carrier:
HARUKAZE Navigation Officer: 10 August 1930 - 1 December 1930
NADAKAZE Gunnery Officer: 1 December 1930 - 15 October 1931
HAKAZE Navigation Officer: 29 May 1933 - 1 November 1933
MIKUMA Unyocho: 10 September 1936 - 1 December 1936
CHOKAI Unyocho: 1 December 1936 - 15 May 1937
KINUGASA Unyocho: 15 May 1937 - 27 September 1937
HAYATOMO Unyocho: 27 September 1937 - 1 December 1937
5th Fleet Adjutant: 25 July 1941 - 15 January 1942
(ADD) 5th Fleet Staff Officer: 25 July 1941 - 15 January 1942
KATORI XO: 21 April 1943 - 15 October 1943
Attached Naval General Staff: 15 October 1943 - 3 May 1944
ZUIHO XO: 3 May 1944 - 25 October 1944 (KIA)

fontessa

[ijnfleetadmiral]

The number of survivors - if any - from NIIZUKI is unknown. KATORI was lost with all hands. JINTSU had 21 survivors rescued by the IJN and several more by U.S. ships. Casualties aboard the three ships included:

NIIZUKI
RADM / VADM* AKIYAMA Teruo (41) (ComDesRon 3)
CDR / CAPT* KUROKI Masakichi (55) (DesRon 3 Staff)
LCDR / CDR* FUJINO Takeo (59) (DesRon 3 Staff)
LCDR / CDR* YASUI Masao (59) (DesRon 3 Staff)
LCDR / CDR* YASUMI Takashi (60) (DesRon 3 Staff)
LT / LCDR* NIWA Hiroshi (65) (DesRon 3 Staff)
CDR / CAPT* KANEDA Kiyoshi (50) (NIIZUKI CO)
LTJG / LT* ISHIKAWA Hideo (69) (NIIZUKI Torpedo Officer)
LT / LCDR* MORIOKA Izumi (64) (NIIZUKI Gunnery Officer)
LTJG / LT* HOSOGAYA Hitoshi (Res.) (NIIZUKI Navigator)
LT / LCDR* SAITO Isao (Eng. 45) (NIIZUKI Chief Engineer)

KATORI
CAPT / RADM* ODA Tamekiyo (43) (KATORI CO)
LT / LCDR* HAGIWARA Kumao (Res.) (KATORI Navigator)
LT / LCDR* SHICHINOHE Seinosuke (Spec. Duty) (KATORI Torpedo Officer)
LCDR / CDR* KONISHI Shinjiro (Spec. Duty) (KATORI Chief Engineer)
(S) LT / (S) LCDR* KOSHIO Hisashi (1937) (KATORI Surgeon)
(P) LT / (P) LCDR* KATSUMATA Ryokichi (1940) (KATORI Paymaster)
LT / LCDR* YAMAMOTO Masuro (68) (KATORI Communications Officer)

JINTSU
RADM / VADM* ISAKI Shunji (42) (ComDesRon 2)
CAPT / RADM* SATO Torajiro (43) (JINTSU CO)
CDR / CAPT* KONDO Issei (50) (JINTSU XO)
LCDR / CDR* MATSUYAMA Mizuho (60) (JINTSU Gunnery Officer)
LT / LCDR* OZAWA Ichiro (64) (JINTSU Navigator)
LT / LCDR* IRIE Kozo (Spec. Duty 6) (JINTSU Torpedo Officer)
CDR / CAPT* HONDA Kentaro (Eng. 33) (JINTSU Chief Engineer)
(S) LT / (S) LCDR* SHIBATANI Toshiharu (1938) (JINTSU Surgeon)
(P) LT / (P) LCDR* NISHIKAWA Seizo (1940) (JINTSU Paymaster)
LT / LCDR* MAEDA Minoru (67) (JINTSU Communications Officer)

As noted above, EGUCHI Hozumi was not aboard KATORI at the time of her loss. The position of KATORI's XO at the time of her loss was Vacant.

[fontessa]

Hello ijnfleetadmiral,

As noted above, EGUCHI Hozumi was not aboard KATORI at the time of her loss. The position of KATORI's XO at the time of her loss was Vacant.

Understood. Thanks.

fontessa