The bellow is the last battle of Kuwa.
3rd / 4th Echelon of 7th Ta-go Operations
Unloading of No. 9 APD and Nos. 140 / 159 LSM escorted by Kuwa and Take in Ormoc Bay. KUWA and TAKE were guarding outside the bay while one APD and two LSMs were unloading their cargo. US Destroyers Moale, Allen M. Sumner and Cooper with several torpedo motor boats lined up side by side and rushed into the bay. This was because they were afraid of JAN's oxygen torpedoes. On the other hand, Kuwa jumped out to protect the transport ships. The US destroyer's assault was so rapid that Kuwa couldn't afford to form a formation with Take. As a result, Kuwa was exposed to accurate bombardment by the radar aiming of US destroyers. Kuwa sank within 10 minutes. During this time, Take ready for her lightning strike, fired three torpedoes. One of them hit Cooper, and she sank with her hull broken in half. U.S. military records indicate that 10 officers and 181 NCOs / seamen were killed. Upon seeing this, Moale and Allen M. Sumner left the bay. It is said that about 250 crew were killed in the sinking of Kuwa. Details are unknown, but several men swam to Ormoc and survived the war. (wasthey were theUS POWs you said?) Crew swam to Ipil were shot dead by the U.S. forces, and the crew who swam to Bonson Island were killed by guerrillas. The crew, who were floating on the sea, were rescued and taken prisoner with Cooper's survivors. This was the last torpedo battle between US Navy and IJN.
53rd Destroyer Division
Crew for Medical Offiser Duty / Attached to 53rd Destroyer Division Boarded Kuwa
ENS / ENS / LTJG* UJIIE Minoru 氏家稔 (???): 15 November 1944 - 3 December 1944 (KIA)
Crew for Supply Offiser Duty / Attached to 53rd Destroyer Division Boarded Kuwa
ENS / ENS / LTJG* IWASA Hajime 岩佐肇 (???): 15 November 1944 - 3 December 1944 (KIA)
KUWA
Commanding Officers
(CEO) LCDR / LCDR OKUMA Yasunosuke 大熊安之助 (60): 20 June 1944 - 2 July 1944 (17 C13072099600 / 40 C13072099900)
(CEO) LCDR / LCDR YAMASHITA Masamichi 山下政倫 (53): 2 July 1944 - 25 July 1944 (40 C13072099900 / 8 C13072100400)
LCDR / CDR / CAPT* YAMASHITA Masamichi 山下政倫 (53) : 25 July 1944 - 3 December 1944 (KIA) (8 C13072100400)
Gunnery Officers
(EO) LT / LT KITAMURA Tetsu 北村徹 (68): 1 July 1944 - 25 July 1944 (25 C13072099900 / 8 C13072100400)
LT / LT / LCDR* KITAMURA Tetsu 北村徹 (68): 25 July 1944 - 3 December 1944 (KIA) (8 C13072100400)
Torpedo Officers
(EO) LTJG / LTJG MITANI Yoshio 三谷与司夫 (71): 1 July 1944 - 25 July 1944 (41 C13072099900 / 8 C13072100400)
LTJG / LTJG MITANI Yoshio 三谷与司夫 (71): 25 July 1944 - 28 August 1944 (8 C13072100400 / 1 C13072100800)
LT / LT / LCDR* TOJI Kakakuji 田路嘉鶴次 (70): 28 August 1944 - 3 December 1944 (KIA) (50 C13072100700)
Navigation Officers
(EO) LTJG / LTJG ARAI Denjiro 新井伝次郎 (71): 1 July 1944- 15 July 1944 (41 C13072099900 / 36 C13072100100)
(EO) LTJG / LTJG KODAIRA Kiyoto 小平清人 (71): 15 July 1944 - 25 July 1944 (36 C13072100100, / 8 C13072100400)
LTJG / LT / LCDR* KODAIRA Kiyoto 小平清人 (71): 25 July 1944 - 3 December 1944 (KIA) (8 C13072100400)
Engineer Officers
(EO) LT / LT MURASHIGE Sadaichi 村重定一 (Eng.S.D.): 20 June 1944 - 25 July 1944
LT / LT / LCDR* MURASHIGE Sadaichi 村重定一 (Eng.S.D.): 25 July 1944 - 3 December 1944 (KIA)
Crew for Medical Offiser Duty
(EO) ENS / ENS / LTJG* NISHII Katsuya 西井勝也 (???): 15 July 1944 - 4 August 1944 (KIA)* (39 C13072100100)
* Death by Accident
VACANT: 4 August 1944 - 25 August 1944
ENS / ENS UJIIE Minoru 氏家稔 (???): 25 August 1944 - 15 November 1944 (Attached to 53rd Destroyer Division) (10 C13072100700)
Crew for Supply Offiser Duty
(EO) ENS / ENS IWASA Hajime 岩佐肇 (???): 28 June 1944 - 25 July 1944 (6 C13072099900 / 8 C13072100400)
ENS / ENS IWASA Hajime 岩佐肇 (???): 25 July 1944 - 15 November 1944 (Attached to 53rd Destroyer Division) (8 C13072100400)
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