World War II Database

Contributor: C. Peter Chen

ww2dbaseUpon commissioning, light cruiser Tama covered the Japanese troops during the Siberian Intervention against the Red Army. In 1925, she sailed to San Pedro, California, United States, carrying on board the remains of the American ambassador to Japan, who had passed away in Tokyo, Japan. In early 1932, operating out of Taiwan, she patrolled the Manchurian coast during the Mukden Incident and supported the landing of Japanese troops near Shanghai, China. On 10 Jan 1935, she hosted German naval attaché Captain Paul Wenneker. On 10 Sep 1941, she became the flagship of Vice Admiral Boshiro Hosogaya's Cruiser Division 21.

ww2dbaseOn 2 Dec 1941, Tama was sent to the Kurile Islands for patrols, and returned to Yokosuka, Japan for repairs after being damaged by severe weather. On 21 Jan 1942, Cruiser Division 21 departed Yokosuka for patrols near Hokkaido, Japan, and was recalled after the Americans raided Marcus Island on 5 Mar. The division was re-assigned to the 1st Fleet to escort battleships Hyuga and Ise. In early Apr, Cruiser Division 21, again patrolled waters in northern Japan. In mid-Apr, she unsuccessfully searched for the American fleet that delivered the Doolittle Raiders before returning to the northern waters. On 28 May 1942, she departed from Mutsu Bay in Japan to participate in the invasion of the Aleutian Islands, Alaska, United States, acting as a troop transport. She returned to Japan on 23 Jun to provide cover for a reinforcement convoy back to Kiska, Aleutian Islands. She remained in the Aleutian Islands area until 2 Aug. On 25 Oct 1942, she embarked further reinforcement at Kashiwabara, Paramushiro, Japan and sailed for Attu. She patrolled the North Pacific Ocean between the Aleutian Islands and Hakkaido and ran several more supply runs to Attu. On 26 Mar 1943, she participated in the Battle of the Komandorski Islands. She remained in the North Pacific until 30 Aug 1943.

ww2dbaseAfter a refit at Yokosuka, Tama was sent south with troops and supplies for Ponape, Caroline Islands on 15 Sep 1943. In Oct, she transferred troops from Shanghai, China to Truk, Caroline Islands and Rabaul, New Britain, Solomon Islands. On 21 Oct, after having already disembarked troops at Rabaul, she was attacked by Australian Beaufort bombers from Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands; she was damaged by near misses and received temporary repairs at Rabaul. At the end of that month, she returned to Yokosuka for permanent repairs and a major refit, exchanging her No. 5 and No. 7 140-millimeter guns and the catapult and derrick for additional anti-aircraft weapons and a Type 21 Air Search radar. The work was done on 9 Dec and she departed Yokosuka on 24 Dec for patrols to the north. Between Jun and Aug 1944, she made two troops transport runs to the Ogasawara Islands (Bonin Islands).

ww2dbaseOn 30 Aug, Tama left Cruiser Division 21 to become the flagship of Destroyer Squadron 11 of the Combined Fleet. During the Battle off Cape Engaño in Oct 1944, she was hit in the No. 2 boiler room by a Mark 13 torpedo launched by an American TBM Avenger torpedo bomber. Sailing at 14 knots toward Okinawa, Japan to seek refuge, unescorted by this point, she was intercepted by American submarine Jallao on Jallao's first war patrol. The submarine launched three bow torpedoes at the distance of 1,000 yards, and all three missed. She then launched a salvo of four stern torpedoes at 800 yards, hitting Tama with three. Tama broke in two and sank within minutes northeast of Luzon, Philippine Islands, with all hands.

Light Cruiser Tama Interactive Map

Photographs

Tama Operational Timeline