November Special Guest Speaker

Mr. Nori “Harry” YoshidaVeteran WW2 Japanese Imperial Navy Heavy Cruiser MAYA

November 1, 2010 – 7pm, 2901 Bayview Avenue (Loblaws Community Room)

IPMS Toronto Presents:

Heavy Cruiser MAYA

Launched: November 8, 1930

Commissioned: June 30, 1932

Fate: Torpedoed, October 23,

1944

Length 668 feet

Beam 62 feet

Speed 950

Main Arm. 10x 20cm, 4x 4.7, and 8

torpedoes

Mr. Yoshida Personal Account

1. May 1/42: Entered the Japanese Imperial Navy at 1st Naval Barracks at Yokosuka Naval Yard.

2. May 1/42 – Aug 15/42: Seaman 3rd Class training.

3. Oct 1942: Sent to Truk Lagoon, and assigned to heavy cruiser MAYA.

4. Oct 42 – Nov 42: First action was at Guadalcanal to bombard US Henderson Airfield (MAYA fired 485 shells from 20cm guns).

5. Nov 1/42: Promoted to Seaman 1st Class by naval Ordinance #611.

6. Nov 1942: Sea battles off Guadalcanal (3rd Solomon Naval Battle). MAYA was hit by US aircraft that dove into ship (37 killed with scores injured). Note: Harry was wounded in the left eyebrow in this attack). The aircraft has been identified as SBD-3 Dauntless flown by Ensign P.M. Halloran.

Mr. Yoshida Personal Account7. Nov 1942: MAYA leaves for Yokosuka for repairs, then moves

to Ominato Naval Base.

8. Jan 1/43 – Apr 30/43: Torpedo school training and after graduation, assigned to MAYA torpedo station.

9. May 1/43: Promoted to Chief naval Seaman.

10. May 1943: Sent to Ominato Naval base to board MAYA. MAYA assigned to 5th Northern Fleet. Sailed to evacuate naval personal from Kiska Island. First attempt on Jul 10/43 failed. Second attempt on Jul 28/43 was a success.

11. Aug 3/43: MAYA returns to 4th Fleet in the South Pacific.

12. Nov 5/43: MAYA sent to ports Moresby where US invasion was occurring. MAYA was at anchor at Rabaul when attacked by US aircraft (about 50). MAYA was badly damaged with 70 killed and 60 wounded). Port Moresby campaign was subsequently cancelled Nov 11/43. MAYA heads home for repairs.

Mr. Yoshida Personal Account13. Dec 11/43 – Apr 16/43: MAYA reconstructed as Anti-Aircraft

Cruiser. Crew increased to 996.

14. May 1/44: Promoted to higher rank Naval Seaman.

15. Jun 19-20/44: MAYA was at Saipan and engaged in Marianas Naval Battle. “On evening of June 20, she was attacked by countless planes and bombed by 500 pound bombs with one exploding near my torpedo station, where I was hit and was unconscious. Miraculously I came to my mind, but found myself on fire and immediately jumped into the salt water reserve tanks. My fellow shipmate beside me was killed.”

16. Jun 26/44: Returned to Yokosuka. Additional modernization was done to MAYA with crew now at 1105.

17. Jul 1944: MAYA left Yokosuka to join 4th Fleet on its way to carry Army Units to Okinawa.

18. Sep 20/44: MAYA now assigned to 1st Flying Column of the Mobile Unit at Brunei Port.

Mr. Yoshida Personal Account19. Oct 22/44: MAYA departs Brunei Port and heads for Gulf of

Leyte as part of SHO #1 OPERATION).

20. Oct 23/44: At 06:57hrs at Palawan Strait, MAYA was torpedoed by 4 torpedoes from USS DACE (ss-247) and sank in 7 minutes killing 366 crew. There were 739 survivors rescued by Japanese Destroyer SHIMAKAZE. Note: Mr. Yoshida was transferred to the Battleship MUSHASHI.

21. Oct 1944: While aboard MUSHASHI, she was attacked by numerous aircraft and badly damaged. Out of commission, crew were transferred to Repair Ship AKASH and headed back to Yokosuka naval base. Note: On way to Japan, Mr. Yoshida learns of MUSHAHI sinking. At home crew was confined to remote area for over 1 month for security reasons.

22. Jan 1945: After being released from confinement, Mr. Yoshida was assigned to mountain-top as machine gunner at 1st

Yokosuka Naval Base.

23. May 1/45: Promoted to Petty Officer 2nd Class.

Mr. Yoshida Personal Account

24. June 1945: Training in a Suicide Unit (2nd Storming Unit) as unit leader and was stationed at entrance of Tokyo Bay in Sunozaki Village.

25. Aug 15/45: Promoted to Petty Officer 1st Class at end of the war.

USS DACE

Materials in this presentation were transcribed by Harvey Low

from notes provided by Mr. Harry Yoshida.

Pictures kindly provided by

Tero Tuononen

(Mr. Tuononen’s wife is Mr. Yoshida’s niece)