Japanese escort ship Okinawa
Okinawa was an escort ship (""Kaibōkan"") of the Imperial Japanese Navy during the Second World War. She belonged to the "Ukuru" class. The ship is most notable for its possible participation in the sinkings of two submarines. Design and building. The "Ukuru" class escorts were very similar to the preceding "Mikuru class". The main difference was a simplified hull form which enabled a shorter building time. "Okinawa" was built by the Nihon Kokan shipyard at Tsurumi. The building started on 10 December 1943 and some 8 months later the ship was completed. She was named after  the island of Okinawa. In service. During her career "Okinawa" spent most of the time escorting various ships in convoys. In November 1944 she participated in the Japanese Operation TA, the reinforcement of Leyte, by escorting troop transports. In December of the same year, "Okinawa" escorted the carrier "Kaiyo". On 14 April 1945, "Okinawa" together with the escorts "CD-8" and "CD-32" attacked a submerged submarine with depth charges. Some sources mention the possibility that the submarine was sunk in that attack, although the official cause for the loss of "Snook" remains unknown. On 27 May 1945, "Okinawa" and the escort  ship "Aguni" were attacked by American aircraft in the Korea Strait. "Okinawa" was not damaged but "Aguni" suffered heavy damage from a radar-guided glide bomb. After that "Okinawa" returned to escort duties. On 19 June 1945 the cargo ship "Konzan Maru" was torpedoed and sunk by the submarine . "Okinawa", the escorts "CD-63" and "CD-207" counter-attacked the submarine with numerous depth charges until wood chips and oil were observed. The submarine was sunk with all hands. On 30 July 1945 "Okinawa" was sunk by carrier aircraft near Maizuru, however which carrier is disputed: aircraft from and the British Pacific  Fleet claim the sinking .