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5 June 1922 - Laid down at Sasebo Navy Yard. Completed in nine months, she was launched and named Yubari. In July, 1923 she was attached to the Sasebo Naval District.

1 September 1923 - Following the Great Kanto Earthquake, Yubari ferries refugees from Yokohama to other areas.

Late April 1925 - US Navy Fleet Problem V (Grand Joint Exercise 3) in Hawaiian waters. Off Oahu, Yubari briefly shadows the "Blue Fleet“ under Admiral Samuel Robinson. Reportedly, three American destroyers give chase, but fail to overtake the Japanese cruiser.

July 1937 - Patrols off Shanghai.

August 1937: The Evacuation of Japanese residents in South China - Japanese residents in South China are under the protection of Rear Admiral Okuma Masakichi's DesRon 5. DesRon 5 is assigned to protect about 12,000 Japanese residents in Fuchow, Amoy, Swatow and Canton. With the outbreak of the North China Incident, DesDiv 16 is dispatched to the north. DesDiv 5 from Mako and DesDiv 29 from Japan are put under the command of Rear Admiral Okuma.

12 August 1937 - The situation in South China shows a drastic change for the worse. Residents in Swatow start evacuation that day. After the clash in Shanghai, residents in Canton begin evacuating on 15 August and those in Fuchow on 17 August. All of them reach Formosa safely. The evacuation of residents from Amoy, delayed for various reasons, is completed in late August.

8 December 1941 - The Invasion of Wake Island

11 December 1941 - Captain Ban's Yubari and three destroyers close to within 4,500 yards of Wake Island to bombard American positions. At 0615, Marine 1st Lt Clarence A. Barninger's Battery "A" 5-inch guns open fire. Yubari is straddled, but not hit. She opens the range to 5,700 yards and is straddled twice more, but not hit. Americans defend fiercely. That morning, a dejected Rear Admiral Kajioka orders his Attack Force to return to Kwajalein.

8 March 1942 - Operation "SR" - The Invasion of Lae-Salamaua - Provides cover for the invasion while cruising off Salamaua.

10 March 1942 - The anchored invasion task group is attacked by 90 aircraft from Rear Admiral (later Admiral) Frank J. Fletcher's Task Force 17's USS YORKTOWN (CV-5) and LEXINGTON (CV-2). Fletcher's planes have flown from the Coral Sea over New Guinea's Owen Stanley mountains to make the attack. KONGO MARU and three other transports are sunk. Transport TENYO MARU and several other ships are damaged.

At the start of attack Yubari patrols between Lae and Salamaua, later heading out for Huon Gulf. She is first attacked by two SBD-3 "Dauntless" dive-bombers from LEXINGTON’s VS-2, claiming one hit, but actually score several near misses to port while bomb fragments cut down several 13.2-mm AA machine-gun crews. Yubari is next strafed by four F4F-3 fighters from VF-3, approaching from port bow. The XO, Cdr Tanaka Mitsuo and several bridge lookouts are killed.

After 0950 (local), Yubari is attacked by SBD-3s from USS YORKTOWN’s VB-5. No. 2 turret ready-use powder bags detonate as a result of strafing, igniting the mattresses fitted to the bridge for anti-splinter protection. The next strafing attack from the bow direction ignites the port lifeboat gasoline drums stowage, resulting in a serious fire amidships. One 13.2-mm machine gun is disabled by strafing. Firefighting teams dump most of the burning drums overboard, but their hoses do not cover the entire danger area and the fire reaches the forward torpedo mount. The CO orders the torpedoes jettisoned, but the mount cannot be trained outboard as a result of a power failure. The rescue crews manage to rotate the mount manually and extract the torpedoes using a pulley. The reserve torpedoes are dumped in the same fashion.

In all, Yubari evades 67 bombs and 12 torpedoes while receiving five near misses that cause splinter damage in 3,000 locations. A total of thirteen sailors are KIA and 49 wounded.

13 March 1942 - Departs Salamaua for Rabaul.

7 August 1942: Yubari departs Rabaul through "Slot" towards Guadalcanal with TENRYU and DesDiv 29's YUNAGI. Joins CruDiv 6's AOBA, FURUTAKA, KINUGASA and KAKO and CruDiv 4's CHOKAI with Vice Admiral Mikawa and his staff embarked.

9 August 1942: The Battle of Savo Island. St. George's Channel, New Britain. LtCdr (later Captain) Henry G. Munson's USS SS-38 sights the cruiser force, but is unable to attack.

In a night gun and torpedo action off Savo Island, Captain William G. Greenman's ASTORIA (CA-34), Captain Samuel N. Moore's QUINCY (CA-39), Captain (later Rear Admiral) Frederick L. Riefkohl's VINCENNES (CA-44) and Captain Frank E. Getting's cruiser HMAS CANBERRA are sunk and Captain Howard D. Bode's CHICAGO (CA-29) is damaged. CHOKAI takes three hits, KINUGASA two and AOBA one hit. Enroute back to Kavieng, KAKO is sunk by LtCdr John R. Moore's USS SS-44. Yubari is not damaged in the action.

During the action against Allied Northern Force Yubari, FURUTAKA and TENRYU form the Japanese western group. Yubari briefly engages USS RALPH TALBOT (DD-390), scoring several hits. At 0223, Vice Admiral Mikawa orders all his forces to withdraw. [3]

19 December 1943 - Arrives at Yokosuka. Begins refit and modifications that last until 4 March 1944. During her refit, two triple mount and eight single mount Type 96 25-mm AA guns are fitted bringing Yubari's total suite to 25 barrels (3x3, 4x2, 8x1). Her forward 140-mm mount is replaced by a single 120-mm/45 Type 10 HA gun and two depth charge rails are fitted at the stern.

26 April 1944 - Departs Palau with transport T. 149 escorted by SAMIDARE and YUZUKI.

27 April 1944 - On her first war patrol, LtCdr (later Captain) Eric L. Barr's USS BLUEGILL (SS-242) is reconnoitering the Sonsorol (now Dongosaro) Islands, SW of Palau when Yubari arrives. BLUEGILL sights her and a destroyer, but Yubari disappears behind the island. She proceeds to disembarks her troops and departs at 0942.

Yubari suddenly reappears from behind the island at top speed. Barr quickly changes his set-up, swings BLUEGILL to the new firing course and fires six torpedoes. Yubari evades four torpedoes of the first spread, but at 1004, she is hit starboard side in her No. 1 boiler room. All engines stop and the cruiser goes dead in the water. One officer and 16 sailors are killed in No. 1 boiler room as a result of the torpedo explosion. By 1030, boiler rooms Nos. 1 and 2 are totally flooded. After 1400, an attempt to get underway on her middle shaft fails.

At 1650, SAMIDARE attempts unsuccessfully to tow Yubari.

28 April 1944 - At 0541, DesRon 3's flag is transferred to YUZUKI. At 0544, YUZUKI rescues survivors including Captain Nara. At 1015, almost 24-hours after she was torpedoed, Yubari sinks by the bow at 05-38N, 131-45E. Nineteen crewmen are lost.

10 June 1944 - Removed from the Navy list.

Source: Combined Fleet, and read more details there.

Sources: Public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships

and pictures from my father's 1943 Naval Recognition Manual

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