She was laid down on 12 July 1941, at the Hong Kong shipyard of Taikoo Dockyard and Engineering Company as HMS Portland.

[3] On 10 April 1944, she was completed, commissioned, and attached to the Yokosuka Naval District under Lieutenant Commandeer Ginji Yamashita.

[7] On 17 November 1944, in the Yellow Sea off Cheju Island, MI-27 was spotted by US submarines Sunfish and Peto which were operating in a wolfpack with Spadefish.

[3] Nearby, Spadefish spotted Shin'yō of HI-81 and fired six torpedoes four of which hit causing the carrier to burst into flames and sink (killing 1,130).

The convoy diverted and disembarked its troops at San Fernando, Luzon due to enemy air attacks at Manila.