SOKAITEI!

© 2008-2009 Bob Hackett and Peter Cundall

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E 1944:
Aioi. Laid down at Harima Shipbuilding as minesweeper No. 423.

1944:
Launched and numbered W-39.

27 May 1944:
Completed and registered in the IJN. Lt Fujii Seii. is the Commanding Officer.

5 July 1944:
W-39 and W-38 are assigned to the 21st Minesweeper Division.

12 July 1944:
At 1500, W-39 and W-38 depart Moji for Takao, Formosa with destroyer SHIOKAZE, kaibokan SHIMUSHU, subchaser CH-55, auxiliary gunboat HUASHAN (KAZAN) MARU escorting convoy MI-11 consisting of EIKYU, YOSHINO, MIHO, ENOSHIMA, MANKO, HACHIJIN, DAKAR, FUSO, TEIRITSU and FUKUJU MARUs, BANSHU MARU No. 16 and tankers KOEI, TAKETOYO, AYAYUKI, SHICHIYO and AYAGUMO MARUs and OGURA MARU No. 1.

18 July 1944:
The convoy arrives at Takao.

29 July 1944:
The convoy departs Takao for Miri, Borneo joined by tanker HARIMA MARU and minesweeper W-28. Destroyer SHIOKAZE is detached.

30 July 1944:
At 2200, BANSHU MARU No. 16 incurs rudder problems and collides with MANKO MARU, but both proceed.

31 July 1944:
Luzon Strait. A wolfpack patrols the Strait under Captain (later Rear Admiral) Lewis S. Parks consisting of LtCdr (later Vice Admiral/MOH/COMSUBLANT) Lawson P. Ramage's USS PARCHE (SS-384)(F), LtCdr (later Captain) David L. Whelchel's STEELHEAD (SS-280) and LtCdr John C. Martin's HAMMERHEAD (SS-364).

280 miles NNW of Cape Mayraira, Luzon. At 0332, LtCdr Ramage's PARCHE torpedoes and sinks KOEI MARU. About the same time, oiler OGURA MARU No. 1 is hit by a torpedo, but does not sink. At 0340, Ramage torpedoes and sinks YOSHINO MARU. She carries down 2, 495 troops and crewmen and a cargo of ammunition. [1][2]

At 0420, Whelchel's STEELHEAD torpedoes DAKAR MARU, but she does not sink. At 0455, Whelchel torpedoes and sinks FUSO MARU. She takes down 1, 384 troops and crewmen and a cargo of vehicles.

At 0514, Ramage's PARCHE torpedoes and sinks MANKO MARU. She carries down several hundred naval personnel and crewmen and a cargo of ammunition.

3 August 1944:
At 1730, the remainder of MI-11 arrives at Manila where it is reorganized.

7 August 1944:
At 1900, departs Manila.

12 August 1944:
Arrives at Miri.

22 August 1944:
At 1410, W-39 and W-38 depart Takao for Manila with kaibokan YASHIRO CD-8, CD-25, CD-32, torpedo boat HATO escorting convoy TAMA-24 consisting of HIDA, KOTOKU, TEIHOKU, RAKUTO, BATOPAHAT, GENKAI and MANSHU MARUs and tankers TACHIBANA and YAMAMIZU MARU No. 2 and an unidentified ship, probably YUKIKAWA MARU.

25 August 1944:
CD-25 and GENKAI MARU are detached. Destroyer YUNAGI joins TAMA-24.

At 1024, Cdr (later Vice Admiral) Glynn R. Donaho's USS PICUDA (SS-382) torpedoes and sinks KOTOKU MARU at 18-42N, 120-49E. At 1026, in the same position, Donaho torpedoes and sinks YUNAGI as the destroyer attempts a counter-attack. At 1325, LtCdr (later Rear Admiral-Ret) Louis D. McGregor's USS REDFISH (SS-395) torpedoes and sinks BATOPAHAT MARU at 18-31N, 120-32E.

28 August 1944:
At 2100, arrives at Manila.

September 1944:
Lt Kumazawa Hiroshi assumes command.

9 September 1944:
Off Musa Bay, Fuga Island. At 1600, W-38 and W-39 meet convoy MI-14 consisting of TOKUSHIMA, ENOSHIMA, MIHO, KENSEI Marus and tankers ATAGO and TOKUWA MARUs and OGURA MARU No. 2 escorted by Kaibokan CD-14, patrol boat PB-38 and subchaser CH-20.

16 September 1944:
At 0440, departs Basco Bay, Batan Island, Philippines. At 1355, TOKUSHIMA MARU is torpedoed and sunk at 21-57N, 121-35E. The explosion damages nearby oiler OGURA MARU No. 2's (hull more likely cracked by a dud torpedo). She stops for repairs, but at 1515, the ship is hit by six torpedoes and sunk by LtCdr Louis D. McGregor's USS REDFISH (SS-395) at 21-42N, 121-41E.

17 September 1944:
Arrives at Takao. W-38 and CH-20 are detached.

1 October 1944:
At 1300, W-39 departs Takao for Manila, Philippines with torpedo boat HIYODORI, kaibokan CD-6, CD-16 and CD-20, minesweeper W-38 and three unidentified warships escorting convoy TAMA-29 consisting of EJIRI, TOKO, RYUEI, KOSHO, URADO and TEIFU MARUs and seven unidentified merchant ships.

3 October 1944:
At 1703, the convoy arrives at Camiguin Island. At 1910, TEIFU MARU escorted by W-39 are detached for Aparri, northern Luzon. At 2357, they arrive at Aparri and TEIFU MARU begins unloading.

4 October 1944:
At 1935, TEIFU MARU and W-39 arrive back at Camiguin Island.

6 October 1944:
At 1900, the convoy departs Camiguin Island.

8 October 1944:
The convoy arrives at North San Fernando. W-38 and W-39 are detached.

10 October 1944:
At 0100, W-38 and W-39 depart North San Fernando for Takao with auxiliary subchaser CHa-95 and two unidentified warships escorting convoy MATA-29 consisting of HOTEN, TERUKUNI, TSINGTAO and OMINE (TAIHO) MARUs. Because of the risk of air attacks, the convoy shelters at Calayan Island.

18 October 1944:
At 0955, USN aircraft locate and attack the ships at anchor. All four merchant ships and CHa-95 are sunk in the resulting air attacks. [3]

20 November 1944:
W-39 departs Saei (Tsoying), near Takao, with three unidentified naval auxiliary subchasers escorting convoy TAMA-32B consisting of SHOHO, CHOKI and KISHIN MARUs and NISSHO MARU No. 18.

21 November 1944:
At 1700, because of threat of air attack, returns to Saei.

22 November 1944:
At 0950, departs Saei again.

25 November 1944:
At 0518, LtCdr John B. Hess's USS POMFRET (SS-391) torpedoes and sinks SHOHO MARU at 20-20N, 121-40E.

26 November 1944:
At 2335, arrives at Fuga Island.

27 November 1944:
At 0930, departs Fuga Island, but returns there at 1555 because of fears of impending attack.

28 November 1944:
At 0550, departs Fuga Island. At 2155, at arrives Lapoc Bay.

29 November 1944:
At 0630, departs Lapoc Bay.

30 November 1944:
At 1635, arrives at Santa Cruz.

1 December 1944:
At 0600, departs Santa Cruz.

2 December 1944:
At 0125, arrives at Manila. 28 March 1945:
At 0220, W-39 departs Keelung with kaibokan CD-44 and CD-118 escorting convoy TAMO-51 consisting of EDOGAWA, DAIJO and NISSHIN MARUs and tanker HORAI MARU.

2 April 1945:
In thick fog, from 0920, LtCdr Ralph C. Styles' USS SEA DEVIL (SS-400) torpedoes and sinks EDOGAWA, DAIJO and NISSHIN MARUs, the three largest ships in the convoy. The convoy is dispersed at the time of the succesive attacks.

30 April 1945:
W-39 is attached to the General Escort Command’s 1st Escort Fleet.

20 July 1945:
Yellow Sea. Near Saishu Island. LtCdr’s John J. Foote’s USS THREADFIN (SS-410) is running on the surface at night in dense fog. At about 2300, THREADFIN’s SJ radar picks up a target. Foote makes an approach and fires five torpedoes that sink W-39 at 35-01N, 125-42E. THREADFIN’s crew sees wreckage and survivors in the water, but Foote does not stop to take prisoners. The fate of Lt Kumazawa and the crew of W-39 is unknown.

15 September 1945:
Removed from the Navy List.

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Authors' Notes:
[1] For his actions in the Luzon Strait that night, Ramage was awarded the Medal of Honor.

[2] Both PARCHE and STEELHEAD received 1/2 credit for sinking YOSHINO MARU.

[3] It is not clear from available records whether W-38 and W 39 were present at the time of these attacks. In any event, they were not damaged.

Thanks go to Matthew Jones for information on COs.

-Bob Hackett and Peter Cundall.

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