YUSOSEN!
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(Oiler by Takeshi Yuki scanned from "Color Paintings
of Japanese Warships")
IJN ERIMO: Tabular Record of Movement
© 2007 Bob Hackett and Peter Cundall.
5 March 1920:
Kobe. Laid down at Kawasaki Shipyard.
28 October 1920:
Launched and named the ERIMO.
16 December 1920:
Kobe. Completed at Kawasaki shipyard and registered in the Kure Naval District.
1932:
Converted into a specialized intelligence-collection vessel.
20 August 1941:
Captain (later Rear Admiral) Soma Shinshiro (42) assumes command.
20 November 1941:
ERIMO is assigned to Vice Admiral (later Admiral) Kondo Nobutake's (former CO of KONGO) Second Fleet.
22 November 1941:
Departs Kure.
26 November 1941:
Arrives at Sana (now Ya Xian), Hainan Island. Joins anchored warships for fuel transfer operations.
2 December 1941:
Receives the coded signal "Niitakayama nobore (Climb Mt. Niitaka) 1208" from the Combined Fleet. It signifies that X-Day hostilities will commence on 8 December (Japan time).
4 December 1941:
Departs Sana.
8 December 1941:
Arrives at Mako, Pescadores.
11 December 1941:
Departs Mako.
21 December 1941:
Arrives at Camranh Bay, Indochina (Vietnam).
23 December 1941:
Departs Camranh Bay.
30 December 1941:
Arrives Camranh Bay.
4 January 1942:
Departs Camranh Bay.
9 January 1942:
Arrives at Singora, Siam (Thailand).
11 January 1942:
Departs Singora, Siam.
14 January 1942:
Arrives at Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City), Indochina and departs the same day.
15 January 1942:
Arrives at St. Jacques, Indochina.
1 February 1942:
Departs St. Jacques.
3 February 1942:
S China Sea. Arrives at the Anambas Islands.
15 February 1942:
Departs Anambas.
18 February 1942:
Arrives at Saigon.
22 February 1942: Operation "J" - The Invasion of Java, Netherlands East Indies:
ERIMO is with Vice Admiral Takahashi's Third Fleet, Southern Force, Netherlands East Indies Force supporting Vice Admiral Ozawa Jisaburo’s Western Java Seizure Force. Departs Saigon.
26 February 1942:
Arrives at Anambas Islands.
1 March 1942:
Departs Anambas. That same day, ERIMO is assigned directly to the Combined Fleet.
4 March 1942:
Sunda Strait. LtCdr James W. Coe’s USS S-39 (SS-144), while withdrawing through the Strait to Australia, sights ERIMO. Coe fires four old, but reliable, Mark X torpedoes and claims three hits. Captain Soma beaches ERIMO on Bali Island at 04-19S, 108-25E.
Light cruiser YURA rescues Captain Soma and survivors, but four crewmen are lost. ERIMO is later abandoned as a constructive total loss.
3 May 1945:
Removed from the Navy List.
5 March 1947:
Scrapped.
Authors' Notes:
Thanks for assistance goes to Sander Kingsepp of Estonia.
- Bob Hackett and Peter Cundall.
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