SENSUIKAN!

© 2001-2011 Bob Hackett & Sander Kingsepp :
Revision 3:

1 December 1926:
LtCdr Takasu is promoted Cdr.

6 December 1926:
Cdr Takasu is posted CO.

30 March 1927:
1-53 is completed at the Kure Navy Yard, commissioned in the IJN and based in the Kure Naval District.

1 December 1927:
LtCdr (later Rear Admiral) Sato Tsutomu (40) (former Adjutant of the Submarine School) is posted CO. Cdr. Takasu is posted ComSubDiv 11.

9 April 1928:
LtCdr Sato is assigned additional duty on the Submarine Bureau Staff of Kure Navy Yard.

10 December 1928:
LtCdr Hirano Rokuzo (41) (former CO of RO-66) is posted CO. Lt. Cdr. Sato assumes full-time duty on the Kure Navy Yard's Submarine Bureau Staff.

1 November 1930:
LtCdr (later Rear Admiral, posthumously) Okura Tomesaburo (43) (current CO of I-54) is posted CO as an additional duty.

1 December 1931:
LtCdr (later Rear Admiral) Ishizaki Noboru (42) (former CO of I-56) is posted CO. Lt. Cdr. Okura resumes full-time command of I-54.

15 November 1932:
LtCdr (later Rear Admiral, posthumously) Kato Yoshiro (43) (former CO of I-62) is posted CO. Lt. Cdr. Ishizaki is later promoted Commander and posted CO of I-3.

15 November 1934:
LtCdr Minamizato Katsuji (48) (current CO of RO-61) is posted CO as an additional duty. Lt. Cdr. Kato is promoted Commander and posted ComSubDiv 26.

15 December 1934:
LtCdr Minamizato assumes full-time command of I-53.

15 November 1935:
LtCdr (later Rear Admiral, posthumously) Shimizu Taro (48) (former CO of RO-67) is posted CO.

1 December 1936:
LtCdr (later Captain) Mizohata Sadaichi (46) (former CO of I-4) is posted CO. Lt. Cdr. Shimizu is posted CO of I-59.

1 November 1937:
LtCdr (later Rear Admiral, posthumously) Narahara Shogo (48) (current CO of I-54) is posted CO as an additional duty. Lt. Cdr. Mizohata is later promoted Commander and posted CO of HIBIKI.

1 December 1937:
Lt. Cdr. (Captain, posthumously) Sano Takao (50) is posted CO. Lt. Cdr. Narahara resumes full-time command of I-54.

19 March 1938:
LtCdr (later Captain) Nakamura Otoji (52) is posted CO. Lt. Cdr. Sano is later posted CO of I-63.

30 July 1938:
LtCdr (Rear Admiral, posthumously) Ankyu Eitaro (50) (former CO of I-123) is posted CO. Lt. Cdr. Nakamura is later posted CO of RO-60.

20 November 1939:
LtCdr (Rear Admiral, posthumously) Irie Tatsushi (51) (former CO of RO-68) is posted CO. Lt. Cdr. Ankyu is later promoted Commander and posted CO of I-1.

15 November 1940:
LtCdr Irie is promoted Commander.

31 January 1941:
LtCdr (Captain, posthumously) Nakamura Shozo (54) (former CO of I-61) is posted CO. Cdr. Irie is posted Chief Equipping Officer of I-21.

November 1941:
1-53 is in Rear Admiral Yoshitomi Setsuzo's (39) SubRon 4 in Captain Moritsugu Kijima's SubDiv 18 with I-54 and I-55. Cdr Nakamura Shozo (54) is the Commanding Officer.

1 December 1941:
SubDiv 18 departs Samah, Hainan Island, China.

7 December 1941:
Operation "E"- The Invasion of Malaya: South China Sea. I-53 takes up a patrol position N of Anambas Island.

20 December 1941:
Arrives at Camranh Bay, Indochina.

29 December 1941:
Departs Camranh, but is damaged in heavy seas.

31 December 1941:
Returns to Camranh.

6 January 1941:
Departs Camranh to patrol NW of Java.

24 January 1941:
Arrives at Camranh.

7 February 1942:
Departs Camranh, sinks a merchant S of Java.

19 February 1942:
The Invasion of Java, Netherlands East Indies: Vice Admiral Takahashi Ibo's (36)(former CO of KIRISHIMA) NEI Eastern Force invades Bali.

20 February 1942:
The I-53 transits the Lombok Strait, Java into the Indian Ocean.

27 February 1942:
25 miles SW of Banjuwangi, Java Sea, I-53 torpedoes and sinks 913-ton Dutch merchant MOESI in the Bali Strait. She was en route from Surabaya to Australia with a cargo of 5.9-inch shells.

28 February 1942:
Indian Ocean. Off Tjilatjap, Java. I-53 torpedoes, shells and sinks 8,917-ton British freighter CITY OF MANCHESTER at 08-16S, 108-52E. Of 137 people on board, 3 are killed and 6 possibly taken prisoner. At 0507, the burning ship is sighted by minesweepers USS WHIIPPOORWILL (AM-35) and USS LARK (AM-21) which then rescue the survivors. The injured are transferred to gunboat USS TULSA (PG-22).

8 March 1942:
Arrives at Staring Bay, Celebes.

10 March 1942:
Reassigned to the Kure Guard Unit.

16 March 1942:
Departs Staring Bay.

25 March 1942:
Arrives at Kure. Used as training ship thereafter.

20 May 1942:
The I-53 is renumbered as I-153.

24 May 1942:
LtCdr (later Cdr) Izutsu Monshiro (57) assumes command. LtCdr Nakamura is reassigned as CO of I-6.

7 August 1942:
At Truk. 1-153 is in SubRon 4 in SubDiv 18 with I-154 and I-155.

5 December 1942:
LtCdr (later Rear Admiral, JMSDF) Shimizu Tsuruzo (58) assumes command. LtCdr Izutsu is reassigned as CO of I-6 relieving LtCdr Nakamura.

25 May 1943:
LtCdr Wada Mutsuo (61) assumes command. LtCdr Shimizu is reassigned as CO of I-165.

25 June 1943:
LtCdr Imoto Masayuki (58) assumes command. LtCdr Wada is later reassigned as CO of I-33, but is killed in a training dive when her main induction valve fails to close.

10 January 1944:
At Kure. Anchored at the submarine school. Cdr (later Captain) Hori Takeo (former CO of I-32) is posted 'on-paper' CO. In a change-of-command swap, LtCdr Imoto is posted CO of I-32.

31 January 1944:
At Kure. Redesignated as a reserve ship and laid up without a crew. Cdr Hori assigned additional duty as CO of I-157.

25 February 1944:
Cdr Hori resumes full-time 'paper' command of I-153.

12 May 1944:
Cdr Hori assigned additional duty as CO of I-6.

27 May 1944: Cdr Hori resumes full-time 'paper' command of I-153. 15 October 1944: Cdr Hori is promoted Captain. 20 November 1945:
Captain Hori relieved of command. I-153 is removed from the Navy List.

May 1946:
Scuttled in the Iyo Nada.