© 2001-2002 Bob Hackett & Sander Kingsepp
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November 1941:
1 December 1941:
7 December 1941:
20 December 1941:
29 December 1941:
31 December 1941:
6 January 1941:
24 January 1941:
7 February 1942:
19 February 1942:
20 February 1942:
27 February 1942:
28 February 1942:
8 March 1942:
10 March 1942:
16 March 1942:
25 March 1942:
20 May 1942:
24 May 1942:
7 August 1942:
5 December 1942:
25 May 1943:
25 June 1943:
10 January 1944:
31 January 1944:
20 November 1945:
May 1946:
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30 March 1927:
The 1-53 is completed at the Kure Navy Yard, commissioned in the IJN and based in the Kure Naval District.
The 1-53 is in Rear Admiral Yoshitomi Setsuzo's SubRon 4 in Captain Moritsugu Kijima's SubDiv 18 with the I-54 and the I-55. Cdr Nakamura Shozo is the Commanding Officer.
SubDiv 18 departs Samah, Hainan Island, China.
Operation "E"- The Invasion of Malaya:
South China Sea. The I-53 takes up a patrol position N of Anambas Island.
Arrives at Camranh Bay, Indochina.
Departs Camranh, but is damaged in heavy seas.
Returns to Camranh.
Departs Camranh to patrol NW of Java.
Arrives at Camranh.
Departs Camranh, sinks a merchant S of Java.
The Invasion of Java, Netherlands East Indies:
Vice Admiral Takahashi Ibo's (former CO of KIRISHIMA) NEI Eastern Force invades Bali.
The I-53 transits the Lombok Strait, Java into the Indian Ocean.
25 miles SW of Banjuwangi, Java Sea, The I-53 torpedoes and sinks the 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.
Indian Ocean, SW of Sumatra. The I-53 torpedoes and sinks the 8,917-ton British freighter CITY OF MANCHESTER off Tjilatjap.
Arrives at Staring Bay, Celebes.
Reassigned to the Kure Guard Unit.
Departs Staring Bay.
Arrives at Kure. Used as training ship thereafter.
The I-53 is renumbered as the I-153.
LtCdr Izutsu Monshiro assumes command. LtCdr Nakamura is reassigned as the CO of the I-6.
At Truk. The 1-153 is in SubRon 4 in SubDiv 18 with the I-154 and the I-155.
LtCdr (later Rear Admiral, JMSDF) Shimizu Tsuruzo assumes command. LtCdr Izutsu is reassigned as the CO of the I-6 relieving LtCdr Nakamura.
LtCdr Wada Mutsuo assumes command. LtCdr Shimizu is reassigned as the CO of the I-165.
LtCdr Imoto Masayuki assumes command. LtCdr Wada is later reassigned as the CO of the I-33, but is killed in a training dive when her main induction valve fails to close.
At Kure. Anchored at the submarine school. LtCdr Imoto is reassigned and later killed in action as the CO of the I-32.
At Kure. Redesignated as a reserve ship and laid up without a crew. LtCdr Hori Takeo (former CO of I-32) assumes "paper"command.
Removed from the Navy List.
Scuttled in the Iyo Nada.
Author's
Note: Special thanks for help in preparing this TROM go to Dr. Higuchi Tatsuhiro
of Japan.
– Bob Hackett
