SENSUIKAN!
HIJMS Submarine I-157 : Tabular Record of Movement
© 2001-2002 Bob Hackett & Sander Kingsepp
Revision 1
24 December 1929:
The 1-57 is completed at the Kure Navy Yard, commissioned in the IJN and based in the Kure Naval District.
November 1941:
The 1-57 is Rear Admiral Yoshitami Setsuzo's SubRon 4 under Captain Nobunosuke Shinsuki's SubDiv 19 with the I-56 and the I-58. LtCdr Nakajima Sakae is the Commanding Officer.
1 December 1941:
Departs Samah, Hainan Island, China.
8 December 1941: Operation "E": The Invasion of Malaya:
South China Sea. The I-57 forms a patrol line with the I-58, -62 and the I-64 and the
I-66 in the area off Trengganu, Malaya.
20 December 1941:
Arrives at Camranh Bay, Indochina.
28 December 1941:
Departs Camranh to patrol N of Surabaya, Java Sea.
7 January 1942:
Bali Sea. The I-57 shells and sinks the 3,077-ton Dutch auxiliary oiler DJIRAK
enroute from Balikpapan to Surabaya at 07-15S, 116-23E.
16 January 1942:
Returns to Camranh.
7 February 1942:
The I-57's crew contracts dysentery.
1 March 1942:
Departs Camranh.
6 March 1942:
Arrives at Staring Bay at Kendari, Celebes.
10 March 1942:
SubRon 4 is disbanded. The 1-57 is reassigned to SubRon 5 in SubDiv 19 with the I-56 and the 1-58.
13 March 1942:
Departs Staring Bay.
16 March 1942:
Vice Admiral, the Marquis, Komatsu Teruhisa (former CO of CA NACHI) assumes command of the Sixth Fleet (Submarines).
20 March 1942:
Returns to Kure.
14 May 1942:
Departs Kure.
20 May 1942:
The I-57 is renumbered as the I-157.
24 May 1942: Operation "MI" - The Battle of Midway:
Arrives at Kwajalein. The I-157 is in Vice Admiral Komatsu's Advance Expeditionary Force (Sixth Fleet) in SubRon 5 with the I-156, -158, -159, -162, -165, and the I-166.
26 May 1942:
Departs Kwajalein. SubRon 5 is deployed between 28-20N, 162-20W and 26-00 N, 165W.
22 June 1942:
Departs Kwajalein.
30 June 1942:
Returns to Kure.
10 July 1942:
SubRon 5 is disbanded. SubDiv 16 is reassigned to the Kure SubRon. The I-157 is used as a training vessel thereafter.
14 July 1942:
The I-157 is reassigned in the Kure Naval District to SubDiv 19 with the I-156, -158, and the I-159.
1 January 1943:
The 1-157 is in SubDiv 26 of the Kure SubRon with the 1-156, -158 and the 1-159.
11 May 1943: American Operation "Sandcrab"- The Invasion of Attu, Aleutians:
Rear Admiral (later Admiral) Thomas C. Kinkaid's Task Force 16, covered by Rear Admiral Francis W. Rockwell's Task Force 51, lands the Army's 7 th Division that captures Attu Island, Aleutians.
21 May 1943: Operation "KE" - The Evacuation of Kiska:
The Imperial General Headquarters decides to evacuate the garrison at Kiska Island, Aleutians. The I-157 is temporarily attached to the Kiska Evacuation Force with the Northern District Force, Fifth Fleet's SubRon 1: I-2, -7, -21, -24, -31, -34, -36, -155, -156, -168, -169 and the I-171.
22 May 1943:
The I-157 departs Kure.
23 May 1943:
Arrives at Yokosuka.
26 May 1943:
The evacuation from Kiska to Paramushiro Island, Kuriles via submarines begins. The I-157 departs Yokosuka.
1 June 1943:
Arrives at Paramushiro.
4 June 1943:
Departs Paramushiro on a supply run to Kiska with ammunition and provisions.
16 June 1943:
Near Amchitka. The I-157, running at 14 knots in heavy fog, runs hard aground. The crew dumps fuel and lube oil and jettisons torpedoes and a number of battery cells to lighten the I-157. Finally, she breaks loose but is unable to dive.
20 June 1943:
Arrives at Paramushiro on the surface.
21 June 1943:
Aleutian Islands. The 13 I-boats involved in the operation eventually extricate 820 men but three boats are sunk and three are damaged. The I-157 departs Paramushiro.
That day, Vice Admiral Takagi Takeo (former CO of MUTSU) assumes command of the Sixth Fleet (Submarines). Vice Admiral Komatsu is later appointed President of the Etajima Naval Academy.
26 June 1943:
Arrives at Kure.
28 July 1943:
The evacuation of Kiska is completed.
1 December 1943:
Reassigned to Captain Kayabara Yasuchika's (former CO of I-10) SubDiv 19, Kure SubRon.
1 January 1944:
The 1-157 is in the Kure SubRon's SubDiv 19 with the 1-156, 1-158 and the 1-159.
31 January 1944:
Captain (Rear Admiral, posthumously) Kayabara is relieved as ComSubDiv 19 and assumes command of SubDiv 22 until killed in action on 12 July 1944.
20 April 1945:
Reassigned to SubDiv 34, Sixth Fleet.
1 May 1945:
Vice Admiral Daigo Tadashige relieves Vice Admiral Miwa of command of the Sixth Fleet (Submarines).
May-August 1945:
The I-157 is configured to carry two "kaiten" human-torpedoes. She makes three transport runs carrying kaitens from Otsushima to shore bases along the Kyushu coast.
July 1945:
The crews of the I-156, -157, -158, -159 and the -162 are trained to launch kaitens in combat against the anticipated American invasion fleet.
15 August 1945:
The 1-157 is reassigned to SubDiv 15, Sixth Fleet. The Emperor broadcasts his intent to cease hostilities and end the war.
September 1945:
The 1-157 surrenders.
30 November 1945:
Removed from the Navy List.
1 April 1946: Operation "Roads End":
The I-157 is stripped of all usable equipment and material and towed from Sasebo to an area off Goto Retto by the submarine tender USS NEREUS (AS- 17). The NEREUS scuttles the I-157 by gunfire at 32-37N, 129-17E.
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Authors' Note: Special thanks for help in preparing this TROM go to Dr. Higuchi Tatsuhiro of Japan.
– Bob Hackett and
Sander Kingsepp
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