SENSUIKAN!
HIJMS Submarine I-169: Tabular Record of
Movement
© 2001 Bob Hackett & Sander Kingsepp
28 September 1935:
Completed at Mitsubishi's Kobe Yard, commissioned in the IJN as the 1-69 and assigned to the Kure Naval District. The Equipping Officer, Cdr (Rear Admiral, posthumously) Miyazaki Takeji, is assigned as the Commanding Officer.
November 1941: Operation "Z":
The I-69 is assigned to Vice Admiral Shimizu Mitsumi's (former CO of ISE) Advanced Expeditionary Force (Sixth Fleet) in Rear Admiral (later Vice Admiral) Miwa Shigeyoshi's (former CO of KINU) SubRon 3 in Captain (Rear Admiral, posthumously) Nakaoka Nobuki's (later
CO of ATAGO) SubDiv 12 with the I-68 and the I-70. LtCdr Watanabe Katsuji is the Commanding Officer.
11 November 1941:
The I-69 departs Saeki with ComSubDiv 12 Captain Nakaoka embarked on her first war patrol in company with the I-68, -70, -71, -72 and the I-73.
23 November 1941:
Departs Kwajalein.
2 December 1941:
The coded signal "Niitakayama nobore (Climb Mt. Niitaka) 1208" is received from the Combined Fleet. It signifies that hostilities will commence on 8 December (Japan time).*
7 December 1941: The Attack on Pearl Harbor:
The I-69 and I-68 are ordered to lay off the entrance to Pearl Harbor to rescue midget submarine crews. At 2101 (Zulu), LtCdr Watanabe sees "a massive explosion in Pearl Harbor. There are several explosions, followed by high columns of fire (probably a detonating warship magazine). This must have been some capital ship sunk by the midget submarines".
Later that night, the I-69 locates a destroyer SSE of Barbers Point and fires a torpedo at her. The destroyer probably spots the wake because she turns away. The I-69 is depth-charged.
8 December 1941:
The I-69 and I-68 lay off Pearl Harbor awaiting midget submarine crews, but none return.
9 December 1941:
S of Oahu, Hawaii. The I-69 attacks a cargo ship unsuccessfully, then is depth charged.
Barber's Point, Hawaii. The I-69 entangles herself in an antisubmarine net. LtCdr Watanabe's crew struggles for hours and finally breaks free from the net, but damages the periscope. The I-69 was submerged about 39 hours. All hopes of rescuing shot-down aircrews are abandoned.
27 December 1941:
Returns to Kwajalein.
12 January 1942:
Departs Kwajalein on her second war patrol to reconnoiter Midway Island.
21 January 1942:
Arrives off Midway.
9 February 1942:
The I-69 shells Sand Island, Midway but is strafed and damaged by Marine F2A Brewster "Buffaloes" of VMF 221.
17 February 1942:
Arrives at Kwajalein.
18 February 1942:
Departs Kwajalein on her third war patrol.
20 February 1942:
Vice Admiral Wilson Brown Jr's (later President Roosevelt's Naval Aide) Task Force 11's USS LEXINGTON (CV-2) is en route to attack Rabaul. Brown's task force is spotted by a Kawanishi H6K "Mavis" flying boat of the Yokohama Kokutai. Since surprise is lost, the attack is cancelled.
After the aborted raid on Rabaul, the I-169 is diverted to the E of Wake Island.
5 March 1942:
Arrives at Kure for an overhaul.
16 March 1942:
Vice Admiral, the Marquis, Komatsu Teruhisa (former CO of CA NACHI) assumes command of the Sixth Fleet (Submarines).
15 April 1942:
The I-69 departs Kure on her fourth war patrol to form a patrol line in the Wake Island area.
9 May 1942:
Arrives at Kwajalein.
20 May 1942:
The I-69 is renumbered as the I-169.
24 May 1942: Operation "MI" - The Battle of Midway:
The I-169 is in Rear Admiral Kono Chimaki's SubRon 3 with the I-168, -171, -174 and the I-175 (the "A" group). SubRon 3 departs Kwajalein to deploy between 20N, 166-20W and 23-30N, 166-20W and take up positions along the American reinforcement route from Hawaii.
31 May 1942:
The I-169 arrives at her assigned area.
20 June 1942:
Returns to Kwajalein.
9 July 1942:
Departs Kwajalein on her sixth war patrol to reconnoiter New Caledonia and New Hebrides with the new ComSubDiv 12, Captain Okamoto Yoshisuke aboard.
July 1942:
The I-169 reconnoiters the Bay of St. Vincent, New Caledonia.
25 July 1942:
75 miles SE of Nouméa, New Caledonia. The I-169 torpedoes the 9,227-ton Dutch freighter TJINEGARA being operated by the U.S. Army as a troopship. She is enroute from Rockhampton, Queensland to Nouméa. The TJINEGARA sinks after several hits at 23-18S, 165-25E.
4-5 August 1942:
Reconnoiters Port Vila/Efate. The I-169 is chased by two destroyers and has to leave the area.
7 August 1942: American Operation "Watchtower" - The Invasion of Guadalcanal, British Solomon Islands:
Rear Admiral (later Admiral) Richmond K. Turner's Amphibious Task Force 62, covered by Vice Admiral (later Admiral) Frank J. Fletcher's Task Force 61 and Rear Admiral (later Admiral) John S. McCain's Task Force 63's land-based aircraft, lands Maj Gen (later Gen/MOH/Commandant) Alexander A. Vandegrift's 1st Marine Division on Guadalcanal opening a seven-month campaign to take the island.
15 August 1942:
Arrives at Truk.
17 August 1942:
Departs Truk.
24 August 1942:
Arrives at Kure.
2 September 1942:
Transferred to Sasebo for overhaul.
18 September 1942:
The I-169 arrives at Truk with Subron 3: I-8, -168, -171, -172, -174 and the I-175 to participate in the Guadalcanal campaign.
16 November 1942:
Truk. Vice Admiral Komatsu convenes a meeting of his submarine captains. He announces that the submarine force has been ordered by the CINC, Combined Fleet, Admiral (Fleet Admiral, posthumously) Yamamoto Isoroku (former CO of AKAGI), to organize a supply system for the IJA's 17th Army garrison on Guadalcanal.
3 January 1943:
Returns to Kure.
15 January 1943:
Departs Kure for a supply mission to Kiska, Aleutians.
15 February 1943:
Departs Kure with the I-171 for Kiska, Aleutians, carrying a Type A midget, its torpedoes and IJA soldiers. The I-169 is reassigned to the Fifth Fleet for the duration of the Aleutian operations.
26 February 1943:
Arrives at Kiska and disembarks her cargo.
27 February 1943:
Departs Kiska.
28 February 1943:
The I-169 sights an enemy cruiser escorted by a destroyer. She is also spotted and depth-charged.
22 March 1943:
Departs Paramushiro, Kuriles to form a patrol line.
25 March 1943:
Aleutians. The I-169 performs scouting line duties at 53-59N, 174 E.
April 1943:
The I-169 is in Rear Admiral Kota Takero's SubRon 1 with the I-2, -7, -31, -34, -35, -168 and the I-171 (Northern District Force, Fifth Fleet). SubRon 1 is given the mission to reinforce and resupply the isolated Japanese garrisons in the Aleutian Islands.
5 April 1943:
LtCdr Toyama Zenshin is posted as the Commanding Officer of the I-169. LtCdr Watanabe is reassigned as CO of the I-168.
9 April 1943:
Arrives at Yokosuka for an overhaul.
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 Seventh Division that captures Attu Island.
21 May 1943: Operation "KE" - The Evacuation of Kiska:
The Imperial General Headquarters decides to evacuate the garrison at Kiska Island, Aleutians.
24 May 1943:
Departs Yokosuka for a supply mission to Kiska carrying 1,440 rifles with ammunition and 2 tons of food.
En route, she is ordered to form a scouting line in Attu area with the I-171 and the I-175.
5 June 1943:
Reconnoiters Kuluk Bay, Adak.
9 June 1943:
Arrives at Kiska, unloads her cargo and embarks 60 passengers.
10 June 1943:
Departs Kiska for Paramushiro. While charging batteries, the surfaced I-169 is attacked and shelled by a radar-equipped destroyer.
14-15 June 1943:
Returns to Paramushiro. Embarks new cargo from the tender HEIAN MARU.
Late June 1943:
Departs Paramushiro for another supply run to Kiska.
21 June 1943:
Vice Admiral (Admiral, posthumously) 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.
10 August 1943:
Arrives at Kure for an overhaul.
17 July 1943:
I-169 and the I-21 receive the order to shell the enemy
air base at Constantine, Amchitka. Nine hours later the order is canceled.
22 July 1943:
S of Amchitka, the I-169 makes a sound contact with Rear Admiral Robert C. Giffen's TG 16.21 but is unable to attack because of dense fog. Her sighting report is received by the I-2.
10 August 1943:
Arrives at Kure for an overhaul.
25 September 1943:
Departs Kure.
3 October 1943:
Arrives at Truk.
14 October 1943:
Departs Truk.
20 October 1943:
A report is received from the I-36 that a large convoy sighted south of the Hawaiian Islands is headed west. The I-169, -19, -35 and the I-175 are ordered to intercept it.
19 November 1943:
The I-169, under LtCdr Toyama, is patrolling between Hawaii and the Marshall Islands. Vice Admiral Takagi orders the I-169, -19, -35, -39 and the I-175 to proceed to Tarawa in the Gilbert Islands.
20 November 1943: American Operation "Galvanic" - The Invasion of the Gilberts:
The Americans invade Tarawa and Makin Islands. The invasion fleet of 200 ships includes 13 battleships and 11 carriers.
26 November 1943:
Vice Admiral Takagi orders the I-169, -19, -40 and the RO-38 to form a picket line N of Makin Island.
1 December 1943:
Running on the surface, the I-169 is detected by an American plane. LtCdr Toyama dives and escapes. While running submerged, the I-169 makes sound contact on a heavily escorted enemy convoy. Toyama is unable to break through the screen and attack.
9 December 1943:
The I-169 arrives at Truk.
1 January 1944:
The I-169 is assigned to Subron 3's SubDiv 12: 1-171, -74, -75 and the 1-176 based at Truk.
27 January 1944:
Departs Truk for Rabaul.
31 January 1944:
Departs Truk for a supply mission to Buka and Buin.
17-18 February 1944: American Operation "Hailstone" - The Attack on Truk Lagoon:
Task Force 58's five fleet carriers and four light carriers, supported by six battleships, ten cruisers and 28 destroyers, launch air attacks on Japanese ships in the lagoon, airfields and shore installations. They sink 31 transports and 10 naval vessels (two cruisers, four destroyers and four auxiliary vessels), destroy nearly 200 aircraft and damage severely about 100 more.
11 March 1944:
The I-169 arrives at Truk.
18 March 1944:
Departs Truk.
22 March 1944:
Returns to Truk.
4 April 1944:
NW of Dublon Island, Truk. The I-169, under LtCdr Shinohara Shigeo, is replenishing supplies at her anchorage in the lagoon. In addition to her crew some workmen are also aboard, but the CO and 20 other sailors are at Dublon.
About 0900 (JST) an air raid warning is issued. The watch officer orders the I-169 to dive immediately, although most deck hatches are still open. The I-169 submerges to avoid the first wave of PB4Y "Liberator" bombers. Since the main induction valve is not secured, the aft compartments flood immediately despite a desperate attempt to re-surface.
The submarine settles in 125 feet of water. The rest of the crew seals off the flooded area. After the raid, an unsuccessful attempt is made to contact the I-169. Only then is it realized that she is in trouble. A diver is sent down who contacts the survivors, tapping on the hull.
5 April 1944:
Headquarters, Sixth Fleet issues an order to rescue the survivors. A repair ship with a 30-ton crane and the tug FUTAGAMI are dispatched to hoist the bow to the surface. At first, they fail to locate the submarine. Once they find her they attempt a lift, but the flooded submarine is too heavy and the crane's cable breaks.
Tapping comes only from the aft compartment. Air hoses are lowered and holes are drilled in the ballast tanks, but it is impossible to signal the crew to open the air valves to the ballast tanks. By 2300 hours, there are no further responses from the entombed crew. All suffocate. Night bombing raids interrupt further investigation.
LtCdr Shinohara, who was not aboard, survives the sinking. Later, the Japanese informally name the I-169 the "Shinohara".
April-May 1944:
In the next six weeks, 32 bodies are recovered from the forward compartments. With the threat of invasion imminent, the wreck is bombarded with depth charges to prevent the submarine's technology from falling into American hands. The bow and conning tower are heavily damaged by the depth charges.
10 June 1944:
Removed from the Navy List.
February 1972:
The wreck is rediscovered. Six divers enter the sub and film its interior.
August 1973:
The remains and personal effects of the I-169's crew are returned to Japan where they are cremated as part of Shinto rites. The I-169's bell is displayed at the Yasukuni Shrine in Tokyo.
Authors' Notes:
*Mt. Niitaka, located in Formosa (now Taiwan), was then the highest point in the Japanese Empire.
Special thanks for help in preparing this TROM go to Dr. Higuchi Tatsuhiro of Japan. – Bob
Hackett and Sander Kingsepp.
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