Imperial Submarines

SENSUIKAN!

HIJMS Submarine I-17: Tabular Record of Movement
© 2001 Bob Hackett & Sander Kingsepp
Revision 1

24 January 1941:
The I-17 is completed at the Yokosuka Navy Yard, commissioned in the IJN and based in the Yokosuka Naval District. Cdr Nishino Kozo is the I-17's Commanding Officer.
11 November 1941: Operation "Z":
The I-17 is assigned to the Advance Expeditionary Force (Sixth Fleet) under Rear Admiral Sato Tsutomu's SubRon 1 in Captain Imazato Hiroshi's SubDiv 1 with the I-15 and the I-16.
Admiral Shimizu convenes a meeting of all his commanders aboard his flagship, the light cruiser KATORI. Cdr Nishino and the other commanders are briefed on the planned attack on Pearl Harbor.
21 November 1941:
The I-17 and the I-15 departs Yokosuka for the Hawaiian Islands on her first "war" patrol.
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). Mt. Niitaka, located in Formosa (now Taiwan), is then the highest point in the Japanese Empire.
7 December 1941: The Attack on Pearl Harbor:
The I-17 patrols north of Oahu during the attack on Pearl Harbor. Its mission is to reconnoiter and attack any ships that try to sortie from Pearl Harbor.
10 December 1941:
While running surfaced, the I-17's lookouts spot an American flying boat and the submarine crash-dives immediately. While resurfacing, the I-17 is attacked by a land-based aircraft, but escapes damage.
The I-6 reports sighting a LEXINGTON-class aircraft carrier and two cruisers heading NE. Vice Admiral Shimizu in the KATORI at Kwajalein orders all of SubRon 1 boats, except the Special Attack Force, to pursue and sink the carrier.
The I-17 surfaces and sets off at flank speed after the carrier.
14 December 1941:
After their unsuccessful pursuit of the carrier, the I-17 and the other submarines joined by the I-10 and the I-26, are ordered to the West Coast of the United States to attack shipping. The I-17 is assigned to patrol off Cape Mendocino, California.
The Imperial General Headquarters orders the IJN to shell the U.S. West Coast. Vice Admiral Shimizu issues a detailed order on the targets. The I-17, -9, -10, -15, -19, -21, -23 and the I-25 are each to fire 30 shells on the night of 25 December. Rear Admiral Sato, aboard the I-9, is charged to execute the order.
18 December 1941:
15 miles off Cape Mendocino. The I-17 shells and torpedoes the American freighter SAMOA, enroute to San Diego with a load of lumber, but her shells and a torpedo miss. The SAMOA makes San Diego safely.
22 December 1941:
Admiral Yamamoto Isoroku, CINC, Combined Fleet, postpones the Christmas Eve attack until 27 December.
25 miles W of Cape Mendocino. The I-17 shells and then fires two torpedoes at the 6, 912-ton Socony-Vacuum oil company tanker EMIDIO returning empty from Seattle to San Francisco. A patrolling PBY "Catalina" flying boat of VP-44 spots the EMIDIO dead in the water with people going over the sides and getting into lifeboats. The PBY also spots the I-17 on the surface and starts an attack. As depth charges are dropped, Cdr Nishino dives and makes his escape. The EMIDIO, hit in the stern, does not sink. She is finally run aground off Crescent City, California, 85 miles N of where she was torpedoed.
That same day, Headquarters, Combined Fleet's Intelligence Bureau learns of the pending arrival of the battleships USS MISSISSIPPI, NEW MEXICO and the IDAHO on the West Coast. Vice Admiral Shimizu orders the I-9, -17 and the I-25 to intercept the battleships that are expected to arrive at Los Angeles on 25 December.*
23 December 1941:
SW of Cape Mendocino. The I-17 surfaces and opens fire from 2,800 meters at the 7, 038-ton American tanker LARRY DOHENY on her starboard beam. Four shells hit and a fire starts in her bridge area. A plane arrives and the I-17 crash-dives and comes to periscope depth. At 0729 (I), Cdr Nishino fires a torpedo and hears an explosion 90 seconds later. The torpedo probably prematures because the DOHENY escapes.
27 December 1941:
Most of the I-boats off the coast have depleted their fuel reserves. The Naval General Staff decides that the shelling of densely populated areas, such as Los Angeles and San Francisco, will result in civilian losses and retaliation by the Americans. Vice Admiral Shimizu cancels the shelling.
1 January 1942:
The I-17 sights and reports an American cruiser group east of Hawaii.
11 January 1942:
Arrives at Kwajalein. Cdr Nishino is credited with sinking two enemy merchants.
1 February 1942:
Vice Admiral (later Fleet Admiral) William F. Halsey Jr's Task Force 8 (USS ENTERPRISE (CV-6) raids Kwajalein and Wotje in the Marshall Islands. The ENTERPRISE's Douglas SBD "Dauntlesses" of VB 6 and VS 6 make the first attack followed by a second wave of TBD "Devastator" torpedo planes of VT 6.
Halsey's planes sink a transport and damage the light cruiser KATORI, flagship of the Sixth Fleet's (Submarines) Commander, Vice Admiral Shimizu Mitsumi (former CO of ISE). Shimizu himself is wounded. The I-23, the submarine depot ship YASUKUNI MARU, and several other important ships are also damaged in the raid.
The I-17 is caught on the surface and fights back against the attackers with her twin-mount 25-mm AA guns. Two hours after the attack, Sixth Fleet HQ orders SubRon 1's I-9, -15, -17, -19, -23, -25 -26 and the RO-61 and -62 put to sea and intercept the enemy carriers.
That same day, the I-17 is reassigned to SubDiv 2.
3 February 1942:
The I-15, -19, -23 and the I-26 are recalled to Kwajalein. The I-17 and the other submarines search unsuccessfully for Halsey's task force S of Oahu.
The I-17 is ordered to operate off the American West Coast as her second war patrol.
20 February 1942:
The I-17 arrives off San Diego, California.
25 February 1942:
Cdr Nishino shells the oil refinery at Ellwood City, near Santa Barbara, California. Prewar, as skipper of an oil tanker, Nishino had refueled there. After firing 17 AP rounds between 1915 and 1935, he withdraws. The shelling does only minor damages to a pier and an oil well derrick, but creates "invasion" fears along the West Coast.
1 March 1942:
Off Cape Mendocino. The I-17 torpedoes the 8, 298-ton American tanker WILLIAM H. BERG. Nishino hears an explosion, but the BERG escapes undamaged.
16 March 1942:
Vice Admiral, the Marquis, Komatsu Teruhisa (former CO of CA NACHI) assumes command of the Sixth Fleet (Submarines) replacing the wounded Vice Admiral Shimizu who returns to Japan to convalese. Later, he is reassigned as Commander of the First Fleet.
30 March 1942:
Arrives at Yokosuka for an overhaul. Cdr Nishino is credited with the sinking of two American oilers.
April 1942:
The I-17 is in Rear Admiral (later Vice Admiral) Yamazaki Shigeaki's (former CO of old CA YAKUMO) SubRon 1 with the I-9 (F), -15, -19, -25 and the I-26. SubRon 1 carries out preliminary invasion reconnaissance of the Aleutian Islands.
15 May 1942:
Departs Yokosuka.
19 May 1942:
Departs Ominato on her third war patrol.
4 June 1942
The I-17 carries out a four-hour night periscope observation of the landing area on Attu from a distance of 3,280 yds. Cdr Nishino sights a building with a red roof, probably a church.
5 June 1942: Operation "AL" - The Invasion of the Western Aleutians:
Twenty ships of the Vice Admiral Hosogaya Boshiro's Fifth Fleet, including the light cruisers KISO and the TAMA, three destroyers, three corvettes, three minesweepers and four transports land Rear Admiral (later Vice Admiral) Omori Sentaro's Occupation Force on Attu, Aleutians without opposition.
7 June 1942:
Captain (later Rear Admiral) Ono Takeji's Occupation Force occupies Kiska, also without opposition.
7 July 1942:
Returns to Yokosuka after patrolling near Attu.
14 July 1942:
The I-17 is in SubRon 1's SubDiv 2 with the I-15 and the I-19.
15 July 1942:
Cdr Nishino is relieved by LtCdr Harada Hakue (former CO of I-165).
7 August 1942 - 9 February 1943: 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/Commandant) Alexander A. Vandergrift's 1st Marine Division on Guadalcanal opening a seven-month campaign to take the island.
15 August 1942:
Departs Yokosuka to patrol in the Solomons area on her fourth war patrol.
23 August 1942: Operation KA: The Destruction of the American Fleet and the Recapture of Guadalcanal:
Vice Admiral Kondo Nobutake's (former CO of KONGO) Second Fleet, Advanced Force: CruDiv's 4 and 5, CarDiv 11's seaplane tender CHITOSE, DesRon 4: light cruiser YURA and nine destroyers arrive off Truk from Japan. Kondo joins Vice Admiral Nagumo Chuichi's Third Fleet, Main Body: CarDiv 1's SHOKAKU, ZUIKAKU, CarDiv 2's RYUJO, BatDiv 11, CruDiv 7 and 8 and Desron 10: light cruiser NAGARA and destroyers for operations in the Solomons.
24 August 1942: The Battle of the Eastern Solomons:
Vice Admiral Frank J. Fletcher's Task Force 61: USS SARATOGA (CV-3) and the ENTERPRISE (CV-6) launches aircraft that find and sink the light carrier RYUJO. In turn, the SHOKAKU and the ZUIKAKU launch aircraft that find and damage the ENTERPRISE. That evening, aircraft from the SARATOGA damage the CHITOSE.
During the battle, LtCdr Harada's submarine is caught running on the surface by Lt Turner Caldwell of the ENTERPRISE. Caldwell bombs the I-17, but misses her and inflicts no damage.
26 August 1942:
Solomons. Two SBD-3 dive-bombers of VS-71 from the USS WASP (CV-7) attack the I-17 at 09-25S, 162-47E.
27 August 1942:
At 0130, the I-17 reports sighting the ENTERPRISE, retiring to the south at 20 knots. Fifteen minutes later the American Task Force is sighted by the I-15 stationed 13 miles south. Cdr Ishikawa of the I-15 tries to contact the I-17 in order to conduct a coordinated attack, but fails to make contact.
The I-17 is depth-charged by two destroyers at the depth of 265 feet, but escapes without damage.
25 September 1942:
Arrives at Truk.
5 October 1942:
Departs Truk for Shortland.
9 October 1942:
Departs Shortland to rendezvous with an Aichi E13A1 "Jake" floatplane of CarDiv 11 at Indispensable Strait instead of the damaged tender KUNIKAWA MARU.
13 October 1942:
En route to the rendezvous point, LtCdr Harada sights the USS HORNET. After reporting his sighting, the I-17 is redirected to intercept the carrier but fails to find it.
18 October 1942:
The I-17 arrives at the Indispensable Strait and spends three hours on the surface, waiting on the "Jake's" arrival. The plane does not arrive as the mission was cancelled earlier.
22 October 1942:
Rear Admiral Mito Hisashi assumes command of SubRon 1 from Rear Admiral Yamazaki. The I-17, -15 and the I-26 are assigned to patrol west of San Cristobal and prevent enemy reinforcements from landing on Guadalcanal.
11 November 1942:
The I-17 is patrolling SW of San Cristobal with the I-15 and the I-26. Early in the morning her crew witnesses heavy depth-charging sounds coming from the area 15 miles N where the I-15 is sunk by the USS SOUTHARD (DMS-10).
16 November 1942:
Truk. Vice Admiral Komatsu convenes a meeting of his submarine captains. He announces that the submarine force has been ordered by Admiral Yamamoto, CINC, Combined Fleet to organize a supply system for the IJA's 17th Army garrison on Guadalcanal.
22 November 1942:
The I-17's 140-mm deck gun is removed. Departs Shortland with the I-19 for the first supply mission to Guadalcanal.
24 November 1942:
Arrives at Kamimbo Bay, Guadalcanal with the I-19. The unloading of supplies is soon aborted because of an enemy air attack.
25 November 1942:
The I-17 departs with 8 tons of supplies still aboard. She also evacuates seven passengers, including Cdr Sakuma Eiji (former CO of DD AYANAMI), midget submarine crews and sick soldiers.
8 December 1942:
Arrives at Yokosuka for an overhaul.
3 January 1943:
Departs Yokosuka for Truk.
28 January 1943:
The I-17 is tactically attached to Rear Admiral Komazawa Katsumi's Submarine Force "A". The I-17 is deployed N of Rennel Island and S of Guadalcanal. She waits for the American Naval forces with the I-11, I-16, I-18, I-20, I-25, I-26, I-32 and the I-176.
That day, the I-17 delivers 10 tons of cargo but has to cancel the unloading because of an air attack.
29 January 1943: The Battle of Rennel Island:
Vice Admiral Komatsu deploys the I-17, -25, -26 and the I-176 to support the attackers. At night, the I-17 surfaces near the battle area but crash-dives when the sound of destroyer screws is heard.
30 January 1943:
The I-17 and the I-176 are ordered to intercept "two damaged heavy cruisers" in the battle area.
31 January Operation "KE" - The Evacuation of Guadalcanal:
A task force of units of the Second and Third Fleets from Truk steams north of the Solomons as a feint to cover Rear Admiral Hashimoto Shintaro's (former CO of HYUGA) destroyer force from Rabaul. The IJN begins to evacuate the starving IJA troops from Guadalcanal.
1 February 1943:
The I-17 sights a lone retiring destroyer, possibly the USS LAVALLETTE (DD-448).
2 February 1943:
Rear Admiral Komazawa, after receiving the information that an American carrier task force is at sea 100 nautical miles SE of San Cristobal Island, orders his submarines to proceed to intercept the carriers, but they do not make contact.
8 February 1943:
Air reconnaissance spots American naval forces 150 miles SSE of Rennel Island. Komazawa orders his submarines to proceed to this location. The I-18 and another submarine discover and engage the Americans, but then they lose contact. Admiral Komazawa orders all the submarines, except his I-11 and the I-17 to return to Truk.
9 February 1943:
The IJN completes successfully the evacuation of 11,700 troops from Guadalcanal.
4 March 1943: Operation "RO-81" (The Battle of the Bismarck Sea):
On 2 March, a convoy under Rear Admiral (later Vice Admiral) Kimura Masatomi (former CO of CA SUZUYA) is en route to Lae, New Guinea with troops of the IJA's 51st (Utsunomiya) Division embarked. Over the next three days, the convoy is bombed and strafed repeatedly by USAAF and RAAF planes. All of the eight transports and cargo vessels in the convoy and four of the eight escorting destroyers are sunk. The Japanese in lifeboats, rafts and in the water are strafed by planes and PT boats.
The I-17, returning from the New Caledonia area, is redirected from the area E of Lae.
5 March 1943:
25 miles NE from Cape Ward Hunt. About 0500, Lt J. Baylis' USS PT-143 and Lt R. Hamachek's PT-150 discover the I-17 and three lifeboats: a large one with more than 100 soldiers and two smaller ones with about 20 soldiers in each. The men are survivors of the Bismarck Sea battle. The submarine is taking them aboard. Each PT fires a torpedo. The 143’s runs erratically. The 150’s runs true, but misses as the submarine crash dives. The PTs strafe the conning tower as the I-17 submerges, then they sink the three boats with machine gun fire and depth charges.
Four hours and 45 minutes later, the I-17 resurfaces and picks up 34 soldiers, one of whom later dies of his wounds.
6 March 1943:
Despite air and PT attacks, the I-17 rescues another 118 soldiers and four sailors.
7 March 1943:
The I-17 arrives at Lae and disembarks her 151 passengers.
12 March 1943:
Arrives at Truk.
8 April 1943:
Departs Truk to reconnoiter Phoenix Island and intercept a converted PT tender whose arrival is predicted by the Combined Fleet's code-breaking unit.
16 April 1943:
The I-17 approaches the anchorage and fires two torpedoes at a moored vessel from 3,280 yards (3,000 meters), but both torpedoes pass under the keel of the target.
18 April 1943:
The I-19, -25 and the I-32 are ordered to raid enemy communications in the Fiji-Samoa area.
24 May 1943:
100 miles S of Noumea, New Caledonia. The I-17 sets up and torpedoes the 10, 169-ton Panamanian-flagged tanker STANVAC MANILA. At 0407, a torpedo hits the tanker in the port quarter. The engine room and fire room flood, all power and communications are lost and the MANILA begins sinking by the stern. "Abandon Ship" is sounded. At 1205, the MANILA corkscrews to starboard as her bow heaves up and sinks.
PTs -165 and -173, aboard as cargo, and one man are lost. About 1300, a destroyer arrives and takes in tow PTs 167, -171 and the -174, also aboard as cargo. The PT-172 makes Noumea under her own power. The other boats make Noumea the following day.
12 June 1943:
Returns to Truk.
4 July 1943:
Admiral Koga Mineichi (former CO of ISE), C-in-C, Combined Fleet aboard the flagship MUSASHI orders the C-in-C, Sixth Fleet, Vice Admiral (Admiral, posthumously) Takagi Takeo (former CO of MUTSU) to conduct recce flights over Espiritu Santo, Fiji and Noumea. The I-11, -17, -19 and -25 are slated for the mission.
25 July 1943:
The I-17 departs Truk to reconnoiter Espiritu Santo, New Hebrides and Noumea, New Caledonia and raid enemy communications. She carries a Yokosuka E14Y1 "Glen" floatplane for this mission.
10 August 1943:
The Glen's pilot reports the presence of several battleships and carriers in the harbor. LtCdr Harada sends a report with the results of the reconnaissance flight over Espiritu Santo. This is the last message sent by the I-17.
19 August 1943:
40 miles SE of Noumea, New Caledonia. The I-17's Glen floatplane has reconnoitered Noumea and spotted a convoy that has just cleared the harbor. After stowing the plane, the I-17 sets out after the convoy. The New Zealand armed trawler HMNZS TUI makes an asdic contact, closes and drops depth charges.
Lt (j.g.) R. J. Clinton's Chance-Vought OS2N-1 "Kingfisher" of Scouting Squadron VS-57 is on a routine ASW sector search. Clinton overflies the TUI and receives a visual message indicating that she has established a submarine contact. Clinton lands his floatplane alongside the TUI, verifies the contact and takes off again.
The I-17's sonar operator had by then made a sound contact at 4,000 meters and Harada raises his periscope. Clinton sights the periscope's "feather" cutting the water. He dives and drops two depth charges ahead of the periscope. Another Kingfisher also drops two DCs. Two of the four DCs explode close to the I-17 and cause several leaks. At 1629 (local), the Kingfishers mark the submarine's location with smoke floats.
The I-17's bilge pumps fail and she has to surface. She breaks the water bow first, at a steep angle. Clinton strafes the deck of the submarine with his single .30-cal machine gun to keep Harada's crew from manning their guns, but plane's gun jams. At 1715, the I-17's crew reaches their Type 96 25-mm twin-mount AA and 7.7-mm machine gun stations and open fire while running at 18 knots. Clinton climbs out of range and calls for assistance. Four more Kingfishers soon arrive. The submarine is circling wildly out of control, but her forward gun and AA guns continue firing.
LtCdr Harada sends a message addressed to C-in-C, Sixth Fleet: "I am under fire, attacking Noumea!", but the signal is not received at Truk.
Lt R. L. Gittings' Kingfisher attacks unseen from astern. He drops two depth charges, but neither explodes. Lt (j.g.) K. W. Lee drops a depth charge that explodes 30 feet aft of the conning tower. Harada orders the I-17 to crash-dive and immediately thereafter orders all his men to the upper deck. He and eleven sailors remain within the corkscrewing submarine.
Gittings makes another pass and drops a charge that hits within 10 feet of the submarine's starboard beam. The blast sends water upward 50 feet. In less than a minute, the I-17 sinks at 23-26S, 166-50E. Ninety-seven crewmen are lost. Later, the TUI rescues six survivors.
24 October 1943:
Presumed lost with all hands off Australia.
1 December 1943:
Removed from the Navy List.

Authors' Note:
* The Japanese intelligence is faulty. The battleships do not arrive for another month.
Special thanks for help in preparing this TROM go to Dr. Higuchi Tatsuhiro of Japan, Steve Eckardt of Australia and Andrew Obluski of Poland. – Bob Hackett and Sander Kingsepp

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