© 2001 Bob Hackett & Sander Kingsepp
26 December 1942:
The I-178 is completed at Mitsubishi's Kobe Yard,
commissioned in the IJN and based in the Sasebo Naval District. Cdr Utsuki
Hidejiro (former CO of I-5) is the Commanding Officer.
The I-178 is assigned to the Kure SubRon with the I-177, RO-106 and the
RO-107.
15 February 1943:
Reassigned to the Kure SubRon's SubDiv 22.
15 March 1943:
Reassigned to SubRon 3's SubDiv 22.
30 March 1943:
Departs Kure with the I-177.
7 April 1943:
Arrives at Truk.
10 April 1943:
Departs Truk with the I-177 to patrol off the eastern
coast of Australia on her first war patrol.
27 April 1943:
100 miles off Port Stephens, Australia. The I-178
torpedoes and sinks the 7,176-ton American "Liberty" ship LYDIA M. CHILDS at
33-08S, 153-24E. The CHILDS was bound for Australia with a cargo of Army tanks.
An hour later a RAAF Catalina from Rathmines makes three bombing runs on
a submarine in the same area but she escapes.
18 May 1943:
Returns to Truk.
20 May 1943:
Departs Truk on her second patrol off the eastern coast
of Australia.
17 June 1943:
Cdr Utsuki sends a routine signal to the Sixth Fleet.
65 miles SE of Coffs Harbour. That same evening, Pilot Officer Barry
Harrison's Bristol "Beaufort" of the RAAF's No. 32 Squadron successfully attacks
a surfaced submarine. Later, Flight Officer Cashway's Beaufort attacks the same submarine that is still proceeding on the surface and inflicts further damage.
18 June 1943:
An oil slick is sighted off Nambucca Heads. The attacked submarine may have been the I-178. Thereafter, she fails to answer signals from Headquarters, Sixth Fleet.
Based on radio decrypts, the Sixth Fleet credits Cdr Utsuki with damaging one large and one small transport vessel.
4 August 1943:
Presumed lost off the eastern coast of Australia with
all 89 hands.
1 September 1943:
Removed from the Navy List.
Authors' Note:
Japanese author Kimata Jiro claims that RAAF sank the I-178. Other sources claim the I-178 was depth charged and sunk with all hands 30 miles W of Espiritu Santo, New Hebrides by the subchaser USS SC-699 on 29 May 1943;
however, since the I-178 was in contact with the Sixth Fleet almost three weeks later, such claims must be discounted.
Special thanks for help in preparing this TROM go to Dr. Higuchi
Tatsuhiro of Japan. – Bob Hackett and Sander Kingsepp.
