© 2002 Bob Hackett & Sander Kingsepp
Revision 1
24 February 1942:
The I-27 is completed at the Sasebo Dock Yard, commissioned
in the IJN and based in the Kure Naval District. Cdr Yoshimura Iwao is assigned
as the Commanding Officer.
10 March 1942:
The I-27 is assigned to SubDiv 14 of the new SubRon 8
activated this day in the Sixth Fleet (Submarines).
16 March 1942:
Vice Admiral, the Marquis, Komatsu Teruhisa (former CO
of CA NACHI) assumes command of the Sixth Fleet.
27 March 1942:
The German naval staff requests the IJN to launch
operations against Allied convoys in the Indian Ocean.
8 April 1942:
The Japanese formally agree to dispatch submarines to
the East Coast of Africa.
10 April 1942: Operation "C" -The Raids in the Indian Ocean:
Admiral
Yamamoto Isoroku, CINC, Combined Fleet, orders all submarine units to
reconnoiter the enemy's fleet bases in the Indian Ocean and the South Pacific,
to destroy the enemy's maritime commerce and to support the Port Moresby (MO)
Operation.
15 April 1942:
The I-27 is in Captain (later Rear Admiral) Sasaki
Hankyu's Eastern Advanced Detachment: Sasaki's SubDiv 3 with the I-21, -22 and
the I-24 and Captain Katsuta Haruo's SubDiv 14 with the I-27, -28 and the I-29.
Departs Kure.
18 April 1942: The First Bombing of Japan:
Vice Admiral (later Fleet
Admiral) William F. ("Bull") Halsey's Task Force 16 USS HORNET (CV-8), cruisers,
destroyers and an oiler accompanied by the USS ENTERPRISE (CV-6), cruisers,
destroyers and another oiler approach to within 668 nautical miles of Japan. Led
by LtCol (later Gen/Medal of Honor) James H. Doolittle, 16 Army North American
B-25 "Mitchell" twin-engine bombers of the 17th Bomb Group takeoff from Captain
(later Admiral) Marc A. Mitscher's HORNET and strike targets in Tokyo, Yokohama,
Osaka, Nagoya and Kobe.
E of the Bonin Islands. The I-27 is enroute from Japan to Truk.
Headquarters, Combined Fleet orders the I-27 and the other submarines to
intercept Task Force 16, but they are unable to make contact.
4 May 1942: Operation "MO" - The Invasions of Tulagi and Port
Moresby:
Rear Admiral Kajioka Sadamichi's Port Moresby Attack Force departs
Rabaul towards the Jomard Pass in the Louisiade Archipelago with DesRon 6's
light cruiser YUBARI, four destroyers and a patrol boat escorting Rear Admiral
(later Vice Admiral) Abe Koso's Transport Force of 12 transports and a
minesweeper.
That day, in the Battle of the Coral Sea, Rear Admiral (later Admiral)
Frank J. Fletcher's Task Force 17 attacks Rear Admiral (later Vice Admiral)
Shima Kiyohide's Tulagi Invasion Force. Douglas SBD "Dauntless" dive-bombers and
Douglas TBD "Devastator" torpedo-bombers from the carrier YORKTOWN (CV-5) sink a
destroyer, three minesweepers and damage four other ships. The next day,
Fletcher's force turns north to engage Vice Admiral (Admiral, posthumously)
Takagi Takeo's (former CO of MUTSU) Carrier Strike Force. SBDs and TBDs from the
YORKTOWN and the LEXINGTON (CV-2) sink Rear Admiral (Vice Admiral, posthumously)
Goto Aritomo's (former CO of MUTSU) light carrier SHOHO off Misima Island. In
turn, Japanese planes damage the oiler USS NEOSHO (AO-23) and sink the destroyer
SIMS (DD-409).
5 May 1942:
SubDiv 3's I-22 and the I-24 reach their assigned patrol
area with the I-28 and the I-29 in support of Operation MO.
8 May 1942:
SBD dive-bombers from the YORKTOWN and the LEXINGTON
damage Vice Admiral Takagi's carrier SHOKAKU and force her retirement. The
ZUIKAKU's air group suffers heavy losses. Japanese carrier bombers and attack
planes attack Task Force 17 and damage the YORKTOWN and the LEXINGTON that is
further damaged when gasoline vapors are ignited, triggering massive explosions
that cause her to be abandoned. Later, the LEXINGTON is scuttled by the
destroyer PHELPS (DD-360). The Battle of the Coral Sea halts the Japanese thrust
toward Port Moresby and they are forced to cancel Operation MO.
11 May 1942:
The I-27 is ordered to return to Truk.
17 May 1942:
The I-27 is in Captain Sasaki's Special Attack Unit. She
embarks a Type A midget submarine and its crew that was carried to Truk aboard
the seaplane/submarine carrier CHIYODA (later converted to a carrier). Departs
Truk with the I-22 and I-24.
31 May 1942:
6 miles ESE of Syndey Harbor, Australia. At 1758, the
I-27 launches the HA-14, a Type A midget piloted by Lt Chuma Kenshi with PO1C
Omori Takeshi. The I-22 and the I-24 also launch their midget submarines. The
plan calls for the HA-14 to enter the harbor first, about 20 minutes after
moonrise at 1833. About 2000, the HA-14 becomes entangled in the steel netting
of an anti-torpedo boom near the harbor entrance and is spotted. The harbor patrol boat (a converted yacht) HMAS LOLITA, drops three depth charges that fail to explode in the shallow water. At 2235, to prevent capture, the HA-14's
crew blows her up.** Her two Type 97 torpedoes are later captured and examined.
The other midgets penetrate the harbor's defenses and fire their
torpedoes. They miss the heavy cruiser USS CHICAGO (CA-29) but sink the old
accommodation ferry HMAS KUTTABUL and damage the Dutch submarine K-IX beyond
repair.
3 June 1943:
After lingering on the surface outside of Sydney to
recover the midgets that fail to return, the I-27 and the other submarines
finally give up and switch to commerce warfare.***
4 June 1942:
Off Gabo Island, New South Wales, Australia. The I-27
takes the 4,239-ton Australian merchant BARWON under gunfire and torpedo attack
but is unable to inflict any damage. That same day, in the Bass Strait off Cape
Howe, the I-27 torpedoes and sinks the 3,353-ton Australian merchant IRON CROWN
on passage from Whyalla to Port Kembla with iron ore. The crew of the IRON KING,
steaming in company with the IRON CROWN, opens fire on the I-27, but the
submarine escapes unscathed.
14 July 1942:
The I-27 is based at Penang, Malaya in SubRon 8's SubDiv
14 with the I-29 and the I-30.
23 July 1942:
Returns to Kure.
15 August 1942:
Cdr Yoshimura is relieved by LtCdr Kitamura Soshichi
(former CO of I-158). The I-27 departs Kure.
19 August 1942:
Rear Admiral (later Vice Admiral) Ichioka Hisashi's
(former CO of CL YURA) assumes command of SubRon 8 from Captain (later Rear
Admiral) Ishizaki.
29 August 1942:
Departs Penang to raid enemy communications in the
Indian Ocean.
22 October 1942:
Arabian Sea. The I-27 sinks the 7,174-ton British
merchant OCEAN VINTAGE.
10 November 1942:
Arrives at Singapore for overhaul.
28 November 1942:
Arrives at Penang.
12 January 1943:
Departs Penang to raid enemy communications.
27 January 1943:
The I-27 is damaged accidentally off Penang.
23 February 1943:
LtCdr Kitamura is relieved by LtCdr Fukumura
Toshiaki (former CO of RO-34 and I-159).
20 March 1943:
Indian Ocean, 500 miles NW of Ceylon. The 7,132-ton
British armed merchant FORT MUMFORD, loaded with 6,649-tons of war supplies for
the Mediterranean, left Vancouver, Canada on her maiden voyage via Lyttleton,
New Zealand and Colombo, Ceylon. The I-27 torpedoes and sinks the FORT MUMFORD
then enroute from Columbo to Aden. The MUMFORD's crew abandons ship. LtCdr
Fukumura complies with the Imperial "disposal" policy concerning POWs and orders
the slaughter of the MUMFORD crewmen by machine-gun fire. There is but one
survivor, a defensive gunnery rating, later rescued by an Arab dhow.
7 May 1943:
Gulf of Oman. The I-27 torpedoes, shells and sinks the
6,608-ton Dutch freighter BERAKIT.
3 June 1943:
Gulf of Oman. The I-27 torpedoes and sinks the 4,898-ton
American freighter MONTANAN 150 miles S of Masirah Island at 17-58N, 58-09E.
21 June 1943:
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.
24 June 1943:
Indian Ocean. The I-27 torpedoes and sinks the 4,696-ton
British tanker BRITISH VENTURE at 25-13N, 58-02E.
28 June 1943:
The I-27 torpedoes and sinks the 1,974-ton Norwegian
DAH PU in Muscat harbor while she is loading cargo for Karachi, India.
5 July 1943:
Indian Ocean. The I-27 attacks convoy PA 44 en route from
Abadan, Iran to Montevideo, Uruguay and torpedoes the 6,797-ton American
freighter ALCOA PROSPECTOR at 24-26N, 58-20E. The Royal Indian Navy minesweeper
BENGAL takes on board the survivors. There are no casualties in the attack. The
next day, the ALCOA PROSPECTOR is reboarded by her crew as the BENGAL stands by.
The BENGAL attempts to tow the damaged ship but fails. The following day,
Anglo-Iranian oil company tugs arrive and tow the damaged freighter into Bandar
Abbas, Iran.
7 September 1943:
Indian Ocean. The I-27 torpedoes the 7,176-ton
American "Liberty" ship LYMAN STEWART, enroute to Durban, South Africa from
Colombo, Ceylon at 03-30N, 75-00E. The ship is damaged slightly by a dud
torpedo. The I-27 then shells the STEWART but her gunfire is ineffective. The
STEWART escapes without casualties.
9 September 1943:
W Coast of India. The I-27 torpedoes and sinks the
5,151-ton British merchant LARCHBANK. The LARCHBANK carries down with her MTBs
284 and 285 aboard as cargo.
10 November 1943:
Gulf of Aden. The I-27 torpedoes and sinks the
7,176-ton British SAM-class "lend-lease" Liberty ship SAMBO at 12-28N, 43-31E.
18 November 1943:
Arabian Sea. The I-27 torpedoes and sinks the
7,176-ton British SAM-class lend-lease Liberty ship SAMBRIDGE at 11-25N, 47-25E.
Cdr Fukumura orders his machine-gunner to open fire on the survivors in the
lifeboat and the rafts. He takes the SAMBRIDGE's second officer aboard and lands
him at Penang.
29 November 1943:
Arabian Sea.The I-27 torpedoes and sinks the
4,814-ton Greek freighter ATHINA LIVANOS.
2 December 1943:
Arabian Sea.The I-27 torpedoes and sinks the
4,732-ton Greek freighter NITSA.
3 December 1943:
Gulf of Aden. The I-27 torpedoes and damages the
7,126-ton British freighter FORT CAMOSUN at 11-23N, 46-03E.*
15 December 1943:
SubDiv 14 is deactivated.
4 February 1944:
Departs Penang to raid enemy communications of the
Gulf of Aden.
12 February 1944:
Indian Ocean. Off Addu Atoll, SW of Ceylon. The I-27
attacks British convoy KR.8 consisting of five troopships in the One and a Half
Degree Channel off the Maldives Islands. Convoy KR.8 is bound for Colombo from
Kilindini in East Africa escorted by the old cruiser HMS HAWKINS and the
destroyers HMS PALADIN and PETARD.
The I-27 sinks the 7,513-ton troop transport KHEDIVE ISMAIL at 00-57N,
72-16E. The KHEDIVE ISMAIL breaks in two and goes down in 36 seconds. There is
no time to launch lifeboats. 1,383 passengers and crew are lost. 201 men and six
women are later saved.
The I-27 hides beneath the survivors floundering in the water. The
destroyer PALADIN has boats over her side attempting rescue when the HMS PETARD,
under Cdr Rupert Egan****, oblivious to the survivors, races in and drops Mark 7
depth charges killing many men in the water. On the third run, the I-27 is
forced to the surface. She goes ahead at 6 knots.
Cdr Fukumura's crew runs to man their 5-inch deck gun, but British
machine guns cut them down. The PALADIN rams the submarine's port hydoplane, but
in doing so inflicts a serious gash in her own hull starboard aft. The PALADIN's
engine room floods and she goes dead in the water. The PETARD dashes in to cover
the helpless destroyer with gunfire and depth charges, but after several runs
fails to sink the submarine. Cdr Egan then decides to torpedo the submarine. An
hour later, his seventh torpedo finally destroys the I-27. She goes down with
with 99 hands 60 miles NW of Addu Atoll at 01-25N, 72-22E. One survivor is
picked up by the British.
15 May 1944:
Presumed lost in the Indian Ocean. Cdr Fukumura is
posthumously advanced two ranks to Rear Admiral.
10 July 1944:
Removed from the Navy List.
Authors' Notes:
* The FORT CAMOSUN had a similar encounter with the I-25 on 20 June 1942.
** Chuman and Omori's HA-14 midget is salvaged along with the I-22's midget HA-21. Parts of the two submarines are joined together to form a single complete midget that is on display at the recently constructed ANZAC Hall of the Australian War Memorial in Canberra, Australia, another of the four Type A midgets on display around the world.
