SENSUIKAN!

© 2001-2004 Bob Hackett & Sander Kingsepp

8 July 1944:
The I-363 is completed at the Kure Navy Yard as a Type D1 "Tei-gata" transport submarine, commissioned in the IJN and based in the Yokosuka Naval District. The I-363 is assigned to SubDiv 11. LtCdr Araki Asakichi is the Commanding Officer.

8 August 1944:
Departs Hikari.

15 September 1944:
Assigned to Rear Admiral Owada Noboru's (former CO of YAMASHIRO) SubRon 7, Sixth Fleet.

9 October 1944:
The I-363 departs Yokosuka with 90 metric tons of of cargo, including 75 tons of food and supplies.

21 October 1944:
Arrives at Truk. She receives 10 additional tons of supplies (uniforms and food) from the CO of the 50th Infantry Division for the starving garrison of Meleyon Island.

24 October 1944:
Departs Truk.

28 October 1944:
Arrives at Meleyon Island in the Woleai Atoll of the Carolines. The I-363 unloads 5 tons of fuel and other supplies. She embarks seven passengers and departs that day.

31 October 1944:
Arrives at Truk. Unloads 33 tons of fuel oil.

2 November 1944:
Departs Truk.

15 November 1944:
Arrives at Yokosuka.

2 December 1944:
Lt.Kihara Sakae assumes command. 10 December 1944:
Departs Yokosuka with 88-tons of food, 10-tons of ammunition and 10-tons of other supplies for the garrison on Minami Torishima (Marcus Island).

17 December 1944:
Arrives at Marcus. Unloads cargo. Embarks 60 passengers.

26 December 1944:
Arrives at Yokosuka. Begins an overhaul.

1 January 1945:
The I-363 is in SubRon 7 with the I-361, -362, -366, -367, -368, -368, -370, -371 and the I-372.

5 March 1945:
Departs Yokosuka on on her second supply mission to Minami-Torishima.

13 March 1945:
Arrives at Minami Torishima and unloads supplies.

20 March 1945:
Arrives at Yokosuka. SubRon 7 is deactivated. The I-363 is reassigned to SubDiv 15. Her deck guns and Daihatsu landing craft fittings are removed and she is converted to carry five "kaiten" (Turning of the Heavens) human-torpedoes.

26 March 1945: American Operation "Iceberg" - The Invasion of Okinawa:
The 77th Infantry Division lands on the Kerama Islands and captures its anchorage. On 1 April, Vice Admiral (later Admiral) Raymond A. Spruance's Fifth Fleet, including more than 40 aircraft carriers, 18 battleships, 200 destroyers and over 1,000 support ships surround Okinawa. LtGen Simon B. Buckner Jr's Tenth Army (7th, 77th, 96th Infantry, 1 st, 6th Marine divisions) makes amphibious landings and, in a three-month campaign, takes the island from LtGen Ushijima Mitsuru's 32nd Army.

28 May 1945: The Eighth Kaiten Mission:
The I-363, still under LtCdr Kihara, is in the "Todoroki" (sound of great cannon) group with the I-36, -165 and the I-361. She departs Hikari for an area between Okinawa and the Ulithi Atoll. Although LtCdr Kihara sights several ships, the I-363's slow speed does not permit him to gain an attack position to launch his Kaitens.

15 June 1945:
500 nms SE of Okinawa, The I-363 sights a convoy, but the sea is too rough to launch the kaitens, so LtCdr Kihara decides to attack with his conventional torpedoes. He claims one merchant sunk, but postwar it is determined that none were damaged.

28 June 1945:
Returns to base.

8 August 1945: The Ninth Kaiten Mission:
The I-363 departs Hikari for an area 500 miles N of Palau as the last ship of the "Tamon" Kaiten Group group with the I-47, -53, -58, -366 and the I-367.

12 August 1945:
The I-363 is diverted to the Sea of Japan to defend against a possible Soviet invasion.

14 August 1945:
NW of Kyushu. The I-363 is strafed by aircraft from Task Force 38 and receives minor damage, but two crewmembers are killed.

18 August 1945:
Returns to Kure.

2 September 1945:
Surrenders.

29 October 1945:
Off the Miyazaki coast. The I-363 is en route from Kure to Sasebo in the Hyuga Nada. At 1245, she hits a mine laid during the war and sinks. Ten sailors are rescued, but LtCdr Kihara and 33 men are lost.

10 November 1945:
Removed from the Navy List.

26 January 1966:
Salvaged and subsequently scrapped. Her periscope is now displayed at the I-363 memorial at the Nagasako (former IJN) Cemetery at Kure.

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Authors' Notes:
Special thanks for help in preparing this TROM go to Dr. Higuchi Tatsuhiro of Japan.

Thanks for help with the COs in Rev 1 also go to Steve Eckhardt of Australia.

– Bob Hackett & Sander Kingsepp

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