SENSUIKAN!

© 2001-2004 Bob Hackett & Sander Kingsepp

9 October 1944:
The I-369 is completed at the Yokosuka Navy Yard as a Type D1 "Tei-gata" transport submarine, commissioned in the IJN and based in the Sasebo Naval District. The D1's have no torpedo tubes. Lt Matsushima Shigeo is the Commanding Officer.

15 December 1944:
The I-369 is assigned to Rear Admiral Owada Noboru's (former CO of YAMASHIRO) SubRon 7, Sixth Fleet.

21 January 1945:
Departs Yokosuka.

28 January 1945:
Arrives at Minami-Torishima (Marcus Island), unloads her cargo.

5 February 1945:
Returns to Yokosuka.

12 February 1945:
Departs Yokosuka for Chichi Jima, Ogasawara on her second supply run.

21 February 1945:
Returns to Yokosuka. The I-369 is converted to carry fuel.

11 March 1945: Operation "Tan No. 2" - The Kamikaze Attack on Ulithi:
Kyushu. Twenty-four Yokosuka P1Y "Ginga" (Milky Way) "Frances" twin-engine bombers take off from Kanoya on an unsuccessful one-way Tokko (suicide) mission to attack American carriers at the Third Fleet's anchorage at Ulithi. (See 11 May).

20 March 1945:
SubRon 7 is deactivated. The I-369 is reassigned to SubDiv 16 with the I-372, Ha-101, -102 and the Ha-104.

22 March 1945:
LtCdr Nakajima Masato (former CO of I-122) is posted as the Commanding Officer.

16 April 1945:
Departs Yokosuka for a supply run to Truk and Mereyon Islet. For Truk, she carries 0.312-tons of food, 6.303-tons weapons and ammunition, 25-tons of fuel and 4.4-tons of other cargo. For Mereyon, there are 38.9-tons of food plus 2.6-tons of other cargo .

1 May 1945:
Arrives at Truk, unloads her cargo. The I-369 is the last IJN transport submarine to reach Truk during the war.

3 May 1945:
Departs Truk.

7 May 1945:
Arrives at Mereyon Island at night, unloads her cargo.

11 May 1945:
Departs Mereyon, carrying the surviving 801st NAG crew of a Kawanishi H8K "Emily" pathfinder flying boat that landed there after the 11 March Operation Tan No. 2 attack on Ulithi. She also carries 60 passengers and 2 boxes with the ashes of dead soldiers

24 May 1945:
Returns to Yokosuka.

25 May 1945:
Yokosuka. The I-369 begins conversion to an avgas tanker submarine. She remains half-dismantled until the end of the hostilities.

15 August 1945:
Yokosuka. The I-369 is in SubDiv 16, Sixth Fleet with the Ha-101, - 102 and Ha-104 when Emperor Hirohito (Showa) broadcasts an Imperial Rescript calling for an end to hostilities.

30 August 1945:
Yokosuka. Surrendered to USN.

15 September 1945:
Removed from the Navy List.

1946:
Scrapped at Yokosuka.

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

– Bob Hackett & Sander Kingsepp

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