SENSUIKAN!
HIJMS Submarine I-4 : Tabular Record of
Movement
© 2001 Bob Hackett & Sander Kingsepp
24 December 1929:
The I-4 is completed at Kawasaki's Kobe Yard, commissioned in the IJN and assigned to the Yokosuka Naval District.
10 November 1941: Operation "Z":
Saeki Bay. The I-4 is in Vice Admiral Shimizu Mitsumi's (former CO of ISE) Sixth Fleet (Submarines) in Rear Admiral (later Vice Admiral) Yamazaki Shigeaki's (former CO of old CA YAKUMO) SubRon 2 in Captain Takezaki Kaoru's SubDiv 8 with the I-5, -6 and the Squadron flagship, I-7. LtCdr (later Cdr) Nakagawa Hajime is the I-4's Commanding Officer.
Admiral Shimizu convenes a meeting of all his commanders aboard his flagship, the light cruiser KATORI. LtCdr Nakagawa and the other commanders are briefed on the planned attack on Pearl Harbor.
16 November 1941:
SubDiv 8 departs Yokosuka for the Hawaiian Islands.
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:
Off Hawaii. SubRon 2 is arrayed NE and NW of Oahu. Its mission is to reconnoiter and attack any ships that try to sortie from Pearl Harbor. The I-4 is deployed with the I-5 and the I-6 between Oahu and Molokai.
10 December 1941:
In the Kauai Channel, SE of Pearl Harbor.
14 December 1941:
20 miles ENE of Oahu. The 4,858-ton Norwegian freighter HOEGH MERCHANT, originally enroute from San Francisco to Manila with 7,500-tons of general cargo, including 100-tons of explosives, was rerouted to Honoluluon on 8 December. Now she stops and awaits daylight. The I-4 finds, torpedoes and sinks the stationary HOEGH, but all 40 of her crewmen and passengers are rescued by the old minesweeper USS TREVER (DMS-16) and taken to Honolulu.
15 December 1941:
SubRon 2 bombards Kahului, Maui.
18 December 1941-15 January 1942:
Patrols off Hawaii.
9 January 1942: Operation "H" - The Invasion of the Celebes, Netherlands East Indies:
Vice Admiral Takahashi Ibo's (former CO of KIRISHIMA) Southern Force, Netherlands East Indies Force lands invasion forces on Menado and Kema (11 January), Kendari (24 January), Ambon (30 January) and Makassar (9 February).
16 January 1942:
Departs patrol area for Kwajalein.
22 January 1942:
Returns to Kwajalein.
24 January 1942:
Departs Kwajalein for Yokosuka.
2 February 1942:
Returns to Yokosuka.
5 February 1942:
The I-4 is assigned to Vice Admiral Takahashi's Invasion Force in Rear Admiral (later Vice Admiral) Ichioka Hisashi's (former CO of CL YURA) SubRon 2 with the I-2, -3, -5, -6 and the flagship I-7. SubRon 2's boats undergo a refit and overhaul.
12 February 1942:
SubRon 2 and the I-4 depart Yokosuka for Kendari, Celebes.
28 February 1942:
Indian Ocean. S of Java, Dutch East Indies. The I-4 torpedoes and sinks the 1,693-ton Singaporean BAN HO GUAN that was enroute from Padang to Tjilatjap, Java.
16 March 1942:
Vice Admiral, the Marquis, Komatsu Teruhisa (former CO of CA NACHI) assumes command of the Sixth Fleet. Vice Admiral Shimizu is later reassigned as the CINC, First Fleet.
March 1942: Operation "C" - The Raids in the Indian Ocean:
At Penang, Malaya. Headquarters, Combined Fleet orders that the western coasts of India and Ceylon (now Sri Lanka) be reconnoitered before the commencement of Operation C." All of SubRon 2's boats, except the I-I, participate in the operation.
28 March 1942:
The I-4 departs Penang to reconnoiter off the western coast of India and the Maldive Islands.
5 April 1942: Operation "C":
Vice Admiral Nagumo Chuichi's Carrier Striking Force ("Kido Butai") attacks the British naval base on Columbo, Ceylon (now Sri Lanka). They wreck the base's facilities, destroy 27 aircraft and sink several ships. A floatplane finds Vice Admiral James Somerville's Eastern Fleet's cruisers HMS CORNWALL and the DORSETSHIRE at sea. Nagumo's airmen sink both ships, but are unsuccessful in their search for the rest of Somerville's fleet.
9 April 1942: Operation "C":
The Striking Force attacks the British naval base at Trincomalee, Ceylon. They wreck the base's facilities and shoot down nine planes. A floatplane spots the old light carrier HMS HERMES and the Australian destroyer HMAS VAMPIRE at sea. The Striking Force sinks both. Nagumo's aircraft also find and sink several smaller ships.
1 May 1942:
Returns to Penang, then via Singapore to Yokosuka for repairs and upkeep.
5 June 1942: Operation "AL"- The Invasion of the Western Aleutians:
Twenty ships of the Vice Admiral Hosogaya Boshiro's (former CO of MUTSU) 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 (former CO of ISE) Occupation Force on Attu, Aleutians without opposition.
7 June 1942:
Captain (later Rear Admiral) Ono Takeji's Occupation Force occupies Kiska, also without opposition.
10 June 1942:
SubRon 2 is assigned to support operations in the Aleutians.
11 June 1942:
Departs Yokosuka for the Aleutians.
20 June 1942:
The I-4 is in Rear Admiral Ichioka's SubRon 2 with the I-1 through I-7.
July 1942:
The I-4 and the I-5 are assigned to patrol and reconnoiter Dutch Harbor from N of Unimak Pass.
20 July 1942:
SubRon 2 is ordered to return to Japan, except the I-6 that is ordered to remain at Kiska.
1 August 1942:
Returns to Yokosuka for an overhaul.
7 August 1942: 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. Vandegrift's 1st Marine Division on Guadalcanal opening a seven-month campaign to take the island.
15 August 1942:
LtCdr Nakagawa is relieved by LtCdr Kawasaki Mutsuro.
8 September 1942:
Departs Yokosuka.
14 September 1942:
Arrives at Truk.
15 September 1942:
Departs Truk for the Solomons.
29 September 1942:
SE of the Solomon Islands. The I-4 torpedoes and damages the 7,447-ton supply ship USS ALHENA (AK-26) 20 miles south of San Cristobal Island at 10-47S, 161-16E.
3 November 1942:
Returns to Truk.
6 November 1942:
LtCdr Kawasaki is relieved by LtCdr Ueno Toshitake (former CO of I-123).
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.
20 November 1942:
Departs Truk.
23 November 1942:
Arrives at Shortland.
16 December 1942:
Departs Rabaul for a supply mission to Buna, New Guinea.
19 December 1942:
LtCdr Ueno is unable to make contact with the IJA garrison on Buna that has been routed by American troops. Ueno decides to return to Rabaul. He signals his estimated time of arrival is 21 December. The I-4's transmission is undoubtedly picked up by American code-breakers. No messages are received from the I-4 thereafter.
20 December 1942:
Off New Ireland. LtCdr William E. Ferrall's USS SEADRAGON (SS-194), probably alerted by an "Ultra" message, sights a Japanese submarine - probably the I-4 - at the southern entrance of St. George's Channel. Ferrall makes an approach and fires three old Mark 10 torpedoes. The first misses ahead, the second explodes shortly after firing but the third torpedo hits the submarine in the stern. She sinks by the stern at 05-02S, 152-33E.
5 January 1943:
Presumed lost with all hands off Rabaul.
1 March 1943:
Removed from the Navy List.
________________________________________________________________________________________________
Author's
Note: Special thanks for help in preparing this TROM go to Dr. Higuchi Tatsuhiro
of Japan.
– Bob Hackett
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