© 2001 Bob Hackett & Sander Kingsepp Revision 1
18 September 1943:
The I-41 is completed at the Kure Navy Yard,
commissioned in the IJN and based in the Yokosuka Naval District. LtCdr (later
Vice Admiral, JMSDF) Yoshimatsu Tamori (former CO of I-159) is assigned as the
Commanding Officer.
15 December 1943:
LtCdr Itakura Mitsuma (former CO of I-2) assumes
command.
20 December 1943:
Assigned to the Sixth Fleet in SubRon 1's SubDiv 15.
29 December 1943:
Departs Yokosuka for Truk.
I January 1944:
The I-41 is assigned to the Sixth Fleet in SubRon 1's
SubDiv 15 with the 1-32, -35, -37 and the 1-38.
2 January 1944: American Operation "Michaelmas"- The Invasion of Saidor,
New Guinea:
Rear Admiral (later Vice Admiral) Daniel E. Barbey's Task Force
76 lands the Sixth Army's 126th Regimental Combat Team of the 32d Division at
Saidor and by-passes the Japanese garrison at Sio, 75 miles east.
3 January 1944:
Departs Truk for Rabaul to participate in supply
missions.
January 1944:
Makes a supply run from Rabaul to western New Guinea.
31 January 1944:
Departs Rabaul on a supply mission to Buin.
February 1944:
Evades minefields and enemy patrols and arrives safely
at Buin. Unloads supplies.
7 February 1944:
Arrives at Rabaul.
12 February 1944:
The I-41 departs Truk on another supply run to Buin.
She is scheduled to arrive on 16 February.
20 February 1944:
Enemy patrols delay the I-41. She arrives four days
late.
24 February 1944:
Arrives at Rabaul.
25 March 1944:
The I-41 arrives at Truk from Rabaul carrying 98
passengers including ComSubRon 7 Rear Admiral Owada Noboru (former CO of
YAMASHIRO), his staff and many airmen.
April 1944:
Departs Truk.
25 April 1944:
Arrives at Yokosuka.
April 1944:Operation "Tatsumaki" (Tornado) - Amphibious Tank Attack at
Majuro, Marshall Islands:
Inland Sea. The I-41 participates in training with the I-36,
-38, -44 and the I-53. The operation calls for the submarines to carry
amphibious tanks armed with torpedoes from Kure to Majuro. There they are
to be put ashore, make their way overland, enter the water again and make a
torpedo attack on American ships. Later, the plan is cancelled.
15 May 1944:
Departs Kure to reconnoiter American naval units N of
New Guinea.
13 June 1944: Operation "A-Go": The Defense of the Marianas:
Admiral
Toyoda Soemu (former CO of HYUGA), CINC, Combined Fleet, receives a report that
the American fleet anchorage at Majuro is empty. Toyoda orders Vice Admiral
Takagi Takeo's (former CO of MUTSU), CINC, Sixth Fleet, to redeploy his boats to
the Marianas. From his headquarters on Saipan, Takagi orders the I-41 and 17
other boats to deploy to the east of the Marianas. The deployment is
unsuccessful because the American Fleet operates west of the Marianas.
15 June 1944: American Operation "Forager" - The Invasion of
Saipan:
Vice Admiral Richmond K. Turner's Task Force 52 lands Marine Lt Gen
Holland M. Smith's V Amphibious Corps and the invasion begins. Communications
between Takagi's Advance Expeditionary Force (Sixth Fleet) are disrupted by the
invasion. Command of the Sixth Fleet's submarines passes to Rear Admiral Owada,
ComSubRon 7 at Truk. Vice Admiral Takagi is either killed in action or commits
suicide. He is promoted Admiral, posthumously.
22 June 1944:
Owada orders the I-41 to proceed to Guam and evacuate
IJN pilots.
24 June 1944:
The I-41 arrives at Guam. LtCdr Itakura evacuates 106
Navy pilots and departs the area for Japan.
30 June 1944:
The I-41 disembarks the pilots at Oita on Kyushu.
1 July 1944:
Arrives at Kure, then engages in battle training
thereafter.
5 August 1944:
LtCdr Kondo Fumitake (former CO of RO-112) assumes
command.
13 October 1944: Operation "Sho-I-Go" - The Defense of the
Philippines:
Admiral Toyoda orders the Sho-I-Go plan activated.
19 October 1944:
Departs Kure to operate east of the Philippines.
20 October 1944: American Operation "King Two" - The Invasion of Leyte,
Philippines:
Admiral (later Fleet Admiral) William F. Halsey's (former CO of
SARATOGA, CV-3) Third Fleet of 738 ships including 18 aircraft carriers, six
battleships, 17 cruisers, 64 destroyers and over 600 support ships land the
Army's X Corps (24 th Infantry and 1st Cavalry Divisions) and the XXIV Corps
(7th, 77 th and 96th Infantry Divisions) that begins an 8 month campaign to
retake Leyte.
24 October 1944:
The I-41 is ordered to proceed at flank speed to the
east of Leyte.
27 October 1944:
The I-41 and the I-38 operate east of Leyte. LtCdr
Kondo reports sinking an American transport.
3 November 1944:
Off San Bernardino Strait, Philippines. At midnight,
the I-41's lookouts sight what they take to be an aircraft carrier. LtCdr Kondo
sets up and fires a salvo of Type 95 torpedoes. One hits the light cruiser USS
RENO (CL-96) in the port side. The RENO takes on a 16-degree list, but is later
pumped out and towed by the tug USS ZUNI (ATF-95) 700 miles to Ulithi for
temporary repairs.
LtCdr Kondo reports sinking an ESSEX-class carrier. A Yokosuka P1Y1 Ginga
("Frances") attack bomber of the 763rd Naval Air Group based at Clark Field
"confirms" the I-41's claim. Kondo receives a special citation from the Emperor.
12 November 1944:
Kondo again reports having attacked the enemy. This
is the last message received from the I-41.
18 November 1944:
East of Samar. During an ASW patrol in the
Philippine Sea, Task Group 30-7's USS ANZIO (CVE-57) is alerted to the presence
of a Japanese submarine in her operating area by an "Ultra" signals-intelligence
message. The ANZIO's aircraft conduct an ASW sweep. One of the aircraft reports
a radar contact on a submarine on the surface. After a 14-hour hunt, Cdr R.
Cullinan's LAWRENCE C. TAYLOR (DE-415), in a coordinated depth charge attack
with her sister-ship the USS MELVIN R. NAWMAN (DE-416) and two planes from the
ANZIO, sink the I-41 at 12-44N, 130-42E.
2 December 1944:
Presumed lost with all hands off the Philippines.
10 March 1945:
Removed from the Navy List.
Authors' Note:
Special thanks for help in preparing this TROM go to Dr.
Higuchi Tatsuhiro of Japan. – Bob Hackett and Sander Kingsepp.
