Imperial Submarines

SENSUIKAN!

HIJMS Submarine I-5: Tabular Record of Movement
© 2001-2002 Bob Hackett & Sander Kingsepp
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31 July 1932:
The I-5 is completed at Kawasaki's Kobe Yard, commissioned in the IJN and based in the Yokosuka Naval District.
10 November 1941: Operation "Z":
Saeki Bay. The I-5 is in Vice Admiral Shimizu Mitsumi's (former CO of ISE) Sixth Fleet (Submarines) under 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-4, -6 and flagship I-7. Cdr Nanaji Tsuneo is the Commanding Officer.
Admiral Shimizu convenes a meeting of all his commanders aboard his flagship, the light cruiser KATORI. The commanders are briefed on the planned attack on Pearl Harbor.
16 November 1941:
The I-5 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 to the northeast and northwest of Oahu. Its mission is to reconnoiter and attack any ships that try to sortie from Pearl Harbor. The I-5 is deployed with the I-4 and the I-6.
10 December 1941:
In the Kauai Channel, SE of Pearl Harbor.
15 December 1941:
SubRon 2 bombards Kahului, Maui.
18 December 1941:
Patrols off Hawaii.
14 January 1942:
Departs patrol area.
23 January 1942:
Arrives at Kwajalein.
24 January 1942:
The I-5 departs Kwajalein.
2 February 1942:
The I-5 arrives at Yokosuka for an overhaul.
5 February 1942:
Cdr Nakamura Otsuji (former CO of I-68) is assigned as the Commanding Officer.
SubRon 2's I-1 through I-7 are assigned to Vice Admiral Takahashi Ibo's (former CO of KIRISHIMA) Netherlands East Indies Invasion Force in Rear Admiral (later Vice Admiral) Ichioka Hisashi's (former CO of CL YURA) SubRon 2.
11 February 1942:
The I-5 departs Yokosuka for Kendari, Celebes in the Dutch East Indies.
February 1942:
The I-5 departs Kendari to patrol in the Indian Ocean, but runs aground on a reef in the north passage of Staring Bay.
28 February 1942:
Cdr Nakamura is relieved of command for unknown reasons. It may be related to the grounding or it may be that he is physically unfit for sea duty. In any event, he is attached to the Kure Naval District. LtCdr (later Cdr) Utsuki Hidejiro is assigned as the Commanding Officer.
March 1942:
Staring Bay. The I-5 is successfully salved from the reef and put under repairs by SubRon 2's tender, the SANTOS MARU.
16 March 1942:
Vice Admiral, the Marquis, Komatsu Teruhisa (former CO of CA NACHI) assumes command of the Sixth Fleet (Submarines). Vice Admiral Shimizu is later reassigned as CINC, First Fleet.
25 March 1942:
Repairs are completed and the I-5 departs Staring Bay for the Indian Ocean.
27 March 1942:
Berlin. The German naval staff requests the IJN to launch operations against Allied convoys in the Indian Ocean.
March 1942: Operation C - The Raids in the Indian Ocean:
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-1, participate in the operation.
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 and Nagumo's airmen sink both ships, but are unsuccessful in their search for the rest of Somerville's fleet.
6 April 1942:
Near the Maldive Islands, Indian Ocean. The I-5 torpedoes and sinks the 6, 617-ton American merchant WASHINGTONIAN, en route from Suez to Ceylon, at 07-25N, 73-05E.
8 April 1942:
The Japanese formally agree with the Germans to dispatch submarines to the East Coast of Africa.
9 April 1942: Operation "C":
Nagumo's 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.
10 April 1942:
Off Colombo, Ceylon. The I-5 shells and sinks an unidentified sailing vessel.
1 May 1942:
Departs Penang via the Straits of Malacca to Singapore and then 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 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.
17 June 1942:
Departs Yokosuka for the Aleutians.
20 June 1942:
The I-5 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.
20 August 1942:
SubRon 2 is disbanded. The I-5 is reassigned to SubRon 1.
8 September 1942:
Departs Yokosuka to operate in the Indispensable Straits area of the Solomons.
September 1942:
Solomons. The I-5 is damaged by depth charges while attacking an American convoy.
25 September 1942:
Solomons. The I-5 is damaged by gunfire off Guadalcanal.
25 October 1942:
The I-5 experiences rudder failure.
31 October 1942:
LtCdr (later Rear Admiral, JMSDF) Sekido Yoshimitsu (former CO of I-152) is assigned as the Commanding Officer.
27 December 1942:
Returns to Yokosuka for repairs and overhaul.
9 March 1943:
Departs Yokosuka. Participates in nine supply missions to Lae while based at Rabaul.
April 1943:
The I-5 is in SubRon 1 in Captain Tamaki Tomejiro's SubDiv 7 with the I-2, -6 and the I-7. She is assigned to the Northern District Force, Fifth Fleet, to reinforce and resupply the isolated Japanese garrisons in the Aleutian Islands.
20 April 1943:
LtCdr Morinaga Masahiko is assigned as the Commanding Officer.
11 May 1943: American Operation "Sandcrab" - The Invasion of Attu, Aleutians:
Rear Admiral (later Admiral) Thomas C. Kinkaid's Task Force 16, covered by Rear Admiral Francis W. Rockwell's Task Force 51, lands elements of the Army's 4th and 7th Infantry Divisions under the command of Maj Gen Eugene M. Landrum at Holtz Bay and Massacre Bay that later capture the island.
21 May 1943: Operation "KE" - The Evacuation of Kiska:
The Imperial General Headquarters decides to abandon Attu and evacuate the garrison at Kiska Island, Aleutians.
22 May 1943:
Departs Yokosuka.
26 May 1943:
At Paramushiro Island, Kuriles with the I-171. The evacuation from Kiska to Paramushio via submarines begins.
30 May 1943:
Participates in the Kiska evacuation mission. Thirteen submarines are involved in the operation that eventually extricates 820 men at a cost of three I-boats sunk and three damaged.
10 June 1943:
Arrives at Yokosuka.
10 July 1943:
Departs Yokosuka for the Aleutians.
29 September 1943:
Returns to Yokosuka for overhaul.
27 January 1944:
Departs Yokosuka for a supply mission to Rabaul.
26 March 1944:
Returns to Yokosuka for an overhaul.
30 April 1944:
LtCdr Doi Mareshige (former CO of I-162) is assigned as the Commanding Officer.
7 May 1944:
Departs Yokosuka for Saipan and a supply mission to Ponape.
13 June 1944: Operation A-Go: The Defense of the Marianas:
Admiral Toyoda Soemu (former CO of HYUGA), CINC, Combined Fleet, orders Vice Admiral Takagi Takeo (former CO of MUTSU), CINC, Sixth Fleet (Submarines)at Saipan to redeploy his boats to the Marianas. From his headquarters on Saipan, Takagi orders all available submarines to deploy E of the Marianas.
15 June 1944: American Operation "Forager"- The Invasion of Saipan:
Vice Admiral (later 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 ComSubRon 7, Rear Admiral Owada Noboru (former CO of YAMASHIRO), at Truk.
16 June 1944:
Admiral Owada orders the I-5, -6, -185, -184 and the I-41 to take station in that order in a north-south picket line 300 miles E of the Marianas. The I-5 is the next to southernmost picket.
22 June 1944:
Owada orders most of the Sixth Fleet's submarines, including the I-5, to withdraw from the Marianas area.
6 July 1944:
The I-5 departs Truk on a supply mission to Ponape, Carolines.
11 July 1944:
The I-5 arrives at Truk, unloads and departs.
16 July 1944:
After minor repairs at Truk, departs for Yokosuka.
18 July 1944:
300 miles E of Saipan. Captain W. V. Saunders' USS HOGGATT BAY's (CVE-75) task group 12.2, a hunter-killer group , is conducting antisubmarine warfare (ASW) operations off the Marianas. The carrier's radar picks up a contact on the surface at 21,000 yards.
19 July 1944:
The I-5 signals Truk that she is attacking enemy ships.
At 0024, Captain Saunders detaches two of his four screening escorts, LtCdr E. P. Parker's USS WYMAN (DE-38) and the REYNOLDS (DE-42), to investigate the carrier's radar contact. The WYMAN closes the range until 0046 when she loses radar contact at 4,000 yards as the contact dives.
The WYMAN switches to her sonar and picks up a strong echo at 1,600 yards. At 0051, Parker fires a barrage of twenty-four Mark 10 "hedgehog" projector charges, but without results. The WYMAN reloads and Parker opens the range, then he closes for a second attack.
At 0125, Parker fires a second barrage of twenty-four hedgehogs. The WYMAN is rocked by five underwater explosions as the hedgehogs blow the submarine apart. Parker attempts to regain sonar contact but the sonar's returns indicate that the contact has been destroyed. The submarine - probably the I-5* - is sunk E of Saipan at 13-01N,151-58E.
The I-5 is presumed lost with all hands E of Saipan by the IJN from this date.
10 September 1944:
Removed from the Navy List.
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*Some accounts claim the submarine sunk at this time and place was the RO-48.
Authors' Note: Special thanks for help in preparing this TROM go to Dr. Higuchi Tatsuhiro of Japan and Mr. Jean-Francois Masson of Canada. - Bob Hackett and Sander Kingsepp.

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