© 2001-2006 Bob Hackett & Sander Kingsepp
Revision 2
13 February 1941:
Kure Navy Yard. I-9 is completed and registered in the Yokosuka Naval District.
31 July 1941:
LtCdr Fujii Akiyoshi is assigned as Commanding Officer.
November 1941:
I-9 is assigned to Vice Admiral Shimizu Mitsumi's Advance Expeditionary Force (Sixth Fleet) as flagship of Rear Admiral Sato Tsutomu's SubRon 1's I-15 through I-26.
21 November 1941:
Departs Yokosuka for Hawaii.
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: Operation "Z" - The Attack on Pearl Harbor:
Off Hawaii. I-9, with Rear Admiral Sato embarked, patrols north of Oahu during the attack on Pearl Harbor. Its mission is to reconnoiter and attack any ships that try to sortie from Pearl Harbor.
10 December 1941:
I-6 reports sighting a LEXINGTON-class aircraft carrier and two cruisers off Oahu heading ENE. Vice Admiral Shimizu in KATORI at Kwajalein orders all of SubRon 1 boats, except the Special Attack Force, to pursue and sink the carrier. I-9 surfaces and sets off at flank speed after the carrier.
11 December 1941:
800 miles NE of Honolulu. I-9 torpedoes, shells and sinks 5, 642-ton American merchant LAHAINA at 27-42N, 147-38W.
20 December 1941:
I-9 is ordered to proceed towards Panama, but the orders are later cancelled.
1 January 1942:
Arrives at Kwajalein.
January 1942: Operation "K-1" - Flying Boat Attack on Pearl Harbor:
The Naval General Staff develops a plan to raid Pearl Harbor using two large Type 2 four-engined Kawanishi H8K1 "Emily" flying boat bombers. The objective of the attack is to disrupt ship repair activities. The plan calls for the planes to depart Wotje in the Marshalls and fly to French Frigate Shoals in the Hawaiian Islands (500 miles WNW of Pearl Harbor) where they are to be refueled by I-class submarines.
1 February 1942:
Kwajalein is attacked by planes from USS ENTERPRISE (CV-6). Two hours later, Headquarters Sixth Fleet orders I-9 and the other boats of SubRon 1 to put to sea and intercept the enemy carriers.
5 February 1942:
At Kwajalein. Five submarines are selected to participate in Operation K-1. I-9 is assigned to take up station midway between Wotje and the Shoals and act as a radio beacon for the two H8K1 Emily flying boats. I-19, I-15 and I-26 are to refuel the flying boats at the Shoals. I-23 is to standby south of Hawaii, provide weather reports and act in an air-sea rescue capacity. The submarines depart for their stations.
24 February 1942:
I-9's floatplane reconnoiters Pearl Harbor.
1 March 1942: The Second Air Attack on Pearl Harbor:
I-9 is on station and participates in Operation K-1.
4 March 1942:
After dark the Emilys arrive at French Frigate Shoals, refuel and take off again for Pearl Harbor.
5 March 1942:
Seven hours after departing French Frigate Shoals, the flying boats drop eight 550-lb. bombs on Honolulu through an overcast. They achieve no significant results and return to the Marshall Islands.
16 March 1942:
Vice Admiral, the Marquis, Komatsu Teruhisa (former CO of CA NACHI) assumes command of the Sixth Fleet (Submarines).
21 March 1942:
Returns to Yokosuka.
21 May 1942:
Rear Admiral (later Vice Admiral) Yamazaki Shigeaki's (former CO of old CA YAKUMO) SubRon 1's I-19, I-9, I-15, I-17, I-25 and I-26 are tasked to carry out preliminary invasion reconnaissance of the Aleutian Islands. I-9 departs Yokosuka for Kiska.
25 May 1942:
I-9's floatplane reconnoiters Kiska and Amchitka, Aleutians.
26 May 1942:
I-9's floatplane reconnoiters Kiska.
7 July 1942:
I-9 arrives at Yokosuka.
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:
Departs Yokosuka for Truk.
23 August 1942: Operation "KA": The Destruction of the American Fleet and the Recapture of Guadalcanal:
Vice Admiral (later Admiral) Kondo Nobutake's (former CO of KONGO) Second Fleet, Advanced Force: CruDiv's 4 and 5, CarDiv 11's seaplane tender CHITOSE, DesRon 4's light cruiser YURA and nine destroyers arrive off Truk from Japan. Kondo joins Vice Admiral Nagumo Chuichi's Third Fleet, Main Body's CarDiv 1's SHOKAKU and ZUIKAKU, CarDiv 2's RYUJO, BatDiv 11, CruDiv 7 and 8 and Desron 10's light cruiser NAGARA with three destroyers for operations in the Solomons.
24 August 1942: The Battle of the Eastern Solomons:
Vice Admiral (later Admiral) Frank J. Fletcher's Task Force 61's USS SARATOGA (CV-3) and ENTERPRISE (CV-6) launches aircraft that find and sink light carrier RYUJO. In turn, CarDiv 1's SHOKAKU and ZUIKAKU launch aircraft that find and damage ENTERPRISE. That evening, aircraft from SARATOGA damage seaplane carrier CHITOSE.
26 August 1942:
Fletcher's Task Force is guarding the approaches to Guadalcanal. LtCdr Frederick Bell's escorting USS GRAYSON (DD-435) sights I-9 running on the surface and gives chase. LtCdr Fujii dives and attempts to evade at full power. During the next several hours I-9 is subjected to five attacks by GRAYSON, MONSSEN (DD-436), PATTERSON (DD-392) and a Douglas SBD "Dauntless" dive-bomber. GRAYSON expends her entire supply of 46 depth charges. Although the Americans claim a sinking, I-9 damaged heavily, slips away.
30 October 1942:
I-9's floatplane reconnoiters Nouméa, New Caledonia.
4 November 1942:
I-9's floatplane reconnoiters Nouméa.
11 November 1942:
I-9's floatplane reconnoiters Espiritu Santo, Solomons.
16 November 1942:
Truk. Vice Admiral Komatsu convenes a meeting of his submarine captains. He announces that the Sixth Fleet has been ordered by Admiral Yamamoto, CINC, Combined Fleet to organize a supply system for the IJA's 17th Army garrison on Guadalcanal.
24 November 1942:
I-9 participates in a total of five supply missions to Guadalcanal.
12 February 1943:
Returns to Yokosuka. Undergoes repairs at Kawasaki's Kobe Yard.
11 April 1943:
Truk. I-9 is departing the anchorage through the North Pass when her lookouts warn of three torpedoes approaching. Cdr Fujii swings I-9 to comb them, then fires two torpedoes down the track of the American torpedoes. Cdr James A. Scott's USS TUNNY (SS-282) dives deep and avoids I-9's torpedoes which pass astern.
1 May 1943:
Cdr Fujii is promoted to Captain.
11 May 1943: American Operation "Landcrab"- 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 the Army's 7 th Division that captures Attu.
21 May 1943: Operation "KE-Go" - The Evacuation of Kiska:
The Imperial General Headquarters decides to evacuate the garrison at Kiska Island, Aleutians.
23 May 1943:
Departs Yokosuka for Paramushiro Island in the Kuriles.
26 May 1943:
The evacuation from Kiska to Paramushiro via submarines begins.
29 May 1943:
Departs Paramushiro for Kiska.
June 1943:
Reurns to Paramushiro.
10 June 1943:
I-9, still under Captain Fujii, departs Paramushiro for Kiska. No messages are received from I-9 thereafter.
13 June 1943:
Kiska, 15 miles E of Sirius Point. USS FRAZIER (DD-607) sights two periscopes and opens fire on a submarine. I-9 dives, but FRAZIER scores hits on her periscopes. The destroyer makes sonar contact and attacks with depth charges. Air bubbles, oil and debris rise to the surface, but FRAZIER makes two more attacks to ensure that the submarine is sunk. I-9 is lost with all hands at 52-08N, 177-38E.
15 June 1943:
Presumed lost off Kiska. Captain Fujii is promoted to Rear Admiral posthumously on this date.
1 August 1943:
Removed from the Navy List.
