© 2007-2010 Bob Hackett, Sander Kingsepp and Peter Cundall
Revision 5
10 January 1918:
Laid down at Hawthorn Leslie & Co. (Hebburn-on-Tyne, U. K.) as an Admiralty S class destroyer.
5 March 1920:
Launched, named and numbered HMS THRACIAN (D86).
21 April 1920:
Commissioned in the Royal Navy. Transferred to Sheerness Dockyard for fitting out and completion.
21 April 1922:
Completed.
26 October 1936:
China. LtCdr Edward B. Tancock, RN, assumes command of HMS THRACIAN.
8 August 1937:
Off Chilang Point, 90 miles N of Hong Kong. A China National Aviation Corporation Sikorsky S-43 "Chekiang“ passenger flying boat bound for Shanghai crashes in the sea. THRACIAN and a Chinese customs cruiser are dispatched to the site of accident. Eight survivors are transferred to THRACIAN that delivers them to Hong Kong the next day at 0630.
2 September 1937:
One of the worst typhoons of the 20th Century hits Hong Kong. Twenty-seven ships are driven aground and the storm does enormous damage to the city and its environs; however, damage, if any, to THRACIAN is unknown.
18 August 1938:
LtCdr Henry Dudley G. De Chair, RN, assumes command of HMS THRACIAN that is assigned to the Hong Kong Local Defence Flotilla with HMS TENEDOS; later that year they are joined by destroyers HMS THANET and SCOUT. [1]
12 October 1938:
At dawn, LtGen Furusho Motoo’s 21st Army, supported by the China Area Fleet’s Fifth Fleet and Formosa-based and carrier-based Navy air units, make a surprise landing at Ta-Ya (Bias Bay), 35 miles NE of Hong Kong. Thereafter, Japanese forces continued their advance with little or no resistance and by 21 October capture Canton. The operation isolates Hong Kong and Macao.
Mid-September 1939:
Following the outbreak of World War II, THRACIAN is fitted with an additional 4-in gun, torpedo tubes and mine rails. She participates in laying several minefields in the Hong Kong area.
February 1941:
LtCdr A. L. Pears assumes command of HMS THRACIAN.
8 December 1941:
The Japanese open their offensive on Hong Kong by moving troops across the New Territories frontier. Twelve Tachikawa Ki-36 "Ida" Army bombers of the 45th Sentai based at Canton escorted by nine Ki-27 "Nate" fighters also attack Kai Tak airport on Kowloon. The Ida's bomb from low level, while the Nates strafe. All five of the token RAF aircraft (2 "Walrus" amphibians and 3 Vickers "Vildebeeste" torpedo bombers) stationed at Kai Tak are quickly either damaged or destroyed as are numerous light trainers and civilian cargo planes. In the harbor, PanAm’s visiting Sikorsky S-42B flying boat "Hong Kong Clipper" is bombed, set afire and sinks.
At 2100, destroyers HMS THANET and SCOUT depart Hong Kong for Singapore.
13 December 1941:
Major General Christopher M. Maltby, British Indian Army, orders the evacuation of Kowloon Peninsula. At 0400, LtCdr Pears' HMS THRACIAN, now Hong Kong's only destroyer, is ordered around from Aberdeen to assist in ferrying troops across the bay. She arrives at about 0600. Laden with troops, THRACIAN plus several boats of the 2nd MTB Flotilla, assorted launches and Chinese sampans withdraw to Hong Kong Island. By 0930, all British and Commonwealth troops are evacuated from the Mainland to Hong Kong Island. In the meantime, Royal Engineers destroy anything useful on the north side.
December 1941:
THRACIAN and two old gunboats HMS ROBIN and CICALA lay off the southern coast of Hong Kong Island and bombard Japanese positions.
15 December 1941:
Hong Kong Island is subjected to heavy air and artillery bombardment. LtGen Sakai Takashi, C-in-C, 23rd Army, begins preparations for the invasion of the island.
That night, THRACIAN makes her way past Green Island and engages two anchored river steamers that may have been full of Japanese troops. She sinks them both in Kowloon Bay, 1,000 yards E of the electric power station, but THRACIAN is grounded unintentionally off Lamma Island.
16 December 1941:
THRACIAN is badly damaged by Japanese aircraft. She is scuttled by being run aground on Round Island in Repulse Bay. [2]
18 December 1941:
The Japanese land on the NE corner of Hong Kong Island. They soon seize Taikoo Dockyard before it can be destroyed and capture minesweepers HMS TAITAM and WAGLAN under construction in the yard. [3]
19 December 1941:
A mixed naval force of about 200, including men from THRACIAN, are sent to take over defense of the Little Hong Kong ordnance base area.
25 December 1941: Christmas Day and the Fall of Hong Kong:
General Maltby advises Governor Sir Mark A. Young to surrender the outnumbered British garrison because of lack of food and water. At 1800, in Japanese headquarters in the Peninsula Hotel at Kowloon, Young surrenders the Crown Colony to General Sakai. That night, nearly 6,500 British and Commonwealth troops go into Japanese captivity.
10 July 1942:
THRACIAN is salvaged and refloated by the IJN. Repaired at No. 2 Repair Facility in Hong Kong.
27 September 1942:
LISBON MARU departs Hong Kong for Shanghai with 1816 prisoners of war aboard.
1 October 1942:
Six miles from Tung Fusham Island, China coast. LtCdr Rob R. McGregor's USS GROUPER (SS-214) torpedoes and sinks LISBON MARU at 30-17N, 123-13E with loss of thee IJA soldiers and 845 POWs, including seven former crewmen of HMS THRACIAN.
That same day, PB-101 is attached to the Yokosuka Naval District.
25 November 1942:
Completes repairs and is tentatively registered as patrol vessel PB-101, for alternative use as a training vessel. Transferred to Yokosuka later that year for a weapons refit. [4]
15 February 1943:
At Yokosuka. Redesignated as patrol boat.
15 August 1943:
PB-101 is redesignated as a training patrol boat at Yokosuka Naval Torpedo School.
17 August 1943:
At sea escorting convoy No. 8 consisting of HOKURYU, TAMA, TAISEI and MIYAZAKI MARUs from the Kuriles to Japan.
1 December 1943:
Yokosuka Navy Yard. Starts rebuild. THRACIAN's British AA guns and torpedo tubes are landed and replaced by Japanese weapons. A breakwater is fitted forward of No. 1 gun turret. The foremast and charthouse layout are rearranged. The aft magazine is rebuilt for embarking additional depth charges. One 13.2-mm Type 93 AA twin machine gun and one Type 94 depth-charge thrower are installed.
31 December 1943:
LtCdr Fukuchi Akiji is appointed CO.
18 January 1944:
The rebuild is substantially complete. Departs Yokosuka for trials, returns later that night.
7 February 1944:
At 0855, departs Nagaura, Yokosuka on trials and returns at 1455.
9 February 1944:
At 0856, departs on further trials and returns at 1423.
11 February 1944:
PB-101 departs Nagaura escorting convoy No.7211 consisting of SEIYO MARU.
12 February 1944:
At 2205, arrives Yura.
13 February 1944:
At 0806 arrives Kobe. Departs there at 1300.
18 February 1944:
At 0615, joins an unidentified convoy. At 1608, arrives at Irako.
19 February 1944:
At 0458, departs Irako.
20 February 1944:
At 0935, arrives Nagaura, Yokosuka.
26 February 1944:
Transfers to Yokohama. At 1621, departs Yokohama escorting a convoy.
1 March 1944:
At 1119, arrives at Kobe.
2 March 1944:
At 2224, departs Kobe escorting convoy Ko-Otsu (details unknown).
3 March 1944:
At 1516, arrives at Irako.
5 March 1944:
At 0956 departs Irako but returns at 1041 because of a storm
6 March 1944:
At 0556, departs Irako.
7 March 1944:
At 1150, arrives Nagaura (Yokosuka).
8 March 1944:
At 0830, departs Yokosuka on patrol. At 1505 returns to Nagaura.
10 March 1944:
At 0832. departs on patrol. At 1634, returns to Nagaura.
11 March 1944:
At 1030, arrives at Yokohama. PB-101 departs at 1728 escorting convoy 7311 consisting of SHOEI, TAIRYU, INARI MARUs.
12 March 1944:
At 0500, arrives Shimoda. Departs at 1210.
13 March 1944:
At 2250, arrives off Wada Misaki (Kobe).
14 March 1944:
At 0710, departs Wada Misaki and, at 0930, arrives Kobe.
15 March 1944:
Reconstruction is completed. Redesignated as special training ship No. 1 (Toku 1-go Renshutei). Attached to the Torpedo School at Yokosuka.
12 November 1944:
At 1800, PB-101 and PB-38 depart Takao for Manila escorting convoy TAMA-31B consisting of MANJU MARU and 6 LST's (5 Navy, 1 Army).
15 November 1944:
Anchors off the west coast of Formosa to avoid Allied air attacks.
19 November 1944:
S side of the mouth of Lingayan Gulf. At 1700, arrives at Santiago Island Strait. Later that evening, TAMA-31B is attacked by 27 Grummans that inflict only slight damage.
20 November 1944:
At 1030, departs Santiago Island Strait for Manila.
21 November 1944:
At 1500, arrives at Manila.
15 August 1945:
PB-101 is at Yokosuka when the Japanese surrender. An unsuccessful attempt to scuttle had been made and she is lying alongside a jetty.
Early September 1945:
Yokosuka. A party from Australian destroyers HMAS NAPIER and HMAS NIZAM board PB-101.
December 1945:
PB-101 is recovered by a party from HMS destroyer UNDINE. A Japanese centimetric radar is found fitted aft on a special mast structure, but the ship is in poor condition. [5]
October 1945:
Hong Kong. Returned to the Royal Navy.
February 1946:
Sold for breaking up. Scrapped at Hong Kong.
Authors' Note:
[1] LtCdr De Chair departed Hong Kong before it fell, escaping captivity by the Japanese. On 15 May 1945, Cdr De Chair was CO of the 26th Destroyer Flotilla's HMS VENUS when that unit sank heavy cruiser HAGURO in the Malacca Strait.
[2] Sources conflict as to the date of THRACIAN's scuttling. Most British sources say she was intentionally grounded on 16 Dec '41, but others put this date at 24 Dec '41.
[3] HMS TAITAM and WAGLAN are later completed by the Japanese and registered in the IJN as minesweepers W-101 and W-102.
[4] PB-101 is, of course, an Allied designation. The original IJN designation was "101-go Shokaitei" or No. 101 Patrol Boat.
[5] The ship's bell survived and is now held by the "Blue Boar" Public House at Poole, Dorset, England.
An account exists that PB-101 was used as a radar trials ship for the successful "Long Lance" Type 95 torpedoes, in which the Japanese installed their latest experimental gear including water-cooled S-band magnetrons, but the story is questionable.
-Bob Hackett, Sander Kingsepp and Peter Cundall.
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