© 2008 Bob Hackett, Sander Kingsepp and Peter Cundall
5 April 1922:
Tokyo. Laid down at Uraga Dock Co.'s shipyard as a second-class WAKATAKE-class destroyer named AYAME.
15 February 1923:
Launched.
1 May 1923:
LtCdr Wakagi Ganji (36) is posted as Chief Equipping Officer.
5 November 1923:
Completed and registered in the IJN. LtCdr Wakagi is the CO.
1 April 1924:
Designated as destroyer No. 6.
1 December 1924:
LtCdr (later Vice Admiral) Sugiyama Rokuzo (38) assumes command.
1 December 1925:
Lt (later Rear Admiral) Katsuno Minoru (40) assumes command.
1 December 1926:
SANAE is put on the Reserve List.
1 December 1927:
LtCdr (later Rear Admiral) Hashimoto Shozo (43) assumes command.
1 August 1928:
Renamed SANAE.
12 December 1928:
LtCdr (later Rear Admiral ) Itagaki Sakan (39)(former CO of AOI) assumes command.
1 December 1929:
LtCdr (later Captain) Tachibana Masao (45) assumes command.
15 November 1932:
Lt (Rear Admiral, posthumously) Fukuoka Tokujiro (48) assumes command.
25 May 1934:
LtCdr Osako Higashi (50) assumes command.
29 September 1934:
Lt (later Rear Admiral, posthumously) Yano Kanji assumes command.
1 December 1936:
LtCdr Yoshii Goro (50) assumes command.
7 July 1937: The Marco Polo Bridge (The First "China")
Incident:
Lugouqiao, China. Japanese troops on night maneuvers at the bridge fire blank cartridges. Chinese troops fire back, but do not cause injuries. The Japanese discover a soldier missing and demand entry to Beijing to look for him, but the Chinese refuse. The Japanese shell the city and an undeclared war on China begins.
August 1937: The Evacuation of Japanese residents in South China:
Japanese residents in South China are under the protection of Rear Admiral Okuma Masakichi's DesRon 5 composed of flagship YUBARI, destroyer ASAGAO, DesDiv 16's MAWEI, DesDiv 13's SWATOW and SANAE at Canton. DesRon 5 is assigned to protect about 12,000 Japanese residents in Fuchow, Amoy, Swatow and Canton. With the outbreak of the North China Incident, DesDiv 16 is dispatched to the north. DesDiv 5 from Mako and DesDiv 29 from Japan are put under the command of Rear Admiral Okuma.
12 August 1937:
The situation in South China shows a drastic change for the worse. Japanese residents in Swatow start evacuation that day. After the clash in Shanghai, residents in Canton begin evacuating on 15 August and those in Fuchow on 17 August. All of them reach Formosa safely. The evacuation of residents from Amoy, delayed for various reasons, is completed in late August.
1938:
SANAE's forefunnel is capped and additional ballast is added to improve stability.
25 July 1938:
Lt Shibayama Kazuo (52) assumes command.
15 October 1940:
LtCdr Yanase Yoshio (55) assumes command.
15 April 1941:
Lt Ogawa Yoichiro (57) assumes command.
1 October 1941:
LtCdr Kohara Shiro (57) assumes command.
8 December 1941:
Kure Naval District. SANAE is in Cdr Otani’s DesDiv 13 with KURETAKE and WAKATAKE. Patrols in the Inland Sea, Bungo Suido and off Western Kyushu.
12 December 1941:
When approaching Okinoshma Lighthouse, carrier HOSHO detects what it makes to be an enemy submarine. SANAE launches a counter-attack and the carrier makes port at Kure undamaged.
1 May 1942:
SANAE Mutsure departs escorting convoy No. 106 consisting of six unidentified merchant ships.
6 May 1942:
Arrives at Mako.
9 May 1942:
At 1200, SANAE departs Mako, Pescadores for Sasebo with light minelayer TSUBAME escorting convoy No.
206 consisting of SHINSEI, TATSUWA, TATSUHARU, SENZAN, NANYO, KEIFUKU, TAISHO, KINUGAWA, MEIYU and WAYO MARUs.
13 May 1942:
Arrives at Sasebo.
21 May 1942:
SANAE Mutsure departs escorting convoy No.116 consisting of four unidentified merchant ships .
25 May 1942:
Arrives at Mako.
28 May 1942:
At 1200, SANAE departs Mako for Ujina with minelayer TAKASHIMA escorting convoy No. 216 consisting of SAIHO, PENANG, MIYADONO, SUEZ, KENZAN, IIDA, HOKUSHIN and SANFUKU MARUs and FUKUEI MARU No. 2.
31 May 1942:
NW of Amami-O-Shima. The convoy detects an enemy submarine. TAKASHIMA, and light minelayer TSUBAME that arrives on the scene, drop depth charges. No submarine attacks develop.
3 June 1942:
Arrives at the port of Ujina, Hiroshima.
16 June 1942:
SANAE Mutsure departs escorting convoy No. 125 consisting of six unidentified merchant ships.
21 June 1942:
Arrives at Mako.
28 June 1942:
SANAE departs Mako with auxiliary gunboat IMIZU MARU escorting convoy No. 227 consisting of five unidentified merchant ships.
2 July 1942:
Arrives at Mutsure.
5 August 1942:
SANAE Mutsure departs escorting convoy No. 145 consisting of seven unidentified merchant ships.
10 August 1942:
Arrives at Mako.
12 August 1942:
SANAE departs Mako escorting convoy No. 248 consisting of three unidentified merchant ships.
15 August 1942:
Arrives at Mutsure.
21 August 1942:
Departs Mutsure escorting convoy No. 153 consisting of six unidentified merchant ships.
26 August 1942:
Arrives at Mako.
1 September 1942:
SANAE departs Mako escorting convoy No. 257 consisting of three unidentified merchant ships.
5 September 1942:
Arrives at Mutsure.
8 September 1942:
SANAE departs Moji with destroyer WAKATAKE escorting convoy No. 160 consisting of KISO MARU and nine unidentified merchant ships. The convoy split into two parts after departure, the first part containing KISO MARU.
11 September 1942:
The first part arrives Takao.
12 September 1942:
The second part arrives Takao.
6 October 1942:
SANAE departs Mutsure escorting convoy No. 172 consisting of four unidentified merchant ships.
10 October 1942:
Arrives at Mako.
17 October 1942:
SANAE departs Mako escorting convoy No. 343 consisting of two unidentified merchant ships.
23 October 1942:
Arrives at St Jacques.
25 October 1942:
LtCdr Nagakura Yoshiharu (60) assumes command.
25 October 1942:
SANAE departs St Jacques escorting convoy No. 534 consisting of three unidentified merchant ships .
28 October 1942:
Arrives at Singapore.
3 November 1942:
SANAE departs Singapore escorting convoy No. 642 consisting of sixunidentified merchant ships.
7 November 1942:
Arrives at St Jacques.
13 November 1942:
SANAE departs St Jacques escorting convoy No. 450 consisting of seven unidentified merchant ships.
20 November 1942:
Arrives at Mako.
26 November 1942:
SANAE departs Mako escorting convoy No. 350 consisting of two unidentified merchant ships.
2 December 1942:
Arrives at St Jacques.
5 December 1942:
SANAE departs St Jacques escorting convoy No. 541 consisting of two unidentified merchant ships.
8 December 1942:
Arrives at Singapore.
10 December 1942:
DesDiv 13 is disbanded. SANAE is reassigned to the 1st Surface Escort Division, Southwest Area Fleet.
11 December 1942:
SANAE departs Singapore escorting convoy No. 652 consisting of TAGA MARU and an unidentified merchant ship.
15 December 1942:
Arrives at St Jacques.
17 December 1942:
SANAE departs St Jacques escorting convoy No. 458 consisting of four unidentified merchant ships.
23 December 1942:
Arrives at Mako.
1 January 1943:
SANAE departs Mako escorting convoy No. 359 consisting of 8 unidentified merchant ships.
6 January 1943:
Arrives at St Jacques.
10 January 1943:
SANAE departs St Jacques escorting convoy No. 464 consisting of two unidentified merchant ships.
17 January 1943:
Arrives at Mako.
24 January 1943:
SANAE departs Takao escorting convoy No. 224 consisting of tanker SAN LUIS MARU and three unidentified merchant ships
29 January 1943:
Arrives at Moji.
6 March 1943:
SANAE departs Moji escorting convoy No. 134 consisting of HAWAII, MIKASA, YAMAHAGI and TSUSHIMA MARUs.
11 March 1943:
Arrives at Takao.
16 March 1943:
SANAE departs Takao escorting convoy No. 241 consisting of four unidentified merchant ships.
E 21 March 1943:
Arrives at Moji.
9 April 1943:
SANAE departs Moji escorting convoy No. 145 consisting of four unidentified merchant ships.
13 April 1943:
Arrives at Takao.
1 May 1943:
SANAE departs Takao escorting convoy No. 747 consisting of four unidentified merchant ships.
5 May 1943:
Arrives at Manila.
7 May 1943:
SANAE departs Manila escorting convoy No. 914 consisting of four unidentified merchant ships.
11 May 1943:
Sanae is detached at 03-00S.
13 May 1943:
The remainder of the convoy arrives Balikpapan.
24 May 1943:
SANAE departs Palau escorting convoy No. 3209 consisting of six unidentified merchant ships.
29 May 1943:
Arrives at Manila.
2 June 1943:
SANAE departs Manila escorting convoy No.3109 consisting of an unidentified merchant ship.
7 June 1943:
Arrives at Palau.
11 June 1943:
At 0800,
SANAE departs Palau escorting convoy No. 3211 consisting of CHOJO, SHINRYU and KINE MARUs at 9 knots.
16 June 1943:
Arrives at Manila.
20 June 1943:
SANAE departs Manila escorting convoy No. 854 consisting of SHINRYU, KIYO, CHOSEN and TATEYAMA MARUs.
24 June 1943:
Arrives at Takao.
1 July 1943:
SANAE departs Takao escorting the "D"convoy consisting of nine unidentified merchant ships.
6 July 1943:
Arrives at Moji.
10 July 1943:
SANAE departs Moji escorting convoy No. 174 consisting of two unidentified merchant ships.
13 July 1943:
Arrives at Takao.
20 July 1943:
At 0800, departs Takao in convoy No. 284 consisting of SHOUN, BIYO, HIROTA, NANEI and KISHU MARUs and five other unidentified merchant ships.
25 July 1943:
Arrives at Moji.
30 July 1943:
SANAE departs Moji with patrol boat PB-36 escorting convoy No. 174 consisting of ARATAMA MARU and 17 other unidentified merchant ships.
4 August 1943:
Arrives at Takao.
7 August 1943:
SANAE departs departs Takao in convoy No. 290 consisting of four unidentified merchant ships.
12 August 1943:
Arrives at Moji.
5 September 1943:
At 1500, SANAE departs Moji for Takao escorting convoy No. 194 consisting of MURORAN, ZUIYO, YULIN, TSUSHIMA, WAZAN, KYOKUTO, JUYO, SANKISAN MARUs and an unidentified maru.
7 September 1943:
At 0115, on her first war patrol, LtCdr Ian C. Eddy‘s PARGO (SS-264) attacks the convoy on the surface using radar bearings. Eddy fires six torpedoes at the convoy, but gets no hits.
11 September 1943:
Arrives at Mako, Pescadores. Later that day, the convoy departs and arrives at Takao.
15 September 1943:
SANAE departs Moji escorting convoy No. SA-13 consisting of TEIKO, SEISHUN, USSURI and TEIFU MARUs and fleet tanker ASHIZURI. The convoy’s destination is Singapore. Enroute south heavy weather is encountered and the convoy is dispersed.
28 September 1943:
Arrives at Manila after the trip further south is cancelled. It is probable ASHIZURI and some of the vessels steamed directly to Singapore.
29 September 1943:
SANAE departs Manila in convoy No. 918 consisting of an unidentified merchant ship.
E 4 October 1943:
Arrives at Balikpapan.
5 October 1943:
SANAE departs Balikpapan with subchaser CH-5 escorting convoy No. 2608 consisting of oilers TSURUMI and ONDO and five unidentified merchant ships. Soon after leaving, TSURUMI encounters machinery problems and is forced to turn back.
10 October 1943:
Arrives at Palau.
16 October 1943:
SANAE departs Palau with subchaser CH-5 escorting convoy 2511 consisting of NICHIRYO and SHOEI MARUs at 9 knots.
20 October 1943:
LtCdr Sakai Shinichi (63) assumes command.
23 October 1943:
At 0800, arrives Balikpapan. Prior to arrival, NICHIRYO MARU is detached and steams independently to Ambon.
4 November 1943:
At 1830, SANAE departs Balikpapan with auxiliary subchaser CHa-37 escorting convoy No. 2610 consisting of oilers SATA, SHOYU and SEIAN and KYOEI MARUs. During the voyage, cargo ship KENZAN MARU joins the convoy en route.
10 November 1943:
Arrives at Palau.
15 November 1943:
SANAE's 1st Surface Escort Division is reassigned from the Southwest Area Fleet to the General Escort Command.
Departs Palau for Balikpapan escorting convoy No. 2513 consisting of naval tanker ONDO.
18 November 1943:
Celebes Sea, 90 miles S of Basilan Island, Philippines. SANAE is escorting fleet oiler ONDO. At about 2300, LtCdr George E. Porter’s USS BLUEFISH (SS-222) attacks on the surface. Short on torpedoes, Porter fires three bow torpedoes by radar bearings at SANAE. At least one hits and sinks her at 04-52N, 122-07E. LtCdr Sakai and an unknown number of crewmen are KIA. Sakai is promoted Commander, posthumously.
Porter then torpedoes and damages ONDO. BLUEFISH’s crew opens fire with her deck gun, but ONDO fires back. Porter breaks off. Later, ONDO is towed to Zamboanga, Philippine Islands.
5 January 1944:
Removed from the Navy List.
-Bob Hackett, Sander Kingsepp and Peter Cundall
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