Japanese Minelayers

FUSETSUKAN!
(TSUBAME by Takeshi Yuki scanned from "Color Paintings of Japanese Warships")

IJN Minelayer SARUSHIMA: Tabular Record of Movement
© 2008 Bob Hackett, Sander Kingsepp and Peter Cundall

28 March 1933:
Yokohama. Laid down at Mitsubishi Shibulding.
10 December 1933:
Named SARUSHIMA.
16 December 1933:
Launched.
20 July 1934:
Completed and registered in the Yokosuka Naval District.
8 December 1941:
SARUSHIMA is assigned to the Yokosuka Guard Unit.
Late January 1944:
SARUSHIMA and subchasers CH-50 and CH-52 depart Yokosuka escorting convoy 3125 OTSU (B) consisting of KASAGI MARU and possibly others to Chichi-Jima.

15 April 1944:
At 0600, SARUSHIMA departs Tokyo with destroyers HOKAZE, YUNAGI, UZUKI, kaibokan MIYAKE, minelayers KYOSAI and YURIJIMA, minesweepers W-20, W-28 and subchasers CH-6, CH-10 and CH-12 escorting convoy "Higashi-Matsu No. 6". The convoy consists of AWAJI, HAKUBA, KATSUKAWA, TAKAOKA, BATAVIA, AWA and HOKUSHIN MARUs bound for Saipan, CHOAN MARU No. 2 and MIKAGE MARU No. 1 bound for Truk, JOKUJA, BISAN and JINSAN MARUs bound for Palau, KAMISHIMA and SHOZAN MARUs bound for Woleai, INARI and TONEGAWA MARUs bound for Guam and TATSUAKI and TAMAHOKO MARUs bound for Chichi-Jima.
23 April 1944:
At 0600, arrives at Saipan. INARI and TONEGAWA MARUs together with SARUSHIMA, destroyerUZUKI and minesweeper W-20 are detached for Guam.
27 April 1944:
At 1140, SARUSHIMA departs Saipan with destroyer HOKAZE (F), kaibokan AMAKUSA, MIYAKE, CD-6, CD-10 and an unidentified vessel escorting Rear Admiral Matsuyama Mitsuharu's (40)(former CO of KITAKAMI) 7th Convoy Escort Group's convoy “Higashi Matsu” No. 6 (return) consisting of AZUCHISAN, AWAJI, SHOUN, TOAN, SHOZUI, KATSUKAWA, TAKAOKA, TONEGAWA, HOKUSHIN and TATEBE MARUs and four unidentified ships.
4 May 1944:
Arrives at Tokyo Bay.
17 May 1944:
At 0616, SARUSHIMA departs Tateyama with destroyer HATAKAZE, kaibokan CD-16, MIKURA and MIYAKE, subchaser CH-48, minesweeper W-20 and auxiliary netlayer KOA MARU No. 2 escorting convoy No. 3515 consisting of HAKUSAN, NIPPONKAI, TOYO, KINSHU, HINKO, REIKAI, EIKO, NATSUKAWA, SHOKAI, AKISHIMA and CHIYO MARUs and UNYO MARU No. 8.
23 May 1944:
At about 0900, W-20 is detached from the convoy.
25 May 1944:
At 0708, the convoy arrives safely at Saipan.
29 May 1944:
At 0400, SARUSHIMA departs Guam with minesweeper W-20, minelayer and auxiliary minesweeper FUMI MARU No. 2 escorting a convoy consisting of NISSHO MARU No. 18 and TAKUNAN and BATAVIA MARUs. At 2030 that day, the convoy arrives safely at Saipan.
31 May 1944:
At 0600, SARUSHIMA departs Saipan for Yokosuka with destroyer HATAKAZE, kaibokan CD-12, minesweeper W-20, auxiliary minesweeper FUMI MARU No. 2 and auxiliary store ship TAKUNAN MARU escorting convoy No. 4530 consisting of HAKUSAN, JINZAN, EIKO, NATSUKAWA, SHUNSEN, KAIKO and CHIYO MARUs and UNYO MARU No. 8.
2 June 1944:
250 miles W of Uracas Island. At 2207, CHIYO MARU is attacked by LtCdr Edward N. Blakely’s USS SHARK (SS-314) and hit by two torpedoes port side under the rear of the bridge. About ten minutes later, CHIYO MARU sinks at 21-00N 140-30E. SARUSHIMA and the other escorts counter-attack and drop a total of 39 depth-charges, but fail to damage to SHARK.
4 June 1944:
317 miles WSW of Iwo-Jima. At 0405, HAKUSAN MARU is attacked by LtCdr John D. Crowley’s USS FLIER (SS-250) and hit port side by two of three torpedoes torpedoes he fires. At 0415, HAKUSAN MARU’s stern rises vertically and she sinks at 22-37N 136-50E. SARUSHIMA and the other escorts counter-attack and drop 34 depth-charges, but without damage to FLIER.
8 June 1944:
At 0800, the remainder of the convoy arrives at Yokosuka.
28 June 1944:
SARUSHIMA and subchasers CH-18 and CH-16, minesweeper W-25 and auxiliary minesweeper TOSHI MARU No. 5 depart Yokosuka for Chichi-Jima escorting convoy No. 3628 consisting of SHIMA, TATSUEI, SHOZUI, TAIKO and KAIKO MARUs and UNYO MARU No. 8.
2 July 1944:
Convoy No. 3628 arrives at Chichi-Jima and begins to unload.
4 July 1944:
Off Chichi-Jima, Ogasawara (Bonin) Islands. Carrier-based aircraft of Task Force 58 attack convoy No. 3628. The entire convoy is virtually destroyed. SARUSHIMA is sunk at 27-06N, 142-10E.
10 September 1944:
Removed from the Navy List.

Author's Notes:
[1] No data were found for SARUSHIMA's movements during 1942 and 1943. Readers with access to any such data are requested to post the information on the Discussion and Questions board or j-aircraft.org's IJN Ship Message Board

-Bob Hackett, Sander Kingsepp and Peter Cundall.

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