YUSOSEN!
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(Oiler by Takeshi Yuki scanned from "Color Paintings
of Japanese Warships")
IJN SATA: Tabular Record of Movement
© 1998-2009 Bob Hackett and Peter Cundall.
Revision 1
7 March 1920:
Yokohama. Laid down at Yokohama Dock, K. K.'s shipyard.
28 October 1921:
Launched and named SATA.
24 February 1921:
Completed and registered in the Sasebo Naval District.
6 April 1925:
SATA departs Yokosuka with light cruiser YUBARI. Together they cruise the Western Pacific, including a call at Australia. During the cruise, SATA refuels YUBARI.
23 June 1925:
Returns to Sasebo.
1 December 1930:
Captain Ogura Manjiro (35) assumes command.
15 January 1931:
An unknown officer assumes command.
18 April 1935:
Captain (later Vice Admiral) Ichise Shinichi assumes command.
15 October 1935:
Cdr (later Rear Admiral) Fukuda Teizaburo (40) assumes command. Captain Ichise is reassigned to the Yokosuka Naval District.
15 November 1935:
Cdr Fukuda is promoted Captain.
20 March 1936:
Captain (later Rear Admiral) Ikeuchi Masamichi (40) assumes command. Captain Fukuda is reassigned to the Sasebo Naval District.
2 November 1936:
Cdr (later Vice Admiral) Mori Kunizo assumes command. Captain Ikeuchi s reassigned to the Naval Shipbuilding Command.
1 December 1936:
Cdr Mori is promoted Captain.
7 July 1937: The Marco Polo Bridge (Sino-Japanese) Incident:
Lugouqiao, China. Japanese troops on night maneuvers at the bridge fire blank cartridges. Chinese troops fire back, but do not cause injuries. At morning roll call, the Japanese discover a soldier missing and assume the Chinese captured him. The Japanese demand entry to a Beijing suburb to look for the soldier, but the Chinese refuse. The Japanese then shell the city and an undeclared war on China begins.
1 December 1937:
Captain (later Rear Admiral) Ishizaki Noboru (42) assumes command.
15 April 1938:
A new, but unknown, Captain assumes command. Captain Ishizaki Noboru is reassigned as CO of IRO, a sister ship of SATA.
20 December 1938:
Captain (later Vice Admiral) Nishio Hidehiko (41), CO of CHIKUMA, assumes temporary command of SATA as an additional duty.
28 January 1939:
A new, but unknown, Captain assumes command.
1 July 1939:
Captain (later Rear Admiral) Miura Tomosaburo (38), CO of oiler HAYATOMO, assumes command of SATA as an additional duty.
28 September 1939:
Captain Miura assumes command.
15 February 1940:
A new, but unknown, Captain assumes command. Captain Miura is reassigned to the Sasebo Naval District.
15 October 1940:
Captain (later Rear Admiral) Shibuya Kiyomi (45)(former XO of ATAGO) assumes command.
20 September 1941:
Captain-Retired (Vice Admiral, posthumously) Kusakawa Kiyoshi (38) assumes command. Captain Shibuya is reassigned as CO of KUMA.
6 October 1941:
Captain Murao Jiro assumes command. Captain-Retired Kusakawa is reassigned as CO of TOEI MARU.
14 October 1941:
Off Iki Island. SATA rescues the survivors of LtCdr Hirokawa Takashi's submarine I-61 that sank after colliding with converted gunboat KISO MARU on 10 October.
8 December 1941:
SATA is in Vice Admiral Tanimoto Umataro's (35)(former CO of CHOKAI) Sasebo Naval District.
11 February 1942:
Attached to the Navy Department.
11 April 1942:
Departs the Western Inland Sea.
25 April 1942:
Arrives at Saigon, Indochina.
6 May 1942:
Departs Saigon. Transports aviation fuel.
20 May 1942:
Arrives at Kobe.
28 May 1942: Operation "MI" - The Battle of Midway:
SATA departs Kure in Captain Murao's Supply Group’s oilers TSURUMI and GENYO and KENYO MARUs and repair ship AKASHI with Vice Admiral (later Admiral) Kondo Nobutake's (former CO of KONGO) Second Fleet's Midway Invasion Force.
4 June 1942:
Arrives at Truk.
18 June 1942:
Arrives at Kure. During July, undertakes transport duties in waters around Japan.
1 August 1942:
Departs Yokkaichi.
13 August 1942:
Arrives at Truk.
22 August 1942:
Departs Truk.
7 September 1942:
Arrives at Singapore.
15 September 1942:
Departs Singapore.
1 October 1942:
Captain Nagatani Bukizo is appointed to command.
2 October 1942:
Arrives at Yokohama.
10 October 1942:
Yokosuka Arsenal. Drydocked.
14 October 1942:
Undocked.
20 October 1942:
Departs Yokosuka on oil transport duties within home waters.
17 June 1943:
At 0830, arrives at Balikpapan.
1 February 1943:
Captain Takahashi assumes command.
3 February 1943:
Departs Sasebo. Proceeds to make three voyages to Japan from Palembang and Singapore carrying fuel oil.
29 October 1943:
Departs Singapore.
4 November 1943:
At 0830, SATA arrives at Balikpapan. At 1830, SATA departs Balikpapan in convoy 2610 consisting of oilers SEIAN and KYOEI MARUs escorted by destroyer SANAE and auxiliary subchaser CHa-37. During the voyage, cargo ship SHOYU MARU joins the convoy.
10 November 1943:
Arrives at Palau.
14 November 1943:
At Palau.
17 November 1943:
At 0950, SATA departs Palau in convoy No. 8175 consisting of fleet oilers TSURUMI, tankers SEIAN and KYOEI MARUs and cargo ship SHOYU MARU escorted by destroyer AMATSUKAZE, subchaser CH-33 and auxiliary subchaser CHa-27.
20 November 1943:
At 2000, auxiliary submarine chaser CHa-27 detaches and returns to Palau.
24 November 1943:
Arrives 0840, at Truk with a cargo of fuel oil.
1 December 1943:
At 0700, SATA departs Truk in a convoy consisting of oilers NANPO and SEIAN MARUs and cargo ship SHOYU MARU escorted by destroyers YAMAGUMO and AKIGUMO as far as Palau. After this, subchaser CH-6 takes over escort duties to Balikpapan.
That same day, SATA is attached directly to the Combined Fleet.
13 December 1943:
Arrives at Balikpapan.
16 December 1943:
Departs Balikpapan.
23 December 1943:
Arrives at Seletar Naval Base, Singapore.
31 December 1943:
Departs Seletar.
6 January 1944:
Arrives at Balikpapan.
21 January 1944:
At 0945, SATA departs Balikpapan in convoy O-103 consisting of oilers IRO and JAMBI MARU escorted by patrol boat PB-36 and subchasers CH-37 and CH-41.
23 January 1944:
JAMBI MARU is detached from the convoy and steams to Tarakan.
28 January 1944:
At 1350, SATA, carrying 8,000 tons of fuel oil, arrives at Palau.
31 January 1944:
Departs Palau.
7 February 1944:
Arrives at Truk.
12 February 1944:
SATA departs Truk in convoy 7125 consisting of oilers HISHI MARU No. 2, ammunition ship NICHIRO MARU and cargo ships KAMIKAZE and KITAGAMI MARUs escorted by destroyer HAMANAMI, subchaser CH-30 and auxiliary subchasers TAKUNAN MARU No. 2 and SHONAN MARU No. 5.
17 February 1944:
150 miles NE of Palau. At about 2200, LtCdr Philip W. Garnett's USS SARGO (SS-188) intercepts the convoy. He fires eight torpedoes at SATA by moonlight in a surface attack at 08-50N, 135-50E. Garnett only gets one hit, but it disables SATA. At 2206, he fires two torpedoes that hit ammunition ship NICHIRO MARU. She explodes and sinks immediately.
19 February 1944:
Ammunition ship ARATAMA MARU, that was not part of the convoy, takes SATA under tow and clears the area.
20 February 1944:
Arrives at Palau under tow by ARATAMA MARU.
29 February 1944:
Undergoes repairs.
30 March 1944: American Operation “Desecrate One”:
Palau. The anchorage is attacked by F6F "Hellcats", SBD "Dauntless", TBF "Avenger" and SB2C "Helldivers" of Task Group 58. 1's USS ENTERPRISE (CV-6), BELLEAU WOOD (CVL-24) and COWPENS (CVL-25), TG 58. 2's BUNKER HILL (CV-17), HORNET (CV-12), MONTEREY (CV-26) and CABOT (CVL-28) and TG 58. 3's YORKTOWN (CV-10), LEXINGTON (CV-16), PRINCETON (CVL-23) and LANGLEY (CVL-27).
At 0815, two TBF Avengers from HORNET find and attack SATA anchored in a sheltered lagoon close to Koror, Peleliu. She sustains a torpedo hit. Later that day, she is probably hit or near-missed by several bombs dropped by ENTERPRISE TBFs.
31 March 1944:
At about 0900, SATA is bombed at mast level by two TBFs from LEXINGTON. She suffers two or three hits. SATA capsizes and sinks in deep water and comes to rest upside-down.
10 May 1944:
Removed from the Navy List.
5 March 1947:
Scrapped.
- Bob Hackett and Peter Cundall.
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