SOKAITEI!

© 2005-2007 Bob Hackett and Peter Cundall

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30 May 1937:
Tokyo. Laid down at Uraga Dockyard.

28 December 1938:
Launched and numbered W-11.

15 July 1939:
Completed and commissioned in the IJN at the Sasebo Naval District.

1 June 1941:
W-11 is assigned to Third Fleet's 1st Base Force in MineSweepDiv 21 with W-7, W-8, W-9, W-10 and W-12.

21 September 1941:
Lt Imamura Kiyoshi assumes command.

21 September 1941:
Cdr (Rear Admiral, posthumously) Kitamura Masayuki (45) assumes command of MineSweepDiv 21.

28 November 1941:
Departs Yokosuka.

3 December 1941:
Arrives at Mako, Pescadores.

7 December 1941:
Departs Mako. Escorts an invasion convoy.

17 December 1941:
Departs Amami O-Shima. Escorts a convoy to Lamon Bay and Davao, Philippines.

9 January 1942: Operation "H" - The Invasion of Celebes, Netherlands East Indies:
MineSweepDiv 21's W-11, W-7, W-8, W-9 and W-12 depart Davao in Rear Admiral Kubo Kuji's 1st Base Force with light cruiser NAGARA, SubChasDiv 1's CH-1, CH-2, CH-3 and patrol boats PB-1, PB-2 and PB-34 escorting eight transports carrying Captain (later Vice Admiral) Mori Kunizo's (former CO of SATA) Sasebo No. 1 Combined Special Naval Landing Force (SNLF).

21 January 1942:
Escorts the Kendari invasion convoy and conducts minesweeping.

23-24 January 1942: The Invasion of Kendari, Celebes:
MineSweepDiv 21’s W-11, W-7, W-8, W-9 and W-12, DesRon 10’s light cruiser NAGARA, DesDiv 15’s HAYASHIO, KUROSHIO, OYASHIO and NATSUSHIO, DesDiv 16’s TOKITSUKAZE, HATSUKAZE, AMATSUKAZE and YUKIKAZE, and Subchaser Div 1’s CH-1 and CH-2 escort Rear Admiral Kubo’s Kendari Invasion Force under consisting of six troop transports carrying Captain (later Vice Admiral) Mori Kunizo’s Sasebo Combined Special Naval Landing Force (SNLF). The 11th Seaplane Tender Division’s CHITOSE and MIZUHO provide distant support.

29 January 1942:
Departs Kendari. Escorts the Ambon, invasion convoy.

31 January 1942: The Invasion of Ambon Island, Netherlands East Indies:
MineSweepDiv 21, including W-11, SubChasDiv 1 and patrol boats PB-34 and PB-39 escort the invasion convoy that includes ten transports carrying 820 men of Rear Admiral (later Vice Admiral) Hatakeyama Kouichiro's (former CO of KINUGASA) Kure No. 1 SNLF, elements of the Sasebo SNLF and the 228th Infantry Regiment.

Additional escort is provided by Rear Admiral Tanaka's light cruiser JINTSU, DesDiv 8, DesDiv 15 and DesDiv 16. Cover is provided by CruDiv 5's NACHI and HAGURO, DesDiv 6's IKAZUCHI and DesDiv 7's USHIO and SAZANAMI. Air cover is provided by CarDiv 11's MIZUHO and CHITOSE.

2 February 1942:
Ambon Bay. While minesweeping, W-11 sets off a mine that damages her stern. That day, Rear Admiral Hatakeyama's troops capture Laha airfield. A few days later, Hatakeyama orders the execution of Dutch and Australian POWs. [1]

10 March 1942:
Surabaya, Java. W-11 is assigned to the 2nd Southern Expeditionary Fleet's Special Base Force 21 with W-8 and W-12. That same day, she completes repairs.

20 April 1942:
Departs Ambon to escort a convoy.

24 April 1942:
Arrives at Surabaya, then escorts a convoy.

30 June 1942:
Lt Hirano Yorozu assumes command.

17 July 1942:
Departs Surabaya.

5 August 1942:
Arrives at Sasebo. Drydocked. Undergoes battle-damage repairs.

24 October 1942:
Undocked.

28 November 1942:
Departs Sasebo.

27 December 1942:
Arrives at Surabaya.

2 January 1943:
Departs Surabaya escorting a convoy to Timor. Also performs mine sweeping duties.

7 August 1943:
Departs Surabaya to escort a convoy.

October 1943:
An unknown officer assumes command.

26 November 1943:
W-11 and W-12 depart Ambon for Surabaya escorting SUEZ MARU carrying 1,102 mostly sick British and Dutch POW's as well as sick and wounded Japanese soldiers. SUEZ MARU also carries a damaged E13A1 "Jake" float plane on her fore deck that is scheduled for repairs by the No. 102 Repair Depot at Surabaya. Enroute, reports are received of American air dropped magnetic mines in Surabaya's harbor.

27 November 1943:
W-11 is detached and heads due west. Two days later, SUEZ MARU is torpedoed and sinks with great loss of life. W-12's crew massacre the surviving POW's.

28 November 1943:
Arrives at Kendari, Celebes.

3 February 1944:
Departs Surabaya then escorts a convoy to Ambon.

24 February 1944:
At 1522, W-11, W-8 and auxiliary subchaser TAKUNAN MARU No. 3 depart Surabaya escorting RYUSEI and TANGO MARUs (ex-Dutch TOENJOEK) to Ambon. [2]

25 February 1944:
25 miles N of Bali Island. At 2045, LtCdr Willard R. Laughon's USS RASHER (SS-269) torpedoes and sinks TANGO MARU at 07-41N, 115-10E. The ship sinks with over 3,000 men most of them romusha, Indonesian indentured laborers. [2]

At 2225, that same day, LtCdr Laughon sets up and fires four torpedoes at RYUSEI MARU. Laughon gets three hits and she goes down at 07-55N, 115-15E. The casualties are 4,998 killed, a mixture of soldiers and romusha [3].

12 June 1944:
Arrives at Surabaya.

26 June 1944:
At 1300, W-11 departs Surabaya for Kotabaru, Borneo escorting TAI MARU, TORA MARU No. 1 and oilers ENOSHIMA and YOSEI MARUs and HISHI MARU No. 2. At 2039, anchors at Menpa before proceeding.

28 June 1944:
At 0915, YOSEI MARU incurs engine trouble and straggles.

29 June 1944:
At 2003, reaches mouth of Laut River.

30 June 1944:
Arrives at Kotabaru, N Laut Island.

14 August 1944:
At 1000, W-11 departs Surabaya escorting IKUTAGAWA MARU (ex Italian CALITEA II), KIMIKAWA MARU and German supply ship BOGOTA to Makassar, Celebes. At 2030, KIMIKAWA MARU and BOGOTA detach and steam independently.

15 August 1944:
At 1220, anchors N of Petan Lighthouse leaving at 2110.

16 August 1944:
At 1800, arrives at Makassar.

25 August 1944:
W-11 departs Surabaya escorting a convoy consisting of TENCHO MARU and oiler KORYU MARU. At 1800 anchors at Probolinggo.

26 August 1944:
At 0100, departs Probolinggo.

29 August 1944:
At 1835, arrives at Bima, NE Sumbawa.

17 September 1944:
At 0833, W-11 departs Surabaya escorting ex-seaplane tender SANUKI MARU and IKUTAGAWA MARU No. 2 to Makassar.

18 September 1944:
At 1600, the convoy arrives safely at Makassar.

15 December 1944:
At 0852, W-11 departs Surabaya with W-103, subchaser CH-2 and auxiliary subchaser CHa-36 escorting convoy SUBA-02 consisting of KITA, KENZAN, TOKUYAMA MARUs and NANSHIN MARUs No. 12 and No. 16.

19 December 1944:
At 0947, W-11 and subchaser CH-2 are ordered to join another convoy and are detached.

February 1945:
Lt Kikuchi Takeshi assumes command.

6 February 1945:
At 0700, W-11, patrol boat PB-2 and auxiliary subchaser CHa-104 depart Surabaya escorting the Suiten Maru convoy consisting of SUITEN, SUGI and KENZAN MARUs and NANSHIN MARU No. 12.

9 February 1945:
At 1600, the convoy arrives safely at Balikpapan. SUGI and KENZAN MARUs had detached for Makassar prior to this time.

28 March 1945:
Off Makassar. W-11 is attacked by 13th Air Force B-24 "Liberator" heavy bombers and sunk at 05-06S, 119-14E.

10 May 1945:
Removed from the Navy List.

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Authors' Notes:
[1] Vice Admiral Hatakeyama is KIA in China in Jan '45.

[2] By an incredible coincidence, a second TANGO MARU, also a captured Dutch ship ( former tanker TALANG AKAR) had been sunk by RASHER on 8 November 1943. Thus, the same submarine sank the only two vessels of the same name, both of which had been captured from the Dutch.

[3] The combined total of these two sinkings by RASHER exceeds the German WILHELM GUSTLOFF's 7,700 deaths, the worst seagoing disaster in history.

Thanks go to Mr. Aki of Japan and Matthew Jones of Ohio for help in identifying COs.

-Bob Hackett and Peter Cundall.

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