SOKAITEI!
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(W-19 Class Minesweeper by Takeshi Yuki scanned from "Color Paintings of
Japanese Warships")
IJN Minesweeper W-13:
Tabular Record of Movement
© 2005-2006 Bob Hackett and Peter Cundall
22 December 1931:
Osaka. Laid down at Fujinaga shipyard.
30 March 1933:
Launched and numbered W-13.
31 August 1933:
Completed and registered in the Kure Naval District.
10 June 1941:
W-13 is assigned to Rear Admiral (later Vice Admiral) Hirose Sueto's (former CO of AOBA) 2nd Base Force of Vice Admiral Takahashi Ibo's (36) (former CO of KIRISHIMA) Third Fleet.
26 November 1941:
Departs Sasebo.
29 November 1941:
Arrives at Takao.
7 December 1941:The Attack on the Philippines:
Takao, Formosa. Assigned to Rear Admiral (later Vice Admiral) Hirose Sueto's (former CO of AOBA) 2nd Base Force. Departs Takao. Participates in the capture of Batan island.
17 December 1941:
Departs Takao. Escorts the invasion convoy to
Lingayen Gulf.
22 December 1941:
Arrives at Lingayen Gulf. Conducts mine sweeping.
31 December 1941:
Departs Takao. Escorts convoys.
5 January 1942:
Arrives at Davao.
7 January 1942: The Invasion of Dutch Borneo:
Rear Admiral Hirose’s Tarakan Occupation Force departs Davao. Hirose's force include MineSweepDiv 11’s
W-13, W-14, W-15, W-16, MineSweepDiv 30’s W-17and W-18, SubChasDiv 31’s CH-10, CH-11 and CH-12, patrol boats P-36, P-37 and P-38 and other auxiliary ships.
The Tarakan invasion convoy includes Army transports TSURUGA, LIVERPOOL, HAVANA, KURETAKE,
NICHIAI, HITERU, TEIRYU, HANKOW and EHIME MARUs carrying MajGen Sakaguchi Shizuo’s 56th Mixed Infantry Group and the Kure No. 2 Special Naval Landing Force (SNLF) and Navy transports KUNIKAWA, KANO, KAGU, KOKUYO and RAKUTO MARUs. The convoy’s escort is provided by Rear Admiral (later Vice Admiral) Nishimura Shoji’s DesRon 4’s light cruiser NAKA with DesDiv 2’s HARUSAME, SAMIDARE, YUDACHI and MURUSAME, DesDiv 9’s ASAGUMO and MINEGUMO, NATSUGUMO and DesDiv 24’s UMIKAZE, KAWASKAZE, YAMAKAZE and SUZUKAZE. The 21st Air Flotilla’s tenders SANUKI and SANYO MARUs provide air cover .
10 January 1942:
Arrives at Tarakan. Conducts mine sweeping and patrols the peripheral sea area
11 January 1942:
Rear Admiral Hirose's Force invades Tarakan, Borneo.
12 January 1942:
Karungan, Borneo. Rear Admiral Hirose’s forces are warned that the Dutch coastal artillery battery at the south end of the island may not be aware of the Dutch offer to surrender. Hirose’s force is cautioned that "it would be dangerous to proceed to the Tarakan pier", but the warning is ignored. Six minesweepers enter the bay and are fired on by the Dutch battery. W-13 and W-14 are hit by 4.7 inch shells and sink with most of their crews. In reprisal, the Japanese execute 219 men of the gun crews.
31 January 1942:
Rerated a Reserve warship, fourth class.
30 November 1945:
Removed from the Navy List.
-Bob Hackett and Peter Cundall.
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