SOKAITEI!
W-21 (W-19 class) scanned from Gakken, V. 45
IJN Minesweeper W-24:
Tabular Record of Movement
© 2009 Bob Hackett and Peter Cundall
5 February 1942:
Aioi. Laid down at Harima Zosensho, K. K.
26 September 1942:
Launched and numbered W-24.
25 January 1943:
Completed and registered in the IJN.
8 March 1943:
At 0800, W-24 departs Muroran escorting convoy No. 2308 for Tokyo consisting of KENAN, FUKUJU, SHINFUKU, HISAJIMA, HOKUYO, KONZAN and ATAKA MARUs. The convoy formed up off Kobusaki, KONZAN MARU arriving from Kobusho and HISAJIMA MARU from Hakodate, Hokkaido. From 1400, minelayer SHIRAKAMI and auxiliary KEISHU MARU No. 3 provided distant cover. At 1645, LtCdr Wreford G. Chapple's USS PERMIT (SS-178) torpedoes and sinks HISAJIMA MARU at 41-16N 141-29E. HOKUYO MARU rescues survivors and proceeds to Hachinohe, Hokkaido. The rest of the convoy retreats to Yamada Port.
21 March 1943:
At 0733, W-24 departs Muroran escorting convoy No. 2321 consisting of SHOZAN MARU (from Kobusho), KOWA (bound for Yokohama), GOZAN MARUs (bound for Shibaura) and SHIGANOURA MARU (bound for Kawasaki) and SEIRYU MARU (from Kobusho bound for Hakodate and Nagoya), SHINFUKU and FUKI MARUs (bound for Shibaura) and BANEI MARU No. 15 (bound for Hakodate and Shiogama).
24 March 1943:
At 0530, arrives at Kunisaki where convoy is dissolved.
5 September 1943:
At 1543, arrives at Odomari.
2 January 1944:
W-24 departs Truk for Yokosuka escorting convoy No. 4102 consisting of repair ship YAMABIKO MARU and cargo ships KEIYO and YAMAKUNI MARUs escorted by destroyer ASAKAZE, kaibokan MANJU and cable layer HATSUSHIMA.
10 January 1944:
185 miles NW of Torishima, Ogasawara (Bonin Islands). At about
0600, in typhoon weather conditions, LtCdr David L. Whelchel's USS STEELHEAD (SS-280) fires four torpedoes in a night surface radar attack and hits YAMABIKO MARU in the engine room. YAMAKUNI MARU takes YAMABIKO MARU in tow.
14 January 1944:
NW of Hachijo-Jima. At about 0040, Captain (later Rear Admiral) Karl G. Hensel's USS SWORDFISH (SS-280) torpedoes and sinks YAMAKUNI MARU. Shortly thereafter, YAMABIKO MARU also sinks. The escorts drop 24 depth charges and damage SWORDFISH, but Hensel manages to escape.
E 17 January 1944:
Arrives at Yokosuka.
21 February 1944:
Tokyo Bay. W-24 and W-25 depart Yokohama Sea for Saipan escorting convoy No. 4420 consisting of KUMANOYAMA, KIMISHIMA and KOYO MARUs and two unidentified ships.
23 February 1944:
At 1226, LtCdr Raymond H. Bass' USS PLUNGER (SS-179) torpedoes KIMISHIMA MARU at 30-11N, 140-49E.
A 1445, she sinks. The escorts counter-attack and drop 45 DCs, but PLUNGER suffers only slight damage.
That same day, subchaser CH-42 joins the escort from Chichi-Jima, but at 2240, LtCdr Charles O. Triebel's USS SNOOK (SS-279) torpedoes and sinks KOYO MARU at 28-49N, 141-13E. CH-42 rescues 142 survivors.
24 February 1944:
At 0900, KUMANOYAMA MARU is hit in the stern by a dud torpedo fired by an unknown submarine.
At 1800, the convoy arrives at Chichi-Jima.
10 August 1944:
At 1804, W-24 departs Wakkanai, Hokkaido for Oha, Karafuto (Sakhalin) Island with kaibokan FUKUE escorting convoy KIRA-003 consisting of MANJU, KOSHO and MAYACHI MARUs.
12 August 1944:
At about 2300, LtCdr (later Captain) Stephen H. Gimber‘s USS POMPON
(SS-267) torpedoes and sinks MAYACHI MARU at 50-35N, 144-02E.
14 August 1944:
Convoy KIRA-003 arrives at Oha. Unloads and departs Oha at 2315.
22 August 1944:
Convoy No. KIRA-003 arrives at Wakkanai.
30 August 1944:
At 0550, W-24 departs Wakkanai escorting convoy KI-002 consisting of HOSHI MARU No. 1 and KOKAI MARU. Soon after departing, KOKAI MARU is detached for Nemuro.
15 July 1945:
Tsugaru Strait. Vice Admiral (later Admiral) John S. McCain’s Task Force 38 planes attack and sink W-24 at 41-38N, 141-00E.
10 September 1945:
Removed from the Navy List.
Authors' Note:
Photo credit goes to Gakken via J. Ed Low.
-Bob Hackett and Peter Cundall.
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