SOKAITEI!

© 2005-2009 Bob Hackett and Peter Cundall

1942:
Yokohama. Laid down at Mitsubishi’s shipyard.

1942:
Launched and numbered W-26.

31 March 1943:
Completed and commissioned in the IJN. Lt Ozato Ikuya is the CO.

2 July 1943:
At 1000, W-26 and auxiliary subchasers CHa-5 and CHa-12 depart Yokosuka for Truk via Saipan escorting convoy No. 3702B consisting of MANJU, HIYOSHI, TAKUNAN and CHIYO MARUs.

3 July 1943:
Near Aogashima. At 0530, W-26 is detached from the convoy and reverses course.

6 October 1943:
Near Kavieng, New Ireland. W-26 conducts an anti-submarine sweep. She is relieved by TOSHI MARU Maru No. 3 and returns to Rabaul, New Britain. [1]

31 October 1943:
At 0830, W-26 joins oiler KOKUYO MARU at sea and escorts her to Rabaul.

1 November 1943:
At 0345, USN codebreakers intercept and decrypt a message from W-26 that reads:“At 0045 at point bearing 315 degrees, 22 miles from Elizabeth Reef a large type enemy plane bombed us from about 50 meters off the port beam. One man badly wounded, three slightly wounded and slight damage to hull. Uncertain of details. KOKO MARU was not damaged.”

2 November 1943:
Rabaul. In the morning, 75 North American B-25 "Mitchell" medium bombers of the 5th Air Force's 3rd, 38th and 345th Bomb Groups, escorted by 70 P-38 "Lightning" fighters raid airfields and Simpson Harbor. Stores ship MANKO MARU is sunk. CruDiv 5’s HAGURO and MYOKO, destroyer SHIRATSUYU, sub tender CHOGEI, repair ship YAMABIKO MARU, transport HOKUYO MARU, stores ship HAYASAKI and W-26 are damaged in the raid. W-26 is beached to prevent her loss.

7 November 1943:
At 1520, USN codebreakers intercept and decrypt a message from the CO of W-26 regarding the 2 November air attack on Rabaul that reads: “Damage sustained. Hull damage from near misses. Flooding engine rooms, etc. and I am unable to move. Was towed to beach to keep from sinking.”

23 November 1943:
W-26, subchaser CH-16 and two auxiliary subchasers depart Rabaul for Truk escorting NIKKAI and WAYO MARUs.

26 November 1943:
Carolines. At 1647, LtCdr Brooks J. Harral's USS RAY (SS-271) fires six torpedoes at NIKKAI MARU. Four hit and sink her in less than three minutes.

28 November 1943:
The rest of the convoy arrives at Truk.

17 February 1944:
Karavia Bay, near Rabaul. USN SBD dive-bombers and TBF torpedo-bombers attack shipping in the bay and sink W-26, cargo ship IWATE MARU and guardboat FUKU MARU No. 2.

30 April 1944:
Removed from the Navy List.

1958:
Karavia Bay. W-26 is cut up for scrap by Nanyo Boeki Kaisha.

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Authors' Notes:
It seems probable W-26 was used less for convoy escort and more to carry out offensive anti-submarine patrols from Rabaul. This would account for the few records found of her escorting convoys.

Thanks go to Matthew Jones of Ohio for information on the CO. Thanks also go to John Whitman of the USA for info on CNO intercepts of Japanese messages.

-Bob Hackett and Peter Cundall.

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