SOKAITEI!

© 2005-2009 Bob Hackett and Peter Cundall

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25 March 1928:
Tamano. Laid down at the Mitsui Co., Ltd. shipbuilding yard.

30 October 1928:
Launched and numbered W-5.

25 February 1929:
Completed and registered in the Yokosuka Naval District.

1 November 1929:
Lt Kitamura Masayuki assumes command.

1 December 1930:
Lt Kitamura is promoted LtCdr.

12 October 1931:
An unknown officer assumes command.

1 December 1932:
Lt (Rear Admiral, posthumously) Kenma Osugu (48) assumes command.

20 May 1933:
An unknown officer assumes command.

1 November 1933:
Lt Shirahama Masashichi

15 November 1933:
Lt Shirahama is promoted LtCdr.

1 November 1934:
An unknown officer assumes command.

26 February 1937:
Lt Kajiwara Masami assumes command.

11 July 1938:
LtCdr Tomita Sutezo assumes command.

28 July 1938:
An unknown officer assumes command.

1 November 1941:
Assigned to Vice Admiral Ozawa Jisaburo's South Expeditionary Fleet in Rear Admiral (later Vice Admiral) Hiraoka Kumeichi's (former CO of HIEI) 9th Base Force, both based at Camranh Bay, Indochina.

8 November 1941:
Departs Kure.

17 November 1941:
Arrives at Sana, Hainan Island.

2 December 1941:
Departs Sana.

E 3 December 1941:
Arrives at Pulo Condore Island, Indochina.

5 December 1941:
Departs Pulo Condore Island.

7 December 1941:
At 2340, arrives off Singora, Siam (Thailand). Thereafter, supports the invasion.

12 February 1942: Operation "T" - The Invasions of Northern Sumatra and Sabang:
W-5 participates in the invasions of Banka and Palembang, Sumatra.

January 1942:
Kaibokan SHIMUSHU receives a signal from Vice Admiral Ozawa Jisaburo's First Southern Expeditionary Fleet's flagship CHOKAI that orders the kaibokan to locate the wreck of British battleship HMS PRINCE OF WALES sunk off Kuantan, Malaya by IJN aircraft on 10 December.

29 January 1942:
South China Sea, E of Malaya. SHIMUSHU, escorted by minesweepers W-5, W-1, W-2, W-3 and W-4, locates the wreck of British battlecruiser HMS REPULSE and marks it with a buoy.

1 February 1942:
SHIMUSHU reports locating the wreck of PRINCE OF WALES at a depth of 60 meters. The site is marked with a buoy and the IJN ships are recalled.

18 February 1942: Operation "J" - The Invasion of Java, Netherlands East Indies:
W-4 is in Rear Admiral (later Vice Admiral) Hirose Sueto's (former CO of AOBA) 2nd Base Force's 1st MinesweepDiv 1 with W-5, W-1, W-2 and W-3 of Vice Admiral Takahashi Ibo's Third Fleet, Southern Force, Netherlands East Indies Force.

21 February 1942:
Java. Conducts anti-submarine operations.

8 March 1942:
MinesweepDiv 1 and DesRon 3's DesDiv 10 and DesDiv 20 depart Singapore escorting four invasion transport ships to North Sumatra.

12 March 1942: Operation "T" - The Seizure of North Sumatra:
Sweeps for mines and covers troop landings at Kutaradja and Sabang.

20 March 1942: Operation "D" - The Invasion of the Andaman Islands:
Conducts minesweeping prepatory to the invasion.

31 March 1942:
Arrives at Seletar Naval Base, Singapore.

21 April 1942:
Drydocked.

26 April 1942:
Undocked. Conducts mine sweeping in the Singapore area.

20 May 1942:
Assigned to the Sasebo Naval District.

26 May 1942:
Departs Seletar. Escorts a convoy.

11 June 1942:
Arrives at Sasebo.

1 July 1942:
Departs Sasebo. Patrols the Okuma archipelago.

15 July 1942:
Assigned to the Osaka patrol unit. Conducts patrols in the Kii Straits area.

31 August 1942:
Reassigned to the Sasebo Naval District.

8 September 1942:
Departs Sasebo. Escorts a convoy.

6 December 1942:
W-5 and W-3 depart Sasebo escorting an unnumbered convoy consisting of KAGU and NANKAI MARUs bound for Rabaul.

7 December 1942:
At 1700, the minesweepers depart. KAGU and NANKAI MARUs proceed unescorted.

1 April 1943:
Reassigned to the Yokosuka Guard Unit.

4 April 1943:
Departs Sasebo.

11 April 1943:
Arrives at Yokosuka.

22 April 1943:
Departs Yokosuka. Escorts a convoy.

22 May 1943:
Arrives at Yokosuka. Drydocked.

2 June 1943:
Undocked.

July 1943:
Lt Ichihashi Tsutomu assumes command.

1 December 1943:
Reassigned to Vice Admiral (Admiral, posthumously) Yamagata Seigo's (39)(former CO of ARIAKE) 4th Southern Expeditionary Fleet's Special Base Force 26.

21 December 1943:
Departs Yokosuka. Escorts a convoy between Manila and Davao.

29 December 1943:
At 1500, W-5 , W-4 and destroyer ASAGAO depart Moji for Takao, Formosa escorting convoy No. 125 consisting of SEINAN and KOKKO MARUs.

4 January 1944:
At 0932, arrives at Takao.

6 January 1944:
At 0900, W-5, W-4 depart Takao to Manila and Halmahera Island, Moluccas escorting Rinji (Special) convoy "S" consisting of SEINAN, KOSHIN, YAMAMIYA and WAHO MARUs.

9 January 1944:
At 1000, arrives at Manila. SEINAN, KOSHIN and WAHO MARUs leave the convoy.

12 January 1944:
W-5 and W-4 depart Manila for Halmahera escorting convoy H-13 consisting of YAMAMIYA and KAZUURA MARUs and SHINSEI MARU No. 5.

17 January 1944:
At 0704, arrives at Davao. SHINSEI MARU No. 5 leaves the convoy.

19 January 1944:
Departs Davao.

31 January 1944:
Arrives at Halmahera.

1 April 1944:
W-5 departs Davao escorting convoy H-22 consisting of MITO and HINO MARU No. 1 and probably others.

3 April 1944:
Arrives at Kau, Halmahera.

13 April 1944:
Departs Kau. Arrives at Wasili, , Halmahera.

16 April 1944:
W-5, auxiliary minesweepers Wa-105 and auxiliary NITTO MARU No. 17 depart Wasili for Ambon, Moluccas escorting a convoy consisting of MITO, TENCHO and TATSUJU MARUs and HINO MARU No. 1. At 0153, LtCdr Byron H. Nowell's USS PADDLE (SS-263) torpedoes and sinks HINO MARU No. 1. At 0156, PADDLE torpedoes MITO MARU that sinks shortly thereafter. The escorts counterattack PADDLE, but without effect.

7 July 1944:
Departs Davao for Ambon.

11 July 1944:
At 0900, W-5 and subchaser CH-60 depart Kau, Halmahera Island escorting a convoy consisting of HAMBURG, NARRUO, CLYDE, CHINKAI MARUs and SHINSEI MARU No. 5.

13 July 1944:
At 1830, the convoy arrives Bitung NE Celebes.

16 July 1944:
At 0730, W-5, W-6 and CH-60 depart Bitung escorting a convoy consisting of CELEBES, TAIIAN, TAIKAI and TOYO MARUs. At some point, W-5 is detached for Halmahera Island.

19 July 1944:
At noon, W-5 and coast defense vessel CD-53 depart Kau, Halmahera escorting a convoy consisting of SHINTAI MARU and NITTO MARU No. 18.

24 July 1944:
At 1645, the convoy arrives at Ambon.

6 August 1944:
At 1500, W-5, auxiliary minesweepers Wa-3 and Wa-104 and auxiliary NITTO MARU No. 18. depart Kau, Halmahera escorting a convoy consisting of SHOEI and TOSHO MARUs.

6 August 1944:
At 1500, the convoy arrives at Ambon.

7 September 1944:
Arrives at Surabaya.

19 September 1944:
Arrives at Singapore.

1 October 1944:
Reassigned to Vice Admiral Tayui Minoru's (39)(former CO of HYUGA) 1st Southern Expeditionary Fleet's 10th Base Force.

3 October 1944:
Drydocked.

11 October 1944:
Undocked.

29 October 1944:
Departs Singapore on transport duty.

4 November 1944:
Malacca Strait. Lt. R.H.H. Brunner's Royal Navy submarine HMS TERRAPIN torpedoes and sinks W-5 at 03-44N, 99-50E.

10 March 1945:
Removed from the Navy List.

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-Bob Hackett and Peter Cundall.

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