SOKAITEI!

© 2005-2006 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 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.

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.

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.

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.

16 April 1944:
W-5, auxiliary minesweepers Wa-105 and auxiliary NITTO MARU No. 17 depart Wasili, Halmahera 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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