SOKAITEI!

© 2005-2007 Bob Hackett and Peter Cundall

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11 December 1937:
Tokyo. Laid down at the Uraga Dock Company.

28 May 1938:
Launched and numbered W-8.

15 February 1939:
Completed and registered in the IJN in the Sasebo Naval District.

1 June 1941:
W-8 is assigned to Vice Admiral Takahashi Ibo's (former CO of KIRISHIMA) Third Fleet's 1st Base Force in MineSweepDiv 21 with W-7, W-9, W-10, W-11 and W-12.

21 September 1941:
Cdr (Rear Admiral, posthumously) Kitamura Masayuki (45) assumes command of MineSweepDiv 21.

27 November 1941:
Departs Sasebo.

4 December 1941:
Arrives at Peleliu, Palau.

8 December 1941:
At 0800, departs Peleliu in Rear Admiral (later Vice Admiral) Kubo Kyuji's (former CO of SUZUYA) Fourth Surprise Attack Unit.

12 December 1941:
At 1200, arrives off Legaspi, Philippines. Participates in its capture.

19 December 1941:
Engages in antisubmarine operation in Lamon Bay, Philippines.

9 January 1942: Operation "H" - The Invasion of Celebes, Netherlands East Indies:
MineSweepDiv 21's W-8, W-7, W-9, W-11 and W-12 depart Davao in Rear Admiral Kubo's 1st Base Force with light cruiser NAGARA, SubChasDiv 1's CH-1, CH-2 and CH-3 and patrol boats P-1, P-2, P-34 escorting eight transports of the Menado, Celebes Seizure convoy carrying Captain (later Vice Admiral) Mori Kunizo's (former CO of SATA) Sasebo No. 1 Combined Special Naval Landing Force (SNLF).

11 January 1942: The Invasion of Menado, Celebes Dutch East Indies:
Rear Admiral Kubo’s 1st Base Force with MineSweepDiv 21, NAGARA, patrol boats and SubChasDiv 1’s CH-1, CH-2 and CH-3 provides escort for the Menado invasion force of eight transports carrying Captain Mori's Sasebo No. 1 Combined SNLF.

21 January 1942:
Escorts the Kendari invasion convoy and conducts minesweeping.

23-24 January 1942: The Invasion of Kendari, Celebes:
MineSweepDiv 21’s W-8, W-12, W-7, W-9 and W-11, DesRon 10’s light cruiser NAGARA, DesDiv 15’s HAYASHIO, KUROSHIO, OYASHIO and NATSUSHIO, DesDiv 16’s TOKITSUKAZE, HATSUKAZE, AMATSUKAZE and YUKIKAZE and SubChasDiv 1’s CH-1 and CH-2 escort Rear Admiral Kubo’s Kendari Invasion Force under consisting of six troop transports carrying Captain (later Vice Admiral) Mori Kunizo’s Sasebo Combined Special Naval Landing Force (SNLF). The 11th Seaplane Tender Division’s CHITOSE and MIZUHO provide distant support.

29 January 1942:
Departs Kendari. Escorts the Ambon, invasion convoy.

31 January 1942: The Invasion of Ambon Island, Moluccas, Netherlands East Indies:
The invasion convoy includes ten transports carrying 820 men of Rear Admiral (later Vice Admiral) Hatakeyama Koichiro's (former CO of KINUGASA) Kure No. 1 SNLF, elements of the Sasebo SNLF and the 228th Infantry Regiment escorted by Rear Admiral Tanaka's DesRon 2’s light cruiser JINTSU, DesDiv 8’s ASASHIO, MICHISHIO, ARASHIO and OSHIO, DesDiv 15’s HAYASHIO, KUROSHIO, OYASHIO and NATSUSHIO, DesDiv 16’s TOKITSUKAZE, HATSUKAZE, AMATSUKAZE and YUKIKAZE, MineSweepDiv 21’s W-8, W-7, W-9, W-11 and W-12 and SubChasDiv 1’s CH-1, CH-2 and CH-3. CHITOSE and MIZUHO arrive at Ceram and provide air cover for the invasion convoy. 6 February 1942: The Invasion of Makassar, Celebes:
MineSweepDiv 21's W-8 and W-7 depart Staring Bay escorting the Makassar Occupation Force consisting of six troop transports carrying Captain Mori’s Sasebo Combined Special Naval Landing Force (SNLF) also escorted by NAGARA, DesDiv 8’s ASASHIO, MICHISHIO, ARASHIO and OSHIO, DesDiv 15’s HAYASHIO, KUROSHIO, OYASHIO and NATSUSHIO, DesDiv 21’s WAKABA, NATSUSHIN and NENOHI and SubChasDiv 2’s CH-13, CH-14 and CH-15.

11 February 1942:
Escorts the Kupan, Timor Seizure convoy.

17 February 1942:
At 0800, nine transports carrying the 228th Infantry Regiment and men of the Yokosuka No. 3 SNLF depart Ambon for Kupang, Dutch Timor. Light cruiser JINTSU provides close escort with the No. 2 Escort Unit's DesDiv 7's USHIO and SAZANAMI, DesDivs 15, 16 and DesDiv 24's UMIKAZE.

18 February 1942:
MineSweepDiv 21's W-7 and W-8, DesDiv 24's KAWAKAZE and YAMAKAZE and a subchaser depart Ambon for Dili, Portugese Timor escorting a second convoy of five transports and fast transports (converted destroyers) P-1, P-2 and the P-34. CruDiv 5's HAGURO and MYOKO, DesDiv 6's INAZUMA and IKAZUCHI and DesDiv 7's AKEBONO provide distant cover. Air cover is provided by seaplane carrier MIZUHO.

19 February 1942:
That night, both convoys arrive off Timor. Operating as part of the American-British-Dutch-Australian ABDA FLOAT, the U. S. Asiatic Fleet's USS PIKE (SS-173) under LtCdr W. New, LtCdr L. Wallace's TARPON (SS-175) and LtCdr B. E. Bacon's PICKEREL (SS-177) make contact with the invasion force.

20 February 1942:
Alor island. At 0243, PIKE attacks what LtCdr New misidentifies as two "light cruisers". The ships, in fact, are W-7 and W-8. New fires two torpedoes from 4,000 yards, but they miss ahead. The minesweepers move out of range before New can set up for another attack.

25 February 1942:
Departs Kendari escorting a convoy to Surabaya, Java.

10 March 1942:
Assigned to the 2nd Southern Expeditionary Fleet’s Special Base Force 21.

25 July 1942:
Participates in the invasion of western New Guinea.

31 August 1942:
Departs Surabaya for Truk escorting a convoy.

1 February 1943:
Departs Truk for Palau escorting a convoy.

14 March 1943:
Departs Palau for Truk escorting a convoy.

26 May 1943:
At 1700, W-8 departs Truk by the north channel with kaibokan OKI and minelayer TOKIWA escorting convoy 4526 consisting of NOTORO and repair ship HAKKAI MARU. After the convoy is at sea for Yokosuka, W-8 returns to Truk.

29 May 1943:
Departs Truk for Surabaya to sweep for mines.

25 August 1943:
Surabaya. Drydocked for repairs.

21 September 1943:
Undocked.

26 September 1943:
Departs Surabaya escorting a convoy.

11 October 1943:
W-8 departs Surabaya escorting RIO DE JANEIRIO MARU.

12 October 1943:
W-8 detaches from RIO DE JANEIRIO MARU and joins a convoy consisting of MANJU MARU (ex-SANTOS MARU) and KUNISHIMA MARU at 05-20S, 108-35E and commences escort. The convoy is proceeding from Singapore to Surabaya.

13 October 1943:
At 1700, arrives at Surabaya.

22 October 1943:
At 0900, W-8 departs Surabaya escorting fleet oiler KAMOI as far as the Banka Straits.

24 February 1944:
At 1522, W-8, W-11 and auxiliary subchaser TAKUNAN MARU No. 3 depart Surabaya escorting RYUSEI and TANGO MARUs to Ambon.

25 February 1944:
25 miles N of Bali Island. At 2045, LtCdr Willard R. Laughon's USS RASHER (SS-269) torpedoes and sinks TANGO MARU at 07-41N, 115-10E. At 2225, Laughon sets up and fires four torpedoes at RYUSEI MARU. He gets three hits and she goes down taking about 5,000 troops and crewmen with her.

26 April 1944:
Departs Surabaya escorting a convoy to Ambon. /P> 30 June 1944:
Escorts a convoy to Makassar, Celebes.

20 September 1944:
Escorts a convoy to Tokai, North Borneo.

E 12 November 1943:
W-12 hands over escort of SENKO MARU from Balikpapan to W-8 at 04-00S, 112-00E. W-12 heads for Surabaya. SENKO MARU and W-8 proceed to Padang.

15 November 1944:
Departs Padang escorting a convoy to Surabaya.

15 August 1945: Cessation of Hostilities:
Surabaya. The crew of W-8 receives notice of the termination of hostilities.

10 July 1946:
Arrives at Keppel Harbor, Singapore.

13 July 1946:
Malacca Straits. Scuttled by the Royal Navy.

10 August 1946:
Removed from the Navy List.

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-Bob Hackett and Peter Cundall.

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