©2010 Bob Hackett and Sander Kingsepp
11 September 1928:
A projected river gunboat is named ATAMI.
6 November 1928:
Tamano. Laid down Mitsui Zosensho.
30 March 1929:
Launched.
30 June 1929:
Completed. Registered in the Sasebo Naval District. Initial CO unknown.
Departs Tamano for Sasebo. Later, navigates to Shanghai under her own power.
1 December 1930:
LtCdr (later Rear Admiral) Kojima Hideo (44) is
appointed CO.
18 September 1931: The "Mukden Incident":
Liutiaohu, about 25 miles
from Mukden (now Shenyang), the capital of Manchuria. Japanese soldiers detonate
an explosive on the Japanese-owned Southern Manchurian Railway. Chinese soldiers
retaliate with gunfire. The Japanese Kwantung Army reinforces their troops and
settles the conflict. The Japanese continue N to Mukden, attack the city and win
control the next day. The “Mukden Incident” is the beginning of the Pacific War.
10 March 1932:
LtCdr Fukuda Isamu (44) (former CO of OITE) is posted CO.
1 December 1932:
Cdr (later Vice Admiral) Kimura Masatomi (41)
is appointed CO.
10 March 1934:
Cdr (later Vice Admiral, posthumously) Monzen Tei (42) is appointed
CO. In a change-of-command swap, Cdr Kimura is posted CO of ASAGIRI.
21 October 1935:
LtCdr (later Rear Admiral, posthumously) Kase Saburo (44) is
appointed CO.
15 November 1935:
LtCdr Kase is promoted Cdr.
1 June 1937:
LtCdr Mori Keisaku (49) (former CO of MINEKAZE) is appointed CO.
7 July 1937: The Marco Polo Bridge (The"First China Incident") Incident:
Hun River, Lukuokiao (Peking), China. Japanese troops at the bridge fire blank cartridges during night maneuvers. Chinese troops fire back. Later, the Japanese discover a soldier missing. They demand entry to the Peking (Beijing) suburb of Wanping to look for him, but the Chinese refuse. The Japanese shell the city and an undeclared war on China begins.
July 1937:
Japanese residents in the Yangtze River area are guarded by
the forces of Rear Admiral (later Vice Admiral) Tanimoto Umataro’s (35) 11th Gunboat Division
including ATAMI based in Kiukiang.
29 July 1937:
The Japanese capture the ancient Imperial Chinese capital of Peking (now Beijing).
30 July 1937:
Departs Kure for Shanghai as the new flagship of the 11th Gunboat Division under Rear Admiral (later Vice Admiral) Tanimoto Umataro (35) )(former CO of CHOKAI) , replacing minelayer YAEYAMA.
July-early August 1937:
The 11th Gunboat Division evacuates Japanese civilians from the interior to Shanghai.
13 August 1937: The Second Battle of Shanghai
Shanghai. At 0900, more than 10,000 Japanese troops enter the suburbs. Fighting begins in the Zhabei, Wusong and Jiangwan districts. ATAKA and the 11th Gunboat Division put ashore Special Naval Landing Force (SNLF) reinforcements. At 1600, warships of Vice Admiral (later Admiral) Hasegawa Kiyoshi’s (31)(former CO of NAGATO) 3rd Fleet in the Huangpu (Whangpoa) and Yangtze Rivers begin bombarding Chinese shore positions.
14 August 1937: "Bloody Saturday":
Shanghai. Flagship USS AUGUSTA (CA-31), carrying Admiral Harry E. Yarnell (former CO of SARATOGA, CV-3), CINC, U.S. Asiatic Fleet, arrives from Tsingtao and anchors in the Huangpu River. That same day, the Chinese Air Force (CAF), under retired Captain (later LtGen) Claire L. Chennault, launches aircraft to attack IJN flagship IZUMO and the Japanese fleet. The CAF mistakenly bombs British cruiser HMS CUMBERLAND, but their bombs fall wide. Two bombs also fall close alongside AUGUSTA, but no one is killed. Other CAF fliers also bomb Shanghai city, killing more than 1,700 civilians and wounding 1800 others.
19 August 1937:
In view of the increasing danger, it is decided to repatriate Shanghai’s Japanese women and children. About 20,000 of the total 30,000 residents are successively returned home.
23 August 1937:
50 km NE of Shanghai. The IJN lands General Matsui Iwane's 3rd, 8th, and 11th Divisions at Chuanshakou, Shizilin, and Baoshan under the cover of the 3rd Fleet's guns. The IJN also makes other large-scale landings of Matsui's troops at Liuhe, Wusong and Chuanshakou.
15 October 1939:
LtCdr Yamagamachi Tetsuo (51) is appointed CO.
25 October 1937:
Chinese troops begin withdrawl from parts of Shanghai.
5-12 November 1937: - The Fall of Shanghai:
S of Shanghai. The IJN lands the IJA 10th Army in Jinshanwei, nearly unopposed. On 8 November, Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek issues an order for a general retreat. By 12 November, Shanghai is cleared of Chinese troops. On 26 November, the Chinese Army fall backs to the capital of Nanjing (Nanking); thus the battle for Shanghai lasted three months.
15 November 1939:
ATAMI is attached to the renamed Third Fleet, 11
Squadron.
1 December 1937:
Rear Admiral (later Vice Admiral) Kondo Eijiro (36)(former CO of KAGA) is appointed CO of the 11th Gunboat Division.
15 December 1939:
LtCdr (later Captain) Kumabe Tsutae (50) is appointed CO.
Ca. 1940:
Rearmed with one 3.1-inch/40 cal. and five Type 96 25mm AAA.
15 October 1940:
LtCdr Fukusumi Juozo (55) is appointed CO.
20 August 1941:
LtCdr (later Cdr) Araki Masaomi (56) is appointed CO.
August 1942:
Attached to the First China Expeditionary Fleet, China Area Fleet
20 October 1942:
Shanghai. While undergoing servicing in the Kangnam
Shipbuilding factory, one of ATAMI’s boilers explodes.
26 March 1943:
An unknown officer is posted CO. LtCdr Araki is posted CO of ISONAMI.
June 1943:
Cdr Kamisawa Takeshi is appointed CO.
10 June 1943:
ATAMI is damaged by Chinese aircraft that bomb and
strafe her near Tung Ting Lake, China. Later, she undergoes repairs at Shanghai.
20 August 1943:
Attached to the Yangtze Special Base Force, China Area
Fleet.
1 October 1944:
ATAMI and sister ship FUTAMI are attached to Captain
Onishi Yuzi 's (57) Shinpen Corps gunboat fleet under command of the China Area
Fleet.
1945:
ATAMI’s guns are removed and shipped ashore for use as land defenses.
15 August 1945:
At Shanghai. Notice is received of the termination of the war.
September 1945:
Ceded to the Republic of China as a war reparation.
Renamed YUNG PING.
30 September 1945:
Removed from the Navy List.
1949:
Afer the Chinese civil war, is surrendered to the Communists and
given an unknown new name by the People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN).
1960s:
Scrapped.
Author's Notes:
Thanks go to Matthew Jones for help in identifying COs.
-Bob Hackett and Sander Kingsepp
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