Denran Fusetsutei!
(HASHIMA-class cable-layer HASHIMA at completion on 25 Oct
‘40)
IJN Cable-Layer HATSUSHIMA:
Tabular Record of Movement
© 2011 Bob Hackett and Sander Kingsepp
15 October 1939:
Kobe. Laid down at Kawasaki Shipbuilding as a 1564-ton
(standard) HATSUSHIMA-class cable-layer.
1940:
Launched and named HATSUSHIMA. [1]
25 October 1940:
Completed and registered in the Yokosuka Naval
District.
1 January 1941:
Attached to the Yokosuka Guard Force. Engages in mine
laying.
1943-1944:
At an unknown date and place, HATSUSHIMA is converted to a
minelayer. Two Type 2 depth charge throwers are fitted and her mine storage
capacity is increased from 12 to 120 Type 93 mines. Her armament is increased by
the addition of six Type 96 25-mm AA guns.
1 January 1944:
HATSUSHIMA departs Truk for Yokosuka with destroyer
ASAKAZE, kaibokan MANJU and minesweeper W-24 escorting convoy No. 4102
consisting of repair ship YAMABIKO MARU and cargo ships KEIYO and YAMAKUNI
MARUs.
10 January 1944:
185 miles NW of Torishima, Ogasawara (Bonin Islands).
At about 0600, in typhoon weather conditions, LtCdr David L. Whelchel's USS
STEELHEAD (SS-280) fires four torpedoes in a night surface radar attack and hits YAMABIKO MARU in the engine room. YAMAKUNI MARU takes YAMABIKO MARU in tow.
14 January 1944:
NW of Hachijo-Jima. At about 0040, Captain (later Rear
Admiral) Karl G. Hensel's USS SWORDFISH (SS-280) torpedoes and sinks YAMAKUNI
MARU. Shortly thereafter, YAMABIKO MARU also sinks. The escorts drop 24 depth
charges and damage SWORDFISH, but Hensel manages to escape.
E 17 January 1944:
Arrives at Yokosuka.
28 April 1945:
Off Kii Suido, SSE of Mikizaki, Honshu. At about 0732, LtCdr George E. Porter’s USS SENNET (SS-408) fires two Mark-18 electric torpedoes and gets two hits that blow HATSUSHIMA’s bow off, but she does not sink. At 0747, Porter fires a Mark-23 steam torpedo to finish her her, but it misses. At 0750, two small patrol boats appear on the scene. Porter fires two more steam torpedoes, but agin misses, but HATSUSHIMA is seen settling by the stern. At 0830, she stands on end and sinks by the stern at 33-55N, 136-18E. The patrol boats conduct an ineffective counterattack and SENNET slips away.
10 July 1945:
Removed from the Navy List.
Author’s Note:
[1] HATSUSHIMA was also known as HASHIMA.
Photo credit goes to Ships of the World (SOTW), volume 522, page 44 via J. Ed Low.
-Bob Hackett and Sander Kingsepp
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