SENSUIKAN!

© 2001-2015 Bob Hackett & Sander Kingsepp
Revision 3

21 May 1941:
Laid down at Mitsubishi Kobe Yard as Submarine No. 156.

1 November 1941:
Designated I-178.

24 February 1942:
Launched.

15 September 1942:
LtCdr (Captain, posthumously) Kudo Kaneo (56) (current CO of I-155) assumes additional duty as the Chief Equipping Officer of I-178.

1 November 1942:
Cdr (later Captain) Nakagawa Hajime (50)(current CEO of I-177) assumes joint duty as the Chief Equipping Officer.

25 November 1942:
LtCdr (Captain, posthumously) Utsugi Hidejiro (52)(former CO of I-5) is appointed the Chief Equipping Officer.

26 December 1942:
Kobe. I-178 is completed and registered in the IJN. Attached to Sasebo Naval District. Cdr Utsugi Hidejiro is the Commanding Officer.

I-178 is assigned to the Kure SubRon with I-177, RO-106 and RO-107.

25 February 1943:
SubDiv 22 is activated at Kure Submarine Flotilla with I-178, -177 and I-180.

26 February 1943:
I-178 conducts final diving tests off Kure.

15 March 1943:
SubDiv 22 is reassigned to Rear Admiral Komazawa Katsumi's SubRon 3.

30 March 1943:
Departs Kure in company of I-177.

7 April 1943:
Arrives at Truk.

10 April 1943:
Departs Truk with I-177 to patrol off the eastern coast of Australia on her first war patrol.

27 April 1943:
90 miles E of Newcastle, Australia. After 1855, I-178 torpedoes and sinks the 7,176-ton American "Liberty" ship LYDIA M. CHILDS at 33-08S, 153-24E. CHILDS was bound for the Middle East with a cargo of Army tanks on her maiden voyage.

An hour later a RAAF Catalina from Rathmines makes three bombing runs on a submarine in the same area but its bombs fail to release.

18 May 1943:
Returns to Truk.

4 June 1943:
Departs Truk on her second patrol off the eastern coast of Australia.

17 June 1943:
Cdr Utsugi sends a routine signal to the Sixth Fleet.

65 miles SE of Coffs Harbour. That same evening, Pilot Officer Barry Harrison's Bristol "Beaufort" of the RAAF's No. 32 Squadron successfully attacks a surfaced submarine. Later, Flight Officer Cashway's Beaufort attacks the same submarine that is still proceeding on the surface and inflicts further damage.

18 June 1943:
An oil slick – probably originating from I-178 – is sighted off Nambucca Heads. Thereafter, the submarine fails to answer any signals from Headquarters, Sixth Fleet.

Based on radio decrypts, the Sixth Fleet credits Cdr Utsugi with damaging one large and one small transport vessel during his last patrol.

4 August 1943:
Presumed lost off the eastern coast of Australia with all 89 hands.

1 September 1943:
Removed from the Navy List.

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Authors' Note:
According to some sources I-178 was depth-charged and sunk 30 miles W of Espiritu Santo, New Hebrides by subchaser USS SC-699 on 29 May 1943; however, since I-178 was in contact with the Sixth Fleet almost three weeks later, such claims must be discounted.

Special thanks for help in preparing this TROM go to Dr. Higuchi Tatsuhiro of Japan. – Bob Hackett and Sander Kingsepp.

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