SENSUIKAN!

© 2001-2019 Bob Hackett & Sander Kingsepp
Revision 3

2 September 1940:
Laid down at Mitsubishi Shipbuilding's Kobe Shipyard as Submarine No. 143.

24 September 1941:
Launched as I-45.

1 November 1941:
Renumbered I-35.

20 April 1942:
Cdr (Captain, posthumously) Ogawa Tsunayoshi (50)(former CO of I-64) is appointed the Chief Equipping Officer (CEO) of I-35 and I-33 as additional duty.

23 May 1942:
LtCdr (Cdr, posthumously) Yamamoto Hideo (56)(former CO of RO-61) is appointed the CEO.

31 August 1942:
I-35 is completed and registered in the IJN. Attached to Kure Naval District. LtCdr Yamamoto Hideo is the Commanding Officer. Departs Kobe for Kure.

1 September 1942:
Assigned to Kure Submarine Flotilla, activated on that day, with I-34. I-35 is designated the flagship of ComKure SubRon, Rear Admiral (later Vice Admiral), the Marquis, Daigo Tadashige.

4 September 1942:
The flag of ComKure SubRon is transferred from I-35 to I-34.

14 September 1942:
Commences working-up in Harima Nada Sea with I-34.

19 September 1942:
During floatplane launch and recovery exercises the Yokosuka E14Y1 Type 0 assigned to I-35 is damaged beyond repair.

21 September 1942:
Departs Harima Sea for Kure in company of I-34.

23 September 1942:
Arrives at Kure.

6 October 1942:
Departs Kure in company of I-34 and SANTOS MARU to conduct joint exercises in Suo Nada-Iyo Nada Sea.

13 October 1942:
Returns to Kure.

18 October 1942:
Conducts torpedo attack exercises against a moving target. On that same day, conducts refueling exercises with SANTOS MARU.

19 October 1942:
Departs Kure in company of I-34 and SANTOS MARU to conduct joint exercises in Iyo Nada Sea and Bungo Suido Channel areas.

28 October 1942:
Returns to Kure.

15 November 1942:
Reassigned to Fifth Fleet, Northern Force, with I-34.

28 November 1942:
Departs Kure for Ominato in company of I-34.

1 December 1942:
Arrives at Ominato with I-34.

2 December 1942:
Departs Ominato for Kiska on her first supply run to that island.

8 December 1942:
Arrives at Kiska, departs on that same day after unloading her cargo. Patrols in the area 20 miles S of Amukta Island.

14 December 1942:
Departs her patrol area for Paramushiro.

20 December 1942:
Arrives at Paramushiro.

25 December 1942:
Departs Paramushiro on her second supply run to Kiska.

31 December 1942:
Arrives at Kiska, departs on that same day. Patrols in the area NE of Adak Island.

7 January 1943:
Diverted to the area NE of Attu in an attempt to intercept the cruisers sighted in that area.

10 January 1943:
Redirected to the area S of Kiska.

17 January 1943:
Arrives at Kiska.

18 January 1943:
Departs Kiska to patrol S of Kiska and Amchitka islands.

23 January 1943:
En route to Kiska, light cruiser KISO and destroyer WAKABA spot an "enemy submarine" and decide to return so as to not compromise their supply mission. Later they learn that I-35 was patrolling in the same area.

30 January 1943:
I-35 arrives at her prescribed patrol area off Constantine Harbor, Amchitka.

14 February 1943:
Returns to Kiska to embark a staff officer of the North Sea Defense Force and transport him to Attu.

27 March 1943:
Departs Yokosuka for Paramushiro.

1 April 1943:
Arrives at Paramushiro. Reassigned to SubDiv 15, Northern Force.

3 April 1943:
Departs Paramushiro on her third supply run to Kiska, carrying four tons of supplies and ammunition, as well as several staff officers of the 51st Base Force.

8 April 1943:
Arrives at Kiska, unloads her cargo and departs on that same day.

13 April 1943:
Returns to Paramushiro.

16 April 1943:
Departs Paramushiro on her first supply run to Attu, carrying supplies, ammunition and several IJA staff officers.

20 April 1943:
Arrives at Attu, departs on that same day after unloading her cargo.

24 April 1943:
Returns to Paramushiro.

27 April 1943:
Departs Paramushiro on her fourth supply run to Kiska.

1 May 1943:
Arrives at Kiska, departs on that same day after unloading her cargo.

5 May 1943:
Returns to Paramushiro.

11 May 1943: American Operation "Sandcrab" - The Invasion of Attu, Aleutians:
Rear Admiral (later Admiral) Thomas C. Kinkaid's Task Force 16, covered by Rear Admiral Francis W. Rockwell's Task Force 51, lands elements of the Army's 4th and 7th Infantry Divisions under the command of Maj Gen Eugene M. Landrum at Holtz Bay and Massacre Bay that later capture the island.

I-35 is diverted to the vicinity of Attu Island.

13 May 1943:
Attu. LtCdr John E. Edwards' USS PHELPS (DD-360) is screening Captain William A. Corn's USS PENNSYLVANIA. PHELPS makes a sound contact and drops two depth charges. The contact appears stationary during the destroyers' approach, but at the last minute there is a sudden shift in bearing rate and a perceptible change in relative speed, as if the submarine is attempting to escape.

At 1530, contact is regained and LtCdr Edwards drops five 600-lb. depth charges and four 300-lb DCs. Nearby, LtCdr Richard C. Williams, Jr.'s converted fast minelayer USS PRUITT (DM-22/DD-347) reports: "Relative to your pinnacle, one metal drum brought to surface slight diesel oil slick. SMSD and fathometer confirm your hits." A depth charge may have knocked the drum off the submarine's deck. The identity of the submarine is unknown, but I-35 and I-34 are operating in the area at the time.

15 May 1943:
Holtz Bay, Attu. In the foggy morning, Cdr John B. McGovern's attack transport USS J. FRANKLIN BELL (APA-16) is completing unloading onto the narrow, rocky beach. PENNSYLVANIA is standing nearby.

I-35 fires a salvo of torpedoes at a warship identified as a light cruiser. Two explosions are heard thereafter. At 1140, four torpedoes pass on either side of the BELL and astern of the PENNSYLVANIA. The submarine is detected by two destroyers that drop a total of 58 depth charges. I-35 is seriously damaged, but manages to escape.

19 May 1943:
Returns to Paramushiro.

21 May 1943:Operation "KE-Go" - The Evacuation of Kiska:
The Imperial General Headquarters decides to evacuate the garrison at Kiska Island, Aleutians.

27 May 1943:
Departs Paramushiro for Kure.

2 June 1943:
Arrives at Kure at 1700; later transferred to Kobe for repairs starting on 17 June.

Mid-September 1943:
Departs Kure for Truk, still under LtCdr Yamamoto.

18 September 1943:
Arrives at Truk.

11 October 1943:
Departs Truk on her second war patrol to Wake Island-Hawaii area.

16 October 1943:
Reassigned to Submarine Group "A".

17 October 1943:
At 0032, LtCdr William D. Irwin's USS NAUTILUS (SS-168), is returning to Pearl after reconnoitering Makin in the Gilbert Islands. He reports sighting a submarine at 19-47N, 181-24. Irwin sees only the conning tower and thinks "it looks like a new type U.S. submarine". Later, ComSubPac advises that it was a Japanese submarine - perhaps the outbound I-35.

23 October 1943:
Redirected to patrol off Hawaii.

19 November 1943:
Submarine Group "A" is reactivated. I-35 is 300 miles SW of the Hawaiian Islands. She is ordered to proceed to Tarawa in the Gilberts with I-19, I-39, I-169 and I-175.

20 November 1943: American Operation "Galvanic" - The Invasion of the Gilberts:
The Americans invade Tarawa and Makin Islands. The invasion fleet of 200 ships includes 13 battleships and 11 carriers.

21 November 1943:
LtCdr Yamamoto reports sighting an enemy Task Force 70 miles SW of Tarawa. This is probably Rear Admiral Van H. Ragsdale's TG 53.6 CarDiv 22, comprising USS SUWANEE (CVE-27), CHENANGO (CVE-28) and SANGAMON (CVE-26) and its destroyer screen.

I-35 is presumed MIA from this date.

23 November 1943:
W of Betio, Tarawa. I-35's propeller sounds are detected by Rear Admiral H.F. Kingman's TG 53.4's USS MEADE (DD-602) on an anti-submarine patrol. TG 53.4's FRAZIER (DD-607) joins LtCdr James R. Mulholland's MEADE. Between 1530 and 1738, the destroyers launch five intensive depth charge attacks. MEADE's final barrage forces I-35 to battle surface. Both destroyers shell the submarine with 5-in and 40-mm fire.

At 1751, Cdr Elliott M. Brown's FRAZIER charges in and rams the submarine's port quarter aft of her conning tower, rupturing her pressure hull. FRAZIER backs off, her bow badly damaged. At 1754, I-35 sinks stern first at 01-22N, 172-47E. The destroyers launch boats to recover survivors. Three are rescued. A fourth survivor opens fire on his rescuers and is killed. The survivors identify the submarine as I-35. A total of 92 crewmembers are KIA.

Interrogation of the POW survivors disclosed the following details: "I-35 while outside Tarawa Atoll received a single bombing attack at 0520 on November 23, which caused no damage but forced them to crash dive and head east in order to escape. A DD picked them up and at 1400 on 23 Nov. they received an attack of 8 depth charges. Heavy damage resulted and leaks developed in several places, forcing them to come to the surface, only to discover they were caught between two cruisers. They were fired upon by both ships and two planes took off from the cruisers and bombed them; bombs hit the ammunition box of the gun. The submarine sank at approximately 1440.”

10 January 1944:
Presumed lost with all hands in the Gilberts area.

10 April 1944:
Removed from the Navy List.

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Authors' Note:
Robert C. Mikesh in his "Japanese World War II Balloon Bomb Attacks on North America" (1973) identifies I-35 as one of the IJN submarines converted to carry a navalized version of the Fu-Go "balloon bomb", probably confusing her with I-55.

Special thanks go to Dr. Higuchi Tatsuhiro of Japan. Thanks also go to John Whitman of Virginia for POW info on I-35.

– Bob Hackett and Sander Kingsepp.

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