Submarine Depot Ships

IJN Submarine Depot Ships

(Jingei in 1923)

IJN JINGEI: Tabular Record of Movement
© 1998-2017 Bob Hackett, Sander Kingsepp and Peter Cundall
Revision 7

16 February 1922:
Nagasaki. Laid down at Mitsubishi Shipbuilding.
1 May 1923:
Captain Kumashiro Moritsugu (28)(former CO of KOMAHASHI) is posted as the Chief Equipping Officer.
4 May 1923:
Launched and named JINGEI (Swift Swimming Whale).
30 August 1923:
Nagasaki. Completed and registered (commissioned) in the IJN in the Yokosuka Naval District. Captain Kumashiro is the Commanding Officer.
1 December 1924:
Captain (later Vice Admiral) Takasaki Chikateru (30) assumes command. That same day, JINGEI is rated a 5,160-ton submarine tender.
20 October 1925:
Captain (later Rear Admiral) Takita Yoshio (31) assumes command. Captain Takasaki is reassgned as CO of HYUGA.
1 November 1926:
Captain (later Rear Admiral) Komori Kichisuke (31)(former XO of HYUGA) assumes command.
15 November 1927:
Captain (later Vice Admiral) Wanami Hoichi (32)(former CO of SubDiv 6) assumes command.
10 December 1928:
Captain (later Rear Admiral) Kawamura Shigemoto (33)(former CO of SubDiv 18) assumes command.
3 October 1929:
Captain (later Vice Admiral) Idemitsu Manbei (33) assumes temporary command. Captain Kawamura Oka is reassigned to the Yokosuka Naval District.
30 November 1929:
Captain (later Rear Admiral) Teramoto Takeji (33) assumes command.
15 November 1930:
Captain Osaki Yoshio (35th) assumes command. Captain Teramoto is later reassigned as CO of YAMASHIRO.
14 November 1931:
Captain (later Vice Admiral), the Marquis, Komatsu Teruhisa (37)(former CO of ITSUKUSHIMA) assumes command. Captain Osaki is posted CO of KINUGASA.
1 December 1932:
Captain (later Vice Admiral) Sukigara Tamazo (37) assumes command. Captain Komatsu is later reassigned as CO of KISO.
20 October 1933:
Captain (later Vice Admiral) Higuchi Shuichiro (37) assumes command. Captain Sukigara is reassigned as Chief Equipping Officer of submarine tender TAIGEI under construction at Yokosuka.
15 November 1934:
JINGEI is rerated a Reserve ship while she undergoes modernization.
15 November 1935:
Captain Minowa Chugo (38)(former CO of I-55) assumes command.
1 December 1936:
Captain (later Vice Admiral) Oka Takazumi (39)(former CO of RO-61) assumes command. Captain Minowa is posted CO of TAIGEI.
7 July 1937: The Marco Polo Bridge ("China") Incident:
Lugouqiao, China. Japanese troops are on night maneuvers at the bridge. They fire blank cartridges. Chinese troops fire back, but do not cause injuries. At morning roll call, the Japanese discover a soldier missing and assume the Chinese captured him. The Japanese demand entry to Beijing to look for the soldier. The Chinese refuse. The Japanese then shell the city. An undeclared war on China begins.
After the start of the hostilities, it is presumed that the Chinese Fleet willl attempt a full-scale campaign, but it does not materialize. One month later, Rear Admiral Owada Yoshinosuke's (35) (former CO of NACHI) SubRon 2 is charged with the escort of the Army's 10th Division to the Chinese mainland. Originally, the escort is intended to include Kaidai-class submarines, but that idea is dropped.
4 August 1937:
Troops are embarked at Mutsure harbor.
5 August 1937:
JINGEI is flagship of Rear Admiral Owada's SubRon 2 in Vice Admiral (later Admiral) Yoshida Zengo's (32)(former CO of MUTSU) Second Fleet. She joins the escort of Fleet Convoy No. 6 enroute from Mutsure to Taku, China.
18 August 1937:
Convoy No. 6 arrives at Taku harbor, China.
31 August 1937:
JINGEI escorts the last merchant ship departure from Tsingtao (Qingdao). 1 December 1937:
Captain (later Rear Admiral) Koda Takero (41) assumes command. Captain Oka is reassigned to the Naval General Staff.
15 December 1938:
Captain (later Vice Admiral) Yamazaki Sukeichi (39) assumes command. Captain Koda is reassigned as CO of YUBARI.
14 November 1939:
Captain (later Vice Admiral) Watanabe Seishichi (42) assumes command. Captain Yamazaki is later reassigned as the CO of KAMOI.
11 October 1940: Imperial Naval Review:
Yokohama Bay. A Naval Review takes place to celebrate the 2,600th anniversary of Emperor Jimmu’s enthronement. 98 IJN warships with a total of 596,060-tons are present. Emperor Hirohito (Showa) inspects the fleet from his flagship, battleship HIEI. The ceremony is supervised by the CINC,Combined Fleet, Vice Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto from his flagship, the battleship NAGATO. Submarine tenders JINGEI and CHOGEI are present for the Review. [1]
19 October 1940:
Captain (later Rear Admiral) Sato Shiro (43)(former CO of NOTORO) assumes command. Captain Watanabe is reassigned as the CO of CHOKAI.
15 November 1940:
Truk. JINGEI is in Vice Admiral (later Admiral) Takasu Shiro's Fourth Fleet in Rear Admiral SatoTsutomu's SubRon 7 consisting of SubDivs 26, 27 and 33.
November 1941:
Truk. JINGEI is in Vice Admiral (later Admiral) Inoue Shigeyoshi's (former CO of HIEI) Fourth Fleet as flagship of Rear Admiral (later Vice Admiral) Onishi Shinzo's SubRon 7 consisting of SubDivs 26, 27 and 33. She is equipped with an E7K2 “Alf” floatplane.
2 December 1941: Operation "Z":
The coded signal "Niitakayama nobore (Climb Mt. Niitaka) 1208" is received from the Combined Fleet. It signifies that hostilities will commence on 8 December (Japan time). Mt. Niitaka, located in Formosa (now Taiwan), is then the highest point in the Japanese Empire.
8-10 December 1941: The Invasion of Wake Island:
Kwajalein. Departs with Rear Admiral (Vice Admiral, posthumously) Kajioka Sadamichi's (former CO of KISO) Wake Island Attack Force's CruDiv 18’s TATSUTA and TENRYU, DesRon 6's light cruiser YUBARI, DesDiv 29’s OITE and HAYATE, DesDiv 30’s KISARAGI, MUTSUKI, YAYOI and MOCHIZUKI, two converted destroyer transports and transports KONGO MARU and KINRYU MARU.
29 December 1941:
At about 0200, the submarine RO-60, enroute to Kwajalein in bad weather, runs hard aground on a reef N of the atoll damaging her pressure hull and diving tanks. About 1300, ComSubRon 7, Rear Admiral Onishi arrives with JINGEI to personally supervise the rescue operation. In heavy surf, the RO-60 is damaged again, her list increases and she has to be abandoned. Secret documents are destroyed. All of her 66 crewmen are taken aboard JINGEI.
10 April 1942:
Truk. Captain (later Rear Admiral) Okura Tomesaburo (43)(former CO of TAIGEI) assumes command. Captain Sato is reassigned as CO of YURA. JINGEI is in the Fourth Fleet's SubRon 7 as tender for SubDivs 21, 26 and 33.
4 June 1942:
ComSubRon 7 Rear Admiral Onishi is relieved by Rear Admiral Yoshitomi Setsuzo (39) (former CO of SubRon 4).
14 July 1942:
Rabaul. JINGEI is assigned to Vice Admiral Mikawa Gunichi’s Eighth Fleet as flaghip of SubRon 7 and tender for SubDiv 13’s I-121, I-122, I-123 and SubDiv 21’s RO-33 and RO-34.
October 1942:
USAAF B-17 "Flying Fortresses" begin bombing Rabaul.
7 November 1942:
CHOGEI replaces JINGEI as flagship of Rear Admiral Yoshitomi's SubRon 7. That same day, JINGEI departs Rabaul with Rear Admiral Yoshitomi embarked.
10 November 1942:
Arrives at Truk from Rabaul. Rear Admiral Yoshitomi pays a courtesy call on the Combined Fleet's senior staff embarked on flagship YAMATO.
November 1942:
Arrives at Kure.
12 January 1943:
The JINGEI is attached to the Kure Naval District. She serves as the training vessel at the Kure Submarine School thereafter, with occasional trips to the Iyo Nada.
8 September 1943:
Captain Sato Keizo (42) assumes command. Captain Okura is reassigned and later KIA as CO of CHUYO.
16 October 1943:
Departs Kure to assist 15,820-ton supply ship MAMIYA, torpedoed off Chichi-Jima on 12 October by Cdr David C. White's (USNA '27) USS CERO (SS-225). JINGEI finds MAMIYA drifting SW of the Ogasawara Islands and takes her in tow until the arrival of collier ASAKAZE MARU and destroyers OITE and ASANAGI that take over towing a nd escort duties.
19 October 1943:
Returns to Kure.
18 November 1943:
Auxiliary subchaser CHA-66 is instructed to patrol in northern direction between Kuromo-Se (E of Uku-Shima, Nagasaki Prefecture) and Madara-Shima (Saga Prefecture) the intended route of JINGEI towing warship hull No. 300 from Kure to Sasebo.
19 November 1943:
JINGEI departs Kure towing warship hull No. 300 (TONE-class cruiser) for conversion to aircraft carrier IBUKI, towage speed 12 knots.
20 November 1943:
Stops at Mutsure Island off Moji en route to Sasebo.
21 November 1943:
At 0700, departs Mutsure for Sasebo escorted by kaibokan IKI and cable layer ODATE.
30 November 1943:
Drydocked at Kure.
1 January 1944:
Kure. Flagship of Rear Admiral (later Vice Admiral) Yamazaki Shigeaki's (41) Kure SubRon consisting of SubDivs 18, 19 and 33.
5 February 1944:
Captain Oyama Toyojiro (47) assumes command.
Summer 1944:
JINGEI's two single-mount 76-mm (3-inch) AA are landed and replaced by 18 Type 96 25-mm guns.
29 July 1944:
Kure. JINGEI is assigned to an unknown special task.
2 August 1944:
Departs Kure.
3 August 1944:
Arrives at Sasebo via Kanmon Strait.
11 August 1944:
Embarks personnel of the Second Air Fleet and departs Kure on her first transport mission to Naha, Okinawa accompanied by sister CHOGEI escorted by subchasers KAII (ex-IJN DD KASHI/ex-Manchukuo coast defense HAI WEI), CH-38 and two other subchasers.
After passing Kogo-Zaki, the convoy reaches open sea, increases speed to No. 2 battle speed ( max. speed of 18 knots) and starts zig-zagging. The sea is very rough and the escort vessels have difficulty maintaining No.2 battle speed..
12 August 1944:
JINGEI and CHOGEI arrive at Naha. As all piers and wharfs are occupied by other ships, unloading of troops and cargo has to be done by use of harbor lighters. At the harbor about 800 people (civilian evacuees (mainly women and children), patients and stranded soldiers and crew members of sunken ships) had awaited arrival of the two ships to be taken back to Kagoshima. The civilian evacuees are allowed one truck load of personnel baggage. Evacuees and baggage are taken on board JINGEI and CHOGEI as well as provisions including a cargo of sugar.
14 August 1944:
JINGEI and CHOGEI depart Naha.
16 August 1944:
JINGEI and CHOGEI arrive at Kagoshima in the evening and land evacuees and cargo.
17 August 1944:
At 0500, JINGEI and CHOGEI depart Kagoshima and that evening arrive at Sasebo.
22 August 1944:
JINGEI and CHOGEI depart Sasebo on the second transport mission to Okinawa escorted by KAII, minelayer TAKASHIMA and subchasers CH-38 and CH-49.
23 August 1944:
CHOGEI arrived independently at Koniya, Amami-O-Shima.
24 August 1944:
JINGEI and all four escorts arrive at Naha. Unloads base materials.
25 August 1944:
CHOGEI departs Koniya.
26 August 1944:
JINGEI departs Naha.
27 August 1944:
JINGEI and CHOGEI arrive at Kagoshima.
28 August 1944:
At 0500, both ships depart Kagoshima and in the evening arrive at Sasebo.
6 September 1944:
JINGEI and CHOGEI depart Sasebo on their third transport mission to Okinawa. [2]
7 September 1944:
JINGEI and escorts arrive at Naha. JINGEI lands 165 personnel.
8 September 1944:
CHOGEI arrives independently at Koniya.
9 September 1944:
JINGEI departs Naha and CHOGEI departs Koniya.
10 September 1944:
JINGEI arrives at Kagoshima.
11 September 1944:
CHOGEI arrives at Kagoshima.
12 September 1944:
At 0500, both ships depart Kagoshima and in the evening arrive at Sasebo.
18 September 1944:
JINGEI departs Sasebo for Naha, Okinawa escorted by subchaser CH-58. JINGEI tows a Type C midget submarine and carries the midget submarine's crew, Special Naval Landing Force (SNLF) troops (rikusentai) and supply materials. The midget submarine is probably slated to be based at Unten Bay, N Okinawa.
CHOGEI departs Sasebo escorted by KAII.
19 September 1944:
In the early morning, CHOGEI and KAII arrive at Seso anchorage, Kakeroma-Jima, W of Koniya village, Amami-O-Shima. After safe arrival, KAII departs Seso and heads toward the location of JINGEI.
81 nautical miles and 323 degrees NW of Naha, Okinawa. Alerted by a code-breakers ULTRA message from COMSUBPAC, LtCdr Frederick A. Gunn's (USNA '34) USS SCABBARDFISH (SS-397) intercepts JINGEI. Gunn sets up and fires four torpedoes. At 0915, two torpedoes hit JINGEI starboardside in her bow at 27-35N, 127-07E. JINGEI engine room, No. 2 and No. 3 boiler rooms and generator room flood. She goes dead in the water, unnavigable, with her bow almost under water.
LtCdr Gunn fires a spread of torpedoes "down the throat" at counter-attacking CH-58, that he misidentifies as a CHIDORI-class escort, but misses. For the next three hours, SCABBARDFISH undergoes a depth charge attack, but suffers no damage.
At 1152, USN codebreakers intercept and decode a radio message that reads "proceed immediately to the scene of torpedoing of JINGEI.
Nearby, convoy KANA-402, en route from Kagoshima to Naha, consisting of HAGIKAWA MARU escorted by minelayer TSUBAME, auxiliary gunboat CHOJUSAN MARU and auxiliary minesweeper TAKUNAN MARU No.1 comes to the aid of JINGEI at 27-25N, 127E. TAKUNAN MARU No.1 is detached to guard JINGEI.
At about 2100, KAII arrives at JINGEI's location and takes JINGEI, damaged severely forward of the bridge by the torpedoes, in tow at 5 knots towards nearby Sesoko-jima anchorage. TAKUNAN MARU No.1 provides escort. While towing JINGEI, a surfaced enemy submarine is encountered and repelled by AA gunfire from JINGEI.
20 September 1944:
They arrive at Sesoko anchorage. JINGEI anchors in shallow watert off the east coast of Sesoko-jima, an island NE of Naha, at 27-28N, 127-00E.
21 September 1944:
CHOGEI departs Koniya.
27 September 1944:
CHOGEI arrives at Kure.
10 October 1944:
Vice Admiral (later Admiral) Marc A. Mitscher's (USNA ’10) (former CO of HORNET, CV-8) Task Force 38 consisting of Vice Admiral John S. McCain's TG 38.1, Rear Admiral Gerald F. Bogan's TG 38.2, Rear Admiral Frederick C. Sherman's TG 38.3 and Rear Admiral Ralph E. Davison TG 38.4 attack shipping and installations on Okinawa as a prelude to the landings at Leyte.
NNW of Okinawa, off Nago Bay. Stationary JINGEI, still at anchor and unnavigable, is attacked by aircraft from TG 38.2's USS HANCOCK (CV-19). She is hit by several direct bomb hits and also sustains many near misses, heavily damaged, gutted by fire and abandoned. She sinks in shallow water at 26-39N, 127-52E. Exactly 100 men are killed, but the number of wounded is unknown. Captain Oyama survives the sinking.
Subchaser KAII, trying to escape from Naha Harbor, is strafed and bombed, set afire, floods and beached in shallows off Naha and abandoned.
Task Force 38's planes also sink minelayer TAKASHIMA at 26-39N, 127-52E, IJA transport FUKUURA MARU and auxiliary minesweeper TAKUNAN MARU No. 1 at 25-30N, 131-00E and damage subchaser CH-58 and an unidentified vessel in the vicinity.
10 November 1944:
Removed from the Navy List.
Autumn 1951:
During a typhoon, JINGEI's bow section breaks off, probably because of the earlier torpedo damage.
17 February 1952:
A Japanese salvage company begins salvage work on JINGEI's wreck.
7 July 1952:
The remaining part of JINGEI's hull is re-floated.
1 September 1952:
The hulk is towed to Tanoura, Moji Harbor, northern Kyushu.
6 September 1952:
Towed to Tobata, Yawata, northern Kyushu. Soon thereafter, JINGEI's hulk is scrapped there.

Authors' Notes:
[1] This the last review of the Imperial Navy conducted by Emperor Hirohito.
[2] No official record exists of participating escorts, but it is considered that KAII was one of them.
Thanks go to Jean-Francois Masson of Canada, Steve Eckardt of Australia and Matt Jones of the USA. Thanks also go to John Whitman of Viginia, reader Mucho of Denmark, reader Ralph and especially Erich Muehlthaler of Germany for his contributions to Revs 6 and 7.

- Bob Hackett, Sander Kingsepp and Peter Cundall.

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