Japanese Minelayers

FUSETSUKAN!
(TSUBAME by Takeshi Yuki scanned from "Color Paintings of Japanese Warships")

IJN Minelayer TAKASHIMA: Tabular Record of Movement
© 2008-2018 Bob Hackett, Sander Kingsepp and Peter Cundall
Revision 10

11 December 1940:
Tsurumi. Laid down at the Nippon Kokan K. K. shipyard.
5 August 1941:
Named TAKASHIMA.
18 October 1941:
Launched.
25 March 1942:
Completed and registered in the Sasebo Naval District. Assigned to the Sasebo Guard Unit.
15 April 1942:
At 1830 departs Sasebo on patrol.
16 April 1942:
At 0600 returns to Sasebo.
14 May 1942:
Departs Moji escorting an unnumbered convoy consisting of MANILA and KOHOKU MARUs.
17 May 1942:
At 1000, arrives at Takao.
23 May 1942:
Departs Moji escorting convoy No. 117 consisting of TAGANOURA, MANILA, NISHIYAMA (SEIZAN) and KOHOKU MARUs.
24 May 1942:
TAGONOURA MARU joins the convoy from Nagasaki.
28 May 1942:
Arrives at Mako. At 1200, TAKASHIMA departs Mako for Ujina with old destroyer SANAE escorting convoy No. 216 consisting of SAIHO, PENANG, MIYADONO, SUEZ, KENZAN, IIDA, HOKUSHIN and SANFUKU MARUs and FUKUEI MARU No. 2.
31 May 1942:
NW of Amami-O-Shima. The convoy detects an enemy submarine. Minelayer TSUBAME arrives on the scene and she and TAKASHIMA drop depth charges. No submarine attacks develop.
3 June 1942:
Arrives at the port of Ujina, Hiroshima.
14 June 1942:
BUENOS AIRES MARU departs Moji bound for Palau via Tomie and Koniya.
15 June 1942:
At 1257 TAKASHIMA arrives at Tomie and meets up with BUENOS AIRES MARU. At 1552 both ships depart Tomie.
16 June 1942:
At 0210 an unknown submarine attacks BUENOS AIRES without success in 33-33N 128-42E.
17 June 1942:
At 0735 arrives and at 1400 departs Koniya.
19 June 1942:
At 0947 hands over escort to auxiliary submarine chaser KYO MARU No. 13.
22 June 1942:
At 0800 arrives back at Sasebo.
19 July 1942:
At 1900 arrives at Takao escorting NOTO MARU.
23 July 1942:
Departs Mako escorting convoy No. 238 consisting of MIKAGE MARU No. 20, RAKUTO and NICHIRYU MARUs and two unidentified merchant ships.
27 July 1942:
Arrives at Mutsure.
2 September 1942:
Departs Sasebo with the destroyer MINEKAZE escorting AZUMA MARU bound for Truk.
Receives Sasebo Naval district order No. 81.
1 The commander of the Sasebo Defense Squadron assigns the auxiliary gunboat KAHOKU MARU and the minelayer TAKASHIMA to escort the IJN transport SHIROGANE MARU carrying the Sixteenth Construction Corps.
A Escort commander: The captain of the KAHOKU MARU.
B The escort area: From Sasebo to near 27N, 133E. Thereafter SHIROGANE MARU continues alone.
C Route: Directly to Truk from the south of Yakushima.
D Speed: Approximately nine knots.
E Departure: 1600 on 3 September. Scheduled to arrive at Truk on the morning of 13 September.
F TAKASHIMA will join the escort in the southeastern part of Kusagaki Island on 4 September.

E 3 September 1942:
At 28.30N 132.00E TAKASHIMA is detached.
4 September 1942:
Off Kusakaki Gunto meets up with SHIROGANE MARU bound for Truk escorted by auxiliary gunboat KAHOKU MARU.
5 September 1942:
At 1200 TAKASHIMA is detached off Osumi Kaikyo. Later at 2400 KAHOKU MARU detaches when NE of Kita Daito Jima.
4 October 1942:
At 0630 departs Sasebo escorting MELBOURNE MARU.
6 October 1942:
Arrives at Takao.
11 November 1942:
Off the Yangtse River estuary the liner KOBE MARU and the loaded ore cargo ship TENZAN MARU. Both sink. TAKASHIMA is directed to rescue survivoirs together with ships REIZAN and UNZAN MARUs that may be part of a convoy escorted by TAKASHIMA.
E 10 January 1943:
Meets tankers KIYO MARU at sea. The tanker is headed north to Japan.
13 January 1943:
At 0000 TAKASHIMA detaches off SE Kyushu coast.
30 January 1943:
At 1200 TAKASHIMA meets up and escorts KIYOZUMI and UKISHIMA MARUs briefly as part of Hinoe No. 3 movement, these ships having departed from Tsingtao and being en route to Cebu.
31 January 1943:
At 1200 TAKASHIMA is detached.
13 February 1943:
At 0900 TAKASHIMA departs Seso for Sasebo.
1 March 1943:
At 1000 departs Sasebo.
8 March 1943:
At 0900 departs Sasebo.
31 March 1943:
At 1915 departs Tomie escorting A convoy (outbound) consisting of KITSURIN, UNZEN, TAKETOYO, TONEGAWA, FUKUEI and KIYO MARUs.
2 April 1943:
At 1900 arrives at Woosung. TAKETOYO MARU has been detached off the China coast for Singapore.
5 April 1943:
At 0700 departs Woosung escorting a convoy consisting of NARUTO, JUNPO, KINRYO, AWA and SEISHO MARUs and an unidentified UNKAI MARU No. ?
7 April 1943:
At 0900 due to arrive at Tomie.
8 April 1943:
Arrives at Sasebo.
19 April 1943:
Departs Sasebo.
21 April 1943:
TAKASHIMA departs Sasebo escorting the fast liner KAMAKURA MARU.
23 April 1943:
Arrives at Takao.
24 April 1943:
TAKASHIMA departs Takao escorting N Convoy consisting of TERUKAWA and TAGONOURA MARUs.
28 April 1943:
Arrives at Moji. TAKASHIMA detaches en route and arrives at Sasebo.
29 April 1943:
Departs Sasebo.
30 April 1943:
TAKASHIMA departs Imari Wan escorting convoy SA-13 consisting of RYUKO, SEIAN, MENADO, TATSUHA, MAKO, TAITO and SHISEN MARUs and KOTO MARU No. 2 Go mostly bound for Shanghai.
2 May 1943:
At 1000 due to arrive in Chusan Island Group.
4 May 1943:
At 1500, TAKASHIMA departs Woosung, China for Mutsure, Kyushu escorting convoy SHI-13 consisting of TAGONOURA, TAIRYU, HAKOZAKI and JUNPO MARUs.
6 May 1943:
Arrives at Mutsure.
9 May 1943:
Departs Sasebo but returns to port later that day.
11 May 1943:
Departs Sasebo but returns to port later that day.
21 May 1943:
Departs Sasebo. At 1700 TAKASHIMA departs Tomie, Goto Retto escorting convoy SA-22 consisting of MIYAZAKI, YASUKUNI, TOYOURA, UDO, MANJU, NITTOKU MARUs, NAGATA MARU No. 28 and DAIUN MARU No. 2. En route the latter two ships were detached.
23 May 1943:
Arrives at Hua Niao Shan, Chusan (Shushan) Island Group where the convoy was dissolved.
25 May 1943:
At 1530 TAKASHIMA departs Bell Buoy near Woosung escorting convoy Shi-22 consisting of HOREI, SHORI (ex Chinese SHENG LEE), JUNPO, KAZAN (ex Norwegian SHENG HWA), DAIYA and RYUTO MARUs.
27 May 1943:
Arrives at Tomie, Goto Retto.
3 June 1943:
TAKASHIMA departs northern Kyushu for Shanghai escorting convoy Shi-310 consisting of UNZEN, GYOTEN, YAMAYURI, REKIZAN, ROKKO, KANSAI, DAIYA, NARUO (ex Panamanian ESTERO) and TOTAI MARUs and KOTO MARU No. 2 GO.
5 June 1943:
At 1400 due to arrive at Bell Buoy.
8 June 1943:
At 1000 TAKASHIMA departs Woosung for northern Kyushu escorting convoy Shi-27 consisting of WAZAN, MALAY, TAMHIME, MIIKESAN and UNZEN MARUs and TAMON MARU No. 8.
10 June 1943:
At 1200 due to arrive off Kishima, Goto Retto. Later that day arrives at Sasebo.
15 June 1943:
At 0600 TAKASHIMA departs Imari Wan, northern Kyushu for Shanghai escorting convoy Shi-503 consisting of ROZAN, NICHIMAN and SHOGEN MARUs.
17 June 1943:
At 1430 due to arrive at Bell Buoy.
19 June 1943:
At 0730 TAKASHIMA departs Woosung for northern Kyushu with auxiliary gunboat TOSHO MARU escorting convoy Mo-901 consisting of JUNPO MARU.
21 June 1943:
At 0900 due to arrive off Tomie, Goto Retto.
24 June 1943:
At 1630 TAKASHIMA departs Tomie, Goto Retto with the destroyer MINEKAZE for Shanghai escorting convoy Shi-414 consisting of KITSURIN, JUNYO, KINRYO, TOYOURA, NANKA, KOKKO, MALAY, DAIYA, TOTAI, TAITO, SAINEI, TSUSHIMA, MISAKI and NICHINAN (1945 gt) MARUs.
26 June 1943:
At 1430 scheduled to arrive at Hua Niao Shan where some of the vessels detached.
28 June 1943:
TAKASHIMA departs Shanghai for northern Kyushu escorting convoy Mo-806 consisting of UDO, ROZAN (ex British flag ANALOCK), WAKAMATSU and EIJU MARUs and two unidentified merchant ships.
30 June 1943:
At 1600 arrives off Kishima, Goto Retto.
1 July 1943:
Arrives back at Sasebo.
2 July 1943:
Departs Sasebo on patrol and returns later that day.
8 July 1943:
Departs Sasebo.
11 July 1943:
Arrives back at Sasebo.
15 July 1943:
At 0400 TAKASHIMA departs Imari Wan, northern Kyushu for Shanghai escorting convoy Shi-504 consisting of SANKA, SAINAN, WAZAN and TAITO MARUs.
17 July 1943:
At 1000 due to arrive off Yushan.
19 July 1943:
TAKASHIMA and patrol boat PB-38 depart Shanghai for northern Kyushu escorting convoy Mo-910 consisting of DAISHU, WAKAMATSU, TOYO, DAIBOSHI, JUNPO, SHOGEN, MUNAKATA, DOWA, FUKUEI and NANSHIN MARUs.
E 22 July 1943:
TAKASHIMA is detached from the convoy.
23 July 1943:
Arrives back at Sasebo escorting meterology ship KAIYO No. 1.
25 July 1943:
TAKASHIMA arrives at Tomie.
26 July 1943:
At 0630 tanker OTOWASAN MARU in convoy LO-2 is attacked and missed by torpedoes in 31-20N 128-20E. TAKASHIMA and submarine chaser KAII (ex Chinese HAI WEI) are ordered to hunt and sink the enemy submarine. The ships continue patrolling for the next few days.
31 July 1943:
At 1200 TAKASHIMA and TSUBAME depart Imari Wan escorting convoy SHI-113 consisting of URATO, ENJU, HENGSHAN (KOZAN), WAKAMATSU, TOYO, HOKUJU, NANKA, NIKKYO, DAISHU, SHOTAI (ex Philippine REGULUS), AWA, KOAN and NICHIAN MARUs.
2 August 1943:
At 2200 due to arrive at Hua Niao Shan where some merchant ships are detached.
3 August 1943:
Returns to Sasebo.
6 August 1943:
Departs Sasebo.
7 August 1943:
Arrives at Sasebo.
12 August 1943:
At 0600 departs Imari Wan escorting convoy SHI-211 consisting of KIYO, SATSUMA, KOSHIN, MAKO, WAZAN (ex British VITORLOCK), SHORI (ex Chinese SHENG LEE), KINRYU and CHUKA MARUs and three unidentified merchant ships.
14 August 1943:
At 0000 arrives off Yushan.
16 August 1943:
At 0800 TAKASHIMA departs Shanghai for northern Kyushu escorting convoy Mo-603 consisting of NANKA, URATO (ex ERATO) and HOKUJU MARUs.
18 August 1943:
Arrives back at Sasebo.
29 August 1943:
At 0800 TAKASHIMA departs northern Kyushu for Shanghai escorting convoy Shi-906 consisting of ODATSUKI, KIYO, KENEI, AWA and SHORYU MARUs and DAIGEN MARU No. 2.
31 August 1943:
At 1100 the convoy arrives off Yushan. TAKASHIMA is detached to join destroyer HASU and auxiliary gunboats HOKOKU and SHOSEI MARUs that are hunting an enemy submarine east of the Chusan Islands.
2 September 1943:
The convoy arrives at Shanghai.
4 September 1943:
TAKASHIMA departs Shanghai for northern Kyushu escorting convoy Mo-405 consisting of WAKAMATSU MARU and four unidentified merchant ships.
7 September 1943:
TAKASHIMA arrives back at Sasebo.
10 September 1943:
TAKASHIMA departs northern Kyushu for Shanghai escorting convoy Shi-006 consisting of six unidentified merchant ships.
14 September 1943:
TAKASHIMA departs Shanghai for northern Kyushu escorting convoy Mo-402 consisting of two unidentified merchant ships.
17 September 1943:
Departs Moji with destroyer WAKATAKE escorting convoy No. 198 consisting of ASAKA, YASUKUNI, ROKKO, HOFUKU, PANAMA, RAIZAN, REIYO MARUs and three unidentified merchant ships. The convoy sailed at 8.5 knots bound for Takao. TAKASHIMA is detached en route.
23 September 1943:
TAKASHIMA arrives back at Sasebo.
25 September 1943:
Convoy 198 arrives at Takao.
26 September 1943:
Departs Sasebo.
27 September 1943:
Returns to Sasebo.
4 October 1943:
TAKASHIMA departs northern Kyushu for Shanghai escorting convoy Shi-405 consisting of three unidentified merchant ships.
8 October 1943:
TAKASHIMA departs Shanghai for northern Kyushu escorting convoy Mo-805 consisting of GETSUYO MARU and four unidentified merchant ships.
11 October 1943:
TAKASHIMA arrives back at Sasebo.
14 October 1943:
Departs Sasebo.
15 October 1943:
Returns to Sasebo.
22 October 1943:
TAKASHIMA departs northern Kyushu for Shanghai escorting convoy Shi-203 consisting of four unidentified merchant ships.
27 October 1943:
TAKASHIMA departs Shanghai for northern Kyushu escorting convoy Mo-702 consisting of one unidentified merchant ship.
28 October 1943:
Arrives back at Sasebo.
1 November 1943:
TAKASHIMA departs northern Kyushu for Shanghai escorting convoy Shi-105 consisting of HIYORI MARU and four unidentified merchant ships.
3 November 1943:
Arrives at Shanghai.
5 November 1943:
TAKASHIMA departs Shanghai for northern Kyushu escorting convoy Mo-503 consisting of GETSUYO, HIGANE and TOYOURA MARUs.
6 November 1943:
At 0800 departs from off Chiku Chiao.
8 November 1943:
At 0200 due to arrive off Koshiki Jima. The convoy then continues on to Mutsure.
9 November 1943:
Arrives back at Sasebo.
10 November 1943:
TAKASHIMA departs Imari Wan, northern Kyushu for Shanghai escorting convoy Shi-907 consisting of TONEGAWA, MITSUKI, BENGAL MARUs and four unidentified merchant ships.
12 November 1943:
Arrives at Shanghai.
14 November 1943:
TAKASHIMA departs Shanghai for northern Kyushu escorting convoy Mo-405 consisting of NIKKIN and UGA MARUs and three unidentified merchant ships.
17 November 1943:
The convoy is dissolved.
19 November 1943:
Arrives back at Sasebo.
21 November 1943:
Departs Sasebo and meets up with and tows BELGIUM MARU that has apparently broken down.
25 November 1943:
Arrives back at Sasebo.
27 November 1943:
Departs Sasebo.
28 November 1943:
Arrives back at Sasebo.
29 November 1943:
TAKASHIMA departs Mikuriya, northern Kyushu for Shanghai escorting convoy Shi-907 consisting of MALAY MARU and six unidentified merchant ships.
4 December 1943:
TAKASHIMA departs Shanghai for northern Kyushu escorting convoy Mo-407 consisting of seven unidentified merchant ships.
25 December 1943:
TAKASHIMA departs Shanghai for northern Kyushu escorting convoy Mo-601 consisting of one unidentified merchant ship.
23 January 1944:
TAKASHIMA and minesweeper W-25 escort minelayers KOEI MARU and SHINKO MARU that lay (with TOKIWA and SAIGON MARU) a 12,000 mine barrier in the East China Sea.
28 January 1944:
At 1140 arrives at Maizuru apparently with with TOKIWA and SAIGON MARU.
3 February 1944:
At 0802 departs Maizuru with minelayer TAKASHIMA escorting minelayers TOKIWA and SAIGON MARU.
4 February 1944:
At 2018 arrives at Sasebo.
12 February 1944:
At 1110 TAKASHIMA and subchaser CH-58 arrive at Sasebo.
16 February 1944:
At 0830 TAKASHIMA departs Sasebo for Fukue with auxiliary patrol boats RYUO and TAIAN MARUs.
17 March 1944:
TAKASHIMA departs Sasebo escorting TAMO-11 convoy.
19 March 1944:
Meets up with convoy.
21 March 1944:
Arrives back at Sasebo.
2 May 1944:
TAKASHIMA and torpedo boat TOMOZURU depart Saeki.
7 May 1944:
At 1352 minesweeper W-15 meets up with MAMIYA that has been damaged by USS SPEARFISH in 33-18N 127-11E while part of convoy TAMO-18. At 1530 submarine chaser KAII commences towing MAMIYA and kaibokan FUKUE, CD-2, TAKASHIMA, submarine chaser CH-58 and auxiliary submarine chaser CHOUN MARU No. 16 all escort ship.
8 May 1944:
At 1225 arrives at Sasebo.
11 May 1944:
The 18th Squadron consisting of TAKASHIMA, TOKIWA (F), armed merchant cruiser SAIGON MARU and auxiliary minelayers KOEI and SHINKO MARUs and torpedo boat TOMOZURU, subchaser CH-58 and patrol boat KAII as escorts, depart Sasebo.
16 May 1944:
Arrive at Kirun.
19 May 1944:
Departs Kirun with minelayers TOKIWA, SAIGON MARU KOEI MARU and SHINKO MARU also escorted by submarine chaser CH-58.
22 May 1944:
Arrives at Shimonoseki. TOKIWA and SAIGON MARU and the escorts are detached.
25 May 1944:
SAIGON MARU departs Shimonoseki escorted by minelayer TAKASHIMA. Later that day, arrives at Sasebo.
19-20 June 1944:
Off Okinawa. The 18th Squadron consisting of TAKASHIMA, TOKIWA (F), armed merchant cruiser SAIGON MARU and auxiliary minelayers KOEI and SHINKO MARUs lays 1,650 mines. Torpedo boat TOMOZURU, subchaser CH-58 and patrol boat KAII provide escort.
July 1944:
S of Kyushu. Lays mines near Tanegashima Island.
4 August 1944:
Departs Moji for Takao with kaibokan HIBURI, FUKUE, ETOROFU, CD-8, CD-10, CD-25, CD-32 and CH-49 and gunboat UJI escorting convoy MOTA-22 consisting of KENJO, GASSAN, HAKUSAN, TEIKA (ex-French CAP VARELLA), TERUKUNI, TACHIBANA, NANREI, GENKAI, TEIHOKU, HIOKI, MANSHU, SHIRANESAN, SHONAN, RAKUTO and KOSHIN MARUs and YAMAMIZU MARU No. 2, DAIBOSHI MARU No. 6 and five other unidentified ships.
6 August 1944:
Off SW Kyushu. At 0411, LtCdr (later Admiral/CINCPACFLT) Bernard A. Clarey’s (USNA ’34) USS PINTADO (SS-387) torpedoes and sinks SHONAN MARU carrying elements of IJA's 25th Tank Regiment redeploying from Baotau, North China to Formosa, general cargo and four Daihatsu barges, at 30-53N, 129-45E. Two crewmen and three gunners are KIA and the four Daihatsu barges are also lost.
9 August 1944:
At 1310, KOSHIN MARU's ammunition cargo explodes and the ship sinks at 26-10N, 124-15E. 28 crewmen are KIA.
10 August 1944:
Arrives at Kirun. GASSAN, KENJO, HAKUSAN, TEIKA (ex French CAP VARELLA) and HIOKI MARUs are all detached.
11 August 1944:
At 0330, departs Kirun.
12 August 1944:
At 1430, arrives at Tsoying.
10 October 1944:
NNW of Okinawa. Off Nago Bay. Aircraft of Vice Admiral (later Admiral) Marc A. Mitscher’s (USNA ’10) TF 38 attack shipping and installations on Okinawa as a prelude to the landings at Leyte. TF 38 planes sink TAKASHIMA at 26-39N, 127-52E.
10 December 1944:
Removed from the Navy List.

Authors' Notes:
[1] Little data were found for TAKASHIMA's movements during Aug '42 - May '44. Readers with access to such data are requested to post the information on the Discussion and Questions board or j-aircraft.org's IJN Ship Message Board

Thanks to Mr. Gilbert Casse of France.
-Bob Hackett, Sander Kingsepp and Peter Cundall

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