Japanese Minesweepers

SOKAITEI!
W-21 (W-19 class) scanned from Gakken, V. 45

IJN Minesweeper W-34: Tabular Record of Movement
© 2008-2018 Bob Hackett and Peter Cundall
Revision 7

E 1943:
Tokyo. Laid down at Ishikawajima Zosensho K.K. as minesweeper No. 419.
1943:
Launched and numbered W-34.
29 May 1944:
Completed and registered in the IJN. Attached as Kure guardship unit to the Kure defense Squadron. Reserve Lt Komori Toru is the Commanding Officer.
1 June 1944:
Yokosuka. Supplied with heavy oil, boiler water, liquor goods and 30 depth charges.
3 June 1944:
At 0640, departs Yokosuka and at 2050 anchors off Matoya.
4 June 1944:
At 0500, departs Matoya. At 1730, arrives at Wakanoura.
5 June 1944:
At 0415, departs Wakanoura. At 1740, arrives at Kure.
6 June 1944:
Loads ammunition.
7 June 1944:
At 1330, anchors at the B anchorage. At 1430, is supplied with fresh water.
8 June 1944:
Loads heavy oil and fresh food.
9 June 1944:
Loads coal and 20 depth charges.
10 June 1944:
Loads liquor goods.
11 June 1944:
Classified as an anti submarine naval training unit. At 0800, departs Kure. At 1800 arrives at Saiki.
12 June ~ 21 June 1944:
Training while at anchor.
17 ~ 18 June 1944:
Gunnery exercise.
22 June 1944:
At 0640, departs Saiki training off Bungo Suido. At 2120 arrives at Saiki.
23 June 1944:
At 0600, anchors.
24 June 1944:
Loads heavy oil.
25 June 1944:
Loads coal.
26 June 1944:
Depth charge throwing training.
27 June 1944:
At 0420 departs Saiki on a sailing exercise. At 1845 arrives at Uzuki Bay.
28 June 1945:
At 0630 departs Uzuki Wan on a sailing excercise. At 1200, arrives at Saiki, subsequently is replenished with fresh water.
29 June 1944:
Departs Saiki on a sailing excercise, thereafter returns to Saiki.
30 June 1944:
Departs Saiki on a sailing excercise, thereafter returns to Saiki. Declassified as an anti submarine naval training unit.
1 July 1944:
W-34 is assigned to the 10th Special Base Force of the Southwest Area Fleet's First Southern Expeditionary Fleet and based at Singapore, Malaya. Departs Saiki on anti submarine sweep training, thereafter returns to Saiki.
2 July 1944:
At 0645, departs Saiki on anti submarine sweep training. At 1930, arrives at Kure.
3 July 1944:
Loads heavy oil.
4 July 1944:
Loads coal, fresh water and 15 depth charges. At 1945, departs Kure to undergo compass adjustment.
5 July 1944:
At 1220, arrives at Miike.
6 July 1944:
At 1245, W-34 departs Miike, Kyushu for Takao, Formosa with destroyer HATSUSHIMO, kaibokan CD-1 and CD-22 escorting convoy MOMA-02 consisting of SEATTLE, SHOZAN, JINZAN, TOKUSHIMA, HIZAN (HIYAMA), KOKKA, YASUKUNI, TENSHIN, MANTAI, MITSUKI and RYOFU MARUs and four unidentified merchant ships.
12 July 1944:
At 0700, detaches and escorts KOKKA, YASUKUNI and RYOFU MARUs to Takao, Formosa (now Kaoshiung, Taiwan). At 2110, arrives at the foreign port section of Takao port.
13 July 1944:
At 0700, anchors alongside a pier. At 1100, loads heavy oil, coal and fresh water.
14 July 1944:
At 1900, W-34 departs Takao for Manila with kaibokan KUSAGAKI, CD-1, CD-22 and minelayers MAESHIMA and ENTO escorting convoy TAMA-21C consisting of MANTAI, MITSUKI, JINSAN, SEATTLE, YASUKUNI, TENSHIN, YAMATAMA, SAINEI, HIZAN (HIYAMA), KOKKA, SHOZAN, TOKUSHIMA and SHOKEI MARUs and tankers SHONAN, MITSU, AYAGIRI and AYAZONO MARUs and three unidentified merchant ships.
16 July 1944:
At 0946, LtCdr Harold E. Ruble's (USNA ’33) USS PIRANHA (SS-389) torpedoes and sinks SEATTLE MARU at 19-17N, 120-15E. The ship was carrying 4,285 IJNAF personnel. 45 crewmen, 25 gunners and 296 passengers and troops are KIA. HIYAMA and SHOZAN MARUs rescue all but 286 of the airmen. Over the next six hours, Captain William V. O'Regan’s (USNA ’23) wolf pack consisting of LtCdr Duncan C. MacMillian's (USNA ’26) USS THRESHER (SS-200), LtCdr (later Rear Admiral) Norvell G. Ward's (USNA ’35) USS GUARDFISH (SS-217) and Ruble's USS PIRANHA closes in and decimates the convoy.
At 2300, MacMillian's USS THRESHER torpedoes and sinks SAINEI MARU at 18-53N, 119-32E. 21 troops and passengers on board, and three crewmen are KIA. At 2350, Ward's USS GUARDFISH torpedoes and sinks JINZAN MARU. 38 troops, one passenger, seven gunners, two watchmen and three crewmen are killed – a total of 51 dead. Two minutes later, Ward torpedoes and sinks MANTAI MARU. 72 military passengers and 43 crewmen are KIA.
17 July 1944:
The attacks continue. At 0034, Ward's USS GUARDFISH torpedoes and sinks HIYAMA MARU. The ship was loaded with 2 companies of an Army group including the 12th Independent Tank Company with Type 95 light tanks and totaling 101 troops, of whom four along with four of the crew were KIA. At 0045, W-34 drops depth charges. W-34 and CD-1 then rescue survivors. At 0345, MacMillian's USS THRESHER torpedoes and sinks SHOZAN MARU at 18-50N, 119-43E. 24 Gunners, 125 troops, 500 SEATTLE MARU survivors and 64 crewmen are killed. W-34 and CD-1 rescue the survivors.
At 0600, a surfaced enemy submarine is discovered. Starts shelling it. From 0619 till 0722 drops depth charges. W-34 and CD-1 rescue survivors. At 1015, W-34 rescues 335 survivors from HIYAMA MARU and at 1730 W-34 rescues 8 survivors from SHOZAN MARU.
18 July 1944:
Loses sight of consort ships. Continues sailing alone.
19 July 1944:
At 1920, convoy TAMA-21C arrives at Manila, and subsequently W-34 loads heavy oil.
20 July 1944:
At 0800, anchors. At 2015 loads coal and 20 depth charges.
23 July 1944:
At 0700, W-34 departs Manila with subchaser CH-21 escorting convoy MASA-09 consisting of RAKUYO and CHINZEI MARUs and tanker NICHINAN MARU (5175 gt).
28 July 1944:
At 1800, arrives at St. Jacques (near Saigon), Indochina.
29 July 1944:
Loads heavy oil.
30 July 1944:
Loads coal.
31 July 1944:
Loads 5 depth charges.
1 August 1944:
At 1100, W-34 departs Cape St. Jacques for Singapore escorting EIFUKU, NICHINAN (5175 gt) and RAKUYO MARUs.
4 August 1944:
At 0150, anchors in the Kuantan Sea, E of Malaya. At 1010, departs.
5 August 1944:
At 1430, arrives at Singapore military port.
6 August 1944:
At 1720, transfers to quay No. 10.
10 August 1944:
Loads 9 depth charges.
11 ~ 12 August 1944:
Loads 25 mm gun ammunition.
13 August 1944:
Loads heavy oil and coal.
17 August 1944:
At 1300, departs Singapore with subchaser CH-8 and one other unidentified escort escorting an army convoy through the Malacca Straits.
19 August 1944:
At 0242, at 04-08N 99-29E sights a torpedo. At 2400, detaches and heads towards Penang.
Assigned together with subchaser CH-8 to escort auxiliary transport RISUI MARU (ex British LIPIS) from Singapore to Sabang, where she has to load empty drums, and back to Singapore.
20 August 1944:
At 1340, arrives at Penang and subsequently loads heavy oil and coal.
E 21 ~ 22 August 1944:
Reassigned by Penang Group Commander to transport conventional and magnetic minesweeping equipment to Belawan and Pangkalan Susu.
23 August 1944:
At 0730, departs Penang.
24 August 1944:
At 1000, arrives at Belawan and subsequently loads heavy oil, coal and magnetic mine sweeping equipment. At 1440, departs Belawan.
25 August 1944:
At 1245, joins RISUI MARU and CH-8. At 1845, W-34 drops depth-charges at 02-58N, 100-18E.
28 August 1944:
At 0940, arrives at Sabang and subsequently loads coal.
29 August 1944:
At 1200, departs Sabang with CH-8 escorting RISUI MARU (ex British LIPIS).
31 August 1944:
At 2030, near the One Fathom Bank CH-8 ends the escort and heads to Penang. At 2400, detaches from RISUI MARU.
1 September 1944:
At 1640 arrives at Singapore military port.
2 September 1944:
At 1400, alongside quay No. 13. At 1515 loads fresh water.
3 September 1944:
Loads heavy oil and coal.
4 September 1944:
Loads 4 type two depth charges.
5 September 1944:
Anchors at buoy No. 1.
8 September 1944:
At 1030 auto self correction.
14 September 1944:
At 1600 departs Singapore in convoy SHISA-27 consisting of EIFUKU and HEIAN MARUs also escorted by auxiliary minesweeper KYO MARU No. 1.
16 September 1944:
Arrives near Turtle Beak Island and departs later that day and arrives off the coast of Kota Baru, Malaya later this day.
17 September 1944:
Departs off the coast of Kota Baru.
18 September 1944:
Arrives at St Jacques.
19 September 1944:
At 1600, arrives at Saigon and subsequently resupplies.
20 September 1944:
At 0940, departs Saigon.
22 September 1944:
At 2120, arrives at Singapore military port.
23 September 1944:
Loads heavy oil and coal.
26 September 1944:
At 1100, departs Singapore military port.
27 September 1944:
At 1440, reverses her course and heads towards a position of 170 degrees and 102 nautical miles from Cape Muka for an anti submarine sweep.
28 September 1944:
At 1000, joins auxiliary subchaser CHa-2.
30 September 1944:
Escorts German submarine UIT-24 from north mouth of Dindings Strait to Penang. At 1640, arrives at Penang, therafter loads heavy oil.
1 October 1944:
At 1000, departs Penang on an anti submarine sweep on the coasts of the Aroa Islands (operation M4).
4 October 1944:
At 1200, operation M4 ends. At 1300, ends the anti submarine sweep and heads towards Singapore.
5 October 1944:
At 1500, arrives at Singapore military port.
6 October 1944:
Loads heavy oil and coal.
7 October 1944:
Loads fresh water.
8 October 1944:
At 1000, departs Singapore with DAICHO MARU.
9 October 1944:
At 1535, carries out an anti submarine sweep, drops depth charges. At 1600, joins auxiliary submarine chaser CHa-41.
11 October 1944:
Torpedo attack at 0900 [apparently by HMS SUBTLE], at position 89 degrees 5.5 nautical miles from the Sabang signal station. Sustains no damage. At 0910 drops 13 depth charges. Arrives at Sabang later that day and resupplies. Therafter departs Sabang on an anti submarine sweep.
12 October 1944:
At 1000, enters Sabang Port. At 1510 departs Sabang escorting DAICHO MARU.
15 October 1944:
At 1445, arrives at Singapore military port.
16 October 1944:
Refuels. Meanwhile at Hiyoshi. Headquarters, Combined Fleet's at Keio University. Chief of Staff Vice Admiral Kusaka Ryunosuke (41)(former CO of AKAGI) releases a dispatch that assigns W-34 to Vice Admiral Kurita Takeo's (38)(former CO of KONGO) First Striking Force's 1st Supply Force with tankers ITSUKUSHIMA, NICHIEI, YUHO, OMUROSAN, RYOEI and BANEI (MANEI) MARUs and kaibokan CHIBURI, minelayer YURISHIMA, kaibokan CD-19 and CD-27.
18 October 1944:
At 1300, departs Singapore in convoy consisting of tankers HAKKO and YUHO MARUs with destroyers MICHISHIO, NOWAKI and kaibokan ETOROFU as additional escorts.
19 October 1944:
After detaching ETOROFU arrives back at Singapore.
21 October 1944:
At 1200, arrives at Brunei. At 1700, alongside battleship YAMATO and is supplied with heavy oil. At 1850, anchors. At 1915, loads 84 depth charges
22 October 1944:
Depart Brunei and arrives at Victoria Harbor (now Labuan) later that day. From 1130 till 1530 unloads depth charges.
23 October 1944:
At 0610, departs Labuan.
24 October 1944:
At 2035, discovers an enemy submarine and starts shelling it. At 2049 looses sight of the enemy submarine and stops firing. At 2110, discovers the enemy submarine again and starts shelling it. At 2115, stops firing.
25 October 1944:
At 1700, arrives at Singapore military port.
26 October 1944:
At 1130, lies alongside quay No. 2 and refuels. Thereafter at 1510 loads machine tools. Departs Singapore at 1800.
28 October 1944:
Discovers something that resembles a periscope and subsequently starts shelling it. After a closer examination it turns out to be a bamboo rod.
29 October 1944:
At midnight arrives at Brunei. At 1110, lies alongside the heavy cruiser TAKAO and transfers tools and personnel. Thereafter transfers to heavy cruiser MYOKO and at 1449 transfers ammunition, tools and personnel. Subsequently transfers to heavy cruiser HAGURO and at 1842 transfers ammunition.
30 October 1944:
At 0050, lies alongside the IJN auxiliary oiler OMUROSAN MARU and loads heavy oil. Then departs Brunei for Singapore in company of KISHINAMI, escorting HAGURO and the damaged MYOKO.
3 November 1944:
At 0120, arrives at Singapore military port. Subsequently loads heavy oil and coal.
4 November 1944:
At 1720, departs Singapore.
5 November 1944:
At 1926, discovers something that resembles a periscope and fires 5 shells at it. Afterwards this turns out to be a bamboo rod.
6 November 1944:
At 1020, arrives at Kuching.
7 November 1944:
At 0800, departs Kuching.
8 November 1944:
At 1650, arrives at Brunei. Thereafter alongside light cruiser OYODO and is supplied with heavy oil. Departs at 1800 escorting heavy cruiser TAKAO.
11 November 1944:
At 1140, arrives at Singapore military port.
12 November 1944:
At 0940 alongside quay No. 2 and is resupplied. At 1950, anchors offshore.
19 November 1944:
At 1000, W-34 departs Singapore with subchaser CH-35 escorting a convoy consisting of tankers NICHINAN (1945 gt), RITSUEI, SHONAN, SHOEI (2854 gt) and AYAYUKI MARUs. At 1855, Lt C. R. Pelly's British submarine HMS STRATAGEM torpedoes and sinks NICHINAN MARU in 01-36N, 102-53E. Nine crewmen are KIA. At 1915, NICHINAN MARU sinks, nine crewmen are KIA. The convoy is sheltered and thereafter starts an anti submarine sweep. Drops 18 depth charges. Rescues 83 survivors.
20 November 1944:
At 1822, one B-29 aircraft attacks the convoy, but inflicts no damage.
22 November 1944:
At 1503, drops two depth charges. At 1803, W-34 is detached from the convoy.
23 November 1944:
At 1805, arrives at Singapore military port.
24 November 1944:
Loads heavy oil, coal and depth charges.
26 November 1944:
At 1750, transfers to Eastern anchorage, Singapore.
27 November 1944:
At 0205, W-34 departs Singapore with kaibokan CD-27, subchasers CH-34 and CH-35 and auxiliary gunboat HUASHAN (KAZAN) MARU escorting convoy SHISA-30 consisting of EININ, TOHO, FUJISAN, HIKACHI (NISSHO), ENRYAKU, TATSUMIYA, YAMAKUNI and DAISHU MARUs en route to St Jacques.
30 November 1944:
At 2115 arrives at Nha Be river, Indochina.
1 December 1944:
Arrives at Saigon.
2 December 1944:
Departs Saigon.
4 December 1944:
Arrives at Singapore.
8 December 1944:
Departs Singapore.
12 December 1944:
Arrives at St Jacques.
13 December 1944:
Departs St Jacques and later that day returns to St, Jacques. Departs St Jacques on an anti submarine sweep after heavy cruiser MYOKO has been hit by one of six torpedoes fired by USS BERGALL (SS-320). Later arrives at Saigon.
14 December 1944:
Departs Saigon.
16 December 1944:
Joins up with MYOKO which is under tow from small tanker KAIKO MARU and cargo ship TATEBE MARU escorted by submarine chaser CH-1 and minelayer YURIJIMA.
20 December 1944:
Arrives at Singapore.
21 December 1944:
At 2003, W-34 receives the order to join the damaged heavy cruiser MYOKO, towed towards Singapore, and provide her with anti-submarine cover. The ship departs Singapore later that day.
23 December 1944:
At 0817 patrol boat PB-104 meets up with and begins escorting damaged cruiser MYOKO also now escorted by minelayer YURIJIMA and minesweeper W-34.
25 December 1944:
At 0145 arrives at Singapore.
8 January 1945:
With torpedoboat HATSUKARI departs Singapore.
11 January 1945:
Arrives at Sabang.
12 January 1945:
At 2000 departs Sabang with submarine chasers CH-34, CH-35 and CH-63 escorting EIFUKU MARU.
15 January 1945:
At 1930 arrives at Singapore.
20 January 1945:
W-34 departs Singapore with subchaser CH-34 escorting convoy SHISA-34 consisting of the tanker SERIA MARU.
23 January 1945:
Arrives at St Jacques and departs later that day.
24 January 1945:
Arrives at Saigon.
25 January 1945:
Departs Saigon on an anti submarine sweep with CH-34 (from St Jacques).
30 January 1945:
Arrives at Saigon.
31 January 1945:
Departs Saigon.
1 February 1945:
W-34 arrives at and then departs St Jacques with subchaser CH-34 escorting convoy SASHI-41C consisting of tanker NANSHIN MARU No. 19 and six unidentified merchant ships.
2 February 1945:
At about 2300, LtCdr Francis A. Greenup’s (USNA ’36) USS HARDHEAD (SS-365) torpedoes and sinks NANSHIN MARU No. 19 at 04-00N 102-36E. 10 crewmen are KIA.
7 February 1945:
Convoy SASHI-41C arrives at Singapore.
10 February 1945:
Departs Singapore escorting a convouy consisting of tanker RITSUEI MARU and possibly others.
16 February 1945:
Arrives at St Jacques.
19 February 1945:
Departs St Jacques.
24 February 1945:
Arrives at Singapore. Engine repairs begin.
28 February 1945:
Completes engine repairs.
8 March 1945:
At 1220 departs Surabaya on the first transport mission for Sakusen No. 2 and joins up with minesweepers W-11 and W-12 and torpedo boat KARI that had departed earlier that day.
11 March 1945:
Arrives at Kupang, Timor and departs later that day.
13 March 1945:
At 1730 W-11, W-12, W-34 and KARI arrive back at Surabaya.
24 March 1945:
At 1200 W-34 departs Surabaya and joins W-11 and W-12 on an anti submarine sweep and then an escort mission.
28 March 1945:
W-34 and W-11 arrive at Makassar escorting convoy SUMA-4 consisting of unidentied ships.
Off Makassar. W-11 is attacked by 13th Air Force B-24 "Liberator" heavy bombers and sunk at 05-06S, 119-14E.
At 2113, USN codebreakers intercept and decrypt a message that reads: “1. Minesweeper No. 34 proceed as scheduled at top speed to Surabaya. 2. Rescue Guard Force No. 3 engage in rescue of survivors of minesweeper No. 11.”
30 March 1945:
At 1100 W-34 arrives back at Surabaya.
4 April 1945:
W-34 departs Surabaya with torpedo boat KARI and minesweeper W-12 escorting light cruiser ISUZU. Off Paternoster Island, the ISUZU group is sighted by a wolf pack led by Cdr (later Rear Admiral) Francis D. Boyle's (USNA ’34) USS CHARR (SS-328) with LtCdr Herman E. Miller's (USNA ’38) USS BESUGO (SS-32l) and LtCdr William B. Parham's (USNA ’36) USS GABILAN (SS-252), but aircraft force the pack to dive and they are unable to attack.
6 April 1945:
Boyle's wolf pack is alerted about the position of the Japanese ships by an "Ultra" signals-intelligence message from ComSubPac at Pearl and takes up position near Bima Bay. They are joined by ComSubSoWestPac's British submarine HMS SPARK.
Kupang Harbor. At dawn, ISUZU embarks an army detachment and departs for for Sumbawa Island. North of Sumbawa she is attacked by ten B-25 "Mitchell" bombers of the Dutch 18th Squadron based at Batchelor airfield S of Darwin, Australia. ISUZU is slightly damaged by near-misses off her starboard bow by some of the sixty 300-kg bombs dropped. Later, she lands troops at Bima Bay, on the NE coast of Sumbawa.
Near Flores Island, Netherlands East Indies. ISUZU is hit in the bow section by bombs from Consolidated B-24J "Liberator" bombers of the RAAF's No. 21 and No. 24 Squadrons based in Northern Australia. Two B-24's are shot down by Japanese aircraft. [1]
Sape Strait, between Sumbawa and Komodo islands. About 1600, Miller's BESUGO fires nine torpedoes at the ISUZU group. They miss ISUZU, but one sinks W-12.
7 April 1945:
At 0220, W-34 departs Bima with ISUZU and KARI. USS CHARR makes radar contact at 14,000 yards and Boyle alerts USS GABILAN.
60 miles NW of Bima. At 0605, ISUZU is struck by a torpedo fired by Parham's USS GABILAN. The torpedo hits portside below the bridge and causes flooding forward. ISUZU's speed falls below 10 knots, she takes on a list and is down by the bow.
At 0827, while ISUZU's crew is performing emergency repairs, Boyle's USS CHARR fires four torpedoes at her from 1,200 yards. She is hit portside near the aft engine room by two torpedoes. Boyle fires two more torpedoes and gets another hit. At 0843, ISUZU's bow breaks off. At 0846, she capsizes to port and sinks at 07-38S, 118-09E. W-34 and KARI counter-attack USS CHARR, but Boyle goes deep and evades.
W-34 and KARI rescue 450 of ISUZU's crewmen.
8 April 1945:
At 1800 arrives back at Surabaya.
22 April 1945:
At 1300 departs Surabaya with auxiliary subchaser No. 113 (ex Dutch mijnenveger A) escorting Army auxiliary transport RYUKO MARU.
24 April 1945:
At 1840, on the north side of Karamun Island attacked by one B-24 aircraft. At 1930, one B-24 aircraft strafes RYUKO MARU and sets her on fire. Assists RYUKO MARU and at 2310, rescue work ends.
25 April 1945:
At 1128, attacked by enemy aircraft.
26 April 1945:
At 0317, at discovers an enemy surfaced submarine. At 0335, fires at the enemy submarine. At 1035, discovers again an enemy surfaced submarine, which dives immediately. At 1210, drops 3 depth charges.
28 April 1945:
At 1215 arrives back at Surabaya.
14 May 1945:
On that day, FRUMEL decrypts the following message from Surabaya, timed 131842:
"1) At 0630 on 13th in 5-34S 111-16E YOOSEI MARU was torpedoed by enemy submarine and sunk. ENOSHIMA MARU is anchored at Rembang and No. 17 SHOONAN MARU is engaged in keeping this submarine down.
2) Minesweeper 34 sails tomorrow to attack, then escort ENOSHIMA to Cheribon."
(Comment: YOSEI MARU, ENOSHIMA MARU and SHONAN MARU No. 17 formed a convoy which left Soerabaja for Palembang on 11th. YOSEI MARU had a cargo of rice and empty oil drums).
19 May 1945:
On that day, FRUMEL provides the following information from SHONAN MARU No. 2:
"Minesweeper 34 leaves Soerabaja on 20th for Makassar where 250 Army troops and 5 tons of freight are to be embarked and brought back to Soerabaja."
21 May 1945:
E of the Java Sea. Off Kepulauan, Java. W-34 is hunting for an enemy submarine that attacked two Japanese freighters in the area the previous afternoon.
At about 0200, Cdr Cassius D. Rhymes’ submerged (USNA ’35) USS CHUB (SS-329) picks up a sonar echo and closes. Rhymes fires five torpedoes at the sonar return. One torpedo hits and sinks W-34 at 06-18S, 116-14E.
At 1645, USN codebreakers intercept and decrypt a message that reads: “-- At 1430 finished picking up the 78 survivors including the captain of W-34 (among them 20 --, 25 lightly injured and 2 --) -.” Another message says W-34 was sailing from Surabaya to Makassar.
29 May 1945:
At 1505, codebreakers intercept and decrypt a message that reads: “Circumstances concerning the search for the codebooks following the sinking of W-34 as reported in ----- are as follows: 1. W-34 was struck below the #3 gun turret by one torpedo on the 21st at 0302, at (06 ?)-04 S., 116-04 E. The -- (side ?) of the -- was smashed and the ship sank in about five minutes. ----.” Another message estimates 06-17 S., 116-04 E.
10 June 1945:
Removed from the Navy List.

Authors' Notes:
[1] Dutch sources claim the aircraft and the squadrons involved in the strike were: No. 18 Dutch Squadron - 10 B-25s, No. 2 RAAF Squadron - 10 B-25, and No. 82 RAAF Wing - 9 B-24s. Two of the B-24s that attacked about 20 minutes later were shot down by Japanese Army fighters (probably Nakajima KI-43 "Oscars" and/or Nakajima KI-44 "Tojos").
Thanks for assistance with IJN COs go to Matthew Jones of Tennessee, USA. Thanks for assistance also go to fellow researchers Sander Kingsepp of Estonia, Berend van der Wal of Netherlands and Gilbert Casse of France. Thanks also go to the late John Whitman of Virginia, USA for info on CNO intercepts of Japanese messages. Special thanks go to Hans Mcilveen of the Netherlands for info on FRUMEL intercepts.
Photo credit goes to Gakken via J. Ed Low.
-Bob Hackett and Peter Cundall.

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