Japanese Minesweepers

SOKAITEI!

IJN Minesweeper W-3: Tabular Record of Movement
© 2005-2017 Bob Hackett and Peter Cundall
Revision 10

1922:
Osaka. Laid down at the Sakurajima ironworks factory.
29 March 1923:
Launched and numbered W-3.
30 June 1923:
Completed and registered in the IJN.
1 December 1923:
Lt (later Vice Admiral) Kimura Masatomi (41) assumes command.
1 December 1925:
An unknown officer assumes command.
9 August 1933:
At Saipan. Fleet oiler SHIRETOKO supplies to minesweeper W-3 80-tons of coal via 4 barges.
15 November 1933:
Lt (Rear Admiral posthumously) Kawashima Yoshio (48) assumes command.
15 November 1934:
An unknown officer assumes command.
11 July 1938:
Lt (later Rear Admiral) Kajiwara Masami (50) assumes command.
28 July 1938:
An unknown officer assumes command.
1 November 1941:
Assigned to Vice Admiral Ozawa Jisaburo's (37) Southern Expeditionary Fleet in Rear Admiral (later Vice Admiral) Hiraoka Kumeichi's (39)(former CO of HIEI) 9th Base Force, both based at Camranh Bay, Indochina.
8 November 1941:
Departs Kure.
17 November 1941:
Arrives at Sana (now Ya Xian), Hainan island and conducts patrols.
2 December 1941:
At 1400 W-2 and W-3 depart Sana.
3 December 1941:
Arrives at Camrahn Bay, Indochina.
5 December 1941:
At 0053 W-2, W-3 and W-4 arrive at Pulo Condore. At 2350 W-2 and W-3 depart.
7 December 1941:
At 2340, arrives off Singora, Siam (Thailand). Thereafter, supports the invasion.
8 December 1941:
At 0700 W-2 and W-3 depart Kota Bharu. At 1340 arrive at Pattani and depart from there at 1757.
9 December 1941:
At 0140 W-2 and W-3 return to Kota Bharu and depart again at 1939. At 2225 arrives at Singora.
18 December 1941:
At 1430 W-3 attacks an enemy submarine, without apparent result. At 1935 W-3 and W-6 depart Singora.
21 December 1941:
At 1448 W-3 and W-6 arrive at Miri.
22 December 1941:
At 1100 W-3 and W-6 depart Miri, Borneo escorting an invasion convoy transporting the Kawaguchi Detachment and the Yokosuka No. 2 Special Naval Landing Force (SNLF) to Kuching, Sarawak (British Borneo). Other escorts include light cruiser YURA, destroyers DesDiv 12's SHIRAKUMO, MURAKUMO and USUGUMO. Cruisers KUMANO and SUZUYA, light cruiser KINU and destroyers FUBUKI and SAGIRI provide the covering force. West of the covering force is CruDiv 7/2's MIKUMA and MOGAMI with destroyer HATSUYUKI. Seaplane tender KAMIKAWA MARU provides air cover.
23/24 December 1941:
Near Kuching, Sarawak. LtCdr L. J. Jarman's Dutch submarine K-XVI torpedoes destroyer SAGIRI. The destroyer's own torpedoes catch on fire and SAGIRI blows up, killing 121 officers and men. W-3 and destroyer SHIRAKUMO rescue 120 survivors. At 2300 W-3 arrives at Kuching.
26 December 1941:
Off Kuching, Sarawak, Borneo. Dutch Army Glenn Martin B-10 bombers from Samarinda, Borneo bomb and sink W-6 and collier UNYO MARU No. 2 at 01-34N, 110-21E. Eight crewmen are KIA. W-3 participates in the rescue of an unknown number of W-6’s survivors.
30 December 1941:
At 1555 departs Kuching.
4 January 1942:
At 1007 arrives at Camrahn Bay.
12 January 1942:
At 1800 departs Camranh Bay.
13 January 1942:
At 1843 arrives at Pulo Condore.
20 January 1942:
W-2, W-3, W-5, W-1 and W-4 depart Camranh with light cruiser SENDAI, DesDiv 11's FUBUKI, HATSUYUKI and SHIRAYUKI, DesDiv 20's ASAGIRI, AMAGIRI and YUGIRI escorting 11 troop transports consisting of NAKO, NAGARA, SASAGO, SADO, SAGAMI, SAKITO, HIROKAWA, KYUSHU, AOBASAN, CANBERRA and KANSAI MARUs.
22 January 1942:
The convoy arrives at Singora.
26 January 1942:
At 0700 the convoy arrives at Endau, Malaya.
27 January 1942: The Battle off Endau:
Singapore. LtCdr B. S. Davies' old WW1 destroyer HMS THANET and LtCdr W. T. A. Moran's HMAS VAMPIRE are dispatched to make a night attack on the troop tansports at Endau, about 80 miles N of Singapore. At 0237, approaching Endau, they engage a warship they take to be a destroyer, but actually is minesweeper W-1. HMAS VAMPIRE launches two torpedoes at W-1, but they miss. W-1 raises the alarm and the Allied destroyers continue towards Endau.
At 0318, HMAS VAMPIRE sights SHIRAYUKI to port and launches two torpedoes at her, but they miss. Then HMS THANET launches all four of her torpedoes, but also misses. Both Allied destroyers open fire with their 4-inch guns. SENDAI and SHIRAYUKI return fire. The Allied destroyers retire SE at maximum speed.
At about 0400, HMS THANET is hit in the engine and boiler rooms. Her speed falls off and an explosion wrecks the old destroyer. She goes dead in the water, lists heavily to starboard and begins to sink. HMAS VAMPIRE lays a smoke screen, but HMS THANET is attacked by FUBUKI, HATSUYUKI, ASAGIRI, AMAGIRI, YUGIRI and W-1. At 0415, HMS THANET sinks. HMAS VAMPIRE is undamaged and without casualties, but she has no chance to pick up survivors. She makes for Singapore arriving there at 1000.
Troop transports KANSAI MARU and CANBERRA MARU are damaged in the action. Later, SHIRAYUKI picks up 31 survivors from HMS THANET. They are never seen again.
At 2400 W-2 and W-3 depart Endau.
January 1942:
Kaibokan SHIMUSHU receives a signal from Vice Admiral Ozawa Jisaburo's (37) First Southern Expeditionary Fleet's flagship CHOKAI that orders the kaibokan to locate the wreck of British battleship HMS PRINCE OF WALES sunk off Kuantan, Malaya by IJN aircraft on 10 December.
29 January 1942:
South China Sea, E of Malaya. SHIMUSHU, escorted by minesweepers W-3, W-1, W-2, W-4 and W-5, locates the wreck of British battlecruiser HMS REPULSE and marks it with a buoy.
1 February 1942:
SHIMUSHU reports locating the wreck of HMS PRINCE OF WALES at a depth of 60 meters. The site is marked with a buoy and the IJN ships are recalled.
2 February 1942:
Assigned to escort the Bangka-Palembang, Sumatra, Netherlands East Indies invasion force.
9 February 1942: Operation "L" - The Invasions of Palembang and Banka Island:
MineSweepDiv 1's minesweepers W-3, W-1, W-2, W-4 and W-5 and SubChasDiv 11's CH-7 and CH-8 depart Camranh Bay for Palembang escorting eight transports. Rear Admiral (later Vice Admiral) Hashimoto Shintaro's (41) DesRon 3's light cruiser SENDAI with DesDiv 11's FUBUKI, HATSUYUKI and SHIRAYUKI, DesDiv 20's ASAGIRI provide close cover.
11 February 1942:
W-3, W-1 and W-4 escort eleven transports of the invasion force.
14 February 1942:
The ships arrive at Muntok.
15 February 1942:
The ships depart Muntok.
16 February 1942:
The transports land troops near Palembang.
18 February 1942: Operation "J" - The Invasion of Java, Netherlands East Indies:
W-3 is in Rear Admiral (later Vice Admiral) Hirose Sueto's (39) (former CO of AOBA) 2nd Base Force's in Cdr (Rear Admiral, posthumously) Amano Shigetaka's (47)(former CO of KAGERO) MinesweepDiv 1 with W-1, W-2, W-4 and W-5 of Vice Admiral Takahashi Ibo's (36) Third Fleet, Southern Force, Netherlands East Indies Force.
28 February 1942: The Battle of the Sunda Strait:
USS HOUSTON (CA-30) and Australian cruiser HMAS PERTH sortie for Tjilatjap via the Sunda Strait.
Bantam Bay. 27 transports land the main body of the IJA's 2nd Infantry Division. At 2215, USS HOUSTON and HMAS PERTH attack the Japanese troop transports that are screened only by destroyers HARUKAZE, HATAKAZE and FUBUKI and MineSweepDiv 1's W-3, W-1, W-2 and W-4. The escorts make smoke to mask the transports. FUBUKI charges and launches a salvo of torpedoes at USS HOUSTON and HMAS PERTH.
At 2300, the IJN’s Western Support Force's MIKUMA and MOGAMI, destroyer SHIKINAMI, Third Escort Force's light cruiser NATORI and destroyers SHIRAKUMO, MURAKUMO, SHIRAYUKI, HATSUYUKI and ASAKAZE arrive and engage USS HOUSTON and HMAS PERTH with gunfire and torpedoes.
1 March 1942:
At 0108, torpedoes strike both USS HOUSTON and HMAS PERTH. At 0142, HMAS PERTH sinks at 05-51-42S, 106-07-52E. At 0135, torpedoes fired by MOGAMI sink W-2 and sink or disable transports SAKURA, HORAI, TATSUNO and RYUJO (SHINSHU) MARUs, the latter carrying LtGen Imamura Hitoshi, Commander-in-Chief of the invading 16th Army. Imamura jumps into the sea, but survives. One crewman is lost from SAKURA MARU, and 38 passengers (mainly men unloading the ship) and 18 crewmen are killed on HORAI MARU with casualties
8 March 1942:
MinesweepDiv 1 and DesRon 3's DesDiv 10 and DesDiv 20 depart Singapore escorting four invasion transport ships to Sabang and Koetaradja, Sumatra.
12 March 1942: Operation "T" - The Seizure of North Sumatra:
Sweeps for mines and covers troop landings at Kutaradja and Sabang.
13 March 1942:
W-1, W-3, W-4 and W-5 depart Sabang.
15 March 1942:
At 1300 arrives at Penang.
19 March 1942:
MineSweepDiv 1's W-3, W-1 and W-4 and SubChasDiv 91's CHOKO MARU and SHONAN MARU Nos. 5 and 7 are assigned to the No. 2 Escort Unit comprised of light cruiser KASHII (F), escort SHIMUSHU, minelayer HATSUTAKA, destroyers of DesRon 3 and 5 being ASAKAZE, MATSUKAZE, SHIKINAMI and HATAKAZE, with HARUKAZE replacing HATAKAZE en route, Submarine chaser CH-7, and the 9th Base Force's gunboat EIKO MARU. The No. 2 Escort Unit departs Singapore escorting 43 transports carrying the IJA's 56th Infantry Division. The convoy consists of SHUNSEI, YAE, KOAN, TATEISHI, HAVRE (5467 grt), HIBURI, HOKUMEI, YAMAZUKI, GLASGOW, SYDNEY, SHINANOGAWA, AOBASAN, KAZUURA, KIZAN, KUSUYAMA, KOTOHIRA, SANKO, SAKITO, SHINAI, SHINRYU, SUMATRA, GENOA, TSUYAMA, TOKIWA, NAKO, NAGARA, NICHIRAN, NAPLES, HARUNA (10420 grt), HOFUKU, MYOKO (4103 grt), ATLAS, CALCUTTA, KUWAYAMA, MEIGEN, KYUSHU and MOMOYAMA MARUs and six unidentified merchant ships.
Because of size and differing ship speeds the convoy is broken into two sections. The first section consists of ATLAS, YAMAZUKI, NAGARA, KYUSHU, TOKIWA and AOBASAN MARUs and five other ships from the above list that sail on 20th March. The remaining section sails on the 19th March.
20 March 1942: Operation “D” – The Seizure of the Andaman Islands:
Indian Ocean. Sweeps for mines in the Andaman Islands area in support of the invasion landings. Appears to have only provided distant escort cover to U convoy.
23 March 1942:
At 0200 W-1, W-3, W-4 and W-5 arrive at Port Blair, Andamans.
28 March 1942:
At 1400 W-3 and W-4 depart Port Blair.
8 April 1942:
Singapore. Arrives at Seletar Naval Base for repairs.
1 May 1942:
Repairs are completed.
15 May 1942:
Sweeps for mines in the Singapore area.
20 May 1942:
Reassigned to the Sasebo Naval District.
27 May 1942:
Departs Seletar escorting an unidentified convoy.
7 June 1942:
At 1400 W-1, W-3, W-4 and W-5 departs Mako escorting convoy No. 220 consisting of SHINYO MARU (4163 gt) and eleven unidentified merchant ships.
11 June 1942:
Arrives at Mutsure. W-3 and W-5 detach en route and both arrive at Sasebo at 1700.
23 June 1942:
At 0800 W-1, W-3, W-4 and W-5 all depart Sasebo on ASW patrol. At 1700 all four minesweepers arrive at Tamanoura, near Nagasaki.
27 June 1942:
At 0800 W-3 and W-5 both depart Tamanoura, returning there at 1230.
28 June 1942:
At 0800 W-3 and W-5 depart Tamanoura. At 1420 both arrive at Tomie.
29 June 1942:
At 0800 W-3 and W-5 depart Tomie. At 1420 both arrive at Sasebo.
1 July 1942:
At 1559 W-5, and a minute later W-3 depart Sasebo. Patrols the Okuma archipelago.
7 July 1942:
At 1000 W-3 only arrives back at Sasebo.
8 July 1942:
At 0755 W-3 departs Sasebo.
15 July 1942:
Reassigned to the Osaka Guard District. Patrols and sweeps for mines in the Kii Straits.
8 August 1942:
At 0700 W-1, W-3, W-4 and W-5 all depart Yuranai.
10 August 1942:
At 1420 W-1 and W-3 arrive back at Yuranai. At 1450 W-4 and W-5 also arrive back at Yuranai.
27 August 1942:
At 0630 W-1, W-3, W-4 and W-5 depart Yuranai, all arriving at Osaka between 1145 and 1203.
31 August 1942:
Reassigned to the Sasebo Guard Force.
1 September 1942:
At 0800 W-1, W-3, W-4 and W-5 all depart Osaka together.
2 September 1942:
Between 1655 (W-5), 1713 (W-3), 1714 (W-4) and 1715 (W-1) all arrive back at Sasebo.
8 September 1942:
At 0800 W-1, W-3 and W-4 depart Sasebo. Patrols the Okuma strait area.

15 September 1942:
At 1628 W-3 arrives alone back at Sasebo.(W-1 follows arriving at 1815)
18 September 1942:
At 1800 W-3, W-4 and W-5 depart Sasebo. W-1 follows 5 minutes later.
20 September 1942:
Between 1236 and 1310 all four minesweepers arrive back at Sasebo.
22 September 1942:
At 1600 W-1 and W-3 both depart Sasebo.
23 September 1942:
At 1400 and 1403 W-1 and W-3 arrive at Saiki.
29 September 1942:
At 0550 and 0655 respectively W-1 and W-3 depart Saiki.
2 October 1942:
At 0800 arrives at Tokuyama, presumably to bunker. Departs at 1504 with W-1. At 2020 arrives at Saiki.
3 October 1942:
At 0800 W-1 departs Saiki alone. W-3 follows later that day at 1225.
8 October 1942:
At 1315 W-1 arrives at Sasebo, followed at 1350 by W-3.
10 October 1942:
At 0800 W-1 and W-3 depart Sasebo.
13 October 1942:
Between 1515 and 1604 W-1, W-3, W-4 and W-5 all arrive back at Sasebo.
27 October 1942:
At 0800 W-1 and W-3 both depart Sasebo.
3 November 1942:
At 1000 W-1, and at 1025 W-3, arrive back at Sasebo.
4 November 1942:
At 0800 both W-1 and W-3 depart Sasebo.
6 November 1942:
Between 1420 and 1452 W-1, W-3, W-4 and W-5 all arrive at Sasebo.
7 November 1942:
Between 1608 and 1613 W-1, W-3, W-4 and W-5 all depart Sasebo.
11 November 1942:
At 1446 W-3 arrives back at Sasebo, followed at 1500 by W-1.
13 November 1942:
At 0800 W-3 departs Sasebo alone.
20 November 1942:
At 1505 and 1508 respectively W-5 and W-3 arrive back at Sasebo.
24 November 1942:
At 0800 W-3 and W-5 both depart Sasebo.
28 November 1942:
At 1606 W-3 arrives back at Sasebo alone.
1 December 1942:
At 0855 W-3 departs Sasebo.
6 December 1942:
W-3 and W-5 meets up off Sasebo and escorts an unnumbered convoy consisting of KAGU and NANKAI MARUs bound for Rabaul. The transports carry the 2nd Echelon of the 17th Naval Construction Unit.

7 December 1942:
At 1700, the minesweepers depart. KAGU and NANKAI MARUs proceed unescorted.

9 December 1942:
Between 1217 and 1335 W-1, W-3, W-4 and W-5 all arrive at Sasebo.
13 December 1942:
At 0815 departs Sasebo escorting the ammunition ship NICHII MARU.
E 15 December 1942:
W-3 detaches and returns to Sasebo.
16 December 1942:
At 1243 arrives back at Sasebo.
18 December 1942:
At 0856 departs Sasebo.
26 December 1942:
At 1600 arrives at Sasebo.
7 January 1943:
At 0930 W-3 and W-5 depart Sasebo.
14 January 1943:
At 1341 W-3 arrives at Sasebo, followed at 1345 by W-1.
18 January 1943:
At 0830 W-1 and W-3 depart Sasebo but both return later that day, W-1 at 1530 and W-3 at 1534.
20 January 1943:
At 0830 W-1 and W-3 both depart Sasebo.
22 January 1943:
Between 1540 and 1645 W-1, W-3, W-4 and W-5 all arrive at Sasebo.
27 January 1943:
At 0800 (except W-5 at 0758) W-1, W-3, W-4 and W-5 all depart Sasebo.
2 February 1943:
At 1000 due to meet up off Sasebo and begin escorting SUWA MARU.
7 February 1943:
In the morning SUWA MARU due to arrive at Saipan. W-3 has detached at an unknown point and date.
8 February 1943:
At 1340 W-3 arrives back at Saipan.
9 February 1943:
At 0800 departs Sasebo, returning later that day at 1551.
12 February 1943:
At 1700 W-3, and at 1706 W-4, both depart Sasebo.
24 February 1943:
At 1325 W-3 arrives back at Sasebo
8 March 1943:
At 0900 departs Sasebo on patrol.
E 11 March 1943:
Meets up with TATSUNAN and YAMAGIRI MARUs that had departed Sasebo earlier that day bound for Truk.
E 17 March 1943:
Detaches from the convoy and returns to Sasebo.
23 March 1943:
At 1330 arrives back at Sasebo.
28 March 1943:
At 1000 departs Sasebo.
1 April 1943:
Reassigned to the Yokosuka Guard Force.
15 April 1943:
Reported escorting convoy consisting of OKITSU and GINYO MARUs in Tokyo Bay area.
25 April 1943:
Departs Yokosuka. Later, based at Megawa, escorts convoys.
25 April 1943:
Departs Yokosuka escorting convoy No. 1425 consisting of TOKIWASAN and SOSHU MARUs both bound for Kamaishi. Later, based at Megawa, escorts convoys.
8 September 1943:
Departs Tokyo Bay for Hakodate escorting a convoy consisting of KOAN (884 gt) and KOYO MARUs.
October 1943:
Lt Nai Mitsugu assumes command from Lt Nikki Izaburo.
16 December 1943:
At 1245 arrives back at Sasebo.
1 June 1944:
Arrives at Yamada.
2 June 1944:
At 1353 departs Yamada.
3 June 1944:
At 0820 arrives back at Yamada and departs at 1149.
5 June 1944:
At 1011 arrives at Yamada.
7 June 1944:
At 0800 departs Yamada.
8 June 1944:
At 2129 arrives at Onagawa.
9 June 1944:
At 2245 departs Onagawa.
10 June 1944:
At 1831 arives at Yamada.
11 June 1944:
At 11110 departs Yamada.
13 June 1944:
At 1801 arives at Yamada.
15 June 1944:
At 1543 departs Yamada.
18 June 1944:
At 0545 arrives at Yamada.
22 June 1944:
At 0300 departs Yamada.
23 June 1944:
At 1145 arrives at Yokosuka.
7 July 1944:
Drydocked for repairs at Yokosuka.
20 July 1944:
Undocked.
22 July 1944:
At 1755 departs Yokosuka.
24 July 1944:
At 0430 arrives at Yamada.
26 July 1944:
At 1624 departs Yamada, and later escorts convoy No. 2726.
27 July 1944:
At 1130 arrives at Onagawa and departs later that day at 1404.
28 July 1944:
At 0832 arrives at Yamada.
1 August 1944:
Departs Yamada.
2 August 1944:
Arrives at Yamada and later that day departs port.
3 August 1944:
Arrives at Yamada.
5 August 1944:
Departs Yamada.
6 August 1944:
Arrives at Yamada.
11 August 1944:
Departs Yamada.
12 August 1944:
Arrives at Yamada.
13 August 1944:
Departs Yamada and later that day arrives back at Yamada.
15 August 1944:
Departs Yamada.
16 August 1944:
Arrives at Yamada.
17 August 1944:
Departs Yamada.
18 August 1944:
Arrives at Yamada.
17 August 1944:
Departs Yamada.
18 August 1944:
Arrives at Yamada.
21 August 1944:
Departs Yamada.
22 August 1944:
Arrives at Yamada.
23 August 1944:
Departs Yamada and late that day arrives back at Yamada.
25 August 1944:
Departs Yamada.
26 August 1944:
Arrives at Yamada and later that day departs port.
27 August 1944:
Arrives at Yamada and later that day departs port.
28 August 1944:
Arrives at Yamada.
30 August 1944:
Departs Yamada and late that day arrives back at Yamada.
3 September 1944:
At 2357 departs Yamada.
4 September 1944:
At 1254 arrives at Onagawa.
5 September 1944:
At 0600 departs Onagawa and later that day at 1511 arrives at Yamada.
8 September 1944:
At 0804 departs Yamada but returns with W-1 and W-29 at 1114.
9 September 1944:
At 0802 departs Yamada.
10 September 1944:
At 1603 arrives at Yamada.
17 September 1944:
At 0806 departs Yamada and escorts YUZUKI MARU.
18 September 1944:
At 0705 arrives at Yamada.
21 September 1944:
At 1250 departs Yamada and escorts SHINSEN MARU.
22 September 1944:
At 0736 arrives at Yamada.
25 September 1944:
An unknown officer assumes command from Lt Nai.
26 September 1944:
At 0803 departs Yamada and escorts convoy No. 1925 possibly consisting of TATSUFUJI MARU. Also escorts SHINKO and SHINSEN MARUs.
27 September 1944:
At 0535 arrives at Yamada.
30 September 1944:
At 1056 departs Yamada. Escorts SAGAWA MARU.
1 October 1944:
Arrives at Yamada.
5 October 1944:
Departs Yamada.
6 October 1944:
Arrives at Onagawa.
7 October 1944:
Departs Onagawa and later that day arrives at Ofunato.
8 October 1944:
Departs Ofunato.
9 October 1944:
Arrives at Yamada.
14 October 1944:
Departs Yamada.
15 October 1944:
Arrives at Yamada.
20 October 1944:
Departs Yamada.
21 October 1944:
Arrives at Onagawa.
22 October 1944:
Departs Onagawa and later that day arrives at Yamada.
25 October 1944:
Departs Yamada.
26 October 1944:
Arrives at Onagawa.
27 October 1944:
Departs Onagawa and later that day arrives at Yamada.
30 October 1944:
Departs Yamada.
31 October 1944:
Arrives at Yamada.
6 November 1944:
Departs Yamada.
7 November 1944:
Arrives at Onagawa and departs later that same day.
8 November 1944:
Arrives at Yamada.
10 November 1944:
Departs Yamada.
11 November 1944:
Arrives at Onagawa.
12 November 1944:
Departs Onagawa and later that day arrives at Yamada.
15 November 1944:
Departs Yamada and later that day arrives back at Yamada.
19 November 1944:
Departs Yamada.
20 November 1944:
Arrives at Yamada.
25 November 1944:
Departs Yamada and later that day arrive at Onagawa.
26 November 1944:
Departs Onagawa and later that day arrives at Ofunato.
27 November 1944:
Departs Ofunato and later that day arrives at Yamada.
1 December 1944:
Departs Yamada and later that day returns to port.
2 December 1944:
Departs Yamada.
3 December 1944:
Arrives at Onagawa.
5 December 1944:
Departs Onagawa and later that day arrives at Yamada.
12 December 1944:
Departs Yamada and later that day arrives at Kamaishi.
13 December 1944:
Departs Kamaishi and later that day arrives at Yamada.
20 December 1944:
Departs Yamada.
21 December 1944:
Arrives at Yamada.
6 January 1945:
At 0845 departs Yamada and later that day at 2035 arrives at Onagawa.
8 January 1945:
At 0756 departs Onagawa and later that day at 1330 arrives at Shiogama where the W-3 is drydocked for the rest of January.
31 January 1945:
At 0804 departs Shiogama and at 1357 arrives at Onagawa.
4 March 1945:
Departs Yamada.
5 March 1945:
Arrives at Yamada.
12 March 1945:
Departs Yamada.
13 March 1945:
Arrives at Yamada.
14 March 1945:
Departs Yamada but later that day returns to Yamada.
21 March 1945:
Departs Yamada.
22 March 1945:
Arrives at Yamada.
23 March 1945:
Departs Yamada but later that day returns to Yamada.
26 March 1945:
Departs Yamada.
27 March 1945:
Arrives at Yamada.
28 March 1945:
Departs Yamada but later that day returns to Yamada.
8 April 1945:
Departs Yamada.
9 April 1945:
Off Ofunato. LtCdr (later Rear Admiral) Woodrow W. McCrory’s (USNA ’38) USS PARCHE (SS-384) torpedoes and sinks W-3 by the stern at 39-07N, 141-57E.
10 May 1945:
Removed from the Navy List.

Thanks to Mr. Gilbert Casse of France, Mr. John Whitman of USA and Mr Sander Kingsepp of Estonia. Special thanks go to Hans Mcilveen of the Netherlands for info on FRUMEL intercepts.
-Bob Hackett and Peter Cundall.

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