SOKAITEI!

© 2005-2017 Bob Hackett and Peter Cundall

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7 February 1938:
Maizuru Naval Arsenal. Laid down.

10 September 1938:
Launched and numbered W-9.

15 February 1939:
Completed and registered in the Sasebo Naval District.

1 June 1941:
W-9 is assigned to the Third Fleet's 1st Base Force in MineSweepDiv 21 with W-7, W-8, W-10, W-11 andW-12.

21 September 1941:
Cdr (Rear Admiral, posthumously) Kitamura Masayuki (45) assumes command of MineSweepDiv 21.

27 November 1941:
Departs Sasebo.

30 November 1941:
Arrives at Mako.

December 1941:
Reserve Lt Yoshiyama Shukichi assumes command.

7 December 1941:
Departs Mako escorting the Vigan, northern Luzon, invasion convoy. W-9 is in Vice Admiral Takahashi Ibo's (36) (former CO of KIRISHIMA) Third Fleet, Philippines Seizure Force, Southern Force in Rear Admiral (later Vice Admiral Nishimura Shoji’s (39) Vigan Invasion Force.

At 1630, departs Mako escorting six transports carrying 2,000 men of the Kanno Detachment of the 48th Infantry Division.

10 December 1941:
At 0200 arrives off Vigan with W-8, W-10, W-11 and W-12. Luzon, Philippines. The transports land troops at Pandan, near Vigan, but are bombed and strafed by five Boeing B-17 "Flying Fortresses"and escorting Seversky P-35A "Guardsman" and Curtiss P-40B "Kittyhawk" fighters of the U. S. Army's Far East Air Force.

During the action, Captain Samuel H. Marrett, CO of the 34th Fighter Squadron, makes repeated strafing passes on W-10 with his P-35 until W-10 blows up. The force of the explosion tears a wing off Marret's P-35 and he crashes into the sea. W-10 sinks at 17-32N, 120-22E and transports OIGAWA MARU and TAKAO MARU are so damaged they have to be beached to facilitate salvage. Light cruiser NAKA and destroyer MURASAME are slightly damaged by strafing.

At 1700 departs Vigan with W-11 and W-12.

12 December 1941:
At 2200 arrives at Mako.

13 December 1941:
At 0800 departs Mako with W-11 and W-12.

15 December 1941:
Arrives at Amami-Oshima.

17 December 1941:
Departs Amami-Oshima with W-11 and W-12 escorting a convoy to Lamon Bay and Davao, Philippines.

24 December 1941:
At 2020 arrives at Lamon Bay.

26 December 1941:
At 1000 departs Lamon Bay still with W-11 and W-12.

31 December 1941:
At 1400 W-9, W-11 and W-12 arrive at Davao.

7 January 1942:
At 0430 departs Davao and at 0900 arrives at Magunaga Bay.

9 January 1942: Operation "H" - The Invasion of Celebes, Netherlands East Indies:
MineSweepDiv 21's W-12, W-7, W-8, W-9 and W-11, light cruiser NAGARA, patrol boats P-1, P-2, P-34 and SubChasDiv 1's CH-1, CH-2 and CH-3 depart Magunaga Bay near Davao escorting eight transports carrying Captain (later Vice Admiral) Mori Kunizo's (40) (former CO of AO SATA) Sasebo No. 1 Combined Special Naval Landing Force (SNLF) and Rear Admiral Kubo Kyuji's (38) 1st Base Force.

11 January 1942: The Invasion of Menado, Celebes Dutch East Indies:
Rear Admiral Kubo’s 1st Base Force with MineSweepDiv 21, NAGARA, patrol boats and SubChasDiv 1’s CH-1, CH-2 and CH-3 provides escort for the Menado invasion force of eight transports carrying Captain Mori's Sasebo No. 1 Combined SNLF.

At 0300, the SNLF lands on Kema, Celebes. At 0400, they land on Menado. Later, 334 men of Cdr (later Captain) Horiuchi Toyoaki's (50) (later XO of TAKAO) Yokosuka No. 1 SNLF (Air) are dropped successfully from Mitsubishi G3M1-L Nellconverted transport aircraft in the Menado-Kema area. The paratroops seize Langoan airfield. W-11 and W-9 both sail to Kema but depart there at 0400 and arrive at Banka at 1500.

20 January 1942:
At 1840 departs Banka.

21 January 1942:
Escorts the Kendari invasion convoy and conducts minesweeping. At 0800 returns to Banka and then at 1200 departs.

23-24 January 1942: The Invasion of Kendari, Celebes:
MineSweepDiv 21’s W-9, W-7, W-8, W-11 and W-12, DesRon 10’s light cruiser NAGARA, DesDiv 15’s HAYASHIO, KUROSHIO, OYASHIO and NATSUSHIO, DesDiv 16’s TOKITSUKAZE, HATSUKAZE, AMATSUKAZE and YUKIKAZE, and Subchaser Div 1’s CH-1 and CH-2 escort Rear Admiral Kubo’s Kendari Invasion Force under consisting of six troop transports carrying Captain (later Vice Admiral) Mori Kunizo’s Sasebo Combined Special Naval Landing Force (SNLF). The 11th Seaplane Tender Division’s CHITOSE and MIZUHO provide distant support.

27 January 1942:
At 1600 departs Davao in the second echelon of the Ito Shitai Ambon invasion force. The echelon consists of KIRISHIMA, YAMAGIRI, YAMAFUKU, KATSURAGI and LYONS MARUs and HINO MARU No. 5 escorted by destroyers AMATSUKAZE, TOKITSUKAZE, YUKIKAZE and HATSUKAZE and minesweepers W-9 and W-11.

29 January 1942:
At 0000 the convoy arrives at Bangka, Celebes. Preparation is made for the invasion of Ambon. W-9 proceeds to Kendari. At 0240 departs Kendari. Escorts the Ambon invasion convoy.

31 January 1942: The Invasion of Ambon Island, Moluccas, Netherlands East Indies:
The convoy includes ten transports carrying 820 men of Rear Admiral (later Vice Admiral) Hatakeyama Koichiro's (39) (former CO of KINUGASA) Kure No. 1 SNLF, elements of the Sasebo SNLF and the 228th Infantry Regiment escorted by Rear Admiral (later Vice Admiral) Tanaka Raizo's (41) DesRon 2’s light cruiser JINTSU, DesDiv 8’s ASASHIO, MICHISHIO, ARASHIO and OSHIO, DesDiv 15’s HAYASHIO, KUROSHIO, OYASHIO and NATSUSHIO, DesDiv 16’s TOKITSUKAZE, HATSUKAZE, AMATSUKAZE and YUKIKAZE, Minesweeper Div 21’s W-9, W-7, W-8, W-11 and W-12 and Subchaser Div 1’s CH-1,CH-2 and CH-3. CHITOSE and MIZUHO arrive at Ceram and provide air cover for the invasion convoy.

February 1942:
Lt Furuyama Shyurou assumes command.

2 February 1942:
Ambon. While minesweeping at 1412, W-9 explodes a mine and sinks.

10 April 1942:
Removed from the Navy List.

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Authors' Notes:
Photo credit goes to Ships of the World (SOTW) via J. Ed Low.

Thanks to Mr. Gilbert Casse of France for general assistance.

-Bob Hackett and Peter Cundall.

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