Imperial Japanese Navy History
@ijnhistory.bsky.social
Documenting the history of the Imperial Japanese Navy 1868-1945.
#OTD May 24 1944 Rear Admiral Ijūin Matsuji 伊集院 松治 was killed in action when his ship, the patrol boat Iki, was torpedoed by USS Raton 150 miles west of #Borneo. #Ijūin was CO of an escort flotilla carrying #IJA troops to #Singapore from #Manila, he was posthumously promoted to Vice-Admiral. 1/3
May 25, 2025 at 5:52 AM
#OTD April 29th 1924 #IJN #Sendai was commissioned at #Nagasaki. The first of 8 planned light cruisers, of which only 3 were built. None survived the #SecondWorldWar. She was sunk by surface guns at the Battle of Empress Augusta Bay in November 1943. #NavalHistory
April 30, 2025 at 5:02 AM
#OTD April 29th 1924 #IJN #Sendai was commissioned at #Nagasaki. The first of 8 planned light cruisers, of which only 3 were built. None survived the #SecondWorldWar. She was sunk by surface guns at the Battle of Empress Augusta Bay in November 1943. #NavalHistory
Missed Nagato, just saying.
April 25, 2025 at 6:53 PM
Missed Nagato, just saying.
April 25, 2025 at 3:25 PM
Shortly after leaving Kagoshima, Nagara was sighted by #USSCroaker, a new sub on her first patrol. Croaker fired four torpedoes, only one of which hit Nagara. She sank with her Captain and 348 Sailors. 237 men were rescued. The wreck has not been located. #ImperialJapaneseNavy #IJN 5/5
April 22, 2025 at 12:55 AM
Shortly after leaving Kagoshima, Nagara was sighted by #USSCroaker, a new sub on her first patrol. Croaker fired four torpedoes, only one of which hit Nagara. She sank with her Captain and 348 Sailors. 237 men were rescued. The wreck has not been located. #ImperialJapaneseNavy #IJN 5/5
#OTD April 21 1922 IJN #Nagara #長良 was commissioned at #Sasebo Naval Arsenal. The lead ship in a class of six light cruisers (none survived the #SWW), Nagara saw action in the Second Sino-Japanese War, shelling #Shanghai in 1937 and providing cover for #SNLF troops landing near Xiamen in 1938. 1/5
April 22, 2025 at 12:55 AM
Small in-ground monument dedicated to the #ImperialJapaneseNavy 5th Hospital Corps, at the South Pacific Memorial Peace Park in Yigo, Guam. This site is located at the former Mataguac Hill Command Post, where the last organized resistance on #Guam ended on August 10, 1944. #IJN #SecondWorldWar
February 17, 2025 at 6:40 PM
Small in-ground monument dedicated to the #ImperialJapaneseNavy 5th Hospital Corps, at the South Pacific Memorial Peace Park in Yigo, Guam. This site is located at the former Mataguac Hill Command Post, where the last organized resistance on #Guam ended on August 10, 1944. #IJN #SecondWorldWar
Very busy week here as I'm currently moving, apologize for the lack of posts lately.
Here's a photo of the man, the myth, the absolute fur-coated LEGEND Enomoto Takeaki to get you through the weekend, courtesy of the National Diet Library. See you all next week.
www.ndl.go.jp/portrait/e/d...
Here's a photo of the man, the myth, the absolute fur-coated LEGEND Enomoto Takeaki to get you through the weekend, courtesy of the National Diet Library. See you all next week.
www.ndl.go.jp/portrait/e/d...
February 6, 2025 at 10:12 AM
Very busy week here as I'm currently moving, apologize for the lack of posts lately.
Here's a photo of the man, the myth, the absolute fur-coated LEGEND Enomoto Takeaki to get you through the weekend, courtesy of the National Diet Library. See you all next week.
www.ndl.go.jp/portrait/e/d...
Here's a photo of the man, the myth, the absolute fur-coated LEGEND Enomoto Takeaki to get you through the weekend, courtesy of the National Diet Library. See you all next week.
www.ndl.go.jp/portrait/e/d...
Refloated and tethered to a buoy at some point in the summer of 1943, Tokai Maru was finally sent to the bottom of outer Apra Harbor on the 27th of August by #USSSnapper. The ship settled on top of the #SMSCormoran wreck, a former German navy ship, scuttled in 1917. 7/8
January 29, 2025 at 8:05 AM
Refloated and tethered to a buoy at some point in the summer of 1943, Tokai Maru was finally sent to the bottom of outer Apra Harbor on the 27th of August by #USSSnapper. The ship settled on top of the #SMSCormoran wreck, a former German navy ship, scuttled in 1917. 7/8
The second in her class, Tokai Maru was laid down in November 1929 and completed in July 1930 by Mitsubishi in Nagasaki, for Osaka Shosen Kaisha. She primarily served as a luxury transport between the ports of #Kobe and #NewYork via the #PanamaCanal, serving in this role from 1931 to 1941. 2/8
January 29, 2025 at 8:05 AM
The second in her class, Tokai Maru was laid down in November 1929 and completed in July 1930 by Mitsubishi in Nagasaki, for Osaka Shosen Kaisha. She primarily served as a luxury transport between the ports of #Kobe and #NewYork via the #PanamaCanal, serving in this role from 1931 to 1941. 2/8
She was quickly turned around and was able to take part in the #BattleofWeihaiwei, the final battle of the war. The surrender document was signed onboard the ship on 12 February 1895. Post-War, Matsushima provided support for #IJN maneuvers and training voyages. 5/7
January 22, 2025 at 11:26 AM
She was quickly turned around and was able to take part in the #BattleofWeihaiwei, the final battle of the war. The surrender document was signed onboard the ship on 12 February 1895. Post-War, Matsushima provided support for #IJN maneuvers and training voyages. 5/7
It’s #WarshipWednesday, and today we’re looking at the #Matsushima #松島, the lead ship in a class of three protected cruisers. Matsushima was launched #OTD January 22 1890 by the Société Nouvelle des Forges et Chantiers de la Méditerranée at La Seyne-sur-Mer shipyard, #France. 1/7
January 22, 2025 at 11:26 AM
It’s #WarshipWednesday, and today we’re looking at the #Matsushima #松島, the lead ship in a class of three protected cruisers. Matsushima was launched #OTD January 22 1890 by the Société Nouvelle des Forges et Chantiers de la Méditerranée at La Seyne-sur-Mer shipyard, #France. 1/7
#Katsuragi ended the war in Kure, and was designated as a transport ship. She repatriated around 12,000 Japanese military personnel and civilians back home, serving in this role until November 1946. She she was then decommissioned, and scrapped at #Sakurajima in Osaka. 2/2 #NavalHistory #IJN
January 19, 2025 at 8:00 AM
#Katsuragi ended the war in Kure, and was designated as a transport ship. She repatriated around 12,000 Japanese military personnel and civilians back home, serving in this role until November 1946. She she was then decommissioned, and scrapped at #Sakurajima in Osaka. 2/2 #NavalHistory #IJN
#USSMcDermut fired the torpedo spread that destroyed Yasagumo, #Michishio and #Asagumo; Paul Allen's crew discovered the wrecks of all three ships in 2017. It's believed this image is the Yamagumo, as she was reported to have exploded before sinking. 5/5 #NavalHistory #IJN
January 15, 2025 at 11:02 AM
#USSMcDermut fired the torpedo spread that destroyed Yasagumo, #Michishio and #Asagumo; Paul Allen's crew discovered the wrecks of all three ships in 2017. It's believed this image is the Yamagumo, as she was reported to have exploded before sinking. 5/5 #NavalHistory #IJN
IJN Facilities at Truk were largely destroyed in #OperationHailstone, in which elements of #USN ##TF58 struck the islands and lagoon between 17-18 February 1944. 40 ships were sunk at anchor or trying to escape, and another 10 damaged. 17,000 tons of fuel oil and 270 aircraft were destroyed. 6/7
January 12, 2025 at 3:19 AM
IJN Facilities at Truk were largely destroyed in #OperationHailstone, in which elements of #USN ##TF58 struck the islands and lagoon between 17-18 February 1944. 40 ships were sunk at anchor or trying to escape, and another 10 damaged. 17,000 tons of fuel oil and 270 aircraft were destroyed. 6/7
The #IJN naval base at #Truk in the #Carolines was established in October 1914, during the opening months of the #FWW. For the next 30 years, the Japanese would position many important ships at this forward-operating base, including the battleships #Yamato and #Musashi. 1/7
January 12, 2025 at 3:19 AM
I-1, I-2, and I-3 were all laid down in 1923 and completed in 1926; I-4 was laid down in 1926 and completed 1929. All four ships were built by #Kawasaki in #Kobe and assigned to the #Yokosuka Naval District upon commissioning. All four ships went on to be destroyed in the #SecondWorldWar. 2/7
January 10, 2025 at 11:51 AM
I-1, I-2, and I-3 were all laid down in 1923 and completed in 1926; I-4 was laid down in 1926 and completed 1929. All four ships were built by #Kawasaki in #Kobe and assigned to the #Yokosuka Naval District upon commissioning. All four ships went on to be destroyed in the #SecondWorldWar. 2/7
This week's #WarshipWednesday entry is the Sawakaze #澤風. Laid down Jan. 7 1918 at the #Mitsubishi yard at #Nagasaki and completed one year later, she was the second of 15 #Minekaza-class destroyers, although the last three ships formed a sub-class due to changes in weapons configuration. 1/3
January 8, 2025 at 7:24 AM
This week's #WarshipWednesday entry is the Sawakaze #澤風. Laid down Jan. 7 1918 at the #Mitsubishi yard at #Nagasaki and completed one year later, she was the second of 15 #Minekaza-class destroyers, although the last three ships formed a sub-class due to changes in weapons configuration. 1/3
The Kasuga Maru #春日丸 was laid down #OTD January 6th 1940. The third and final Nitta Maru-class passenger-cargo liner, the #IJN requisitioned all three ships in 1941, and had them modified as escort carriers. Kasuga was completed at some point in September 1941 at #Sasebo Naval Arsenal. 1/3
January 6, 2025 at 12:58 PM
#IJN Shirayuki (White Snow) #白雪 was the second ship of that name; she shared it with Hirohito’s favorite horse. The second of 24 #Fubuki-class destroyers, of which all but two were lost in the #SecondWorldWar, Shirayuki was sunk in the Bismarck Sea on 3 March 1943. #NavalHistory
January 5, 2025 at 3:59 AM
#IJN Shirayuki (White Snow) #白雪 was the second ship of that name; she shared it with Hirohito’s favorite horse. The second of 24 #Fubuki-class destroyers, of which all but two were lost in the #SecondWorldWar, Shirayuki was sunk in the Bismarck Sea on 3 March 1943. #NavalHistory
Launched in May 1943, Ibuki was never completed. She was towed to #Sasebo in order to make room in Kure, then delayed again to allow for the construction of midget subs. The ship was 80% complete when surrendered to the Americans on 2 September 1945. She was scrapped in 1947. 2/2 #NavalHistory #IJN
January 1, 2025 at 1:12 PM
Launched in May 1943, Ibuki was never completed. She was towed to #Sasebo in order to make room in Kure, then delayed again to allow for the construction of midget subs. The ship was 80% complete when surrendered to the Americans on 2 September 1945. She was scrapped in 1947. 2/2 #NavalHistory #IJN
It's #WarshipWednesday, the first of 2025! The #Ibuki #伊吹 was the lead ship in her class of heavy cruisers. Laid down in April 1942 at #Kure, construction was halted after #Midway and plans were altered to make her an aircraft carrier. She was rushed to launch, to clear room in the drydock. 1/2
January 1, 2025 at 1:12 PM
It's #WarshipWednesday, the first of 2025! The #Ibuki #伊吹 was the lead ship in her class of heavy cruisers. Laid down in April 1942 at #Kure, construction was halted after #Midway and plans were altered to make her an aircraft carrier. She was rushed to launch, to clear room in the drydock. 1/2
あけましておめでとう🎍🎉🥳🎊
Here’s to a happy and healthy new year!
Here’s to a happy and healthy new year!
December 31, 2024 at 3:39 PM
あけましておめでとう🎍🎉🥳🎊
Here’s to a happy and healthy new year!
Here’s to a happy and healthy new year!
Nisshin was also a training ship after traveling from the Med to #Constantinople and then the #UK following the end of the #FWW. She was sunk as a target in 1936. In 1942, the wreck was refloated and used as a target a second time; #Mutsu towed her for the #Yamato to try its new 18.1" guns. 6/7
December 30, 2024 at 9:16 AM
Nisshin was also a training ship after traveling from the Med to #Constantinople and then the #UK following the end of the #FWW. She was sunk as a target in 1936. In 1942, the wreck was refloated and used as a target a second time; #Mutsu towed her for the #Yamato to try its new 18.1" guns. 6/7