Kaiten Group "Tatara"

Submarine I-47, I-56, I-58 and I-44

(Sortie 28 March, 1945 through 3 April, 1945)


Submarine I-47


Flight Petty Officer 2nd Class Yokota, Petty Officer 1st Class Yamaguchi, Sub-lieutenant Maeda, Captain Orita, Chief Officer Miwa, Sub-lieutenant Kakizaki, Chief Petty Officer Furukawa and Flight Petty Officer 2nd Class Shinkai (From the left)


Received short swords.
Captain Orita, Sub-lieutenant Kakizaki, Sub-lieutenant Maeda, Chief Petty Officer Furukawa, Petty Officer 1st Class Yamaguchi, Flight Petty Officer 2nd Class Shinkai and Flight Petty Officer 2nd Class Yokota (From the left)

 

The Submarine I-47 departed on 28 March. She headed for the area of sea around Okinawa, but subjected to depthcharge attacks and came back on 1 April.  


Submarine I-56


Commemorative Picture for the Sortie
Flight Petty Officer 2nd Class Yashiro, Flight Petty Officer 2nd Class Miyazaki, Ensign Yagi, Captain Shoda, Chief Officer Miwa, Sub-lieutenant Fukushima, Flight Petty Officer 2nd Class Kawanami and Flight Petty Officer 2nd Class Ishijiki (From the left)


Flight Petty Officer 2nd Class Ishijiki, Flight Petty Officer 2nd Class Miyazaki, Sub-lieutenant Fukushima, Ensign Yagi, Flight Petty Officer 2nd Class Kawanami and Flight Petty Officer 2nd Class Yashiro (From the left)


Kaiten pilots heading for the pier (First six men were maintenance men)

 

The Submarine I-56 headed for the area of sea around Okinawa, but was missing in action. She was sunken on 5 April according to the U.S. record.
Kaiten pilots Seiji Fukushima (72nd Naval Academy graduate), Ensign Hiroshi Yagi (Kansai University), Flight Petty Officer 2nd Class Yoshikatsu Kawanami, Flight Petty Officer 2nd Class Goro Ishijiki, Flight Petty Officer 2nd Class Kazuo Miyazaki, Flight Petty Officer 2nd Class Seiji Yashiro, Captain Keiji Shoda (Ensign) and the crews of 112 died.


Submarine I-58


Unknown, Flight Petty Officer 2nd Class Irie, Ensign Sonoda, Captain Hashimoto, Chief Officer Miwa, Sub-lieutenant Ikebuchi, Flight Petty Officer 2nd Class Yanagitani and Commander Nagai (Front from the left)

 

The Submarine I-58 headed for the area of sea around Okinawa, but couldn't break through the enemy's patrolling. Also, rough weather made her to come back on 29 April.


Submarine I-44


Flight Petty Officer 2nd Class Sugahara, Ensign Isumi, Captain Masuzawa, Chief Officer Miwa, Sub-lieutenant Doi and Ensign Tatewaki (Front from the left)


Sub-lieutenant Doi, receiving a headband


Ensign Isumi was offered Sake.


Kaiten pilots were answering to the send-off with smile. Sending them off were the 74th Naval Academy graduates, who had just arrived.

 

The Submarine I-44 headed for the area of sea around Okinawa, but was missing in action. She was sunken on 17 April according to the U.S. record.
Kaiten pilots Sub-lieutenant Hideo Doi (72nd Naval Academy graduate), Ensign Yasuhiko Isumi (The University of Tokyo), Ensign Takaharu Tatewaki, Flight Petty Officer 2nd Class Hikogo Sugawara, Captain Seiji Masuzawa (Lieutenant Commander) and the other crews of 130 died.


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