HIJMS I-180

HIJMS Submarine I-180

Tabular Record of Movement

15 January1943: The I-180 is completed at the Yokosuka Navy Yard, commissioned in the IJN and based in the Sasebo Naval District. Lt. Cdr. (later Cdr.) Kusaka Toshio is the Commanding Officer.

15 February 1943: Assigned to SubDiv 22, Kure SubRon.

15 March 1943: Reassigned to SubDiv 22, SubRon 3.

30 March 1943: Departs Kure.

7 April 1943: Arrives at Truk.

10 April 1943: The I-180 is assigned to patrol off Australia. Departs Truk.

26 April 1943: E of Australia. The I-180 attacks an unidentified merchant at 28S, 157E. Lt. Cdr. Kusaka fires three torpedoes, but obtains no hits.

29 April 1943: 55 miles ESE of Smokey Cape. The I-180 sinks the 2,239-ton Australian merchant WOLLONGBAR 11 at 31-17S, 153-07E. Five of her 37 crewmen survive and are later rescued by the trawler XLCR

May 1943: Coffs Harbour. The I-180 torpedoes and sinks the 2,137-ton Norwegian merchant FINGAL at 30-35S, 1535 -29E.

12 May 1943: NE of Coffs Harbour. The I-180 attacks the 15-ship Allied convoy P.G. 50 that is proceeding S from Brisbane to Sydney. The 5,832-ton Australian merchant ORMISTON, designated Commodore of the convoy, is on the last leg of a voyage from Cairns with a cargo of bagged sugar. The I-180 fires a torpedo that hits the ORMISTON on her port side. The Australian merchant CARADALE is also hit by a torpedo from the I-180 but it fails to explode and does no damage. The ORMISTON, escorted by HMAS BALLARAT, HMAS KYBRA and the USS HENLEY (DD-391), successfully reaches Coffs Harbour. After temporary repairs, she eventually reaches Sydney

25 May 1943: Returns to Truk.

20 June 1943: Departs Truk to operate in New Caledonia-Solomons area.

13 July 1943: The Battle of Kolombangara: Rear Admiral Izaki Shunji’s DesRon 2 with the light cruiser JINTSU and five destroyers departs Rabaul. DesRon 2 escorts four other destroyers that are transporting 1,200 IJA troops to Vila on Kolombangara Island, New Georgia.

Solomons. The “Slot”. At 0036, Izaki’s "Tokyo Express is spotted by a PBY “Catalina” aircraft. At 0100, Rear Admiral Walden L. Ainsworth’s Task Force 18 with the light cruisers USS HONOLULU (CL-48), SAINT LOUIS (CL-49) and the HMNZS LEANDER and 10 destroyers makes radar contact. At 0110, TF 18 takes the JINTSU and her consorts under radar-directed gunfire and salvoes torpedoes at them. The JINTSU, is smothered in 6-inch shells and hit a by a torpedo abaft her number 2 stack. She goes down with Admiral Izaki and 482 men. No other IJN ships are damaged and all the IJA troops are landed at Vila.

On the Allied side, all three of the light cruisers are damaged in the battle – the LEANDER so severely that she is out of commission for the rest of the war.

The destroyer USS GWIN (DD-433) is hit by a “Long Lance” torpedo and has to be scuttled by the RALPH TALBOT (DD-390) in the morning. The BUCHANAN (DD-484) glances off the WOODWORTH’s (DD-460) stern during the engagement and both are damaged The I-180 arrives on the scene at 07-38S, 157-06E and rescues 21 of the JINTSU’s crew.

21 July 1943: Arrives at Buin, departs on the same day.

22 July 1943: Arrives at Rabaul.

2 August 1943: Departs Rabaul for Lae.

10 August 1943: Returns to Truk.

4 September 1943: Allied Operation “Postern” – The Invasion of Lae, New Guinea: Rear Admiral (later Vice Admiral) Daniel E. Barbey’s Task Force 76 lands the Australian 9th Division on the Huon Peninsula near Lae. That day, the I-180 departs Truk.

8 September 1943: Arrives at Rabaul.

17 September 1943: Departs Rabaul to participate in supply missions to Sio and Finschafen, New Guinea.

10 October 1943: Returns to Rabaul.

12 October 1943: American Air Raid on Rabaul:

At Rabaul. Lt Gen (later General) George C. Kenney’s 5^th Air Force hits Rabaul with the biggest raid made up to then in the Pacific war. Three hundred-forty nine aircraft, including 87 B-17 and B-24 bombers, 114 B-25 strafers, 12 RAAF “Beaufighters” and 125 P-38 “Lightning” fighters and others from New Guinea and Australia hit Rabaul’s airfields and Simpson harbour.

The I-180 is tied up to a pier undergoing repairs. The I-36, I-38, I-176, I-177, RO-105 and the RO-108 are moored in deep water. When the attack begins, the other submarines submerge to safety. Unable to move, the I-180 is hit by a bomb that destroys her superstructure, kills the Executive Officer, Lt Higuchi Toshio, on the bridge and wounds three crewmen

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Home About Us History History continued HIJMS I-180 I-180 Continued Wollongbar 11 USS Gilmore Project ‘White Cross’ Updates Contact Links	HIJMS Submarine I-180 Used by permission from Bob Hackett & Sander Kingsepp © 2001-2002 Tabular Record of Movement 15 January1943: The I-180 is completed at the Yokosuka Navy Yard, commissioned in the IJN and based in the Sasebo Naval District. Lt. Cdr. (later Cdr.) Kusaka Toshio is the Commanding Officer. 15 February 1943: Assigned to SubDiv 22, Kure SubRon. 15 March 1943: Reassigned to SubDiv 22, SubRon 3. 30 March 1943: Departs Kure. 7 April 1943: Arrives at Truk. 10 April 1943: The I-180 is assigned to patrol off Australia. Departs Truk. 26 April 1943: E of Australia. The I-180 attacks an unidentified merchant at 28S, 157E. Lt. Cdr. Kusaka fires three torpedoes, but obtains no hits. 29 April 1943: 55 miles ESE of Smokey Cape. The I-180 sinks the 2,239-ton Australian merchant WOLLONGBAR 11 at 31-17S, 153-07E. Five of her 37 crewmen survive and are later rescued by the trawler XLCR May 1943: Coffs Harbour. The I-180 torpedoes and sinks the 2,137-ton Norwegian merchant FINGAL at 30-35S, 1535 -29E. 12 May 1943: NE of Coffs Harbour. The I-180 attacks the 15-ship Allied convoy P.G. 50 that is proceeding S from Brisbane to Sydney. The 5,832-ton Australian merchant ORMISTON, designated Commodore of the convoy, is on the last leg of a voyage from Cairns with a cargo of bagged sugar. The I-180 fires a torpedo that hits the ORMISTON on her port side. The Australian merchant CARADALE is also hit by a torpedo from the I-180 but it fails to explode and does no damage. The ORMISTON, escorted by HMAS BALLARAT, HMAS KYBRA and the USS HENLEY (DD-391), successfully reaches Coffs Harbour. After temporary repairs, she eventually reaches Sydney 25 May 1943: Returns to Truk. 20 June 1943: Departs Truk to operate in New Caledonia-Solomons area. 13 July 1943: The Battle of Kolombangara: Rear Admiral Izaki Shunji’s DesRon 2 with the light cruiser JINTSU and five destroyers departs Rabaul. DesRon 2 escorts four other destroyers that are transporting 1,200 IJA troops to Vila on Kolombangara Island, New Georgia. Solomons. The “Slot”. At 0036, Izaki’s "Tokyo Express is spotted by a PBY “Catalina” aircraft. At 0100, Rear Admiral Walden L. Ainsworth’s Task Force 18 with the light cruisers USS HONOLULU (CL-48), SAINT LOUIS (CL-49) and the HMNZS LEANDER and 10 destroyers makes radar contact. At 0110, TF 18 takes the JINTSU and her consorts under radar-directed gunfire and salvoes torpedoes at them. The JINTSU, is smothered in 6-inch shells and hit a by a torpedo abaft her number 2 stack. She goes down with Admiral Izaki and 482 men. No other IJN ships are damaged and all the IJA troops are landed at Vila. On the Allied side, all three of the light cruisers are damaged in the battle – the LEANDER so severely that she is out of commission for the rest of the war. The destroyer USS GWIN (DD-433) is hit by a “Long Lance” torpedo and has to be scuttled by the RALPH TALBOT (DD-390) in the morning. The BUCHANAN (DD-484) glances off the WOODWORTH’s (DD-460) stern during the engagement and both are damaged The I-180 arrives on the scene at 07-38S, 157-06E and rescues 21 of the JINTSU’s crew. 21 July 1943: Arrives at Buin, departs on the same day. 22 July 1943: Arrives at Rabaul. 2 August 1943: Departs Rabaul for Lae. 10 August 1943: Returns to Truk. 4 September 1943: Allied Operation “Postern” – The Invasion of Lae, New Guinea: Rear Admiral (later Vice Admiral) Daniel E. Barbey’s Task Force 76 lands the Australian 9th Division on the Huon Peninsula near Lae. That day, the I-180 departs Truk. 8 September 1943: Arrives at Rabaul. 17 September 1943: Departs Rabaul to participate in supply missions to Sio and Finschafen, New Guinea. 10 October 1943: Returns to Rabaul. 12 October 1943: American Air Raid on Rabaul: At Rabaul. Lt Gen (later General) George C. Kenney’s 5^th Air Force hits Rabaul with the biggest raid made up to then in the Pacific war. Three hundred-forty nine aircraft, including 87 B-17 and B-24 bombers, 114 B-25 strafers, 12 RAAF “Beaufighters” and 125 P-38 “Lightning” fighters and others from New Guinea and Australia hit Rabaul’s airfields and Simpson harbour. The I-180 is tied up to a pier undergoing repairs. The I-36, I-38, I-176, I-177, RO-105 and the RO-108 are moored in deep water. When the attack begins, the other submarines submerge to safety. Unable to move, the I-180 is hit by a bomb that destroys her superstructure, kills the Executive Officer, Lt Higuchi Toshio, on the bridge and wounds three crewmen
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