Subject : USS Richard Hovey

    Hello,
        I am trying to find out about the Kusaka(?), a Japanese submarine that sunk my father's merchant ship, the USS Richard Hovey on March 28, 1944 in the Indian Ocean. The number of this sub is I-26.
        My father, Robert Watson Turner was taken prisoner on this sub with his captain Hans Thorsen and two other members of the crew, Simms and Margetko. 4 total. After the war my father was contacted by the US Navy Dept to intercede for the life of Commander Tanaka(?) of the Kusaka(?).
        Apparently the Japanese Imperial Navy was going to court martial the commander because his orders were to sink and destroy w/o a trace.
        It is urgent that I find out any information. I was unable to find out from my father directly because his health was permanently damaged in POW camp. He died in August of 1957 when my mom was 3 month's pregnant with me. I would be so grateful for any information you could share with me.

    The Japanese Fleet Submarine I-26 was most Notorious. Here is part of her story.

    7Dec41 . Unarmed U.S. Army-chartered steam schooner Cynthia Olson is tracked by Japanese submarine I-26. At "X-hour", 8 a.m. Sunday, Dec 7, 1941, the submarine surfaces while other Japanese begin the attack on Pearl Harbor. Cynthia Olson is shelled and sunk about 1,000 miles northwest of Diamond Head, Honolulu. She is the first U.S. merchantman to be sunk by a Japanese submarine in World War II. There are no survivors from the 33-man crew or the two Army passengers.
    Dec'41. I-26, with I-10, continue on to scout the west coast of California and Oregon.

    14Feb-4Mar'42. I-26 is one of three subs to refuel Emily bombing attack on Pearl Harbor from French Frigate Shoals.

    18April'42. In drydock, observes Dolittle raid's damage to carrier Ryuho.

    4-6June42. I-26, Cmdr Minoru Yokota, participates in invasion of Kiska, Aleutian Islands.
    7June42 . U.S. freighter Coast Trader is torpedoed and sunk about 35 miles southwest of Cape Flattery, Washington.
    20June42. I-26 shells Port Estevan, near Vancouver Island, British Columbia.

    31Aug42. US carrier Saratoga (CV-3) is torpedoed by Japanese submarine I-26, 260 miles southeast of Guadalcanal.

    18Oct-25Oct42. Refuels scouting floatplanes from Indispensable Reef, S. of San Cristobal.

    13Nov42. During Naval Battle of Guadalcanal, light cruiser Juneau (CL-52) is, damaged by gunfire. As Juneau retires toward Espiritu Santo she is down 12 feet by the bow, but able to maintain 13 knots. A few minutes after 1100 three torpedoes were launched from the Japanese submarine I-26. Juneau successfully avoided two, but the third struck her at the same point which had been damaged during the surface action. There was a terrific explosion; Juneau broke in two and disappeared in 20 seconds. The gallant ship and most of her crew, including the five Sullivan brothers, was lost. Only 10 members of the crew survived the tragedy."

    9Dec42-5Jan'43. Undergoes maintenance at Yokosuka.

    Jan'43. Supply missions from Truk to Guadalcanal.
    31Jan43. Evacuates personnel from Guadalcanal.

    Mar'43. Part of picket line to ward off US carrier forces in Bismarck Sea.
    6Mar-9Mar43. Rescues soldiers from sunken troopships.

    11Apr43. Sinks Yugoslavian ship Recina off Australia.
    24Apr43. Sinks Australian merchantman Kowarra off Victoria.

    25Jun43. Damaged by Hudson bomber off Suva. Repairs at Yakosuka.

    11Sep43. Reconnoiters the Fiji Islands.

    21Dec43. Lands 12 Indian revolutionaries at Karachi.
    28Dec43. U.S. freighter Robert F. Hoke, fatally damaged in Arabian Ocean.
    31Dec43. Damages British tanker Tornus
    2 Jan44 . U.S. freighter Albert Gallatin is torpedoed and sunk by about 60 miles off the Arabian coast.

    13Mar44. U.S. tanker H.D.Collier is torpedoed and shelled off NW Indian coast.
    21Mar44. Norwegian tanker Grena sunk and survivors fired on.
    29Mar44. U.S. freighter Richard Hovey is torpedoed and shelled in Arabian Sea. I-26 fires upon the lifeboats, killing 4, then rams one before taking four POWs.

    27Jun44. Departs Kure carrying guns and ammunition for Marianas.
    9 July44 . Delivers munitions to Guam ; takes on 120 pilots.

    25Oct44. Reports sighting 4 US carriers during battle off Samar.

    Japanese version :
    26Oct 44 . I-26 may have been sunk by the Coolbaugh (DE-217) or the next morning in a hedgehog attack by Rowell (DE-403).
    US version :
    17Dec44 . TBM Avenger from escort carrier Anzio (CVE-57) and destroyer escort Lawrence C. Taylor (DE-415) sink Japanese submarine I-26 in Philippine Sea near Palau, 12°44'N, 130°42'E.

    The I-26 was the IJN's third highest scoring submarine in terms of tonnage sunk, sinking more than 51,500-tons.

    Reference:
    http://www.ibiblio.org/hyperwar/USN/USN-Chron/USN-Chron-1942.html
    http://www.combinedfleet.com/I-26.htm
    History of United States Naval Operations in World War II

    History of United States Naval Operations in World War II.
    Volume X. The Atlantic Battle Won, May 1943 - May 1945.
    Chapter XV. Southern and Far Eastern Waters. Page 276

    "Late in 1943 a number of Japanese I-boats entered the Indian Ocean and conducted a blitz against Allied shipping which was marked by instances of sadistic cruelty. British S.S. Daisy Moller, torpedoed by one of them on 14Dec43 in mid-ocean, lost 55 men out of 127 passengers and crew by the ramming and machine-gunning of rafts and lifeboats. The crew of S.S. British Chivalry met the same fate.

    "Dockage and repair facilities were being improved at Penang, and three Italian submarines which were seized by the Japanese when Italy surrendered in September, were there refitted and manned by German officers and mixed crews. At the turn of the year, these and the "Monsun" boats1 started to leave Penang. Six of them did a great deal of damage to Allied merchantmen and "country ships" along the Aden-Bombay route and elsewhere in the Indian Ocean, assisting the Japanese I-boats to sink 184,122 tons of Allied and neutral shipping in the first three months of 1944. Several victims were Liberty ships, one of which, S.S. Richard Hovey had a most devastating experience on 29 March 1944. The Japanese submarine, after fatally torpedoing the vessel, moved to within a thousand yards of its lifeboats and, as the Naval Armed Guard officer recalled, opened fire on the survivors: -

      "Just as soon as it was evident that they were shooting at the lifeboats and rafts all hands that were visible jumped overboard into the water and did everything possible to avoid being struck by shells from what appeared to be 20-mms and bullets from automatic high-velocity rifles which were carried by the Japs as they ran back and forth on the submarine spraying the water with bullets. The submarine approached, No. 2 lifeboat first, firing on it, and, then, rammed it, causing it to overturn and partially sink. ... Many of us swam underwater and under the raft for protection. As the submarine was within a few feet of us we could definitely determine that the men, who were lined up on its deck as though they were on parade, were Japanese. They were all dressed the same, in khaki uniforms and khaki caps. They were laughing and seemed to get quite a bit of sport out of our predicament. One of them, with a motion picture camera, took pictures of what transpired. 7.

    "The vessel's master, Hans Thorsen, was taken on board the I-boat as prisoner and was never heard of again. Most of the survivors climbed back into their lifeboats after the submarine departed. Thanks to a water distillery rigged by a junior engineer, they managed to survive until rescued by British merchant ships 16 days later.

    . . . "Richard Hovey was the last merchantman to be sunk in the Indian Ocean for several months."
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      1. Monsun boats were 11 German cargo submarines, mostly 750-ton IX-C U-boats, intended to bring rubber, tin, tungsten, and molybdenum from Penang, Malaysia. Many were lost during summer 1943 when their refueling ship was sunk on 13 July based on Ultra interceptions that saw four escort carriers, Core, Santee, Bogue, and Card, sent to the rendezvous area.
      7. Lt(jg) Harry C. Goudy, USNR,, N.A.G. officer S.S. Richard Hovey Report to V.C.N.O. 11 July 1944, Enclosure A. Position lat. 16° 40' N, long. 64° 30' E.
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    About this page: I-26.html - Response to a query about the Japanese submarine I-26 attack on S.S. Richard Hovey.
    Created September 26, 2001, updated Aug 2,2007, add Monsun boats.
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