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Wreck of HIJMS I-12

USA / California / Mendocino /
 Second World War 1939-1945, military, navy, shipwreck, submarine
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HIJMS I-12 was a Type A2 Submarine in service with the Imperial Japanese Navy during the Second World War, and after her May 1944 commissioning into active service she sailed for the West Coast of the US on a mission to attack US merchant and naval convoys.

Arriving in her area of operations in mid October 1944, the I-12 patrolled for several days before coming across her first victim, the unescorted Liberty Ship SS John H. Johnson on October 29th, 1944. Sending two torpedoes into the slow moving merchant ship which exploded and broke her in half, the I-12 surfaced and proceeded to shell the hull sections with her deck gun until they sank. The crew then sighted the lifeboats and liferafts of the survivors of the sinking and proceeded to run through the group, machine gunning men in the water and ramming lifeboats as she departed the area, killing a further six members of the Johnsons crew.

After news of this attack spread, the US Navy launched a concerted effort to track down and sink the I-12, which was still prowling the Eastern Pacific for American ships. On November 12th the I-12 was stalking a US convoy when she was picked up by sonar operators aboard the USS Ardent (AM-340) and the USS Rockford (PF-48) which were escorting the convoy. Both ships immediately broke formation and closed to attack the sonar contact, and the USS Rockford opened hostilities with a full salvo from her 'Hedgehog' ASW mount. After two underwater explosions were heard the USS Ardent began her attack by launching 13 depth charges on top of the submerged I-12.

When the sea calmed from the numerous underwater explosions, the sonar contact was lost and the surface was coated in oil, bits of wood, personal effects with Japanese writing and cork from life vests.

Both the USS Ardent (AM-340) and USS Rockford (PF-48) took split credit for sinking the submarine and though war records from the Japanese Navy state the I-12 continued to operate in the Pacific until December, she was declared lost by January 1945. Today, credit for sinking the I-12 is given to the USS Ardent (AM-340) and the USS Rockford (PF-48) for their actions at this location on November 13th, 1944.

www.combinedfleet.com/I-12.htm
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Coordinates:   31°55'1"N   139°45'0"W
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This article was last modified 13 years ago