Anchorage off Ulithi.
Japanese Occupation
It was the site of a Japanese seaplane base, but was abandoned
by the Japanese before American troops landed.
American Occupation
The Urushi Anchorage was developed into a major US Navy base. A number of pontoon piers of a new and
special design were built at Ulithi. These piers, each consisting
of the 4-by-12-pontoon sections, filled with sand and gravel,
were sunk and anchored in place by guy ropes to deadmen
on shore and by iron rods, driven into the coral, with connecting
tie pieces running across the tops of the pontoons. Despite
extremely heavy weather on several occasions he pontoon
piers stood up remarkably well, giving extensive service,
with few repairs necessary.
Other construction included the erection
of 42 quonset huts for use as a receiving station, and a
1600-man mess hall,complete with galley, warehouses and
refrigeration units. Additional facilities included the
atoll commander’s headquarters, a dispensay, an administration
building, a shop and Marine aviation camp. All construction
was performed by the 88th Battalion between October 10,
1944, and February 7, 1945, at which time the battalion
left for Samar.
Kaiten Attack November 20, 1944
On three mother I-Class submarines,
each bearing four Kaitens, were selected to participate
in the initial or "Kikusui" mission assigned to
these weapons. Their target: the US fleet anchored in Ulithi
lagoon. The mother submarines were to approach the Ulithi
lagoon passages and release the Kaitens against targets
among Rear-Admiral Frederick Sherman's Task Group 38.3 and
Commodore W.R. Carter's Service Squadron 10, which occupied
the berthing areas within the lagoon. However, en route,
one submarine.
I-37 was sunk by American depth
charges while transiting the Kossol passage north of Palau while on its way to Ulithi Atoll to particpate in the first
Kaiten attack.
I-47 early in the morning of 20
November 1944, I-47, east of Lossau Island, successfully
launched all her Kaitens northwest toward Ulithi Lagoon.
Sub-Lt. Sekio Nishina, the co-inventor of the Kaiten, piloted
one of these suicide subs. After the attack, I-47 proceeded
to Leyte Gulf for further
operations with conventional torpedoes. A total of four
Katiens launched from the I-47.
I-36 submerged to 30'
further to the northeast of I-47 and launced one No. 3
Kaiten piloted
by Ensign Taichi at 4:54 a.m. The other three fail to launch due to malfunctions: two are stuck in their chocks and the third's engine experienced a leak. The other
three disappointed kaiten pilots pressed Lt. Cmdr Teramoto
to resurface at a safe distance and attempt to repair their
kaiten torpedoes for a follow-up strike; but a wide-ranging
depth charge hunt by US warships racing from the atoll immediately
after the inital attack forced I-36 to remain submerged
until late on November 20 and, after recharging his batteries,
and departed towards Leyte
Gulf for further operations with conventional torpedoes.
Results of the Attack
Of these five
Kaitens, one hit the reef and exploded. A second foundered
outside the reef and was sunk by aircraft. A third was rammed
by USS Case, at the entrance to Mugai Channel. Only two
actually entered the lagoon. One was sunk by depth charges
from the USS Rall. The last Kaiten made it to its target,
ramming and sinking the USS Mississinewa at 5:45AM
