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| IJN W-19 Class Minesweeper 702 Tons 242' x 26.11' x 6.9' 2 x 4.7" guns 2 x 13mm machine guns  Australian Army November 20, 1945  Stephenson c1958  Sakaida April l2018 |
Ship History Built by Mitsubishi shipyard in Yokohama. Laid down during 1942 as W-19 Class Minesweeper. Launched 1942 as Minesweeper W-26, also known as Minesweeper No. 26. Completed and commissioned March 31, 1943 in the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) and attched to the Yokosuka Naval District under the command of Lt Ikuya Ozato. Wartime History On April 19, 1943 departs Tokyo Bay escorting convoy no. 1419 with Hanasaki Maru, Taijin Maru ad Uyo Maru bound for Hokkaido and returns. On April 25, 1943 departs Hokkaido escorting convoy no. 2425 back to Tokyo Bay. PARTIAL HISTORY On October 31, 1943 at 8:30am rendezvous with oiler Kokuyo Maru and escorts the vessel to Rabaul. On November 1, 1943 at 12:45am roughly 22 miles off Elizabeth Reef attacked by a U.S. plane that from the port beam at low level and released a bomb that scores a near miss that causes slight hull damage and wounds 4 (one badly, 3 slight injures) afterwards, W-26 reports the attack and continues Rabaul Rabaul. At 3:45am U.S. Navy codebreakers intercept the message reporting the attack. On November 2, 1943 arrives Rabaul and in the morning targeted by U.S. B-25 Mitchells escorted by P-38 Lightnings. During the air raid, W-26 sustains damage and then towed to the edge of Karavia Bay to prevent sinking. Settles upright with the deck above the surface. Also sunk is Iwate Maru and gunboat Fuku Maru No. 2 without casualties. On April 30, 1944 officially removed from the Navy list. Shipwreck At the end of the Pacific War, the shipwreck of W-26 was upright with the bow facing the shore of Karavia Bay. On November 20, 1945 the shipwreck was photographed with the deck, bridge, mast and stack above the surface. During 1958, the shipwreck was partially cut up for scrap by Japanese salvage company Nanyo Boeki Kaisha. Afterwards, pieces of the shipwreck remained until at least the late 1960s or early 1970s. Mast During 1969 or 1970, the mast from W-26 was recovered and installed at the rear of the Rabaul Yacht Club (RYC) at Rabaul at the edge of Simpson Harbor. During ceremonies, the Papua New Guinea flag and RYC flag are flown from the arms of the mast. The mast has a platform with arms on the upper portion. David Flinn adds: "Bob Scott says he remembers the mast being installed around 1969 to 1970. He remembers the bugles playing and a big fanfare when it was officially part of the club." References NHHC Japanese Naval and Merchant Shipping Losses During World War II by All Causes (1947) pages 8 (Minesweeper No 26 sunk 11/2/43), 11 (index) Combined Fleet - IJN Minesweeper W-26: Tabular Record of Movement AWM 099059 caption incorrectly identifies the shipwreck as Suzunami sunk November 11, 1943 Hotages to Freedom (1995) pages 473 (W-26), 371 (photo), 372 (photo), index W-26 Thanks to Yoji Sakaida, Dave Flinn, Rod Pearce, Bob Scott, Fritz Herscheid and Steve Stephenson for additional information Contribute
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