Posted by EyeDoc
一向弄不清楚与神靖丸同行的船隻總數和船名,總算在追尋W-102號掃雷艇行蹤時找到了答案. 1944年12月1日從高雄出發到香港由W-102護送的"ホ103"船團僅3艘货船: 神靖丸,華頂山丸及Kanshu(館州?)丸.
同年12月15日W-102號掃雷艇再護送"ユ502"船團從香港到海南島榆林.這船團只有神靖丸及另一船(船名不詳).
其後W-102大約是回到基隆,1945年元月9日在基隆外海被TF38戰机炸傷.但10-11日又航向聖雀舺.12日護航"蔵40"號有5艘船的船團,早晨3時從聖雀舺出航不久,在7時30分被美机發現,11時開始被TF38大舉轟炸,損失3條船後,折返原出發地.
W-102原屬英軍Bangor級minesweeper, 在香港尚未竣工時被日軍接收,略作更改後服役.排水580噸,裝備了1 x 4.7-inch (120-mm)/45 口径大砲, 8-Type 96 25-mm 高射砲及 36 枚深水炸彈.
下文列出W-102號掃雷艇護航船團詳情:
1 December 1944:
At 0755, W-102 departs Takao escorting convoy HO-103 consisting of SHINSEI, KACHAOSAN and KANSHU MARUs to Hong Kong.
3 December 1944:
At 1000, arrives at Hong Kong.
15 December 1944:
At 1500, W-102 departs Hong Kong escorting convoy YU-502 consisting of SHINSEI MARU and an unidentified ship.
17 December 1944:
At 1512, arrives at Yulin, Hainan Island.
9 January 1945: The Invasion of Luzon, Philippines:
Vice Admiral (later Admiral) Thomas C. Kinkaid lands troops of LtGen Walter Krueger's Sixth Army at Lingayen Gulf, Luzon.Vice Admiral (later Admiral) John S. McCain's Task Force 38 supports the invasion with attacks on Formosa, Ryukyus and the Pescadores Islands. In the Formosa Strait, TF 38's planes damage W-102 and auxiliary subchaser NITTO MARU No. 22 off Keelung.
10-11 January 1945:
W-102 departs Keelung for St Jacques, Indochina.
12 January 1945:
At 0300, W-102, W-20 and minelayer YURISHIMA depart St Jacques escorting convoy SASHI-40 consisting of SHINTAI, HOKOKU, FUSHIMI and FRANCE MARUs and tanker KYOEI MARU No. 7 At 0730, an enemy aircraft sights the convoy and drops flares. At 1100, an air attack begins and continues until 1400. During this time, SHINTAI MARU and KYOEI MARU No. 7 are bombed and sunk and FRANCE MARU is hit and badly damaged and ran ashore where she subsequently burns out. The remaining ships flee back to St Jacques and the convoy is dissolved.
3 February 1945:
N of Hainan Island, China. W-102 is damaged severely by unknown causes at 25-40N, 119-50E.
1945:
Repaired at an unidentified location, probably Hong Kong.
15 August 1945:
LtCdr Okazaki notifies his crew of the end of hostilities.
從海南島到聖雀舺一程,有一艘海防艦 [砲艇] 護送神靖丸.但中途被美机擊沉.
這類輕噸級掃雷艇及海防艦,都不是真正戰艦,在輕裝備的情況之下,不可能有效的防空或防潛. 特別是1944年末開始,美軍以航母為流動基地的戰鬥机群變成了攻擊船團的主力,日方護航艦艇,不論噸級,寡不敵眾.掃雷海防有名無實.
歷史記載偶而也提到犧牲人數,都是令人震憾.像上提的SHINTAI MARU (新泰丸?),有1,266人隨船沉沒.
[740噸級第二号型（丁型）海防艦 - 2/26/1944]裝備: 2 x 12.7-cm口径単装高角砲, 2 x 25-mm連装機銃, 120枚深水炸彈
