American cargo ship Lahaina sunk by enemy submarine according to the U.S. Joint Intelligence Committee. Daily summary dated 22 December 1941

An item referred to COM 14 reporting that the same day 30 survivors of the ss Lahaina arrived at Kahalui, Hawaii, two others were dead and two missing. The Lahaina was shelled and sunk by an enemy submarine on the position Latitude 27-42 North, Longitude 147 West on 11 December 14:00 GCT,underway from Ahukinin, Kauai towards San Francisco, USA.(1)

Note

1. Built by Western Pipe&Steel Co., San Francisco, USA in 1920 and sunk by the Japanese submarine I-9 with torpedoes and gunfire east of Bonin Islands on 11 December 1941. Ex-West Carmona 1920-1928 and Golden State 1928-1937.

Source

Map Room Papers (Roosevelt Administration), 1942 - 1945. U.S. Joint Intelligence Committee. Daily summary No. 12 dated 22 December 1941.

American cargo ship ss Lahaina lost according to the U.S. Joint Intelligence Committee. Daily summary dated 23 December 1941

An item reported that the USA-flagged merchant ship Lahaina was sunk by an enemy submarine on 11 December east of the Hawaiian Isles. Thirty crew cmembers landed at Maui on 21 December.

Note

1. Built by Western Pipe&Steel Co., San Francisco, USA in 1920 and sunk by the Japanese submarine I-9 with torpedoes and gunfire east of Bonin Islands on 11 December 1941. Ex-West Carmona 1920-1928 and Golden State 1928-1937.

Source

Map Room Papers (Roosevelt Administration), 1942 - 1945. U.S. Joint Intelligence Committee. Daily summary No. 13 dated 23 December 1941.

Japanese ships assigned routes between Japan and the Mandates according to the U.S. Joint Intelligence Committee. Daily summary dated 14 April 1942

An item reported that Japanese ships were assigned definite routes between Japan and the Mandates and now extending into the New Britain area [Australian mandated territory]. In the vicinity of the Bonin Islands were escorts available if needed.

Source

Map Room Papers (Roosevelt Administration), 1942 - 1945. U.S. Joint Intelligence Committee. Daily summary No. 125 dated 14 April 1942

Large Japanese naval force gathered north of the Bonin Islands according to the U.S. Joint Intelligence Committee. Daily summary dated 14 March 1942

An item reported that a large amount of Japanese warships was ordered to gather for the period 13-23 March on a position not far from the north of the Bonin Islands. The force was to consist of 5 battleships, 4 aircraft carriers, 2-4 heavy cruisers, 1 light cruiser, 28 destroyers and 7 submarines and probably 12-15 armed merchantmen. The force was believed to be responsible for the defence of Japan and similar to the earlier reported screening force although now somewhat enlarged.

Source

Map Room Papers (Roosevelt Administration), 1942 - 1945. U.S. Joint Intelligence Committee. Daily summary No. 94 dated 14 March 1942.

Japanese warships probably gathering in the Bonin Islands according to the U.S. Joint Intelligence Committee. Daily summary dated 18 March 1942

An item reported that most of the Japanese naval vessels mentioned in Summary No. 94 and part of the screening force were believed to be concentrated in the Bonin Islands.

Source

Map Room Papers (Roosevelt Administration), 1942 - 1945. U.S. Joint Intelligence Committee. Daily summary No. 98 dated 18 March 1942.

Japanese naval activities in the Pacific according to the U.S. Joint Intelligence Committee. Daily summary dated 19 March 1942

An item reported that the Japanese naval activity in the Bonin Islands seemed to be somewhat subsided except for the continue submarine and air searches. Air searches within a range of 600 miles by aircraft from Wake (1), Northern Marshall Islands, Jaluit (2) and Makin ,Gilbert Islands (3) and Yokosuka, Japan. On a distance of around 500 miles north of the Marcus Islands (geographical lat. 30-35 North and lon. 150-160 East) were 5 enemy submarines seen. The J.I.C. commented that these patrols made clear that the Japanese wondered where the Allies naval forces were.

Notes

1. Wake Island is sinds 1899 possessed by the USA and part of the so-called US Minor Outlying Islands.

2. Jaluit Atoll, a coral atoll numbering 91 islands which is nowadays part of the Republic of the Marshall Islands.

3. British colony Gilbert and Ellice Islands, since 1979 part of Kiribati.

Source

Map Room Papers (Roosevelt Administration), 1942 - 1945. U.S. Joint Intelligence Committee. Daily summary No. 99 dated 19 March 1942

Japan searching for Allied naval forces and intensively training personnel for air attacks according to the U.S. Joint Intelligence Committee. Daily summary dated 15 March 1942

An item reported that extensive Japanese surface and air reconnaissance from bases in Japan, Chichijda (Bonin Islands) and Saipan (Marianas) was to discover without success Allied forces which were to believed on 10 March north of Wake Islands. At the same time were the Japanese emphasizing torpedo training especially for the aircraft. Coordinated air attacks were trained by a force consisting of 36 high-level bombers and 9 torpedo planes.

Source

Map Room Papers (Roosevelt Administration), 1942 - 1945. U.S. Joint Intelligence Committee. Daily summary No. 95 dated 15 March 1942.

Approaches to Chichijima, Bonin Islands mined by Japanese according to the U.S. Joint Intelligence Committee. Daily summary dated 25 March 1942

An item reported that the Japanese mined the approaches to Chichijima on the Bonin Islands which according to the J.I.C. was the base for the Japanese First Fleet which was the main striking Japanese naval force.

Source

Map Room Papers (Roosevelt Administration), 1942 - 1945. U.S. Joint Intelligence Committee. Daily summary No. 105 dated 25 March 1942

Reorganization of Japanese naval forces seemed to be completed according to the U.S. Joint Intelligence Committee. Daily summary dated 23 March 1942

An item reported that the reorganization of the Japanese naval forces starting 10 days ago seemed to be completed. There was a large number of reports mentioning dockings and supply arrangements probably pointing out that several warships were repaired, refitted and refreshed with personnel and material. There were at least 2 strong striking forces available, one in the Dutch East Indies and the other near the Bonin Islands both suitable for operations in almost any direction selected by the enemy. The naval forces were divided over:-

-in the Dutch East Indies a defensive patrol force also responsible for escort duties and base defence

-in the Dutch East Indies a strong striking force with apparently her base in the Staring Bay, Celebes [nowadays Sulawesi] and consisting of 2-3 battleships, 3-5 aircraft carriers, 2 divisions of heavy cruisers and further more destroyers and light craft

-two air bombardment groups, one probably based on Timor with as target the northern Australian bases and one based near Manilla with as target the US Army forces stationed on Bataan on the island Luzon, Philippines

-on Penang, Malaysia was a small combined air surface and submarine force stationed to support future operations in the Indian Ocean

-in the Mandates executed the 4^th Fleet defensive tasks and in the New Britain-New Guinea area minor offensive tasks especially establishing bases at Rabaul [New Britain, Papua New Guinea] and Lae [near the Markham River delta, Morobe Province, Papua New Guinea].

-at Cichijima, Bonin Islands was the operations center of the main strength of the Japanese navy organized as a screening force

-off the Japanese coast was the 5th  Fleet position for patrol and escort duties

Source

Map Room Papers (Roosevelt Administration), 1942 - 1945. U.S. Joint Intelligence Committee. Daily summary No. 103 dated 23 March 1942

American submarines active against Japanese shipping in the Bonin Islands area according to the U.S. Joint Intelligence Committee. Daily summary dated 30 March 1942

An item reported that the Japanese considered the activities of the American submarines in the Bonin Island area as a large threat and all of their ships entering this area on their way to the Mandates towards Japan or reverse were escorted.

Source

Map Room Papers (Roosevelt Administration), 1942 - 1945. U.S. Joint Intelligence Committee. Daily summary No. 110 dated 30 March 1942.

American whalers Belle and Arctic lying at Guam on 19 March according to the Whalemen’s Shipping List dated Tuesday 16 August 1859

A letter written by captain Brown on board of the bark Belle (1) of Fairhaven reporting her lying at Guam on 19th March. Since she left the Sandwich Islands (2) consisted her catch of just 50 barrels sperm oil. He intended the same day to leave towards the Bonin Islands for a cruise. Brown also reported that arrival in the 18th of the Arctic (3) captain Phillips of Fairhaven without a catch since leaving the Bonin Islands.(4)

Notes
1. Tonnage 320 tons, shipping agent Edmund Allen, departed on 22 October 1857 towards the Pacific.
2. Hawaii?
3. Tonnage 431 tons, shipping agent Edmund Allen, departed on 23 July 1858 towards the Pacific.
4. The archipelago Bonin islands or Ogasawara Islands in the Pacific Ocean.