March 1(?), 1937 - Two new 72,800-ton battleships are ordered
March 29, 1938 - Nagasaki, Japan - Laid down at Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Nagasaki
November 1, 1940 - Nagasaki - "Musashi" is launched
May 26, 1941 - Nagasaki - Fitting out completed
July 2, 1941 - Sasebo, Japan - Towed to Sasebo. "Musashi" is drydocked to install rudder and propellers
August 2, 1941 - Nagasaki - Towed to Nagasaki
September 15, 1941 - Nagasaki - Captain Arima Kaoru is appointed Chief Equipping Officer
October 6, 1941 - Nagasaki - First turret and 460mm guns arrive to the shipyard
December 8, 1941 - Nagasaki - All 460mm guns and turrets installed
May 21, 1942 - Kure, Hiroshima - "Musashi" arrives in Kure with 1,500 Mitsubishi workers aboard
May 26, 1942 - Kure - Drydocked (until 9th June)
June 18, 1942 - Off Cape Sata (Sata Misaki, southernmost tip of Kyushu) - Sea trials off Cape Sata (until June 26th)
June 27, 1942 - Kure - Installation of AA guns
July 24, 1942 - Iyo Nada Sea (near Oita) - Sea trials
July 30, 1942 - Kure - Returns to Kure
August 5, 1942 - Nagasaki, Japan - "Musashi" is commissioned. The Battleship is assigned to the Battleship Division 1, with Yamato =(START)
August 10, 1942 - Hashirajima - Moves to Hashirajima
August 18, 1942 - Heigun Island, Iyo Nada Sea - Departs for Heigun Island in Iyo Nada Sea
August 20, 1942 - Hashirajima - Returns to Hashirajima
September 3, 1942 - Kure, Hiroshima - Arrives in Kure to install an air-search radar
September 29, 1942 - Hashirajima - Returns to Hashirajima
October 2, 1942 - Heigun Island, Iyo Nada - Departs for Heigun Island in Iyo Nada, Inland Sea
October 7, 1942 - Hashirajima - Returns to Hashirajima
October 20, 1942 - Hashirajima - Two-day AA exercises
October 28, 1942 - Suo Nada Sea - Exercises in Suo Nada Sea with other IJN units
November 1, 1942 - Kure, Hiroshima - Arrives in Kure
November 3, 1942 - Hashirajima - Returns to Hashirajima
November 20, 1942 - Suo Nada Sea - Departs for exercises
November 29, 1942 - Murozumi, Yamaguchi - Arrives at Murozumi, Yamaguchi, Inland Sea
December 1, 1942 - Tokuyama, Japan - Refuelling at Tokuyama Bay
December 3, 1942 - Hashirajima - Returns to Hashirajima
December 22, 1942 - Kure, Hiroshima - Arrives in Kure
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| Yamato and Musashi moored in Truk Atoll, 1943 |
January 22, 1943 - Truk Atoll (Chuuk Lagoon), 1,100 miles (1,800km) NE of New Guinea - Arrives at Truk Atoll
February 11, 1943 - Truk Atoll - Relieves her sister ship "Yamato" as the flagship of the Combined Fleet
April 3, 1943 - While at Truk Atoll - Admiral Yamamoto shifts his headquarters from Truk to Rabaul in New Britain to supervise operation "I-GO" from 7 to 14 April. He is expected to return to "Musashi" on April 19th
April 18, 1943 - While in Truk - Admiral Yamamoto is killed when his Mitsubishi GM4 "Betty" is shot down over Buin, New Guinea, by US P-38s
April 23, 1943 - Truk Atoll - The ashes of Yamamoto and six of his staff officers are transfered to the Admiral's sea cabin
April 25, 1943 - Truk Atoll - Admiral Koga Mineichi arrives from Yokosuka for an inspection tour
May 17, 1943 - Truk Atoll - Departs Truk for Yokosuka in Admiral Koga's naval force
May 22, 1943 - Yokosuka, Japan - Anchors at Kisarazu Bight and Yamamoto's ashes are delivered.
June 9, 1943 - Yokosuka - Captain Komura Keizo is appointed commander of Musashi
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| Emperor Hirohito visits Musashi |
June 25, 1943 - Yokosuka - Departs Yokosuka for Kure
June 27, 1943 - Kure, Hiroshima - Arrives in Kure
July 1, 1943 - Kure - Drydocked (until July 8th)
July 14, 1943 - Hashirajima - Trials at Hashirajima
July 30, 1943 - Kure, Hiroshima - Departs Kure for Yokosuka
July 31, 1943 - Yokosuka, Japan - Departs Yokosuka for Truk Atoll
August 5, 1943 - Truk Atoll - Koga's fleet is attacked by submarine USS Steelhead, NW of Truk Atoll, but the attack is ineffective and the Japanese reach Truk without any damage
September 18, 1943 - Truk Atoll - Admiral Koga remains at Truk in the Fleet's flagship "Musashi"
October 17, 1943 - Truk Atoll - Admiral Koga departs Truk to intercept the american carriers of Task Force 14 attacking Wake Island, with battleships "Yamato" and "Musashi" together in the fleet
October 19, 1943 - Brown Atoll, Eniwetok - Arrives at Brown Atoll, Eniwetok
October 23, 1943 - 250 miles S. of Wake Island - The fleet moves to a position 250 miles south of Wake Island, but returns to Brown Atoll after no contact is made with american forces
October 26, 1943 - Truk Atoll - The fleet returns to Truk
December 6, 1943 - Truk Atoll - Captain Asakura Bunji is appointed Commander of "Musashi"
February 4, 1944 - Truk Atoll - "Musashi" is photographed at Truk by US photo-reconnaissance planes
February 10, 1944 - Truk Atoll - Departs Truk for Yokosuka
February 15, 1944 - Yokosuka, Japan - Arrives in Yokosuka
February 22, 1944 - Yokosuka - Departs Yokosuka with soldiers and supplies for the garrison of Palau
February 25, 1944 - in route to Palau (facing a Typhoon) - "Yamato" and "Musashi" are reassigned from the 1st Fleet to the 2nd Fleet
February 29, 1944 - Palau - Arrives at Palau
March 11, 1944 - Palau - Supply ship "Kitakami Maru" arrives with supplies for "Musashi"
March 29, 1944 - Palau - Departs Palau. "Musashi" sustains moderate damage near the bow from one torpedo fired by the submarine "USS Tunny". Antecipating an american air strike, Koga orders "Musashi" to sail to Kure instead of returning to Palau
April 3, 1944 - Kure, Hiroshima - Arrives in Kure
April 10, 1944 - Kure - Drydocked for repairs and refitting
April 27, 1944 - Western Inland Sea - Undocked. Sails to Japan's western Inland Sea for tests
May 1, 1944 - Saeki, Hiroshima - Moves to Saeki
May 11, 1944 - Saeki - Departs Saeki for Okinawa
May 12, 1944 - Nakagusuku, Okinawa - "Musashi" arrives at Okinawa, unloads her cargo and sets sail for the Mobile Fleet's operating base at Tawi Tawi, SW Philippines
May 16, 1944 - Tawi Tawi Island, SW Philippines - Arrives at Tawi Tawi Island
June(?) 1(?), 1944 - Tawi Tawi Island - "Yamato" and "Musashi" in Joint gunnery exercises during May-June
June 10, 1944 - Tawi Tawi Island - "Yamato" and "Musashi" depart Tawi Tawi for Batjan, Halmahera Island. They are spotted by submarine "USS Harder" which is also detected by the battleships. "Yamato" and "Musashi" almost collide during evasive manoeuvers
June 12, 1944 - Batjan, Halmahera Island - Ugaki's force arrives at Batjan
June 13, 1944 - Batjan - Ugaki's force departs Batjan to rendezvous with the Mobile Fleet
June 15, 1944 - E. of Mindanao, Philippines - Ugaki's group is sighted by submarine "USS Seahorse"
June 16, 1944 - Philippine Sea - Joins the Mobile Fleet. Later, the fleet is sighted by submarine USS Cavalla
June 19, 1944 - Philippine Sea - Battle of the Philippine Sea - American victory
June 22, 1944 - Nakagusuku, Okinawa - The mobile fleet reaches Nakagusuku, Okinawa
June 24, 1944 - Hashirajima - The mobile fleet arrives at Hashirajima
June 29, 1944 - Kure, Hiroshima - Departs Hashirajima for Kure, together with "Yamato" and arrives on the same day
July 8, 1944 - Kure - "Yamato" and "Musashi" load 3,522 men and supplies of the IJA's 106th Infantry regiment and depart Kure for Okinawa
July 10, 1944 - Okinawa - "Yamato" and "Musashi" depart Okinawa for Lingga to join the Mobile Fleet
July 17, 1944 - Lingga Island, S. of Singapore - "Yamato" and "Musashi" arrive at Lingga
August 12, 1944 - Lingga Island - Captain Inoguchi Toshihira is appointed commander of "Musashi"
September 16, 1944 - Lingga Island - "Musashi" is replenished by the supply ship "Kitakami Maru"
September 24, 1944 - Lingga Island - "Musashi" receives fresh provisions from the supply ship "Kitakami Maru"
October 1, 1944 - Galang Island, S. of Singapore - "Yamato" and "Musashi" move north to Galang Island, closer to Singapore
October 7, 1944 - Galang Island - "Musashi" receives fresh provisions from the supply ship "Kitakami Maru"
October 18, 1944 - Lingga Island - Black deck camouflage is applied on "Yamato" and "Musashi" to attempt a night breakthrough in the San Bernardino Strait. "Yamato" and "Musashi" return to Lingga Island
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| Musashi under attack |
October 22, 1944 - Bruney Bay, Borneo - Admiral Kurita Takeo's First Mobile Striking Force departs Brunei for the Philippines (Battle of Leyte Gulf)
October 23, 1944 - Palawan Passage, Philippines - Battle of the Palawan Passage
October 24, 1944 - Visayan Sea, Philippines - "Musashi" is attacked and sunk by US dive bombers during the Battle of the Sibuyan Sea, taking 17 bomb and 19 torpedo hits, with the loss of 1,023 of her 2,399-man crew =(END)
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