Location
Chi Chi Jima Harbor is located off Chi Chi Jima (Father Island, Ogasawara). Also known as Chi Chi Harbor or Chichi Jima Harbor.

Wartime History
Used by the Japanese during the war as an anchorage and seaplane operating area.

American missions against Chi Chi Jima
August 12, 1944 - June 4, 1945

William Alderfer, USS Sperry recalls:
“I was aboard the USS Sperry AS-12 sub tender back in 1952, we set up a sub base there for about a week.  Our subs would come there and get Supplies. I went ashore and found things and places you would never think this island could have.  You could travel though the mountains in tunnels, and see all the gun in placement. There were old  torpedo laying on the ground. We found a cave full of gasoline, maybe 500 55 gallon drums. There were about 50 natives living there and grew bananas. The marines were defusing the island. There was a ship in the harbor with the side shot out. There was an airplane wing laying on the beach, it was from a bomber from the US. [Photo Archive].”

Bill Marks, USS Toleda
"Our ship visited the Bonin Islands about 1952. About 10 of us went on a swimming party just to get off the ship for a while. There was a ship with a large hole in the side about 500 hundred feet from the beach [Hinko Maru]. I attempted to swim out to the ship, but turned back because of sharks. There was an aircraft engine on the beach. The prop ends were bent back as if a plane had made a wheels up landing."

Hinko Maru
Grounded June 12, 1944 and repeatedly attacked by American aircraft

TBM-1C Avenger 46214 Tail 2x
Pilot George H.W. Bush ditched September 2, 1944, 2 missing

SB2C-1 Helldiver 01169
Pilot Hintz crashed July 4, 1944 gunner Woellhof captured and executed August 5, 1944

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Last Updated
June 15, 2019