Patrol 1

15 July 1944- 21 August 1944

宮古丸 Miyako Maru

第十一桜丸 (assumed kanji) Sakura Maru No. 11 or 桜川丸 or さくら川丸 (assumed kanji) Sakuragawa Maru - see "Notes" below.

八義丸 Yagi Maru (Itachigi Maru)

澎湖丸 Boko Maru

興安丸 Koan Maru (small vessel not credited to Barbel in JANAC)

Patrol 2

13 Sep 1944- 24 Oct 1944

武洲丸 Bushu Maru

Patrol 3

30 Oct 1944-7 Dec 1944

美崎丸 Misaki Maru

杉山丸 Sugiyama Maru

Patrol 4

5 Jan 1945-4 Feb 1945 Barbel lost

Description of the ship in Barbel's patrol report for the attack conducted on 7 August 1944, was "definitely identified as the TONAN MARU #2." This confilcts with all known evidence. The 19,262-ton Tonan Maru #2 left Keeling for Moji on 20 August 1944, and was sunk by USS Pintado on 22 August 1944.

Japanese sources say the motor-sail vessel 桜川丸 Sakuragawa Maru was en route from Moji to Singapore and sunk near Barbel's location, with 6 deaths.

ULTRA reports the vessel Barbel sank was Sakura Maru No. 11, a wooden ship of unknown tonnage. The coordinates of the sinking of this ship as given in Cressman is in error (27-36N, 121-46E should be 27-36N, 128-46E).

We are presently investigating the possibilities.

7 ships totalling 15,417 tons, including 1 small vessel (Koan Maru) of 223 tons not credited to Barbel in JANAC. One other vessel (Sakura Maru No. 11 or Sakuragawa Maru) is under investigation.

JANAC - 6 ships totalling 15,263 tons.

Alden-McDonald credit Barbel with 7 ships totalling 15,417 tons sunk, plus 1 vessel (Sakuragawa Maru) of unknown tonnage.

SORG credits Barbel with 9 ships and 48,400 tons sunk.

Japanese Naval and Merchant Ship Losses - JANAC on the NHHC website

JANAC on the Hyperwar website - https://www.ibiblio.org/hyperwar/Japan/IJN/JANAC-Losses/JANAC-Losses-6.html

SORG- http://archive.hnsa.org/doc/subreports-sorg.htm (Excel spreadsheet download)

Archives of the Pacific Fleet Submarine Museum (PFSM)

War Patrol Reports - USS Barbel

Monthly Losses of Combatant and Non-Combatant Vessels

太平洋戦争時の喪失船舶明細表（汽船主体）- Lost Vessel table during the Pacific War (merchant vessels)

Alden, John D., and McDonald, Craig R. - U.S. & Allied Sub Successes in the Pacific & Far East during WWII - Fourth Edition, 2009

Cressman, Robert - The Official Chronology of the U.S. Navy in World War II, Naval Institute Press, 2000.

Wrecksite - https://www.wrecksite.eu/wrecksite.aspx

Miramar Ship Index - https://www.miramarshipindex.nz/

Imperial Japanese Navy Page - http://www.combinedfleet.com/

Wikipedia Japan - https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/

Japan Center for Asian Historical Records - National Archives of Japan - https://www.jacar.go.jp/index.html

Official U.S. Navy Photos - Naval History & Heritage Command

Archives of the Pacific Fleet Submarine Museum (PFSM)

Japanese Merchant Ship photos - Wrecksite - copyright owners retain all rights. Photos used on this site will be taken down should the owner request their removal.