KUSENTEI!
IJN Subchaser CH-13:
Tabular Record of Movement
© 2005-2016 Bob Hackett, Sander Kingsepp and Peter Cundall
Revision 7
18 July 1939:
Yokohama. Laid down at the Tsurumi shipyard.
30 March 1940:
Launched and numbered CH-13.
15 July 1940:
Completed and registered in the Yokosuka Naval District.
31 March 1941:
Reassigned to SubChasDiv 2.
4 April 1941:
Designated the flagship of SubChasDiv 2.
7 December 1941: Operation "M" - The Invasion of the Northern Philippines:
CH-13 is in Rear Admiral (later Vice Admiral) Kubo Kyuji’s (38) (former CO of KAGA) 1st Base Force of Vice Admiral Takahashi Ibo’s (35)(former CO of YAMASHIRO) Third Fleet. CH-13 is attached to Takahashi's Philippines Seizure Force in Cdr Nakamura's SubChasDiv 2 with CH-14 and CH-15. At 1630, departs Mako, Pescadores.
10 December 1941:
Beginning at 0550, participates in the landings at Aparri, Philippines. Led by Rear Admiral Hara Kezaburo (37) in Light Cruiser NATORI with destroyers ASAKAZE, HARUKAZE, HATAKAZE, MATSUKAZE (Desdiv 5), FUMITSUKI, MINATSUKI, NAGATSUKI and SATSUKI (DesDIv 22), minesweepers W-15, W-16 and W-19 (MineSweepDiv 11), auxiliary gunboats MANYO, TOMITSU and TAIKO MARUs (GunboatDiv 2) and subchasers CH-13, CH-14 and CH-15 (SubChaseDiv 2). CH-1 is in SubChaseDiv 1 consisting of CH-1, CH-2 and CH-3. The aircraft transport KEIYO MARU and five transports make up the landing force.
12 December 1941:
At 1800 departs Aparri with CH-14 and CH-15.
14 December 1941:
At 1130 arrives at Takao.
18 December 1941:
At 1400 departs Takao with CH-14 and CH-15.
24 December 1941:
With the Lamon Bay, Philippines invasion force. Arrives there at 0330.
30 December 1941:
At 0800 departs Lamon Bay.
2 January 1942:
At 0900 arrives at Davao.
6 January 1942:
At 1400 departs Davao.
7 January 1942:
At 1500 arrives at Malalag Bay.
8 January 1942:
At 0500 departs Malalag Bay and returns there at 1530.
9 January 1942:
At 0400 departs Malalag Bay with CH-14 and CH-15 on an anti submarine sweep.
13 January 1942:
At 1300 CH-13, CH-14 and CH-15 arrive at Davao.
14 January 1942:
At 1700 CH-13 and CH-15 depart Davao.
16 January 1942:
At 1100 both arrive at Banka anchorage.
22 January 1942:
At 1600 CH-13, CH-14 and CH-15 depart Banka.
24 January 1942:
At 0200 all arrive at Kendari.
27 January 1942:
At 1330 CH-13, CH-14 and CH-15 depart Kendari.
29 January 1942:
At 1530 all arrive back at Banka.
30 January 1942:
At 1200 CH-13 and CH-15 depart Banka.
1 February 1942:
CH-13 alone arrives at Davao.
3 February 1942:
At 0800 departs Davao.
6 February 1942: The Invasion of Macassar (now Makassar), Celebes:
SubChasDiv 2’s CH-14 and CH-15 depart Staring Bay with the Makassar Occupation Force consisting of six troop transports carrying Captain (later Vice Admiral) Mori Kunizo’s (40) Sasebo Combined Special Naval Landing Force (SNLF) escorted by light cruiser NAGARA with DesDiv 8’s ASASHIO, MICHISHIO, ARASHIO and OSHIO, DesDiv 15’s HAYASHIO, KUROSHIO, OYASHIO and NATSUSHIO, DesDiv 21’s WAKABA, NATSUSHIN and NENOHI and MineSweepDiv’s 21's W-7 and W-8. Meanwhile at 1900 CH-13 arrives at Balikpapan.
18 February 1942:
At 1140 departs Balikpapan.
19 February 1942:
At 1240 arrives at Macassar and departs from there at 1740.
20 February 1942:
Arrives back at Balikpapan. At 1700 CH-13, CH-14 and CH-15 depart Balikpapan.
22 February 1942:
At 1140 arrives at Macassar.
23 February 1942:
At 1700 all depart Macassar.
25 February 1942:
At 0800 all arrive at Bali Island.
8 March 1942:
Departs Sukumo on an anti submarine sweep with armed merchant cruiser KINJOSAN MARU, minelayer NASAMI and patrol boat PB-46.
10 March 1942:
Assigned to Vice Admiral Takahashi's Southwest Area Fleet's newly formed Second Southern Expeditionary Fleet in Special Base Force 21. Escorts convoys to Batavia, Java.
11 March 1942:
At 2300 in 31-52N 131-49E ARIMA MARU is attacked by an enemy submarine and CH-13 is instructed to search for and sink the submarine.
26 March 1942:
Departs Moji escorting the first echelon of four ships of a nine ship Army convoy consisting of GENZAN, CEYLON, TOSHO (1236 grt), TENSHO (4982 grt), YASUSHIMA, TOYO, TOBA, BOSTON and KANSAI MARUs. Destroyer WAKATAKE escorts the second section. The convoy is bound for Lingayen Gulf but CH-13 probably detaches at Formosa.
15 May 1942:
Reassigned to the Yokosuka fortifications squadron. Escorts convoys from her base at Shimoda.
28 May 1942:
At 1310 CH-13, CH-14 and CH-15 arrives at Nagaura.
30 May 1942:
At 0800 CH-13 and CH-14 depart Nagaura.
28 June 1942:
SE of Tateyama, Honshu. At 1521 LtCdr William H. Brockman, Jr.'s USS NAUTILUS (SS-168) likely attacks seaplane tender CHIYODA, escorted by CH-13, CH-14 and minelayer UKISHIMA, but misses with three torpedoes (two wakes were sighted at 1525). UKISHIMA counterattacks with depth charges in position 34-34N, 140-13E.
W-17 and destroyer KAGERO arrive next and join the hunt. As a result of the damage received during these attacks USS NAUTILUS is forced to terminate her patrol and return to Pearl Harbor for repairs. [1]
20 July 1942:
Reassigned to the Fifth Fleet.
27 July 1942:
At 0800 CH-13, CH-14 and CH-15 depart Yokosuka for Tokyo Bay and depart there at 1500.
29 July 1942:
At 1300 CH-13, CH-14 and CH-15 arrive back at Yokosuka.
August 1942:
Arrives at Kiska island.
11 September 1942:
CH-13, CH-14 and CH-15 depart Kiska.
15 September 1942:
At 0900 the escorts arrive at Paramushiro.
11 October 1942:
Arrives at Yokosuka.
20 February 1943:
CH-13 arrives in Tokyo Bay escorting convoy No. 8220 consisting of ZAOSAN, TOKAI, RIZAN (ex British MUNLOCK) and DOZAN MARUs.
25 February 1943:
At 1100 CH-13 departs Tokyo escorting passenger-cargo ship SHIBAZONO MARU.
March 1943:
Escorts convoys in the areas of the Aomori, Iwate and Miyagi prefectures.
3 April 1943:
Escorts a convoy that includes NITTEI MARU and UNYO MARU No. 5. Off Kamaishi, Honshu. CH-13 is torpedoed and sunk with all hands at 41-03N, 141-58E, probably by LtCdr Augustus H. Alston's (USNA ’31) USS PICKEREL (SS-177). [2]
1 May 1943:
Removed from the Navy List.
Author's Note:
[1] Kimata identifies target as the tanker CHIYODA MARU but this ship was only completed in March 1943. LtCdr Brockman (USS NAUTILUS) claimed an attack on a 3 funnelled cruiser which is consistent with a misidentification of seaplane tender CHIYODA, the extra two funnels being the pillars supporting the vessel's crane machinery.
[2] USS PICKEREL was the only American sub in the area. She too was lost that same day and probably sunk by minelayer SHIRAKAMI and auxiliary subchaser BUNZAN MARU off northern Honshu, Japan.
Thanks for assistance go to Mr. Gilbert Casse of France.
-Bob Hackett, Sander Kingsepp and Peter Cundall.
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