Japanese Subchasers

KUSENTEI!

IJN Subchaser CH-44: Tabular Record of Movement
© 2008-2018 Bob Hackett, Sander Kingsepp and Peter Cundall
Revision 6

1942:
Koyagi Island. Laid down at Kawaminami’s yard as subchaser No. 444.
1943:
Launched and renumbered CH-44.
15 May 1943:
Completed and registered in the Yokosuka Naval District. Attached to the Yokosuka Guard Unit. Escorts convoys between Yokosuka and Kobe.
26 September 1943:
Departs Hakodate escorting the Naval tanker TERUKAWA MARU.
28 September 1943:
Arrives at Yokohama.
14 October 1943:
At 1600 due to depart Onagawa to escort southbound convoy No. 2013B consisting of KYODO MARU No. 36 and three unidentified merchant ships.
7 December 1943:
At 0200 meets up off Onagawa with convoy 2205 and escorts the convoy south.
14 December 1943:
At 1930 off Oppa Wan meets up with convoy No. 2213 consisting of three unidentified merchant ships.
15 December 1943:
At 1810 off Okachi Wan meets up with convoy No. 2214 consisting of two unidentified merchant ships.
23 December 1943:
At 1900 off Onagawa Wan meets up with convoy No. 2222 consisting of one unidentified merchant ship.
24 December 1943:
At 0600 CH-44 is detached. At 1550 off Kinkasan meets up with convoy No. 1222A consisting only of TAIKOKU MARU and escorts the ship north.
January 1944:
Assigned to convoy escort service between Yokohama, Minami-Tori-Shima and Chichi-Jima.
28 February 1944:
CH-44, Minesweeper W-23 and Auxiliary submarine chaser FUMI MARU depart Chichijima in a violent storm escorting KUMANOSAN MARU.
2 March 1944:
At 1900 arrive at Minami Torishima.
20 March 1944:
30 miles NE of Torishima. LtCdr (later Rear Admiral-Ret) Bafford E. Lewellen’s (USNA ‘31) USS POLLACK (SS-180) torpedoes and sinks auxiliary netlayer HAKUYO MARU at 30-53N, 140-42E. 28 crewmen are KIA. CH-44 counterattacks unsuccessfully and USS POLLACK escapes.
3 June 1944:
Arrives at Onagawa after escorting KOUSEI MARU.
6 June 1944:
Departs Onagawa and escorts ASAHISAN MARU.
9 June 1944:
Arrives at Onagawa.
15 June 1944:
Departs Onagawa.
18 June 1944:
Arrives at Onagawa and under repairs for rest of month and most of July.
26 July 1944:
Departs Onagawa and escorts convoy No.2725.
29 July 1944:
Arrives at Onagawa.
31 July 1944:
Departs Onagawa with auxiliary minesweeper MISAGO MARU No. 3.
4 August 1944:
Arrives at Onagawa.
7 August 1944:
Departs Onagawa.
9 August 1944:
Arrives at Onagawa.
13 August 1944:
At 1600 departs Onagawa.
14 August 1944:
Arrives at Nagaura.
16 August 1944:
Transfers from Nagaura to Yokosuka.
24 August 1944:
Transfers from Yokosuka to Nagaura.
29 August 1944:
At 1900 CH-44, kaibokan AMAKUSA and auxiliary submarine chaser TAKUNAN MARU No. 2 depart Tateyama escorting convoy No. 3827 consisting of SHIBAZONO and INA MARUs bound for Chichi-Jima.
31 August 1944:
At 1300 an airraid warning is received and the ships turn around and head north to Hachijo Jima. The escorts outstrip the merchantmen that are left behind.
1 September 1944:
Early that morning INA MARU is torpedoed east of Sumisu Jima and sunk by LtCdr Robert H. Close’s (USNA ’34) USS PILOTFISH (SS-386). At about 0900 SHIBAZONO MARU is unsuccessfully attacked also by USS PILOTFISH, the ship avoids the attack and at 1300 arrives at Hachijo Jima where the ship anchors. The escorts are called back to meet the ships but are unable to contact INA MARU that has disappeared with the loss of 30 crew.
4 September 1944:
Arrives back at Yokosuka.
8 September 1944:
Departs Yokosuka with auxiliary submarine chaser TAKUNAN MARU No. 6 escorting convoy No.3908 consisting of IKUTAGAWA MARU and Oil Tanker No. 3998. Kaibokan CD-4 joins en route possibly on 10 September. Later that day the convoy arrives at Tateyama.
9 September 1944:
Departs Tateyama.
13 September 1944:
Arrives at Chichi-Jima.
14 September 1944:
At 1800 departs Chichi-Jima with kaibokan CD-4 and auxiliary submarine chaser TAKUNAN MARU No. 6 escorting convoy No.4913 consisting of IKUTAGAWA MARU and Oil Tanker No. 3998.
17 September 1944:
At 0425, auxiliary submarine chaser TAKUNAN MARU No. 6 suffers an engine failure and starts to drift.
At 0700, kaibokan AMAKUSA departs Tateyama to assist and subsequently tow TAKUNAN MARU No. 6 which is a drift at position bearing 120 degrees 20 miles off Mikurajima.
At 0745, at position bearing 37 degrees 3 miles off Miyakejima CH-44 meets up with TAKUNAN MARU No. 6. Shortly after CH-44 returns to convoy No. 4913.
At 1015, at position bearing 140 degrees 3 miles off Oshima AMAKUSA meets up with TAKANAN MARU No. 6. TAKUNAN MARU No. 6 meanwhile has managed to repair her engine failure and can navigate on her own again.
At 1700, AMAKUSA arrives with TAKUNAN MARU No. 6 at Yokosuka outer harbor. The convoy arrives at Yokosuka at an unknown time.
23 September 1944:
CH-44 departs Yokohama with submarine chaser CH-51 and kaibokan CD-12 escorting convoy No. 3923 consisting of IKUTAGAWA, SHIBAZONO MARUs and Oil Tanker No. 3998 bound for Chichi-Jima. En route IKUTAGAWA MARU is detached at Hachijo Jima.
30 September 1944:
Arrives and later at 2200 CH-44 departs Chichi-Jima with submarine chaser CH-51 and kaibokan CD-12 escorting convoy No. 4930 consisting of SHIBAZONO MARU and Oil Tanker No. 3998 bound for Yokosuka.
4 October 1944:
At 1600 arrives at Yokosuka.
13 October 1944:
Departs Yokosuka and later that day arrives at Tateyama.
14 October 1944:
Off Kinkasan Lighthouse. CH-44 joins convoy 2013B consisting of survey ship KYODO MARU No. 36 and possibly others and escorts as far as Daio Zaki. Later that day CH-44 joins convoy No. 3013 also escorted by CH-52 and auxiliary minesweeper SEKI MARU No.3 (the latter part way only) consisting of SEIKAI MARU NO. 2 and SHOTO MARU bound for Chichi-Jima.
18 October 1944:
CH-52 and CH-44 depart Chichi-Jima escorting Convoy No. 4017 consisting of SEIKAI MARU No. 2 only bound for Yokohama.
21 October 1944:
Arrives at Yokosuka.
31 October 1944:
Transfers from Yokosuka to Yokohama.
3 November 1944:
Departs Yokohama and later that day arrives at Tateyama.
4 November 1944:
CH-44, CH-51 and CH-52, kaibokan CD-4 and auxiliary submarine chaser TAKUNAN MARU No. 2 depart Tateyama escorting convoy No. 3103 consisting of KAIKO, SHIBAZONO, SHOTO MARUs and OIL TANKER No. 3998.
8 November 1944:
Arrives at Chichi-Jima. Late that day CD-4 with submarine chasers CH-44, CH-51, CH-52 and auxiliary submarine chaser TAKUNAN MARU No. 2 departs Chichijima escorting convoy No. 4108 consisting of KAIKO, SHIBAZONO, SHOTO MARUs and OIL TANKER No. 3998.
11 November 1944:
N of Hachijo Island. A patrol bomber from the 901st NAG spots a submarine in that area, attacks it with depth charges and then conducts CD-4 to the scene of attack. An oil slick is sighted and soon a sonar contact is made from a distance of 3,300 yds. LtCdr John G. Hollingsworth's (USNA ’31) USS SCAMP (SS-277) attempts to attack the approaching escort, firing a divergent spread of three torpedoes from a distance of 1,100 yds. LtCdr Mizutani evades all of them and conducts three depth charge attacks. After a total of 70 depth charges have been expended, several giant air bubbles and large quantities of oil are sighted on the surface. USS SCAMP is lost with all 83 hands at 33-38N, 141-00E.
12 November 1944:
Arrives at Tateyama.
13 November 1944:
Arrives at Yokosuka.
17 November 1944:
Departs Yokosuka.
25 November 1944:
Arrives at Yokosuka.
1 December 1944:
Transfers from Yokosuka to Yokohama.
3 December 1944:
Departs Yokohama.
5 December 1944:
CH-44, CH-51 and CH-52 depart Yokosuka for Hachijo Jima with destroyer HATAKAZE and auxiliary submarine chasers SHONAN MARU No. 8 and KYO MARU No. 7 escorting convoy No. 3203 consisting of DAISHO, AITOKU MARUs and SEIKAI MARU No. 2. Enroute, CH-52 collides with CH-51 and CH-52's bow is damaged. CH-51 is forced to return to Yokosuka for repairs.
6 December 1944:
Arriives at Hachijo Jima.
11 December 1944:
Departs Hachijo Jima.
14 December 1944:
Arrives at Chichi-Jima.
15 December 1944:
Departs Chichi-Jima.
19 December 1944:
Arrives at Yokosuka.
22 December 1944:
Departs Yokosuka and later that day arrives at Tateyama.
23 December 1944:
At 0600 CH-44 departs Tateyama with kaibokan CD-6, submarine chaser CH-52, auxiliary minesweeper SHOWA MARU No. 7 and auxiliary submarine chaser SHONAN MARU No. 8 escorting convoy No.3222 consisting of DAISHO, NAGATSU, KYUSHU MARUs and SEIKAI MARU No. 2.
27 December 1944:
At 0530 arrives at Futami Port, Chichi-Jima.
28 December 1944:
At 0200, CH-44 departs Chichi-Jima for Yokohama with kaibokan CD-6, subchaser CH-52 and auxiliary subchaser SHONAN MARU No. 8 escorting convoy No. 4127 consisting of DAISHO, NAGATSU and KYUSHU MARUs.
1 January 1945:
At 0400, arrives at Tateyama.
Early-Mid January 1945 :
Off the Kii Peninsula. Escorts convoys in the Kumano Sea.
22 January 1945:
Departs Yokosuka and later that day arrives at Tateyama.
23 January 1945:
At 0600 CH-44 departs Tateyama with kaibokan AMAKUSA, and CD-4 and auxiliary submarine chaser SHONAN MARU No. 8 escorting convoy No. 3122 consisting of NAGATSU and MIYO MARUs and OIL TANKER No. 3998.
27 January 1945:
At 0530 arrives at Chichi-Jima.
28 January 1945:
At 0200 submarine chasers CH-42 and CH-44, kaibokan CD-4 and AMAKUSA and auxiliary submarine chaser SHONAN MARU No. 8 depart Chichi-Jima for home islands, escorting Convoy No. 4127 consisting of NAGATSU, MIYO MARUs and OIL TANKER No. 3998.
S of Yome Jima, Bonins. After 2110, the convoy is attacked by a single Boeing B-29 "Superfortress". During the brief encounter one sailor from CD-4 is lost in the dark, probably washed overboard during an evasive manoeuvre.
30 January 1945:
Off Mikura Island. At 0735, Cdr. John J. Foote's USS THREADFIN (SS-410) torpedoes and sinks the 1,864-ton ISSEI MARU in 33-30N, 135-34E. The submarine is spotted by a Nakajima B5N2 "Kate" torpedo bomber from the 903rd NAG, who alerts the passing convoy. CD-4 is detached to the scene of attack. She conducts a depth-charge attack, forcing the submarine to the depth of 462 ft.
1 February 1945:
Arrives at Tateyama.
April 1945:
Reassigned to the 4th Special Attack Unit. Patrols between Daio Zaki and Shimizu.
6-15 May 1945:
At sea off Ise Wan patrolling and escorting convoys.
20-23 May 1945:
Undertakes a patrol off Ise Wan area.
28 May 1945:
Departs Ise Wan area on patrol.
15 August 1945: End of Hostilities:
At Yokosuka.
September 1945:
Yokosuka. Surrendered to Allied Occupation Forces. CH-44’s hull and machinery are in such bad condition that her use of as a repatriatrion vessel is deemed impossible. She is laid up at Yokosuka. [1]
15 September 1945:
Removed from the Navy List.
1948:
Scrapped.

Authors' Note:
[1] Another Japanese source says CH-44 was surrendered at Yokohama. Still another source claims she was laid up at Uraga Dock Co., Tokyo. Thanks to Mr. Gilbert Casse of France and Mr. Berend van der Wal of Netherlands.
-Bob Hackett, Sander Kingsepp and Peter Cundall.

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