Japanese Subchasers

KUSENTEI!

IJN Subchaser CH-45: Tabular Record of Movement
© 2008-2017 Bob Hackett, Sander Kingsepp and Peter Cundall

Revision 6

1942:
Innoshima. Laid down at the Hitachi Zosen K. K. shipyard.
1943:
Launched and numbered CH-45.
15 October 1943:
Completed and registered in the IJN in the Yokosuka Naval District. Attached to the Yokosuka Guard Unit. Conducts patrols in the Kumano Nada.
3 December 1943:
Reassigned to the Southern Expeditionary Fleet at Manila. Escorts small, local convoys in the Zamboanga and Davao, Philippines areas after arrival in late December (see below).
5 December 1943:
Arrives at Moji with CH-45.
10 December 1943:
At 1600 CH-45 and CH-46 depart Moji escorting convoy No. 120 consisting of an unknown number of merchant ships.
16 December 1943:
Arrives at Takao.
17 December 1943:
Departs Takao.
21 December 1943:
Arrives at San Fernando.
22 December 1943:
Departs San Fernando.
23 December 1943:
Arrives at Manila.
28 December 1943:
At 1500 CH-45 departs Manila for to Halmahera, Moluccas with CH-36 escorting convoy H-11 consisting consisting of TOYU, RAIZAN, NISSHU, JUICHISEI (HOSHI MARU No. 11), BUNZAN, MIKASA, TACOMA, TSUKIKAWA and KAIRYU MARUs and possibly others to Halmahera.
4 January 1943:
Arrives at Kau Bay. Later transfers to nearby Wasile.
6 January 1944:
Departs Wasile with CH-36 escorting a convoy consisting of TOUN, BENGAL, RYUSEI MARUs and one unidentified merchant ship bound for Cebu. A further four ships TONEGAWA, KENWA, ODATSUKI and MITSUKI MARUs sailed with the convoy bound for Manila.
9 January 1944:
Arrives at Davao. CH-45 apparently is detached at this point.
17 January 1944:
Departs Davao.
19 January 1944:
Arrives at Zamboanga.
22 January 1944:
Departs Zamboanga.
24 January 1944:
Returns to Zamboanga.
27 January 1944:
CH-45 departs Zamboanga for Davao escorting fleet oiler SHIOYA.
28 January 1944:
Arrives at Davao, Philippines.
1 February 1944:
Departs Davao.
3 February 1944:
Arrives at Zamboanga.
4 February 1944:
Departs Zamboanga.
5 February 1944:
Arrives at Cebu.
8 February 1944:
Departs Cebu.
10 February 1944:
Arrives at Tarakan.
12 February 1944:
Departs Tarakan.
14 February 1944:
Arrives at Zamboanga.
17 February 1944:
Departs Zamboanga on patrol.
19 February 1944:
Returns to Zamboanga.
22 February 1944:
Departs Zamboanga.
24 February 1944:
Arrives at Cebu.
26 February 1944:
Departs Cebu.
1 March 1944:
Arrives at Manila.
3 March 1944:
Departs Manila escorting H-20 convoy consisting of HOZAN, CHINKAI, FUYO and FUJIKAWA MARUs and possibly others.
5 March 1944:
Arrives at Zamboanga.
6 March 1944:
Departs Zamboanga.
10 March 1944:
Arrives at Kau.
11 March 1944:
Departs Kau.
14 March 1944:
Arrives at Davao.
21 March 1944:
Departs Davao.
25 March 1944:
Arrives at Zamboanga and departs later that day.
27 March 1944:
Arrives at Kudat.
28 March 1944:
Departs Kudat.
30 March 1944:
Arrives at Zamboanga.
2 April 1944:
Arrives at Cebu after escorting transport TEIRYU MARU. Takes over escort of convoy H-23 apparently.
15 May 1944:
CH-45, CH-47 and minelayer YAEYAMA depart Manila for Halmahera Island escorting convoy H-26 consisting of ETAJIMA, KENWA, TEMPEI, AKAGISAN, DAIJUN, TAIYU, TOUN and SHIRAHAMA MARUs and SHINSEI MARU No. 1.
Also in the convoy is NIKKO MARU that is sailing to Cebu.
18 May 1944:
Arrives at Cebu. NIKKO MARU is detached.
19 May 1944:
At 0800 the convoy departs Cebu.
22 May 1944:
Off Davao. At about 0100, LtCdr Brooks J. Harral's USS RAY (SS-271) makes a radar-assisted night attack on the surface on the convoy. In a series of attacks, Harral torpedoes and sinks TEMPEI MARU at 05-16S, 127-42E.
23 May 1944:
At about 0500, USS RAY makes a radar-assisted surface attack and torpedoes DAIJUN MARU. She sinks at 02-42N, 128-08E. The remainder of convoy H-26 arrives at Kau Bay, Halmahera late that day.
12 June 1944:
At 0800, CH-45 departs Manila for Wasili harbor, Halmahera Island with kaibokan CD-10 and patrol boats PB-103 and PB-105 escorting convoy H-29 consisting of MACASSAR, JUNPO, YAMAGIKU, FRANCE, KURAMASAN, HIBI and TAIYU MARUs.
17 June 1944:
HIBI MARU is detached for Zamboanga, Mindanao.
23 June 1944:
At 1710, convoy H-29 arrives at Halmahera Island.
29 June 1944:
At 0630 the minelayer TSUGARU with submarine chasers CH-38 and CH-45 depart Kau for Manila. Off Morotai Island, near Biak. In the early afternoon, Cdr (later Captain) David H. McClintock’s (USNA ’35) USS DARTER (SS-227) sights a large minelayer under escort by two 300-ton subchasers and an aircraft. Using an out-dated reference, McClintock misidentifies TSUGARU as the similarly configured, but somewhat older, minelayer OKINOSHIMA. At 1356, the USS DARTER's crew readies all torpedo tubes. As TSUGARU approaches from starboard, Cdr McClintock observes a floatplane on her deck. At 1425, he fires a full bow spread of six torpedoes with a run of about 2,350 yards. Two torpedoes hit and TSUGARU goes dead in the water. At 1432, the subchasers begin dropping a total of 24 depth charges, but USS DARTER goes deep and escapes undamaged.
At 1449, TSUGARU sinks at 02-19N, 127-57E. Captain Nakatsu is KIA. He is promoted Rear Admiral, posthumously.
30 June 1944:
At 0000 CH-37 and CH-45 arrive at Kau.
July 1944:
CH-45 escorts convoys to and from the Manila area.
27 November 1944: Operation “TA No. 6”:
CH-45, CH-53 and patrol boat PB-105 (ex-ARAYAT) depart Manila for Ormoc Bay escorting a convoy consisting of SHINSHO and SHINETSU MARU. [1]
28 November 1944:
Arrives off Ormoc and begins unloading. Around midnight, American PT boats No. 127 and No. 331 attack the convoy, torpedo and sink patrol boat PB-105 and CH-53.
29 November 1944:
Near Ormoc Bay. Fifth Air Force B-25s and 16 P-47 “Thunderbolt” fighter-bombers of Major Bill Dunham’s 460th Fighter Squadron attack cargo ship SHINSHO MARU. The planes set her afire. She does not sink, but is beached on the western coast of Leyte.
E of Cebu. P-47 pilot Captain William. O. Carter and his wingman attack CH-45. Carter skip-bombs CH-45 at the waterline and breaks the subchaser in half. His wingman scores a hit on CH-45’s stern and she sinks at 10-25N, 124-00E. The next day, N of Cebu, planes attack and sink SHINETSU MARU.
10 January 1945:
Removed from the Navy List.

Authors’ Notes:
[1] Patrol boat PB-105 was an ex-Philippine Islands' customs cruiser.

Thanks to Mr. Gilbert Casse of France.
-Bob Hackett, Sander Kingsepp and Peter Cundall.

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