KUSENTEI!
IJN Subchaser CH-47:
Tabular Record of Movement
© 2005-2020 Bob Hackett, Sander Kingsepp and Peter Cundall
Revision 7
15 January 1943:
Laid down at Nagasaki's Kawaminami Shipyard, Koyagi
District as Subchaser No. 447.
25 May 1943:
Numbered CH-47 and provisionally
attached to Yokosuka Naval District.
15 June 1943:
Launched.
10 July 1943:
Lt (reserve) Kubota Yoshiharu (former Sasebo Defense
Unit squad leader) is appointed the Chief Equipping Officer (CEO).
12 August 1943:
Completed. Attached to Yokosuka Naval District and
assigned to Yokosuka Guard Force. Transferred from Nagasaki to Inland Sea.
19 August 1943:
Departs Inland Sea, escorting KOJUN MARU to Tokyo Bay.
27 August 1943:
Departs Yokosuka for Truk, escorting convoy 3827B,
consisting of supply ship SHINSEI and SHONAN MARUs and Oil Tanker No. 6010.
28 August 1943:
10 miles W of Mikura Shima. The convoy is attacked
by LtCdr (later Cdr) Thomas L. Wogan's (USNA '30) old USS TARPON (SS-175). At
0445, SHINSEI MARU is damaged by a torpedo at 33-52N, 139-29E. The convoy turns
back to Japan.
29 August 1943:
Arrives at Tateyama.
10 September 1943:
Departs Tokyo Bay, escorting convoy 1910 bound for
Hokkaido.
29 November 1943:
Departs Hokkaido with auxiliary patrol boat KONGO
MARU No. 2, escorting convoy 2129.
8 December 1943:
Off Kinkasan meets up with convoy 2207 and heads
south.
9 December 1943:
Meets up with the northbound convoy 1208 and escorts
the convoy to off Kinkasan.
17 December 1943:
At 0100 east of Kinkasan lightbuoy meets up with
convoy 2215 headed south, consisting of two unidentified merchant ships.
26 December 1943:
At 1315 off Onagawa takes over from patrol boat
KONGO MARU No. 2 escort of northbound convoy No. 1225A, consisting of HAKOZAKI
MARU. At 1915 assumes escort of a southbound convoy (number unknown), consisting
of three unidentified merchant ships.
15 May 1944:
CH-47, CH-45 and minelayer YAEYAMA depart Manila for
Halmahera Island, escorting convoy H-26, consisting of the ETAJIMA, KENWA, TEMPEI,
AKAGISAN, DAIJUN, TAIYU, TOUN and SHIRAHAMA MARUs and possibly SHINSEI MARU.
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, Philippines. At about 0100, LtCdr (later Rear
Admiral-Ret) Brooks J. Harral's (USNA '32) USS RAY (SS-271) makes a
radar-assisted night attack on the surface on the convoy. In a series of
attacks, Harral torpedoes TEMPEI MARU, carrying a cargo of gasoline and rice;
the gasoline erupts in flames. TEMPEI MARU sinks at 05-16S, 127-42E. 11
passengers, five gunners and 19 crewmen are KIA.
23 May 1944:
At about 0500, the USS RAY makes a radar-assisted attack
on the surface and torpedoes DAIJUN MARU, carrying 16 passengers, 4022 M3 war
supplies and 2 Daihatsu barges. She sinks at 02-42N, 128-08E; two gunners and
three crewmen are killed. CH-47 and the remainder of H-26 arrive at Kau Bay,
Halmahera late that day.
1 June 1944:
Arrives at Onagawa.
7 June 1944:
Departs Onagawa and later meets up with convoy No. 2607,
then convoy No. 1608.
12 June 1944:
Arrives at Onagawa.
14 June 1944:
Departs Onagawa but later that day returns to port.
18 June 1944:
Departs Onagawa.
21 June 1944:
Arrives at Onagawa.
24 June 1944:
Departs Onagawa.
28 June 1944:
Arrives at Onagawa.
30 June 1944:
Departs Onagawa and meets up with convoy No. 1629 and
then AWA MARU.
3 July 1944:
Arrives at Onagawa.
8 July 1944:
Departs Onagawa.
9 July 1944:
At 34 degrees and 4 miles off Kobezaki spots a
persicope. At 1710 off the coast off Kobezaki joins minesweeper W-27.
13 July 1944:
Arrives at Onagawa.
18 July 1944:
Departs Onagawa.
23 July 1944:
Undergoes repairs at an unspecified location, probably
near Onagawa.
Early-mid August 1944:
Undergoes repairs at Yokosuka Navy Yard.
17 August 1944:
Repairs completed and arrives at Onagawa.
18 August 1944:
Departs Onagawa for Yokosuka.
September 1944:
Conducts patrols off Chichi Jima, Ogasawara Gunto
(Bonin Islands).
18 September 1944:
Departs Tateyama with destroyer HATAKAZE, escorting
convoy No. 3913A, consisting of JUZAN MARU I GO. En route to Chichi Jima the
convoy stops at Hachijo Jima, where JUZAN MARU I GO commences towing the midget
submarine No. 71 (aka HA-71).
24 September 1944:
The convoy arrives at Chichi Jima.
December 1944:
Tokyo. Undergoes repairs at Ishikawajima.
25 December 1944:
Lt (reserve) Matsumaru Taketoshi (former CO of the
converted minesweeper SHOWA MARU No. 10) is appointed the CO.
16 January 1945:
At 1200, CH-47, CH-42, kaibokan CD-12, CD-56 and
minesweeper W-29 depart Tateyama, escorting convoy 3115, consisting of KURETAKE,
YONEYAMA MARUs and NANYO MARU No. 1 and UNYO MARU No. 6.
19 January 1945:
Arrives at Futami harbor, Chichi Jima.
17 February 1945:
E of Cape Shionomisaki, Honshu. CH-47 is attacked by
carrier aircraft from Vice Admiral (later Admiral) Marc A. Mitscher's (USNA '10)
(former CO of USS HORNET) Task Force 58, but receives only minor damage. The
subchaser is docked for repairs and maintenance
18 March 1945:
The ship is undocked and departs Tokyo, arriving at
Tateyama later that day. For the rest of the month operates in the Izu Peninsula.
Escorts convoys in the Shimoda area. [1]
19 March 1945:
Departs Tateyama, escorting convoy No. 3318, consisting
of NIKKO MARU No. 2. Later that day arrives at Hachijo Jima.
22 March 1945:
Departs Hachijo Jima, escorting convoy No. 4322,
consisting of NIKKO MARU No. 2 and later that day arrives at Shimoda.
23 March 1945:
Departs Shimoda and later that day arrives at Yokohama.
25 March 1945:
Departs Tokyo Bay, escorting the ammunition ship SOYA as
far north as Inubo Zaki.
2 April 1945:
Departs Yokosuka.
3 April 1945:
Arrives at Shimoda.
4 April 1945:
Departs Shimoda, escorting NIKKO MARU No. 2 and later
that day arrives at Hachijo Jima.
5 April 1945:
Departs Hachijo Jima and later that day arrives at
Shimoda.
6 April 1945:
Departs Shimoda, escorting NANKO MARU.
7 April 1945:
Arrives at Hachijo Jima.
8 April 1945:
Departs Hachijo Jima, escorting TOKO MARU.
9 April 1945:
Arrives at Shimoda and departs later that day, escorting
TOKO MARU.
10 April 1945:
Arrives at Hachijo Jima and later that day departs,
escorting TOKO MARU.
11 April 1945:
Arrives at Shimoda.
12 April 1945:
At 0430 departs Shimoda, escorting TOKO MARU and later
that day arrives at Hachijo Jima.
13 April 1945:
At 1630 departs Hachijo Jima, escorting TOKO MARU.
14 April 1945:
Arrives at Shimoda.
15 April 1945:
Departs Shimoda.
16 April 1945:
Arrives at Yokosuka and remains there for the rest of
the month and much of May.
26 May 1945:
Arrives at Shimoda, escorting cable ship HARUSHIMA MARU.
27 May 1945:
Departs Shimoda.
28 May 1945:
Arrives at Yokosuka.
10 July 1945:
Off Yamada Bay, northern Honshu. At about 1100, LtCdr
Raymond H. Bass' (USNA '31) USS RUNNER II (SS-476) torpedoes and sinks
minesweeper W-27 at 39-20N, 142-07E. W-27 is escorting SHINYO MARU with W-33 and
submarine chaser CH-47 when attacked. (UNYO MARU No. 10 was also in the same
area). She receives two hits to starboard and sinks in 90 seconds.
15 July 1945:
Receives minor damage during an air attack on Japanese
shipping in Yamada Bay. Assigned to the 1st Special Attack Squadron (Yokosuka).
15 August 1945:
The crew of CH-47 is notified of the termination
of hostilities with the Allied powers.
15 September 1945:
Removed from the Navy List,
1 December 1945:
Assigned to the Repatriation Service. Designated a
special cargo ship.
15 December 1945:
Ex-Lt Takai Taro (70)(former Naval Academy
instructor) is appointed the CO.
25 January 1946:
Ex-Lt Yasoshima Keizo (71)(former CEO of HA-216) is
appointed the CO.
20 April 1946:
Departs Shanghai on her first repatriation voyage.
22 April 1946:
Arrives at Hakata.
26 April 1946:
Departs Hakata.
28 April 1946:
Arrives at Shanghai.
2 May 1946:
Departs Shanghai on her second and final repatriation
voyage.
4 May 1946:
Arrives at Hakata.
5 September 1947:
Ex-Lt Kanda Hideo (71)(former XO of the 12th SNLF)
is appointed the CO.
1 October 1947:
Delivered to the United States as war compensation.
7 October 1947:
Scuttled as gunnery target in 35-44N, 123-72E.
Authors' Notes:
[1] In 1854, Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry landed at Shimoda.
It was the site of the signing of the Japan-American treaty of trade and amity.
Thanks to Mr. Gilbert Casse of France.
-Bob Hackett, Sander Kingsepp and Peter Cundall.
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