Japanese Subchasers

KUSENTEI!

IJN Subchaser CH-49: Tabular Record of Movement
© 2005-2018 Bob Hackett, Sander Kingsepp and Peter Cundall
Revision 9

16 November 1942:
Hakodate, Hokkaido. Laid down at Hakodate Senkyo shipyard as CH-449.
5 July 1943:
Tentatively attached to Yokosuka Naval District. Renumbered CH-49.
15 September 1943:
Launched.
31 January 1944:
Completed and commissioned in the IJN. Assigned to the Sasebo Naval District in the Sasebo Guard Unit.
1 February 1944:
At 0800 departs Rumoe and at 1700 arrives at Ominato.
6 February 1944:
At 0600 departs Ominato.
8 February 1944:
At 0900 arrives at Yokosuka.
11 February 1944:
At 1205 departs Yokosuka.
17 February 1944:
At 1550 arrives at Sasebo.
24 February 1944:
At 1350 departs Sasebo.
27 February 1944:
At 0830 arrives at Seso.
3 March 1944:
At 1155 departs Seso.
4 March 1944:
At 2330 arrives at Koniya.
5 March 1944:
At 0800 departs Koniya and transfers to Seso, arriving at 0835.
12 March 1944:
At 1235 departs Seso.
14 March 1944:
At 0900 arrives at Naha.
15 March 1944:
At 0645 CH-49 and auxiliary submarine chaser CHa-74 depart Naha, Okinawa escorting convoy OKI-502 consisting of ANZAN MARU and oiler TEIKON MARU (ex German WINNETOU).
16 March 1944:
At 0150, LtCdr (later Captain) Robert D. Risser's (USNA ’34) USS FLYING FISH (SS-229) torpedoes and sinks ANZAN MARU, carrying 6637 tons of maize and 325 tons of general cargo, at 27-38N, 128-58E. Six crewmen die in the attack. TEIKON MARU seeks shelter at Koniya. Later, the ships arrive at Moji.
18 March 1944:
At 1739 CH-49 arrives at Shodon Wan.
19 March 1944:
At 0630 departs Shodon Wan and at 1630 arrives at Seso.At 2200 departs Seso.
20 March 1944:
At 1552 arrives at Naze.
21 March 1944:
At 0857 departs Naze. At 1100 arrives at Kasari Wan.
22 March 1944:
at 0725 departs Kasari Wan.
23 March 1944:
At 1400 arrives at Kagoshima.
25 March 1944:
At 0945 departs Kagoshima and at 1200 arrives at Yamakawa.
26 March 1944:
At 1236 departs Yamakawa.
28 March 1944:
At 2200 arrives at Seso.
30 March 1944:
At 0950 departs Seso and transfers to Koniya, arriving at 1040.
31 March 1944:
At 1000 departs Koniya.
10 April 1944:
Assigned to the 4th Surface Escort Division at Sasebo. Escorts convoys between Sasebo and Okinawa.
19 April 1944:
CH-49 departs Kagoshima for Naha, Okinawa with auxiliary minesweepers HAKATA MARU No. 6, SHONAN MARU No. 16, TAKUNAN MARU No. 1 and auxiliary submarine chaser NAGATO MARU escorting convoy ROKU-813 consisting of KORYU, TERUKUNI MARUs, NANKAI MARU No.1 and eight unidentified merchant ships.
30 April 1944:
CH-49 departs Naha for Kagoshima with auxiliary minesweepers HAKATA MARU No. 6 and SHONAN MARU No. 16, and auxiliary submarine chaser NAGATO MARU escorting convoy OKI-004 consisting of TOYAMA and NITTSU MARUs and two unidentified merchant ships.
3 May 1944:
CH-49 departs Naha for Koniya with torpedo boat MANAZURU, auxiliary submarine chaser CHIKUTO MARU and auxiliary minesweeper SHONAN MARU No. 16 escorting convoy RIN-OKI consisting of YORIHIME, SHOTO, NICHIRIN, HAKKA MARUs, BANSHU MARU No. 16 and six unidentified merchant ships.
6 May 1944:
CH-49 departs Kagoshima for Naha, Okinawa with torpedo boat MANAZURU, auxiliary subchaser RYUSEI MARU and auxiliary minesweeper SHONAN MARU No. 16 escorting convoy ROKU-813 consisting of tankers KOSHIN, BAIEI, SAN DIEGO MARUs, NANSHIN MARU No. 14 and five unidentified merchant ships. CH-49 sails only as far as Koniya.
9 May 1944:
CH-49 departs Koniya en route to Minami Daito Jima and Oki Daito Jima escorting convoy Daito Jima Homen Army Fishing Boat Convoy No. 3 consisting of 25 unidentified fishing boats
22 May 1944:
CH-49 departs Kagoshima for Keelung with torpedo boat MANAZURU, minelayer NIIZAKI, auxiliary minesweeper HIMESHIMA MARU, auxiliary patrol boats TAIAN MARU and CHOUN MARU No. 13 escorting convoy KATA-205 consisting of AMAKUSA and TATSUHISA MARUs and eight unidentified merchant ships.
3 June 1944:
CH-49 departs Kagoshima for Keelung with auxiliary minesweeper TAIHEI MARU No. 3 Go and auxiliary patrol boat TAISEI MARU No.5 escorting convoy KATA-906 consisting of six unidentified merchant ships.
7 June 1944:
CH-49 departs Keelung with torpedo boat MANAZURU, auxiliary minesweepers TAIHEI MARU No. 3 Go and TAKUNAN MARU No. 1, CHITOSE MARU, auxiliary subchaser RYUSEI MARU and auxiliary patrol boat TAISEI MARU No. 5 escorting convoy TAKA-703 consisting of CHINA, TAIKAI (2478 gt) and YOKAI MARUs and one unidentified merchant ship en route to Kagoshima, some direct and some via Naha.

26 June 1944:
Departs Guimaras Bay in convoy with tanker MANEI and YUHO MARUs also escorted by destroyer TSUGA, kaibokan KANJU and MIYAKE and submarine chasers CH-38, and CH-58.
27 June 1944:
Arrives at Zamboanga, Philippines. CH-38 is apparently detached.
28 June 1944:
Departs Zamboanga still in convoy.
30 June 1944:
Arrives at Tawi Tawi.
1 July 1944:
Departs Tawi Tawi still in convoy with tankers EIHO MARU and TSURUMI joining at this point. Later that day, anchors in Ligitan Channel. [2]
2 July 1944:
Departs Ligitan Channel. Later that day, anchors off Tarakan. TSUGA is detached. TETSUYO MARU joins.
3 July 1944:
Arrives at Berouw River mouth. TETSUYO MARU runs aground and is detached. The ship later refloat herself and returns to Tarakan.
4 July 1944:
Departs the Berouw River mouth.
5 July 1944:
Arrives at Balikpapan.
10 July 1944:
Departs Balikpapan in convoy with tankers MANEI, YUHO and EIHO MARUs, and TSURUMI also escorted by kaibokan KANJU and MIYAKE and submarine chasers CH-38 and CH-58.
11 July 1944:
Arrives at the Berouw River mouth. ANKO and TATSUMATSU MARUs and tanker HISHI MARU No. 2 join the convoy.
12 July 1944:
Departs the Berouw River mouth. Later that day, anchors off Tarakan.
13 July 1944:
Departs Tarakan. Arrives at the Ligitan Channel.
14 July 1944:
Departs the Ligitan Channel. Later that day, arrives at Tawi Tawi.
15 July 1944:
Departs Tawi Tawi. Later that day, arrives at Jolo, Philippines. TSURUMI, TATSUMATSU and ANKO MARUs and HISHI MARU No. 2 are detached.
16 July 1944:
Departs Jolo. Later that day, arrives at Zamboanga, Philippines.
18 July 1944:
At 0541 departs Zamboanga in convoy consisting of tankers HISHI MARU No. 2 and TSURUMI also escorted by minesweeper W-30 and submarine chaser CH-58 and auxiliary netlayer TOKO MARU No 1 GO. At 1925 arrives at Malusu Bay, Basilan Island.
19 July 1944:
At 0600 departs Malusu Bay and at 1832 arrives at Lebak Bay.
20 July 1944:
At 0552 departs Lebak Bay and at 1653 arrives at Glan.
21 July 1944:
At 0457 departs Glan and at 1905 arrives at Malalag.
22 July 1944:
At 0624 departs Malalag and at 1048 arrives at Davao.
25 July 1944:
At 0155, CH-49 and CH-58 depart Davao, Philippines for Zamboanga, Mindanao escorting convoy Z-258 consisting of AZUCHISAN, OYO, TATSUHARU, RYUKA and KITAGAMI MARUs, HISHI MARU No 2, KYOEI MARU No. 2 and LST No. 127. Other escorts include kaibokan CD-6, minesweeper No. 30, auxiliary subchaser KYO MARU No. 12, auxiliary netlayer TOKACHI MARU and auxiliaries TOKO MARU and HIYODORI MARU No. 2. The convoy is provided air cover. Later that day, RYUKA MARU, LST No.127, HIYODORI MARU No. 2. and TOKO MARU are detached from the convoy for Sarangani Bay.
At 1452 a patrol plane drops bombs 140 degrees to starboard and CH-49 and CH-58 are dispatched to the attack site.
27 July 1944:
At 0055, LtCdr (later Captain) Bladen D. Claggett’s (USNA ’35) USS DACE (SS-247) torpedoes and sinks KYOEI MARU No. 2 at 05-20N, 121-43E. Five crewmen are KIA. The escorts counterattack and drop 20 depth-charges, all unsuccessfully. At about 1400, the convoy is attacked by aircraft in the Pilas Channel, but suffers no damage. At 1830, the convoy arrives at Zamboanga.
28 July 1944:
CH-49 and CH-58 depart Zamboanga with kaibokan CD-6 and CD-16 escorting convoy C-294 consisting of four unidentified merchant ships.
31 July 1944 :
Arrives at Cebu.

4 August 1944:
CH-49 departs Moji for Takao with kaibokan HIBURI, FUKUE, ETOROFU, CD-8, CD-10, CD-25, CD-32 and gunboat UJI escorting convoy MOTA-22 consisting of KENJO, GASSAN, HAKUSAN, TEIKO, TERUKUNI, TACHIBANA, NANREI, GENKAI, TEIHOKU, HIOKI, MANSHU, SHIRANESAN, SHONAN, RAKUTO and KOSHIN MARUs and YAMAMIZU MARU No. 2, DAIBOSHI MARU No. 6 and five other unidentified ships.
6 August 1944:
Off SW Kyushu. At 0411, LtCdr (later Admiral/CINCPACFLT) Bernard A. Clarey’s (USNA ’34) USS PINTADO (SS-387) torpedoes and sinks SHONAN MARU at 30-53N, 129-45E. Two crewmen and three gunners are KIA and four Daihatsu barges lost.
9 August 1944:
At 1310, KOSHIN MARU's ammunition cargo explodes and the ship sinks at 26-10N, 124-15E. 28 crewmen are KIA.
10 August 1944:
Arrives at Kirun. GASSAN, KENJO, HAKUSAN, TEIKA (ex French CAP VARELLA) and HIOKI MARUs are all detached.
11 August 1944:
At 0330, departs Kirun.
12 August 1944:
At 1430, arrives at Tsoying.
17 August 1944:
CH-49, CH-18 and CH-17 depart Keelung with minelayers TSUBAME, NIIZAKI torpedo boat MANAZURU, auxiliary minesweepers SEKI MARU, SHONAN MARU No. 16, TOSHI MARU No. 7, TAKUNAN MARU No. 1, HIMESHIMA MARU, CHOUN MARU No. 8, auxiliary patrol boats CHOUN MARU No. 13, TAISEI MARU No. 5 and TAIAN MARU escorting convoy TAKA-708 consisting of TAIKAI MARU and 22 unidentified merchant ships enroute to Koniya or Kagoshima, some direct and some via Naha.
19 August 1944:
At 1200, arrives at Naha. Most ships in the convoy stop and unload. CH-18 returns to Kagoshima.
28 August 1944:
At 0400, CH-49, CH-17 and CH-18 depart Kagoshima, Kyushu for Keelung, Formosa escorting convoy KATA-827 consisting of TSUKUSHI MARU No. 3, DOSHI, DAISHIN, ISSHIN, KONZAN, NANYO, HAKUYO and SHOKYU, AMOY, KEIZAN, KEIUN, KOTSU MARUs, NANKO MARU No.1, HORAI MARU No.6, HORAI MARU No.7, and 17 other unidentified ships. Other escorts include torpedo boat MANAZURU, minelayer NIIZAKI, auxiliary netlayer SHINTO MARU No. 2, auxiliary subchaser CHIKUTO MARU, auxiliary minesweepers SHONAN MARU No. 16 and HOEI MARU and auxiliary HOKOKU MARU No. 3.
30 August 1944:
Departs Naha. KORYU MARU has joined convoy.
2 September 1944:
Off Miyako Jima KORYU MARU is detached.
4 September 1944:
At 1030, arrives at Keelung.
September 1944:
Escorts convoys between Sasebo and Amami O-Shima.
29 September 1944:
CH-49 departs Naha for Kagoshima with minelayer NIIZAKI, auxiliary patrol boat CHIKUTO MARU, auxiliary minesweepers SEKI MARU, HOEI MARUand SHONAN MARU No. 16 escorting convoy NAKA-908 consisting of four unidentified merchant ships.
6 October 1944:
CH-49 departs Keelung for Kagoshima with kaibokan CD-30, torpedo boat MANAZURU, minelayer NUWAJIMA, auxiliary netlayer SHINTO MARU No. 2, minesweeper W-15, auxiliary minesweepers CHOUN MARU No. 8, KAIYO MARU No. 1 Go and auxiliary patrol boats CHOUN MARU No. 13, SOBUN and HOKUYO MARUs escorting convoy TAKA-410 consisting of DAIYA, TAIKAI and TAKUSAN MARUs and 11 unidentified merchant ships some direct to Kagoshima and some via Miyako Shima and Kasari Wan.
21 October 1944:
At 1200, CH-49 departs Kagoshima for Naha with kaibokan CD-30, torpedo boat MANAZURU, minesweeper W-15, auxiliaries KIKU MARU No. 7, HIMESHIMA MARU, auxiliary minesweeper SHONAN MARU No. 16 and TOSHI MARU No. 7 escorting convoy KATA-916 consisting of CHOJUSAN, TOMITSU, EDOGAWA, BANSEI, TENSHO, AMAKUSA, SHINTON, SANKA, HAKKA, YOSAN, TORAI, TAIKYU, SAKISHIMA, RYUKYU, KANKYO and AMOY MARUs, HAKUTETSU MARU No. 11 and fleet stores ships MUROTO and KINESAKI.
22 October 1944:
At 0730, LtCdr (later Vice Admiral) Vernon L. Lowrance’s (USNA ’30) USS SEA DOG (SS-401) torpedoes and sinks MUROTO at 29-18N, 129-44E. Lowrance also torpedoes and damages TOMITSU MARU. The convoy’s escorts and aircraft subject USS SEA DOG to a long and heavy counterattack in which 109 depth-charges are dropped, but Lowrance evades and USS SEA DOG escapes.
25 October 1944:
Arrives at Naha.
26 October 1944:
Planned to depart Sesoko with auxiliary patrol boat HOKOKU MARU No. 3 GO and auxiliary minesweeper SHONAN MARU No. 16 escorting HAKKO MARU to Kagoshima via Koniya, but this convoy is cancelled.
3 November 1944:
CH-49 departs Kagoshima with torpedo boat MANAZURU, auxiliary gunboat CHOJUSAN MARU, minesweepers W-15 and W-16, auxiliary minesweepers SEKI and CHITOSE MARUs, TAKUNAN MARU No. 3, BANSHU MARU No. 51, TOSHI MARU No. 7 and SHONAN MARU No. 16, auxiliary patrol boats TAIAN MARU, auxiliary subchaser RYUSEI MARU escorting convoy KATA-322 consisting of KAIRYU, KINZAN, KEIUN, KENJO, KEIJO, SEIZAN, DAISEI, SOSHU, GINZAN and MALAY, KEIZAN, NICHIRIN (ex British MATA HARI), DAISHIN (1306 gt), HIKOSAN MARUs, HOEI MARU No. 5 and TAMON MARU No.12.
6 November 1944:
Arrives at Naha. CH-49 and part of the convoy is detached.
7 November 1944:
CH-49 departs Naha for Kagoshima with torpedo boat MANAZURU, auxiliary gunboat CHOJUSAN MARU, minesweeper W-15, auxiliary patrol boat TAIAN MARU, auxiliary minesweepers SHONAN MARU No. 16, TOSHI MARU No.7, CHOUN MARU No. 8, CHITOSE and SEKI MARUs escorting convoy NAKA-713 consisting of DAISHIN MARU (1306 gt), EDOGAWA MARU (1972 gt) and eleven unidentified merchant ships.
9 November 1944:
CHOJUSAN MARU is torpedoed and sunk at 31-15N, 129-10E by Cdr (later Rear Admiral) Charles E. Loughlin's (USNA '33) USS QUEENFISH (SS-393). One crewman is KIA.
10 November 1944:
Arrives at Kagoshima.
9 December 1944:
CH-49 departs Kagoshima escorting convoy KATA-608 consisting of FUKUYAMA, DOKAN, DAIJO, UJINA, HIKOSAN, SHOTO MARUs and NANRYU MARU No.3 with auliary minesweeper TAIAN MARU, auxiliary patrol boat HOKOKU MARU No. 3 GO and possibly other unknown escorts.
11 December 1944:
The convoy arrives at Naha, Okinawa. All merchant ships except HIKOSAN and UJINA MARUs are detached.
12 December 1944:
The convoy cruises to Yoshiromon.
14 December 1944:
Departs Yoshiromon.
15 December 1944:
Arrives at Ishigaki-Jima.
21 December 1944:
Departs Ishigaki-Jima.
22 December 1944:
Arrives at Keelung, northern Formosa.
24 December 1944:
CH-49 departs Keelung for Kagoshima with kaibokan CD-30, CD-42, torpedo boat MANAZURU, minesweeper W-15, auxiliary netlayer SHINTO MARU No. 2, auxiliary minesweepers CHOUN MARU No. 8, HIMESHIMA and CHITOSE MARUs escorting convoy TAKA-406 consisting of TATSUMIYA, KEIUN, SAKISHIMA MARUs and five unidentified merchant ships some direct to Kagoshima and some via Naha.

26 December 1944:
TAKA-406 arrives at Naha. CD-30, CD-42 and MANAZURU are detached.
24 January 1945:
CH-49 Departs Kirun with torpedo boat TOMOZURU, and auxilary netlayer SHINTO MARU No. 2 and auxiliary minesweepers SHONAN MARU No. 16 and HIMESHIMA MARU (and later CHITOSE MARU and TOSHI MARU No. 7) escorting an unidentified TAKA convoy consisting of SEIZAN and KISHUN MARUs and others. Kaibokan CD-44 joins the convoy at some point (possibly departs Kirun with convoy and then takes over KATA-407 with auxiliary minesweeper HIMESHIMA MARU southbound)
31 January 1945:
Arrives at Kagoshima.
26 February 1945:
CH-49 departs Tomie, Goto Retto with kaibokan FUKUE, minelayers TSUBAME and NUWAJIMA and auxiliary submarine chaser SANKYO MARU escorting convoy SAI-1 consisting of DAIKEN, NICHIRIN (ex British MATA HARI), TOYOSAKA and EDOGAWA MARUs.
1 March 1945:
Off Miyako Jima. Aircraft of Vice Admiral (later Admiral) Marc A. Mitscher’s (USNA ’10) Task Force 58 sink TAIKEN MARU (42 passengers and 16 crewmen killed), TOYOSAKA MARU (four crewmen killed) and damage EDOGAWA MARU. NICHIRIN MARU escapes south, but is sunk the following day with the loss of 17 crewmen.
Off Ishigaki Shima. Task Force 58 aircraft damage minelayer NUWAJIMA and kaibokan FUKUE and sink minelayer TSUBAME at 24-23N, 124-12E. TF 58's planes also damage CH-49 off Ishikiri, Suwanose Island. CH-49 has arrived at Ishigaki at 0445 and departed at 1200.
4 March 1945:
At 1845 arrives at Tomie.
5 March 1945:
At 0512 departs Tomie and at 1030 arrives at Sasebo. At 1330 docked at No.1 Graving dock for repairs.
14 March 1945:
At 1030 departs No.1 dock and moors alongside No.3 pier.
18 March 1945:
At 0930 arrives at Ebisu Wan. At 1340 returns to Sasebo.
30 March 1945:
At 0910 departs Sasebo escorting WAKAMIYASAN MARU.
2 April 1945:
Amami O-Shima. TG 58. 4’s planes damage CH-49 at 28-07N, 129-09E.
10 May 1945:
Assigned to the 5th Special Attack Squadron at Sasebo. Escorts convoys between Sasebo and Tsingtao, China.
15 August 1945:
Sasebo. CH-49’s crew receives notice of the termination of hostilities with the Allied Powers.
5 October 1945:
Removed from the Navy List.
1 December 1945:
Assigned to the Allied Repatriation Service. Designated a repatriation ship.
3 October 1947:
Tsingtao. Handed over to the Chinese Nationalist Government. Renamed HAI HUNG. Rearmed with one 3-in deck gun, one 25-mm triple mount and two 13-mm machine guns of the Japanese origin.
January 1951:
Undergoes a major rebuild at Keelung, Taiwan. Reclassified as patrol vessel YA LUNG (PC-106).
1954:
Renamed CHU KIANG (QUJIANG according to a different phonetic system).
17 May 1954:
CHU KIANG is involved in a covert operation off the Chinese coast. While extracting the Taiwanese secret agents from mainland China, she is chased by PRC patrol vessels, but escapes.
1954-1955:
During the First Taiwan Strait Crisis CHU KIANG patrols off the Quemoy Archipelago and participates in several encounters with the PRC fleet.
1 October 1956:
Removed from the Navy List and laid up at Gaoxiong (ex-Takao); scrapped thereafter.
1964:
Taiwan. Removed from the Republic of China's Navy List.

Authors' Note;
Thanks go to Bill Somerville for info on convoy KATA-608 and to Mr. Gilbert Casse of France for general assistance.
-Bob Hackett, Sander Kingsepp and Peter Cundall.

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