KUSENTEI!

© 2005-2006 Bob Hackett, Sander Kingsepp and Peter Cundall

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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.

8 December 1941:
Takao, Formosa. Assigned to Rear Admiral Kubo Kuji's 1st Base Force of Vice Admiral Ibo Takahashi's Third Fleet in the Philippines Seizure Force. Attached to Cdr Nakamura's SubChasDiv 2 with CH-14 and CH-15 .

24 December 1941:
With the Lamon Bay, Philippines invasion force.

6 February 1942: The Invasion of Makassar, Celebes:
SubChasDiv 2’s CH-13, CH-14 and CH-15 depart Staring Bay with the Makassar Occupation Forceconsisting of six troop transports carrying Captain (later Vice Admiral) Mori Kunizo’s 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.

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.

15 May 1942:
Reassigned to the Yokosuka fortifications squadron. Escorts convoys from her base at Shimoda.

20 July 1942:
Reassigned to the Fifth Fleet.

August 1942:
Arrives at Kiska island.

11 October 1942:
Arrives at Yokosuka.

March 1943:
Escorts convoys in the areas of the Aomori, Iwate,and Miyagi prefectures.

3 April 1943:
Off Kamaishi, Honshu. CH-13 is torpedoed and sunk at 40-03N, 141-58E, probably by LtCdr Augustus H. Alston's USS PICKEREL (SS-177). [1]

1 May 1943:
Removed from the Navy List.

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Author's Note:
[1] 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.

-Bob Hackett, Sander Kingsepp and Peter Cundall.

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