KUSENTEI!

© 2005-2008 Bob Hackett, Sander Kingsepp and Peter Cundall

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22 April 1940:
Tsurumi. Laid down at Nihon Kokan Shipbuilding.

19 November 1940:
Launched and numbered CH-16.

5 April 1941:
Completed and registered in the Yokosuka Naval District.

8 December 1941:
Takao, Formosa. Assigned to Rear Admiral (later Vice Admiral) Hirose Sueto's (former CO of AOBA) 2nd Base Force of Vice Admiral Takahashi Ibo's (36) (former CO of KIRISHIMA) Third Fleet. Attached to the Philippines Seizure Force in Cdr Ota's SubChasDiv 21 with CH-4, CH-5, CH-6, CH-17 and CH-18.

22 December 1941: The Invasion of the Philippines:
Three echelons of 76 transports carrying the main part of LtGen Homma Masaharu's Fourteenth Army land at Lingayen Gulf. CH-16 and SubChasDiv 21 escort Rear Admiral Hirose's third echelon of 22 transports from Keelung, Formosa.

23 January 1942:
CH-16 is attached to the Balikpapan, Borneo invasion force.

28 May 1942: Operation "MI" - The Battle of Midway:
CH-16, CH-17 and CH-18 are in Vice Admiral (later Admiral) Kondo Nobutake's (former CO of KONGO) Midway Invasion Force attached to Captain (Rear Admiral, posthumously) Miyamoto Sadachika's (39)(former CO of YAEYAMA) 16th Minesweeper Unit consisting of auxiliary minesweepers TAMA MARU No. 3, SHONAN MARUs No. 7 and No 8 and provision storeship SOYA. Departs Saipan for Wake, enroute to Midway.

4 June 1942:
At 0843, a PBY "Catalina" flying boat discovers Captain Miyamoto's minesweeper group heading towards Midway.

5 June 1942:
At 0255, after receiving word that the occupation of Midway has been canceled, CH-16 and the minesweeper group retire north.

14 July 1942:
Rabaul. Reassigned to the Eighth Fleet’s 8th Base Force in SubChasDiv 21 with CH-4, CH-5, CH-6, CH-17 and CH-18.

6 November 1942:
At 1400, CH-16 departs Rabaul with minelayer SHIRATAKA, torpedo boat HIYODORI and minesweeper W-15 escorting an unnumbered convoy consisting of ARIZONA, TOYO, NAGARA, YAMAZUKI, TEIYO, YURI, TOYOKUNI, OIGAWA, and SHINOGAWA MARUs.

8 November 1942:
At 1020, the convoy arrives at the Shortland Islands, Bougainville.

16 January 1943:
At 0600, joins SENZAN MARU at 01-00S, 146-00E to escort to Rabaul.

18 January 1943:
Off Kavieng, New Ireland. A USAAF B-24 “Liberator” heavy bomber sinks transport SENZAN MARU at 03-29S, 149-02E. CH-16 rescues survivors.

28 March 1943:
CH-16 departs Rabaul with CH-24 escorting a convoy consisting of YAMATO, KUROHIME, DENMARK, TAIKO, NAGANO and MAYA MARUs.

30 March 1943:
At 0750, LtCdr Arnold H. Holtz' USS TUNA (SS-203) torpedoes and sinks KUROHIME MARU at 00-35N, 147-55E.

5 April 1943:
Arrives at Palau.

6 April 1943:
CH-16 departs Rabaul escorting convoy "Wewak No.2" consisting of HOKO, SHINSEI and MYOKO MARUs. [1]

11 April 1943:
Arrives at Wewak and leaves either that same day or early the next day.

15 April 1943:
Arrives at Rabaul

1 June 1943:
CH-16 and possibly CH-10 depart Yokosuka escorting convoy No. 1101 consisting of KUNIKAWA MARU.

10 June 1943:
Arrives at Truk and departs later that day.

13 June 1943:
At 1000, arrives at Rabaul.

17 August 1943:
CH-16 and CH-17 depart Rabaul escorting a convoy consisting of SEIZAN (NISHIYAMA), KAZUURA and EHIME MARUs.

22 August 1943:
At 1138, LtCdr Frank M. Parker's USS SWORDFISH (SS-193) torpedoes and sinks SEIZAN (NISHIYAMA) MARU at 02-55N 136-43E. Later that day the remainder of the convoy arrives at Palau.

4 September 1943:
CH-16 and CH-38 depart Palau for Rabaul escorting convoy N-404 consisting of KANSAI, AMAGISAN, KINUGASA and MAYASAN MARUs.

9 September 1943:
The convoy arrives at Rabaul. AMAGISAN and KINUGASA MARUs are detached.

16 September 1943:
CH-16 and CH-38 depart Rabaul for Palau escorting convoy O-602A consisting of KANSAI and MAYASAN MARUs.

18 September 1943:
N of Manus, Admiralty Islands. At 1700, LtCdr (later Rear Admiral-Ret) Walter G. Ebert's USS SCAMP (SS-277) attacks the convoy and sinks army cargo ship KANSAI MARU at 00-41N, 146-28E. Although damaged by the escorts’ depth charges, SCAMP remains on patrol.

21 September 1943:
Arives at Palau.

28 September 1943:
At 1200, CH-16 and CH-38 depart Palau for Rabaul escorting convoy N-805 consisting of MAEBASHI, NISSHU, KINKASAN, TOUN and TONEI MARUs.

30 September 1943:
373 miles ESE of Palau. At 0640, LtCdr George H. Wales' USS POGY (SS-266) torpedoes and sinks MAEBASHI MARU at 01-00N, 139-28E. She takes down 1, 389 troops and 61 crewmen and gunners.

1 October 1943:
746 miles ESE of Palau. At about 1700, LtCdr William T. Nelson's USS PETO (SS-265) torpedoes and sinks KINKASAN and TONEI MARUs at 04-00N, 143-50E.

6 October 1943:
The remainder of the convoy arrives at Rabaul.

9 October 1943:
At 1300, CH-16 and CH-39 depart Rabaul for Palau escorting convoy O-903 consisting of KYOEI, TAKAOKA and NANMAN MARUs.

16 October 1943:
At 0830, arrives at Palau.

23 November 1943:
CH-16 departs Rabaul with minesweeper W-26, auxiliary subchaser CHa-20 and an unidentified auxiliary subchaser escorting a convoy consisting of NIKKAI and WAYO MARUs.

26 November 1943:
At 1647, LtCdr Brooks J. Harral's USS RAY (SS-271) torpedoes and sinks NIKKAI MARU at 04-12N, 148-26E.

28 November 1943:
At 0600, arrives at Truk.

1 December 1943:
CH-16, CH-20, CH-29 and CH-40 depart Truk for Rabaul escorting convoy No. 1013 consisting of aircraft transports. KEIYO and NAGOYA MARUs, transport YAMAKUNI MARU (ex-YAMAKAZE MARU). KEIYO and NAGOYA MARUs are probably carrying A6M fighters and spare aircraft engines.

5 December 1943:
Arrives at Rabaul. Probably delivers fighters, personnel and supplies for the 253rd Naval Air Group.

17 January 1944:
At 1345, CH-16 and CH-40 depart Truk for Rabaul escorting convoy O-604 consisting of TAIAN. FRANCE and SHOUN MARUs.

23 January 1944:
Arrives at Palau.

28 January 1944:
At 1600, CH-16 departs Palau with CH-34, CH-35 and CH-40 and auxiliary submarine chasers CHa-47 and CHa-61 escorting convoy SO-805 consisting of TOEI and HOKKAI MARUs, tanker TAKATORI MARU No. 2, TAIEI and TOKO MARUs. In addition, the convoy is given air cover.

30 January 1944:
At 0150, IJA freighter TOKO MARU, carrying troops of the 31st Infantry Regiment and the 4th Field Hospital to Manus Island in the Admiralties, is torpedoed by LtCdr (later Captain) Slade D. Cutter's USS SEAHORSE (SS-304) at 06-20N, 138-08E. TOKO MARU sinks by the stern taking down 457 troops.

1 February 1944:
IJN transport TOEI MARU, carrying drummed gasoline and ammunition, is sunk by SEAHORSE's last torpedoes at 04-24N, 143-15E. LtCdr Cutter makes for Pearl Harbor.

E 4 February 1944:
CH-16 arrives at Rabaul.

April 1944:
Arrives at Yokosuka. Drydocked. Undergoes maintenance and repairs.

28 April 1944:
At 0600, CH-16 and CH-18 depart Tokyo Bay with kaibokan NOMI, CD-12, CD-18 and CD-22 escorting "Higashi Matsu" Convoy No.7 (outbound) consisting of TATSUHARU, MITAKESAN, ASAHISAN, OKINAWA, YAMATAMA, BINGO, MEIRYU, MOJI and MIHO MARUs bound for Saipan; ASAKA MARU and landing ships T.128 and T.150 for Palau; KOSHIN and BOKUYO MARUs for Yap and TAITO MARU for Chichi-jima.

6 June 1944:
CH-16 and CH-18 depart Yokosuka for Saipan with kaibokan AMAKUSA, NOMI, OKI, and destroyer MATSUKAZE escorting convoy No. 3606 consisting of SUGIYAMA, SHINROKU, KANSEISHI, KAIKO and HAKUYO MARUs. Soon after leaving SUGIYAMA MARU is attacked and damaged by LtCdr (later Captain) James B. Grady's USS WHALE (SS-239) at 31-06N, 142-24E, but the ship is taken in tow.

9 June 1944:
NE of Chichi-Jima. LtCdr Edmund K. Montross' USS SWORDFISH (SS-193) torpedoes and sinks MATSUKAZE at 26-59N, 143-13E. AMAKUSA rescues nine survivors. The escorts depth charge SWORDFISH unsuccessfully. The convoy steams to Chichi-Jima arriving later that day. It is decided to unload the ships there, rather than to proceed to Truk as originally planned.

14 June 1944:
CH-16 departs Chichi-Jima with auxiliary netlayer KOGI MARU and auxiliary minesweeper TOSI MARU No. 5. escorting the "Meisei Maru" convoy consisting of MEISEI, TATSUEI and KYUSHU MARUs and UNKAI MARU No.10.

15 June 1944:
At 0800, torpedo boat CHIDORI and minesweeper W-25 join the escort.

16 June 1944:
In a raging storm, CH-16, TATSUEI MARU, UNKAI MARU No. 10 and KOGI MARU are separated from the convoy and steam together.

18 June 1944:
Arrives at Nagautura and Yokosuka, Tokyo Bay.

28 June 1944:
At 0600, CH-16 departs Yokosuka for Chichi-Jima with CH-18, minesweeper W-25, auxiliary minesweeper TOSHI MARU No. 5 and minelayer SARUSHIMA escorting convoy No. 3628 consisting of SHIMA, TATSUEI, SHOZUI, TAIKO and KAIKO MARUs and UNYO MARU No. 8.

2 July 1944:
Convoy No. 3628 arrives at Chichi-Jima and begins to unload.

4 July 1944:
Bonin Islands. Carrier-based aircraft of Rear Admiral (later Admiral-Ret) Joseph J. Clark’s Task Group 38.1 and Rear Admiral (later Vice Admiral) Ralph E. Davison’s Task Group 38.4 attack Iwo Jima, Chichi-Jima and Haha Jima.

Chichi Jima. TF 38’s planes attack convoy No. 3628. They sink CH-16 and the entire convoy except KAIKO MARU.

10 September 1944:
Removed from the Navy List.

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Authors' Note:
[1] After TUNA's attack on 30 Mar '43, CH-16 probably hunted the submarine, then returned to Rabaul, but it is possible, although unlikely, that CH-16 joined the convoy enroute.

-Bob Hackett, Sander Kingsepp and Peter Cundall.

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