KUSENTEI!

© 2005-2009 Bob Hackett, Sander Kingsepp and Peter Cundall

1941:
Tokyo. Laid down at Tokyo Ishikawajima Zosen’s Fukagawa Yard. Initially designated as subchaser No. 184.

3 May 1941:
Launched and numbered CH-17.

31 July 1941:
Completed and registered in the IJN at the Sasebo Naval District..

1 October 1941:
Reassigned to SubChasDiv 21.

24 October 1941:
Designated as the flagship of SubChasDiv 21.

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-16 and CH-18.

23 December 1941:
CH-17 and DesDiv 5's HATAKAZE escort freighter SHOHEI MARU carrying 656 construction troops to Tarawa Atoll, Gilbert Islands.

24 February 1942: Operation "J" - The Invasion of Java, Netherlands East Indies:
Participates in the landings at Bantam Bay, near Batavia (Jakarta), Java.

1 May 1942:
SubChasDiv 21 is attached directly to HQ, Combined Fleet.

May 1942: Operation “MI” – The Battle of Midway:
CH-17 is attached to Vice Admiral (later Admiral) Kondo Nobutake’s (former CO of KONGO) Midway Invasion Force in 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, subchasers CH-16 and CH-18. 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, retires north. .

14 July 1942:
Reassigned to Vice Admiral Mikawa Gunichi's 8th Fleet with the 8th Base Force's SubChasDiv 21 at Rabaul with CH-4, CH-5, CH-6, CH-16 and CH-18.

August 1942:
Reassigned to Rabaul. Participates in the seizure of Gizo, New Georgia, Solomons. Escorts convoys between Rabaul and Palau.

1 August 1942:
CH-17 departs Mutsure escorting convoy No. 144 consisting of four unidentified merchant ships.

6 August 1942:
Arrives at Mako.

16 January 1943:
W of Kavieng. LtCdr Henry C. Bruton's USS GREENLING (SS-213) sinks transport KIMPOSAN MARU at 02-47S, 149-10E. CH-17 is returning to Rabaul after picket duty. She counterattacks and forcies GREENLING deep, then rescues KIMPOSAN MARU's survivors.

17 August 1943:
CH-17 departs Rabaul with CH-16 escorting convoy No. O-703 consisting of SEIZAN (NISHIYAMA), KAZUURA and EHIME MARUs.

22 August 1943:
At 1138, SEIZAN (NISHIYAMA) MARU is torpedoed and sunk by LtCdr (later Rear Admiral) Frank M. Parker's USS SWORDFISH (SS-193) at 02-53N 136-21E.

E 24 August 1943:
The remainder of convoy arrives at Palau.

7 September 1943:
CH-17 departs Rabaul for Palau with CH-39 escorting convoy No. 794 consisting of HIBI, SHICHISEI, MATSUE and UMEKAWA MARUs.

E 14 September 1943:
Arrives at Palau.

14 October 1943:
CH-17 departs Palau with CH-40 escorting convoy N-406 consisting of ASUKA, RYUOSAN, TAGA, FUKKO, TAIRIN and HOKKAI MARUs.

18 October 1943:
At 0345, TAIRIN MARU is torpedoed and sunk by LtCdr (later Rear Admiral) John S. Coye's USS SILVERSIDES (SS-236) at 00-22N 143-23.

21 October 1943:
The remainder of convoy arrives at Palau.

20 November 1943:
CH-17 departs Rabaul with CH-18 escorting a convoy consisting of two unidentified ships and 5,824 GRT cargo ship NAPLES MARU carrying 517 troops of the IJA 51st Division and of the 4th Air Group.

N of New Ireland. Later that day, USN PBY "Catalina" flying boats sink NAPLES MARU at 03-21S, 151-41E. CH-17 and CH-18 rescue the survivors.

8 January 1944:
CH-17 departs Rabaul with CH-18 escorting convoy O-805 consisting of KOYO, PACIFIC, MEXICO, CEYLON and NAGISAN MARUs .

15 January 1944:
At 1230, the convoy arrives at Palau.

19 January 1944:
At 1200, CH-17 and CH-18 depart Palau for Rabaul escorting convoy SO-903 consisting of TONEI and NIPPONKAI MARUs and TAKATORI MARU No. 2 towing a target barge .

26 January 1944:
Arrives at Rabaul.

February 1944:
Assigned to the 5th Base Force. Escorts convoys between Saipan and the mainland.

14 March 1944:
At 1540, CH-17 departs Saipan with CH-18 and minesweeper W-21 escorting convoy No. 4313-B consisting of JUZAN and SHIRANE MARUs and SEIKAI MARU No. 1. JUZAN MARU is towing damaged SANTO MARU.

17 March 1944:
At 1200, CH-17 and CH-18 are detached from convoy No. 4313-B that arrives safely at Chichi-Jima on 20 Mar '44.

24 March 1944:
At 0700, CH-17 departs Saipan with CH-31, CH-32, destroyers NOWAKI, ASAKAZE, kaibokan MANJU and minelayer KYOSAI escorting convoy HIGASHI MATSU No.2 (return) consisting of storeship SOYA, TAKUNAN, NACHI AWA (ex-WAWA), DAITEN, MIHO, BINGO, RYUKA, TAKAOKA, HIBI, TAMAHOKO, TATSUHARU and SHINFUKU MARUs and an unidentified maru.

1 April 1944:
At 1000, the convoy arrives at Tokyo.

April 1944:
Assigned to the Okinawa Base Force. Escorts convoys.

29 May 1944:
At dawn, CH-17 departs Tokyo with CH-33, CH-50 and torpedo boat OTORI escorting convoy No. 3530 consisting of TAKAOKA, SHINROKU, TAMAHIME, KASHIMASAN, HAVRE, SUGIYAMA, KATSUKAWA, KATORI MARUs and two other unidentified ships carrying troops of the 43rd Infantry Division.

4 June 1944:
At 1530, LtCdr (later KIA) Edward N. Blakely's USS SHARK (SS-314) (later lost on patrol) torpedoes and sinks KATSUKAWA MARU at 19-45N, 138-15E. The transport is carrying 2,884 soldiers of the IJA's 43rd Infantry Division to bolster Saipan's defenses. About half of them are KIA.

5 June 1944:
At 1645, Blakely torpedoes and sinks TAKAOKA MARU at 18-40N, 140-35E. Immediately afterwards, Blakely torpedoes and sinks TAMAHIME MARU in the same position.

6 June 1944:
At 1000, LtCdr (later Admiral, CINCPACFLT) Bernard A. Clary's USS PINTADO (USS-387) torpedoes and sinks KASHIMASAN MARU at 16-28N, 142-16E. At 1010, Clary torpedoes and sinks HAVRE MARU in the same position.

7 June 1944:
N of Chichi-Jima. At about 2300, LtCdr James B. Grady's USS WHALE (SS-239) makes contact with the convoy traveling in two parallel columns. Four freighters in the starboard column and two in the port. screened by three escorts. Grady makes a night surface radar attack on the largest ship, transport SUGIYAMA MARU. He fires a three-torpedo spread, then shifts to a second freighter and fires another three-torpedo spread. A hit under the stack of SUGIYAMA MARU at 31-06N, 142-34E is followed by two timed hits on SHINROKU MARU that inflict unkown, if any, damage. Depth charges are dropped immediately. WHALE clears the area to the SE. SUGIYAMA MARU escapes the area and is towed back to Yokosuka. Later that day, the remaining ships arrive at Saipan.

July 1944:
Assigned directly to the Combined Fleet and transfers to the Philippines. Participates in the Leyte transport operations.

1 July 1944:
At 1500, CH-17 departs Naha, Okinawa with minelayer SARUSHIMA, auxiliary minesweepers HIMESHIMA and HOEI MARUs and BANSHU MARU No.51, auxiliary submarine chasers CHa-67 and CHIKUTO MARU, auxiliary YUKO MARU, fleet supply ship KINEZAKI and torpedo boat MANAZURU escorting convoy TAKA-604 consisting of TAISHIN, NICHIRIN, MATSUURA, TAIRIN, RYUKYU, AMAKUSA, TATSUGI, MIYAKO MARUs and NISSHO MARU No. 1.

3 July 1944:
At 0300, the convoy departs Koniya, Amami Oshima. At 1322, DAIRIN MARU sights a periscope to starboard and promptly charges. LtCdr Charleton L. Murphy's USS STURGEON (SS-187) avoids the attack and in a counter-attack torpedoes and sinks TAIRIN MARU that goes down in three minutes at 28-53N, 129-51E. The convoy then seeks temporary shelter in Kasari Wan, Amami Oshima.

5 July 1944:
At 1530, the convoy arrives at Kagoshima.

6 August 1944:
At 0900, CH-17 departs Kagoshima, Kyushu for Keelung, Formosa with CH-18 escorting 15-ship convoy KATA-626. Other escorts include torpedo boats TOMOZURU and MANAZURU, minelayers NUWAJIMA, TSUBAME, NIIZAKI, auxiliary minesweepers SHONAN MARU No. 16, HAKATA MARU No. 6, TAIAN, HIMESHIMA and SEKI MARUs.

9 August 1944:
At 1830, arrives at Naha, Okinawa. CH-18 returns to Kagoshima.

11 August 1944:
At 1400, departs Naha.

17 August 1944:
CH-17, CH-18 and CH-49 depart Kirun 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 23 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.

28 August 1944:
At 1200, CH-17, CH-18 and CH-49 depart Kagoshima for Keelung escorting convoy KATA-827 consisting of TSUKUSHI MARU No. 3, DOSHI, ISSHIN, KONZAN, NANYO, HAKUYO and SHOKYU MARUs and 25 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, HOEI MARU and auxiliary HOKOKU MARI No. 3.

30 August 1944:
Departs Naha.

4 September 1944:
Arrives at Keelung.

10 October 1944:
At 0600, CH-17, CH-18, CH-23, CH-27, CH-28 and frigate KASADO depart Moji for Manila escorting convoy MOMA-05 consisting of TAIHAKU, KOMEI, TENSHO, TAISHO, TATSUURA, TAIYO, ESAHI, DORYU, PACIFIC, AOKI and SUGIYAMA MARUs and an unidentified ship. Embarked are the 54th Independent Mixed Brigade plus a detachment of IJA suicide boats. The convoy is carrying about 10,000 reinforcements for the Philippines.

16 October 1944:
At 1820 convoy MOMA-05 departs Imari Bay.

21 October 1944:
At 1600, arrives ar Takao, Formosa. KASADO is detached.

23 October 1944:
At 0900, departs Takao and sheltered in bay on S Formosa sailing at 2300.

24 October 1944:
At 1830, arrives Sabtang Island anchorage.

25 October 1944:
At 0400, departs Sabtang anchorage.

26 October 1944:
At 0403, the convoy is attacked by LtCdr (later Rear Admiral) Maurice Rindskopf's USS DRUM (SS-228) at 19-30N, 120-44E. Rindskopf fires three torpedoes by radar bearings at TAISHO MARU and gets two hits that sink her. She takes down about 1600 men, most of whom belonged to the 57th Independent Brigade and 10th Maritime Advance Battalion. At 0655, Rindskopf torpedoes and damages TAIHAKU MARU at 19-07N, 120-42E. The forepart sinks, but the aft part remains afloat. She is successfully beached in Lapoc Bay and later abandoned. DRUM also attacks TATSUURA and TAIYO MARUs with uncertain results.

W of Dalupiri Island. At about 0710, LtCdr Richard W. Peterson's USS ICEFISH (SS-367) torpedoes 4, 168 GRT TAIYO MARU. A cargo of kerosene she is carrying for "kaiten" human-torpedoes ignites and sends flames hundreds of feet into the air. At 0730, TAIYO MARU sinks. The subchasers counterattack ICEFISH, dropping 16 depth-charges that cause moderate damage.

28 October 1944:
At 1230, anchors in Lapoc Bay.

29 October 1944:
At 0700, departs Lapoc Bay. At 1600, arrives at N San Fernando.

30 October 1944:
At 0700, departs N San Fernando. At 1600. arrives at Santa Cruz.

31 October 1944:
At 0500, departs Santa Cruz. At 0950, KOMEI MARU is torpedoed and sunk by LtCdr (later Captain) Enrique D. Haskin's USS GUITARRO (SS-363) at 15-18N, 119-50E. A few minutes later, at 1010, PACIFIC MARU is also torpedoed and sunk by GUITARRO at 15-15N, 119-56E.

1 November 1944:
At 0400, arrives at Manila.

5 November 1944:
CH-17 departs Manila with kaibokan CD-18 and CD-26 and subchasers CH-15, CH-23, CH-37 and CH-38 escorting convoy MATA-31 consisting of seven unidentified merchant ships.

6 November 1944:
At 1055, an enemy submarine is sighted at 16-11N, 109-06E.

12 November 1944:
Departs Subic Bay.

15 November 1944:
Arrives at Takao.

17 November 1944:
Arrives at Takao

23 November 1944:
At 1530, CH-17 departs Takao with CH-18, CH -37 and CH-38 escorting convoy TAMA-32A consisting of AKAGISAN, HAGIKAWA, SORACHI, JINYO, NICHIYO, SHOEI, WAYO, MINO, SHIROUMA and SHONAN MARUs and BANSHU MARU No. 6 and kidotei SS No. 6 also escorted by old destroyer KURETAKE, kaibokan CD-1, CD-3, CD-8, CD-28 and CD-54. Anchors along the coast soon after leaving.

24 November 1944:
At 0400, departs Formosan coast.

25 November 1944:
At 2200, arrives at Musa Bay, Fuga Island.

27 November 1944:
At 0400, departs Musa Bay. At 1645, arrives at Lapoc Bay.

28 November 1944:
At 0600, departs Lapoc Bay. At 1800, arrives at N San Fernando.

29 November 1944:
At 0600, departs N San Fernando.

30 November 1944:
At 0500, arrives at Manila.

9 December 1944: Operation "TA No. 9" – The Reinforcement of Leyte, Philippines:
Captain Miyashita Makoto’s SubChasDiv 21’s CH-17 and CH-37 with DesDiv 30’s YUZUKI, UZUKI and KIRI depart for Ormoc escorting an unnamed convoy consisting of MINO, SORACHI and TASMANIA MARUs carrying 4,000 soldiers of the Takahashi Detachment (5th Infantry Regiment) plus food and ammunition. The convoy is accompanied by landing ships T. 140 and T. 159 with 400 amphibious tank-equipped marines of the Ito Naval Landing Force.

11 December 1944:
30 miles off Leyte. The convoy is attacked twice by about 40 USMC F4U "Corsair" fighter-bombers of VMFs 211, 218 and 313. In the second low level attack, TASMANIA and MINO MARUs are hit and later sink at 11-20N, 124-10E. SORACHI MARU is ordered to head to Palompon, while the escorts rescue survivors. UZUKI is detached to pick up another group of survivors. Shortly before midnight, YUZUKI, KIRI, T. 140, T. 159 and the Naval Landing Force are sent ashore at Ormoc in their amphibious tanks. They are engaged by the U. S. Army and USS COGHLAN (DD-606). T. 159 is hit and abandoned, but T. 140 escapes with heavy damage.

12 December 1944:
Palompon. SORACHI MARU and CH-17 and CH-37 complete their landings and depart for Manila. The remnants of TA No. 9 withdraw towards Manila.

65 miles NE of Cebu. Late in the afternoon, YUZUKI, KIRI and T. 140 are attacked by 46 USMC fighter-bombers. KIRI and YUZUKI are strafed and damaged. YUZUKI sinks a few hours later at 11-20N, 124-10E.

13 December 1944:
CH-17, CH-37 and SORACHI MARU arrive at Manila in the afternoon, followed by KIRI and T. 140 several hours later.

4 January 1945:
Off San Fernando, Luzon, Phillipines. USAAF planes damage CH-17, CH-23, CH-37 and CH-38.

10 January 1945:
Departs Takao with subchasers CH-23 and CH-38 escorting convoy TAMO-36 consisting of two unidentified merchant ships.

19 January 1945:
Arrives at Moji.

31 March 1945:
In the evening CH-17, CH-49 and kaibokan CD-186 depart Sasebo escorting T. 17, T. 145 and T. 146 to Amami-O-Shima. The transports are carrying various supplies and T. 17 two Koryu-type midget submarines. Enroute the convoy is attacked by aircraft and T. 145 is lost. [2]

2 April 1945:
Early in the morning the convoy arrives at Amami-O-Shima. Just after the T. 17 has disembarked her midgets, an air attack commences. T. 17 is hit by two bomb sinks. CD-186 is also sunk.

6 April 1945:
CH-17 and T. 146 depart Amami-O-Shima for Sasebo.

7 April 1945:
CH-17 escorts T. 146. Around 0700 they encounter the Surface Attack Force led by VAdm Ito Seiichi aboard the YAMATO. A brief exchange of signals ensues.

20 April 1945:
SPRINGER (SS-414), TREPANG (SS-412) and RATON (SS-270) sail for the Yellow Sea where they are to operate as a wolfpack.

28 April 1945:
Fukue Shima, Goto archipelago. CH-17 is escorting Transport No. 146 and both ships are hugging the coastline. The wolfpack checks out Tomei Harbor. At 0515, LtCdr Russell Kefauver’s SPRINGER sights both ships, but cannot close nearer than 6,500 yards.

LtCdr Allen R. Faust's TREPANG makes a successful approach, sets up and fires six torpedoes at the two ships. One hits and sinks T. 146. At about 0630, CH-17 counterattacks and drops 14 depth charges on TREPANG. Kefauver’s crew hears the explosions and he heads out of the harbor. SPRINGER’s crew sights CH-17 returning alone. At 0830, Kefauver fires three torpedoes and CH-17 goes dead in the water. As the crew abandons ship, Kefauver fires another torpedo. It hits under CH-17's No. 1 turret and blows off her bow. Two planes and two patrol craft approach, so SPRINGER goes deep and clears the area. CH-17 sinks at 32-25N, 128-46E.

25 May 1945:
Removed from the Navy List.

27 October 1946:
At 0730, cruiser TAKAO departs Seletar and is towed to the Straits of Malacca by HM Fleet tugs GRIPER and ASSIDUOUS escorted by cruiser HMS NEWFOUNDLAND. The group is accompanied by ex-subchaser CH-17 and NITTO MARU. At noon, TAKAO is scuttled off Port Swettenham, Malaya (now Port Klang, Malaysia) at 03-05-05N, 100-41-00 E. CH-17 takes TAKAO's Japanese crew back to Singapore after the scuttling.

---

Authors' Notes:
[1] It is probable that CH-17 sailed from Palau and met the convoy mid-Ocean.

[2] It is possible that T. 145 was lost 2 Apr '45 with CD-186.

-Bob Hackett, Sander Kingsepp and Peter Cundall.

---

Back to Subchaser Page