KUSENTEI!

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

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1941:
Yokohama. Laid down at Mitsubishi Heavy Industries' shipyard.

29 May 1941:
Launched and numbered CH-22.

12 October 1941:
Completed and registered in the Yokosuka Naval District.

8 December 1941:
Yokosuka. Assigned to the 1st Naval District. Conducts antisubmarine patrols in Tokyo Bay.

March 1942:
Attached to the Owase area. Conducts patrols.

April 1942:
Returns to Tokyo Bay area. Conducts patrols.

May 1942:
Assigned directly to the Combined Fleet and attached to SubChasDiv 23.

11 June 1942:
Arrives at Guadalcanal.

14 July 1942:
Reassigned to Vice Admiral Mikawa Gunichi's newly organized Eighth Fleet with the 7th Base Force's SubChasDiv 23 at Lae, New Guinea. Escorts convoys between Rabaul and the Solomon Islands.

17 August 1942:
CH-22 departs Rabaul for Basuba with light cruiser TENRYU, subchasers CH-23, CH-24 and minesweeper W-20 escorting a convoy consisting of KAZUURA, RYOYU and KANYO MARUs transporting the 25th Air Flotilla's base supplies.

18 August 1942:
At 1730, arrives at Basuba.

24 August 1942:
CH-22 and CH-24 depart Rabaul with CruDiv 18's TATSUTA and TENRYU and DesDiv 17's HAMAKAZE, URAKAZE and TANIKAZE escorting transports KINAI and NANKAI MARUs.

25 August 1942: Operation "RE" - The Capture of the Allied Airfield at Milne Bay:
After midnight, the transports land 1,200 troops of the Kure No. 5 Special Naval Landing Force at Milne Bay. In the morning the invasion force is bombed by Boeing B-17s and NANKAI MARU and URAKAZE are damaged.

20 January 1943:
At 1500, CH-22 and CH-18 depart Rabaul for Truk escorting a convoy consisting of KAIHEI, TAIFUKU and NANKAI MARUs.

22 January 1943:
Steffen Straits near Kavieng, New Ireland. CH-22 and CH-18 rendezvous with convoy "D" inbound from Truk consisting of TAIHEI, KAMO, MACASSAR, SHINRYU and SHICHISEI MARUs and an unidentified ship escorted by CH-12 and CHOKO MARU No. 2. CH-22 and CH-18 escort convoy "D" to Rabaul. CH-12 and CHOKO MARU No. 2. detach to escort an outbound convoy. [1]

29 January 1943:
Off New Georgia, Solomon Islands. CH-22 is escorting IJA cargo ship NICHIUN MARU when, at about 1600, LtCdr Robert J. Foley's USS GATO (SS-212) torpedoes and sinks NICHIUN MARU at 06-22S, 156-04E. Foley evades CH-22 and slips away.

4 March 1943:
At 1600, departs Buin in a convoy consisting of oiler KYOEI MARU and cargo ship KISARAGI MARU. At 1620, shortly after leaving port about 12 American aircraft attack the convoy, but are beaten off.

6 March 1943:
At 0500, arrives at Rabaul.

9 March 1943:
At 1530, CH-22 and CH-18 depart Rabaul escorting the "Wewak No. 1" convoy consisting of TAISEI , NISSHU, TOHO and TAIYU MARUs and one unidentified ship.

14 March 1943:
At 1113, arrives at Wewak.

15 March 1943:
Departs Wewak.

20 March 1943:
At 0930 arrives at Palau.

23 April 1943:
Convoy P-512 departs Ujina consisting of ENGLAND, NAGANO, KONAN and DAINICHI MARUs.

12 May 1943:
At 1100, CH-22 departs Palau for Rabaul escorting convoy P-512.

17 May 1943:
At 1800, LtCdr Edward C. Stephan's USS GRAYBACK (SS-208) torpedoes and sinks troop transport ENGLAND MARU at 00-45S, 148-30E. Many of the 1500 troops aboard are KIA.

19 May 1943:
Arrives at Rabaul.

14 June 1943:
CH-22 departs Palau escorting convoy P-514 consisting of MIYADONO, TAGANOURA, NICHIRYU MARUs and HAKUTESTSU MARUs No. 13.

19 June 1943:
At 1514, MIYADONO MARU is torpedoed by LtCdr Arnold F. Schade's USS GROWLER (SS-215) at 01-52N, 148-03E. The badly damaged MIYADONO MARU is beyond saving. About midnight, after the survivors had been rescued, CH-22 shells and sinks her.

23 June 1943:
Arrives at Rabaul.

9 July 1943:
SubChasDiv 23’s CH-22, CH-23 and CH-24 depart Palau escorting convoy N-905 consisting of HOKKO, TOKO, RYOYO, SHOHO and HOKKAI MARUs.

12 July 1943:
At about 1800, LtCdr Ralph C. Lynch's USS MINGO (SS-261) attacks the convoy at 00-54N, 143-01E, but is unsuccessful; however, so are SubChasDiv 23’s counterattacks.

12 July 1943:
The convoy undergoes an unsuccessful torpedo attack by LtCdr Oscar E. Hagberg's USS ALBACORE (218) and another by MINGO.

13 July 1943:
ALBACORE makes another unsuccessful attack on the convoy.

16 July 1943:
Arrives at Rabaul.

4 September 1943:
Off New Ireland, Bismarcks. CH-22 is attacked and damaged by Fifth Air Force B-24 "Liberator" heavy bombers and B-25 "Mitchell" medium bombers.

20 October 1943:
At 1445, CH-22 and CH-24 depart Rabaul for Palau escorting fleet convoy O-006 consisting of TENNAN, JOHORE, HOZUGAWA, BUNZAN, KOSEI and KAZAN MARUs.

23 October 1943: LtCdr John S. Coye's SILVERSIDES (SS-236) attacks the convoy. At 2245, Coye sinks TENNAN MARU and damages JOHORE and KAZAN MARUs at 02-30N, 144-44E.

24 October 1943:
KAZAN MARU sinks as the result of her damage. CH-24 attempts to scuttle the immobilized JOHORE MARU, but fails. Later, SILVERSIDES finishes off JOHORE MARU.

30 January 1944:
At 0850, CH-22 and CH-15 and patrol boat PB-36 depart Palau for Tarakan for Tarakan escorting convoy NE 002 consisting of oilers OGURA MARU No. 3 and KYOEI MARU No.2 .

31 January 1944:
CH-22 is detached and returns to Palau.

18 February 1944:
CH-22 and CH-40 depart Rabaul for Moji escorting convoy O-902 consisting of SHINTO MARU No. 1 and TATSUKIKU MARU.

19 February 1944:
22 miles N of Kavieng, New Ireland, near Kaut Bay. At about 1430, Fifth Air Force B-25s of the 345th Bomb Group's 500th and 501st Squadrons, A-20 "Havoc" light bombers of the 3rd Bomb Group and P-38 "Lightning" fighters attack and destroy convoy O-902. They sink CH-22 and CH-40 at 03-04S, 150-42E and cargo ships SHINTO MARU No. 1 and SHINKIKU MARU at 02-46N, 150-42E. SHINTO MARU No. 1 was evacuating hundreds of ground personnel of the IJN 11th Air Fleet from Rabaul to Truk.

The USAAF's Fifth Air Force wipes out the entire convoy.

31 March 1944:
Removed from the Navy List.

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Authors' Note:
[1] Convoy D was actually Part D (the equipment/baggage convoy) of Convoy No. 35 that departed Shanghai to transport the IJA’s 6th Infantry Division via Truk to Guadalcanal (after the decision is made to evacuate Guadalcanal, the convoy’s destination was changed to New Guinea). Part D departed Truk on 20 Jan '43 and arrived at Rabaul on 24 Jan '43 escorted by CH-18, CH-12 and CH-22 and CHOKO MARU No. 2 (and possibly destroyer HAMAKAZE part way).

-Bob Hackett, Sander Kingsepp and Peter Cundall.

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