KUSENTEI!

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

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1941:
Tsurumi. Laid down at the Nippon Kokan K.K. shipyard as Subchaser No. 193.

28 August 1941:
Launched and renumbered CH-26.

20 December 1941:
Completed and registered in the Kure Naval District. Assigned to the Kure Guard Unit.

January 1942:
Patrols the Bungo Strait.

1 May 1942:
Assigned to Vice Admiral Hosogaya Boshiro's (former CO of MUTSU) 5th Fleet in SubChasDiv 13 with CH-25 and CH-27.

21 May 1942:
SubChasDiv 13 departs Yokosuka. Patrols in the Aleutians.

5 June 1942: Operation “AL”- The Invasion of the Aleutians:
Twenty ships of 5th Fleet, including light cruisers KISO and TAMA, three destroyers and four transports carry the Adak-Attu and Kiska Occupation Forces to the Western Aleutians. The Adak occupation is cancelled and the Adak-Attu Occupation Force is directed to seize only Attu.

6 June 1942:
At 1500, Captain (later Rear Admiral) Ono Takeji’s Occupation Force lands a battalion of Special Naval Landing Force troops at Reynard Cove on Kiska without opposition.

7 June 1942:
At 0300, Rear Admiral (later Vice Admiral) Omori Sentaro's (former CO of ISE) Adak-Attu Occupation Force lands a battalion of Army troops on Attu, also without opposition.

15 July 1942:
W of Sredni Point, Kiska. LtCdr Mannert L. Abele‘s (former CO of USS S-31) USS GRUNION (SS-216), on her first war patrol, attacks three warships Abele takes to be destroyers, but are actually CH-25, CH-26 and CH-27. Abele torpedoes and sinks CH-25 and CH-27 and possibly damages Lt Matsushima Minoru's CH-26, all at 52-02N, 177-42E. CH-26 searches for survivors in the Artic waters, but none are found.

20 July 1942:
SubChasDiv 13 is disbanded.

29 July 1942:
Holtz Bay, Attu. At noon, CH-26 departs for Kiska escorting cargo ship KANO MARU that arrived the previous day from Shimushu, Kuriles carrying building materials, coal, four Daihatsu landing craft and a floatplane for Kiska. CH-26 loses contact with KANO MARU.

30 July 1942:
At 0800, KANO MARU arrives 22 miles N of Kiska, but heavy fog prevents her approach into Kiska Harbor. She drifts most of the day. At 1530, a float fighter, probably an A6M-N2 Rufe carried to Kiska aboard CHIYODA earlier that month, ditches nearby KANO MARU. The pilot is picked up and KANO MARU winches the fighter aboard with her derrick.

31 July 1942:
Off Kiska, Aleutians. At 0547, LtCdr Mannert L. Abele's (former CO of USS S-31) USS GRUNION (SS-216), on her first war patrol, torpedoes freighter KANO MARU and gets a hit on the starboard machinery room. Abele fires three more unreliable Mark-14 torpedoes. One runs deep and the others hit, but fail to explode. Abele attempts to surface and sink KANO MARU by gunfire, but an old 8-cm/40 (3-inch) Type 41 gun on KANO MARU opens fire on GRUNION's periscope. Her 84th shot hits the conning tower. GRUNION crash dives, but Abele's green crew loses depth control. GRUNION exceeds crush depth, implodes and is lost. [1]

Later, CH-26, minelayer ISHIZAKI and cable layer UKISHIMA arrive on scene and observe much oil, a piece of lifeguard buoy, submarine deck material and other things.

August 1942:
At Kure. Undergoes repairs and refit until December 1942.

December 1942:
CH-26 is reassigned to the 2nd Base Force, 8th Fleet at Rabaul. Escorts convoys and patrols to and from Shortland, Bougainville.

29 December 1942:
At 1400, CH-26 and CH-34 depart Yokosuka escorting a convoy consisting of SHINSEI MARU No. 18 and TERUSHIMA MARU .

11 January 1943:
At 0530, arrives at Saipan.

17 January 1943:
At 1500, arrives at Kavieng, New Ireland, Bismarcks. TERUSHIMA MARU remains there. SHINSEI MARU No. 18 steams on to Rabaul arriving the following day. [1]

27 February 1943:
NE of Vella Lavella, Solomons. USN SBD "Dauntless" dive-bombers and F4U "Corsair"fighter-bombers, escorted by USAAF P-38 "Lightning" and P-40 "Warhawk" fighters, attack a convoy and heavily damage transport KIRIKAWA MARU. Either CH-26 or minesweeper W-22 scuttles the burning ship.

6 April 1943:
At 1630, CH-26 and CH-34 depart Palau with destroyers TANIKAZE and AMATSUKAZE escorting the “Hansa No. 28” convoy consisting of TEIRYU, INDIA, TOHO, SYDNEY, TAISEI and TAIYU MARUs.

12 April 1943:
At 0800, arrives at Hansa Bay (near Madang), Eastern New Guinea. At 1530, twenty USAAF B-17s and B-24s of the USAAF's 5th Air Force bomb the ships. While unloading, SYDNEY MARU, is set afire and beached. Later, she is abandoned at 03-18S, 143-38E.

13 April 1943:
At 0900, departs Hansa Bay and begins the return journey to Palau.

14 April 1943:
At 0700, TEIRYU and TOHO MARUs, escorted by AMATSUKAZE and CH-34, split from the convoy and head to Palau. The remaining ships sail on to Wewak where they arrive that evening and discharge their remaining cargoes. The following day, while leaving for Palau, INDIA MARU is bombed and sunk.

18 April 1943:
TEIRYU and TOHO MARUs, AMATSUKAZE and CH-34 arrive at Palau.

20 April 1943:
CH-26, TANIKAZE and TAISEI and TAIYU MARUs arrive at Palau.

26 April 1943:
At 0830, CH-26 and CH-34 depart Palau with destroyers URAKAZE and AMATSUKAZE escorting "Wewak No. 3" convoy consisting of SHINSEI MARU No. 1, BUNZAN, HANKOW and HOFUKU MARUs, HAKUTETSU MARU No. 13 and SAN FRANSICO MARU. The ships are carrying 6,000 soldiers of the 41st Infantry Division together with shells, provisions, aircraft and supplies.

6 May 1943:
At 0630, arrives at Palau.

20 August 1943:
CH-26 and CH-34 depart Palau escorting convoy "Wewak No. 7" consisting of NAGATO, NAGANO, KANKO, ADEN, SHINYU and YUBAE MARUs.

23 August 1943:
The convoy is ordered back to Palau because of increased Allied air activity over Wewak.

28 August 1943:
At 0945, convoy Wewak No. 7 again departs Palau, less YUBAE MARU.

2 September 1943:
At 0045, the convoy anchors at Wewak. Later that day, the convoy is attacked by about 30 B-25 “Mitchell” medium bombers escorted by P-38 “Lightning” fighters. NAGATO and KANKO MARUs are sunk and ADEN and NAGANO MARUs are damaged.

19 September 1943:
CH-26 and CH-32 depart Palau escorting convoy "Wewak No. 9" consisting of ADEN, TAISEI and YASUKUNI MARUs.

23 September 1943:
Arrives at Wewak. The convoy unloads its cargo.

24 September 1943:
Departs Wewak for Palau.

27 September 1943:
Convoy Wewak No. 9 is attacked by American aircraft that sink TAISEI MARU. Later that day, the convoy is intercepted by minelayer SHIRATAKA and CH-34 that provide escort back to Palau. CH-26 and CH-32 take over the escort of convoy "Wewak No. 10" consisting of MAYA, BENGAL and YAMAGATA MARUs.

E 29 September 1943:
CH-26 and CH-32 and convoy "Wewak No. 10"arrive at Palau.

17 October 1943:
CH-26 and CH-35 depart Palau escorting convoy "Wewak No. 11" consisting of MAYA, YASUKUNI, ASO and NISSHIN MARUs.

22 October 1943:
Arrives at Wewak less NISSHIN MARU that detached for Hollandia the previous day. The convoy unloads its cargo.

23 October 1943:
Departs Wewak for Palau.

28 October 1943:
LtCdr (later Rear Admiral) William B. Sieglaff 's USS TAUTOG (SS-199) attacks the convoy. Sieglaff fires six unreliable Mark XIV torpedoes and fails to get any hits. CH-26 and CH-35 counterattack and drop eight depth charges, but without damage to TAUTOG. That same day, at 1800, convoy "Wewak No. 11"arrives at Palau.

1 November 1943:
CH-26 and CH-35 depart Palau with minelayer SHIRATAKA escorting convoy "Hollandia No. 2" consisting of ASO, RYUWA, FUKOKU and KIZUGAWA MARUs with SHINSEI MARU No. 5.

E 3 November 1943:
SHIRATAKA detaches from convoy and returns alone to Palau. That same day FUKOKU MARU develops engine trouble and returns to Paulau escorted by CH-35.

5 November 1943:
Arrives at Hollandia, New Guinea.

6 November 1943:
Departs Hollandia.

7 November 1943:
CH-32 joins the escort.

10 November 1943:
Arrives at Palau.

9 January 1944:
CH-26 and torpedo-boat SAGI depart Palau for Saeki, Japan escorting convoy FU-905 consisting of SORACHI, SHIRANESAN, TOKOKAWA, HIDAKA and KURAMASAN MARUs.

20 January 1944:
SE of Cape Muroto. At 0103, LtCdr Wayne R. Merrill's USS BATFISH (SS-310) attacks the convoy on the surface. Merrill fires eight torpedoes and gets two hits that sink HIDAKA MARU carrying 2230-tons of bauxite ore at 31-32N, 135-58E.

E 21 January 1944:
Arrives at Saeki.

January 1944:
Transfers to Kure. Probably undergoes repairs and refit.

23 March 1944:
CH-26 and kaibokan KURAHASHI depart Moji for Takao escorting convoy MOTA-13 consisting of tanker YOKO MARU and MATSUMOTO, HIGANE, BIZEN, SHOKA, SHINEI, PACIFIC, CHIHAYA, HENG SHAN (KOZAN), YOKO and YULIN MARUs and TOYO MARU No. 2 and YAMAMIZU MARU No.2

30 March 1944:
Arrives at Takao.

31 May 1944:
Arrives at Kau Bay, Halmahera Island, probably from Manila, in a convoy consisting of YOZAN escorted by destroyer HOKAZE and CH-26.

15 June 1944:
CH-26, auxiliary minesweeper Wa-105 and auxiliary NITTO MARU No. 18 depart Holi, Halmahera for Ambon, Moluccas escorting a convoy consisting of BUNZAN, RYOCHI and KOHOKU MARUs.

19 June 1944:
Arrives at Ambon.

24 June 1944:
CH-26 and auxiliary minesweeper Wa-105 depart Sorong, New Guinea for Banka Island, Celebes escorting a convoy consisting of BUNZAN and RYOCHI MARUs.

26 June 1944:
At 1126, the convoy is attacked by a lone B-24 "Liberator" heavy-bomber, BUNZAN MARU is hit and damaged, but able to continue.

30 June 1944:
Arrives at Banka Island.

4 August 1944:
At 1330, CH-26, CH-34 and CH-35 and minesweeper W-12 depart Ambon for Kendari, Celebes escorting an unnamed convoy consisting of SHINTAI, KANTO and KURAMASAN MARUs.

5 August 1944:
CH-26 is detached and returns to Ambon.

October 1944:
CH-26 is reassigned to the Philippines. Escorts convoys.

17 October 1944:
Java Sea. E of Bawean Island. Lookouts aboard Ltz I Hendrikus A. W. Goossens' Dutch submarine HNMS ZWAARDVISCH (ex-British HMS TALENT) spot minelayer ITSUKUSHIMA flanked by CH-26 and minelayer WAKATAKA, probably heading for Surabaya. Goossens sights a tugboat a mile and half away dragging a towline that leads to the minelayer. Goossens fires three torpedoes at ITSUKUSHIMA and two at an escort. ITSUKUSHIMA is hit and sinks at 05-23S, 113-48E. WAKATAKA is also hit and damaged, possibly by a dud torpedo. CH-26 counter-attacks, dropping 18 depth charges, but ZWAARDVISCH escapes.

22 October 1944:
At 1805, USN codebreakers intercept a message that says: “At 1058, 17th, Subchaser No. 2 in command of Subchaser No. 26 detected and attacked the enemy submarine which attacked ITSUKUSHIMA and WAKATAKA with torpedoes. Subchasers sank the submarine definitely at 1337, 18th in position 05-22 S., 113-55 E.”

1 November 1944:
CH-26, CH-1, CH-19 and CH-36 depart Singapore for Manila escorting convoy SIMA-04 consisting of tanker AYAGIRI MARU and HACHIJIN, ATSUTA and TOYO (YUTAKA) MARUs.

2 November 1944:
225 miles E of Singapore. At 1717, Lt (later Vice Admiral Sir) Hugh "Rufus" MacKenzie's British submarine HMS TANTALUS attacks the convoy. In heavy weather, MacKenzie torpedoes and sinks cargo ship HACHIJIN MARU and damages CH-1 at 00-45N, 107-441E.

14 November 1944:
Rear Admiral (later Vice Admiral) Frederick C. Sherman, in temporary command of Task Force 38, launches air strikes against shipping in the Philippines. Off Sablayan Island, Mindoro, convoy SIMA-04 is attacked by F6F “Hellcat” fighter-bombers from USS YORKTOWN (CV-10). The Hellcats sink merchant oiler AYAGIRI MARU at 12-40N, 120-41E and damage CH-26, CH-1, CH-19 and CH-36 and IJA cargo ship TOYO MARU.

17 November 1944:
At 1600, CH-26 and CH-19 depart Manila for Takao escorting convoy MATA-33 consisting of ESASHI MARU.

17 November 1944:
N San Fernando. The convoy is joined by DORYO MARU from Manila. Later that moring, the convoy is attacked by eight American aircraft. ESASHI MARU is set afire, beached and abandoned. CH-26 and DORYO MARU head for Takao, but because of air raids there, are diverted to Hong Kong.

23 November 1944:
At 1115, arrives at Hong Kong.

23 November 1944:
At 1000, departs Hong Kong.

28 November 1944:
At 1720, arrives at Takao.

December 1944:
CH-26 is at Kure. Probably undergoes servicing and repairs.

5 March 1945:
CH-26 is reassigned to the General Escort Command’s First Escort Fleet’s 31st Subchaser Division with CH-19, CH-20, CH-21 and CH-60.

30 July 1945:
Off Chinkai, Korea Strait. Vice Admiral (later Admiral) John S. McCain's Task Force 38 planes sink CH-26 at 34-47N, 128-27E.

15 September 1945:
Removed from the Navy List.

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Authors' Notes:
[1 On 16 Aug 2006, the wreck of GRUNION was found at more than 2000 ft N of McArthur Reef, Kiska by fishing vessel AQUILA out of Dutch Harbor using a towed side-scan sonar. The vessel was chartered by the three sons of LtCdr Abele. The cause of GRUNION's sinking is based on an Hypothesis Report published on the GRUNION Blog. The hypothesis was developed by experts on the GATO class submarine using pictures of GRUNION's wreck taken by an ROV in 2007.

The characterization of GRUNION's crew as "green" is not meant to be disparaging, but factual. Although LtCdr Abele was a well-experienced submariner, his and other members of his crew's expertise was on earlier "S" type boats, not on the newer GATO type. This was the first patrol on GRUNION for all aboard.

The Japanese beached the torpedo damaged KANO MARU in Kiska Harbor off the shore of South Head. A week later, she was bombed and sunk by USN PBY "Catalinas". KANO MARU was salvaged after the war.

On 22 August 2007, AQUILA returned to Kiska and relocated the wreck using an Oceaneering ROV. The wreck was photographed and extensively video-taped revealing a USS GATO-type submarine with a missing bow - undoubtedly GRUNION. Months of analyses will follow to determine the most likely cause of her sinking; however, the malfunctioning of several of her Mark 14 torpedoes is known to be a major contributor to GRUNION's loss. Much more information and pictures of the wreck are available at Bruce Abele's GRUNION Blog.

Thanks go to Bruce Abele, son of LtCdr Abele, for identifying CH-26's CO at the time of her engagement with GRUNION.

-Bob Hackett, Sander Kingsepp and Peter Cundall.

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