KUSENTEI!
IJN Subchaser CH-29:
Tabular Record of Movement
© 2005-2009 Bob Hackett, Sander Kingsepp and Peter Cundall
Revision 1
1941:
Harima. Laid down at the Harima Shipbuilding and Engineering Co.'s yard.
10 December 1941:
Launched and numbered CH-29.
30 April 1942:
Completed and registered in the Maizuru Naval District. Assigned directly to the Combined Fleet and attached to SubChasDiv 32.
4 May 1942:
100 miles S of Guadalcanal. Task Force 17's Rear Admiral Fletcher receives a signal that IJN transports are disembarking troops and equipment at Tulagi. At 0701, YORKTOWN launches her first surprise strike on Shima's Invasion Force. The strike consists of 18 Grumman F4F-3 "Wildcats" fighters of VF-42, 12 Grumman TBD-1 “Devastator” torpedo-bombers of VT-5 and 28 Douglas SBD-3 “Dauntless” dive-bombers from VS-5 and BY-5.
Purvis Bay, Florida Island, Solomons. Minelayer OKINOSHIMA is moored alongside destroyer KIKUZUKI. TBDs torpedo and sink KIKUZUKI. The auxiliary minesweepers Wa-1 and Wa-2 and four barges are also sunk. YORKTOWN's planes also damage destroyer YUZUKI, transport AZUMASAN MARU, cargo ship KOEI MARU and five floatplanes. TAMA MARU is damaged and sinks two days later. YUZUKI is strafed.
OKINOSHIMA is damaged by near misses. Later, she is towed by KINRYU MARU to Rabaul where she undergoes repairs.
14 July 1942:
Reassigned to Vice Admiral Mikawa Gunichi's newly organized 8th Fleet with the 7th Base Force's SubChasDiv 32 at Lae, New Guinea.
20 July 1942: Operation "RI" - The Invasion of Buna, New Guinea:
At 2000, CH-29 departs Rabaul for Buna with CH-28 and CH-30, CruDiv 18's light cruisers TATSUTA and TENRYU, minelayer TSUGARU and destroyers ASANAGI, YUZUKI and UZUKI escorting troop transports AYATOSAN, KINRYU and RYOYO MARUs.
21 July 1942:
Arrives at Buna. The troops are landed.
October 1942:
Reassigned to the 1st Base Force. Arrives at Shortland, Bougainville. Thereafter, engages in convoy escort and patrol duties.
16 December 1942:
At 1655, CH-29 departs Rabaul escorting a convoy consisting of IJA passenger-cargo ship BANDOENG and SORACHI MARUs.
17 December 1942:
15 miles NW of Cape Henpan, Buka Island, Bougainville. At 1150, at 04-54S, 154-17E, LtCdr Rob R. McGregor's GROUPER (SS-214) sinks BANDOENG MARU that was steaming for the Solomon Islands loaded with troop reinforcements. CH-29 carries out an unsuccessful counterattack.
18 December 1942:
At 1534, arrives Shortland Harbor.
9 April 1943:
At 1100, CH-29 departs Rabaul escorting a convoy consisting of TOMIOKA and KISARAGI MARUs.
11 April 1943:
At 0730, arrives at Shortland.
18 April 1943:
At 1435, CH-29 and CH-30 depart Shortland escorting a convoy consisting of KYOSEI, KISARAGI, KARIMO and TOMIOKA MARUs and KOSOKU MARU No. 3.
20 April 1943:
At 0200, arrives at Rabaul.
25 April 1943:
At 1400, CH-29 departs Rabaul escorting a convoy consisting of KASHI, HEIWA and SUMIYOSHI MARUs and KOSOKU MARU No. 3.
27 April 1943:
SUMIYOSHI MARU detaches at Buka. At 0800, the remainder of the convoy arrives at Shortland.
30 April 1943:
CH-29 departs Shortland escorting a convoy consisting of KAISHU, UJIGAWA, HEIWA MARUs and KOSOKU MARU No. 3.
May 1943:
Reassigned to the 4th Base Force at Truk.
2 May 1943:
At 0600, arrives Rabaul.
3 June 1943:
At 1300, CH-29 and CH-12 depart Rabaul escorting a convoy consisting of MITSU MARU No.3, KOSHU MARU No. 2, TAKUEI and SHINTOKU MARUs.
5 June 1943:
At 0800, arrives at Shortland.
7 June 1943:
At 1530, CH-29 and CH-12 depart Shortland escorting a convoy consisting of KOSHU MARU No. 2 and KASHI, TAKUNAN and KISARAGI MARUs.
9 June 1943:
At 0700, arrives at Rabaul.
19 July 1943:
50 miles S of Wake Island. LtCdr Carter L. Bennett's old USS PORPOISE (SS-172) attacks and sinks transport MIKAGE MARU No. 20 at 18-45N, 166-04E. The transport was engaged in reinforcing Tarawa. SubChasDiv 32's CH-29, CH- 28 and CH- 30 counterattack PORPOISE unsuccessfully. Bennett evades and slips away.
9 September 1943:
At 0630, CH-29 departs Truk by the South Channel escorting a convoy consisting of fleet oiler TSURUMI, KYOEI MARU and cargo ship TAIKOKU MARU. Steams to Palau, then Balikpapan via Tarakan, Borneo.
21 September 1943:
At 0000, CH-29 escorting fleet oiler NOTORO arrives at the S Channel, Truk.
1 November 1943:
At 1000, CH-29 and CH-30 depart Kwajalein in convoy 6011 consisting of SHOTAN MARU.
7 November 1943:
At 0600, arrives Truk.
8 November 1943:
At 0800, CH-29 escorts light cruiser KASHIMA and destroyer YUGURE into Truk via the North Channel.
10 November 1943:
At 1500, CH-29 and CH-30 depart Truk via the South Channel escorting AWA MARU.
15 November 1943:
CH-29 and CH-30 depart Rabaul escorting convoy 2152 consisting of ex-auxiliary submarine depot ships HIE and NAGOYA MARUs and transport TAMASHIMA MARU.
17 November 1943:
385 miles SW of Truk. At 1245, HIE MARU is torpedoed in a submerged attack by LtCdr Delbert F. Williamson's USS DRUM (SS-228). CH-29 and CH-30 counter-attack, but DRUM escapes. HIE MARU sinks.
19 November 1943:
Convoy 2152 arrives at Truk.
24 November 1943:
CH-29 and CH-31 and destroyer URAKAZE arrive at Truk's South Channel escorting a convoy of four unidentified ships.
27 November 1943:
At 1800, CH-29 arrives at Truk's South Channel escorting SUMIYOSHI MARU.
1 December 1943:
At 0700, CH-29, CH-16, CH-20 and CH-40 depart Truk escorting convoy 1013 consisting of KEIYO, NAGOYA and YAMAKUNI MARUs.
5 December 1943:
At 1510, arrives at Rabaul.
6 December 1943:
At midnight, CH-29 and CH-33 depart Rabaul escorting convoy 2063 consisting of HAKUSAN, KOKAI and TETSUYO MARUs.
9 December 1943:
At 0945, TETSUYO MARU develops engine trouble and falls behind. CH-33 is detached to escort.
10 December 1943:
At 0650, the convoy arrives at Truk.
14 December 1943:
At 1220, CH-29 departs Truk escorting convoy 5142 consisting of KENSHO and SHOEI MARUs.
19 December 1943:
At 1400, arrives at Kwajalein. At 2244, SHOEI MARU is hit and badly damaged in a major air attack on Kwajalein.
20 December 1943:
SHOEI MARU sinks. Later that day, in another attack, KENSHO MARU is hit and badly damaged.
1 January 1944:
SW of Truk, Carolines. At 2345, LtCdr Cryrus C. Cole's USS BALAO (SS-285) fires six bow torpedoes at armed merchant cruiser KIYOSUMI MARU at 04-35N, 147-15E. Three hit and disable the ship and flood her forward hold. Light cruiser NAKA arrives from Truk the same day and takes KIYOSUMI MARU under tow.
2 January 1944:
CH-29 and destroyer TANIKAZE depart Truk to assist the NAKA in towing KIYOSUMI MARU to Truk. Light cruiser OYODO and destroyer AKIZUKI also arrive and provide escort.
4 January 1944:
OYODO and AKIZUKI detach and return to Truk.
11 January 1944:
At 0500, CH-29 and destroyer SHIRATSUYU and kaibokan HIRADO depart Truk escorting convoy 7125 consisting of HAKUSAN, HAKOZAKI, KIMISHIMA and MITAKESAN MARUs.
21 January 1944:
At 1630, arrives at Yokosuka.
31 January 1944:
CH-29, CH-64, auxiliary subchaser TAKUNAN MARU No. 6 and auxiliary minesweeper KEINAN MARU depart Yokosuka escorting convoy 3131 consisting of SANKISAN, ZUIKAI, RYUKO and TAIHO MARUs.
3 February 1944:
Arrives at Chichi-Jima.
17 February 1944: American Operation "Hailstone" - The Attack on Truk:
At 0531 (I), CH-29 is ordered to rendezvous with convoy 3206 then at sea. Shortly thereafter, Vice Admiral (later Admiral) Marc A. Mitscher’s Task Force 58's five fleet carriers and four light carriers, supported by six battleships, ten cruisers and 28 destroyers, launch air attacks on airfields, shore installations and ships in the lagoon. Mitscher launches 30 strikes of at least 150 aircraft each. The strikes are launched about every hour for two days.
18 February 1944:
CH-29 is attacked and sunk at 07-25N, 151-45E during TF 58's attacks on Truk, but the exact time of her demise is unknown.
Task Force 58 sinks 31 transports and 10 naval vessels (two cruisers, four destroyers and four auxiliary vessels), destroys nearly 200 aircraft and damages severely about 100 more. Truk is eliminated as a major fleet anchorage for the IJN.
30 March 1944:
Removed from the Navy List.
-Bob Hackett, Sander Kingsepp and Peter Cundall.
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