KUSENTEI!

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

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9 June 1933:
Tokyo. Laid down at Ishikawajima Ship Building.

20 December 1933:
Launched and numbered CH-2.

25 March 1934:
Completed and registered in the IJN.

8 December 1941:
CH-2 is in Rear Admiral (later Vice Admiral) Kubo Kyuji’s (38) (former CO of KAGA) 1st Base Force of Vice Admiral Takahashi Ibo’s (35)(former CO of YAMASHIRO) Third Fleet. CH-1 is attached to Takahashi's Philippines Seizure Force in LtCdr Okawara H’s SubChasDiv 1 with CH-1 and CH-3.

9 January 1942: Operation "H" - The Invasion of Celebes, Netherlands East Indies:
SubChasDiv 1's CH-2, CH-1 and CH-3 depart Davao with light cruiser NAGARA, patrol boats P-1, P-2, P-34 and MineSweepDiv 21's W-7, W-8, W-9, W-11 and W-12 escorting eight transports carrying Captain (later Vice Admiral) Mori Kunizo's (former CO of AO SATA) Sasebo No. 1 Combined Special Naval Landing Force (SNLF) and Rear Admiral Kubo's 1st Base Force.

11 January 1942: The Invasion of Menado, Celebes Dutch East Indies:
SubChasDiv 1’s CH-2, CH-1 and CH-3 and Rear Admiral Kubo’s 1st Base Force with NAGARA, MineSweepDiv 21 and patrol boats provides escort for the Menado invasion force of eight transports carrying Sasebo No. 1 Combined SNLF.

At 0300, the SNLF lands on Kema, Celebes. At 0400, they land on Menado. Later, 334 men of Cdr (later Captain) Horiuchi Toyoaki's (later XO of TAKAO) Yokosuka No. 1 SNLF (Air) are dropped successfully from Mitsubishi G3M1-L "Nell" converted transport aircraft in the Menado-Kema area. The paratroops seize Langoan airfield.

23-24 January 1942: The Invasion of Kendari, Celebes:
Subchaser Div 1’s CH-2 and CH-1 with DesRon 10’s light cruiser NAGARA, DesDiv 15’s HAYASHIO, KUROSHIO, OYASHIO and NATSUSHIO, DesDiv 16’s TOKITSUKAZE, HATSUKAZE, AMATSUKAZE and YUKIKAZE, Minesweeper Div 21’s W-7, W-8, W-9, W-11 and W-12 escort Rear Admiral Kubo’s Kendari Invasion Force consisting of six troop transports carrying Captain (later Vice Admiral) Mori Kunizo’s Sasebo Combined Special Naval Landing Force (SNLF). Seaplane Tender Division 11’s CHITOSE and MIZUHO provide distant support.

29 January 1942:
Departs Staring Bay (Kendari), Celebes. Escorts the Ambon, Moluccas Seizure convoy.

31 January 1942: The Invasion of Ambon Island, Netherlands East Indies The invasion convoy includes ten transports carrying 820 men of Rear Admiral (later Vice Admiral) Hatakeyama Kouichiro's (former CO of KINUGASA) Kure No. 1 SNLF, elements of the Sasebo SNLF and the 228th Infantry Regiment.

The convoy's escort is provided by SubChasDiv 1’s CH-2, CH-1 and CH-3 with Rear Admiral (later Vice Admiral) Tanaka Raizo in light cruiser JINTSU with DesDiv 8's DesDiv 15 and DesDiv 16, MineSweepDiv 21 and patrol boats PB-34 and PB-39. Air cover is provided by CarDiv 11's MIZUHO and CHITOSE. CruDiv 5's NACHI and HAGURO, DesDiv 6's IKAZUCHI and DesDiv 7's USHIO and SAZANAMI provide the covering force.

5-10 February 1942: The Invasion of Makassar, Celebes:
SubChasDiv 1’s CH-2, CH-1 and CH-3 and Rear Admiral Kubo’s 1st Base Force with NAGARA, MineSweepDiv 21 and SubchasDiv 2 provide escort for the Makassar invasion force of six transports carrying Mori's Sasebo Combined SNLF.

10 March 1942:
Assigned to Vice Admiral Takahashi's Southwest Area Fleet's newly formed Second Southern Expeditionary Fleet in Special Base Force 21's SubChasDiv 1 organized at Surabaya.

1 May 1942:
SubChasDiv 1 is disbanded. CH-2 is reassigned to SubChasDiv 2 in the Yokosuka Naval District with CH-1 and CH-3.

21 December 1942: No. 6 Go Transportation Operation:
Convoy No. 35 assembles at 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 is changed to New Guinea).

The convoy consists of troop convoy Parts A, B and C. Part A consists of TEIYO, MYOHO MARUs and SHINSEI MARU No. 1; Part B consists of OIGAWA, KENKON, KYOKUSEI and PANAMA MARUs and Part C consists of MEIU, SOMEDOMO, SOURABAYA and SHINAI MARUs. Second-class destroyer HASU departs Shanghai for New Guinea escorting Part A and second-class destroyer KURI departs escorting Part B.

25 December 1942:
Part C departs Shanghai consisting of MEIU, SOMEDONO, SURABAYA and SHINAI MARUs escorted by second-class destroyer TSUGA.

5 January 1943:
Parts A and B arrive at Mako, Pescadores. The old China Area Fleet second-class destroyers are detached and replaced by the Southwest Area Fleet’s destroyers HOKAZE and NAGATSUKI tasked to escort the convoy to 136 degrees E longitude. The escort is further augmented by destroyer SHIRAYUKI, subchasers CH-2 and CH-11 and auxiliary gunboat CHOAN MARU No. 2.

15 January 1943:
Part A departs Truk. The escort is further augmented by destroyer SHIGURE.

17 January 1943:
Part B departs Truk.

19 January 1943:
Part C departs Truk.

20 January 1943:
286 miles from Truk. LtCdr (later Rear Admiral-Ret) Creed C. Burlingame’s USS SILVERSIDES (SS-236) attacks the convoy. SILVERSIDES sinks MEIU MARU and damages heavily SURABAYA MARU at 03-52N, 153-26E. CH-11 and gunboat CHOAN MARU No. 2 rescue survivors. Later, destroyer ASAGUMO arrives from Truk and scuttles SURABAYA MARU.

That same day, the first section arrives at Shortland, Bougainville. Also, that same day, CH-2 is reassigned to the Eighth Fleet's 1st Base Force at Rabaul.

24 January 1943:
All three sections are at Bougainville. Enroute, each section is attacked.

23 March 1943:
CH-2 departs Surabaya for Balikpapan escorting fast tanker AKATSUKI MARU.

E 26 March 1943:
Arrives at Balikpapan, then departs for Surabaya.

7 December 1943:
At 0945, CH-2 departs Surabaya, Java for Lautem, east Timor escorting convoy KAI-13 consisting of GENMEI and WAKATSU MARUs.

15 December 1943:
Timor. The convoy arrives, but at 1810 is attacked by Allied light bombers. GENMEI MARU is hit by six bombs and set afire.

16 December 1943:
Still burning, GENMEI MARU is scuttled by shore artillery.

17 December 1943:
WAKATSU MARU is attacked by Allied bombers. At 0750, she blows up and sinks.

26 March 1944:
At 0800, CH-2 and minesweeper W-12 depart Surabaya escorting a convoy consisting of NICHINAN, HEIAN and KUNIYAMA MARUs. That evening, anchors at Kangean Island.

27 March 1944:
At 0600, departs Kangean Island. At 1000, LtCdr Willard R. Laughon's USS RASHER (SS-269) torpedoes and sinks NICHINAN MARU at 07-27S 115-52E. CH-2 and W-12 counter-attack dropping 35 depth-charges, but without effect. The convoy returns to Surabaya. At 1825, the convoy again departs port.

28 March 1944:
The escort is handed over to patrol boat PB-104 (ex-Dutch VALK) at 07-15S, 115-50E. CH-2 and W-12 return to Surabaya.

12 April 1944:
At 1300, CH-2 and W-12 depart Surabaya escorting a convoy consisting of MIKASA MARU and SHINSEI MARU No. 17.

15 April 1944:
Arrives at Bima Bay, Sumbawa Island.

16 April 1944:
At 0500 departs Bima Bay.

17 April 1944:
Arrives at Maumere, Flores Island.

18 April 1944:
Departs Maumere.

19 April 1944:
At 1930, arrives at Bima Bay.

22 April 1944:
At 0130, departs Bima Bay.

23 April 1944:
At 1200, arrives at Surabaya.

2 November 1944:
At 1130, CH-2 arrives at Surabaya escorting TAIKO MARU. At 1630, that same day, CH-2 and auxiliary minesweepers Wa-103 and Wa-106 depart Surabaya for Balikpapan, Borneo escorting a convoy consisting of SHUNSEN, KANKO, KANTO, SHIROGANE and ENOSHIMA MARUs and NANSHIN MARU No. 13.

5 November 1944:
At 1615, arrives at Balikpapan.

15 December 1944:
At 0852, CH-2 departs Surabaya with minesweepers W-11 and W-103 and auxiliary subchaser CHa-36 escorting convoy SUBA-02 consisting of KITA, KENZAN, TOKUYAMA MARUs and NANSHIN MARUs No. 12 and No. 16.

19 December 1944:
At 0947, CH-2 and W-11 are ordered to join another convoy and are detached.

15 January 1945:
Java Sea. CH-2 departs an inlet near Sangkapura, Bawean Island escorting a convoy consisting of HAKUREI MARU and TORA MARU No. 1.

16 January 1945:
10 km S of Laut Island. At 1700, both merchant ships strike magnetic mines and sink.

27 June 1945:
Near Lombok Island. CH-2 is escorting an unidentified convoy when at about 0200, LtCdr Merrill K. Clementson’s USS BLUEBACK (SS-326) torpedoes CH-2. Hit in the stern, she sinks at 07-30S, 116-15E. Some survivors are seen taking to a life boat.

10 August 1945:
Removed from the Navy List.

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Author's Notes:
[1] No data were found detailing CH-2's movements during the timeframe of Apr-Nov '43. Readers with access to such data are requested to post the information on the Discussion and Questions board or at j-aircraft.org's IJN Ship Message Board

-Bob Hackett, Sander Kingsepp and Peter Cundall.

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