KUSENTEI!

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

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1941:
Tokyo. Laid down at Ishikawajima Shipbuilding’s yard.

28 July 1942:
Launched and numbered CH-36.

15 October 1942:
Completed and registered in the IJN.

10 May 1943:
Reassigned to the Fifth Fleet. Escorts convoys to the Kuriles.

15 June 1943:
Reassigned with CH-14, CH-15 and CH-35 to the Osaka Naval Guard District.

December 1943:
CH-36 is reassigned with CH-45 and CH-46 to Vice Admiral Oka Arata's (40) (former CO of KISO) 3rd Southern Expeditionary Fleet based at Manila.

28 December 1943:
CH-36 departs Manila with CH-45 escorting convoy H-11 to Halmahera.

10 January 1944:
At 1600, CH-36 departs Moji for Singapore with kaibokan ETOROFU and minelayer YAEYAMA escorting convoy HI-33 consisting of AOBASAN MARU and tankers YUHO, TARAKAN, ASASHIO and ASANAGI MARU and an unidentified ship.

13 January 1944:
Escort carrier KAIYO joins convoy HI-33.

14 January 1944:
At 1930, arrives at Takao.

16 January 1944:
Arrives at Manila.

17 January 1944:
CH-36 departs Manila with escort carrier KAIYO, kaibokan ETOROFU and minelayer YAEYAMA escorting convoy HI-33 that left Moji on 10 January consisting of transport AOBASAN MARU and tankers YUHO, TARAKAN, ASASHIO and ASANAGI MARUs and an unidentified ship. KAIYO develops a steering problem and is forced to return to Manila later that day.

23 January 1944:
Arrives at Singapore.

26 January 1943:
CH-36 departs Manila escorting convoy H-15 consisting of NORWAY and NIKKI MARUs.

2 February 1944:
At 1300, arrives at Wasile.

30 March 1944:
CH-36 departs Takao with torpedo boat SAGI escorting convoy TAMA-15 consisting of 1 unidentified merchant ship.

2 April 1944:
Off Luzon. CH-36 and torpedo boat SAGI joins convoy SATA-12 (second) stage as additional escorts. The convoy consists of 11 unidentified merchant ships escorted by auxiliary submarine chaser MISAGO MARU No. 2.

4 April 1944:
Arrives at Takao.

20 October 1944:
At 0100, CH-36 departs Manila escorting a convoy consisting of tankers KOSHO and RYUEI MARUs.

22 October 1944:
RYUEI MARU runs aground at 09.44N 118.43E and has to be abandoned. While CH-36 renders assistance, KOSHO MARU anchors at nearby Puerto Princesa.

30 October 1944:
At 0600, arrives at Sandakan and departs soon thereafter. At 1155, the convoy is attacked near Sibitu Passage, Borneo by USAAF 13th Air Force Lockheed P-38 “Lightning” fighter-bombers. KOSHO MARU is strafed and bombed and beached nearby at 1345. CH-36 is damaged at 05-27N, 119-12E,

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

2 November 1944:
S China Sea, 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. F6F “Hellcat” fighter-bombers from USS YORKTOWN (CV-10) attack convoy SIMA-04 off Sablayan Island, Mindoro. The Hellcats sink merchant oiler AYAGIRI MARU at 12-40N, 120-41E and damage CH-36 CH-1, CH-19 and CH-26 and IJA cargo ship TOYO (YUTAKA) MARU.

17 November 1944:
Departs Manila escorting tanker SEIAN MARU Takao via Olongapo.

19 November 1944:
Off Subic Bay, Philippines. CH-36 and tanker SEIAN MARU are sunk by air attack at 14-43N, 120-10E.

10 January 1945:
Removed from the Navy List.

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Author's Notes:
Little data were found for CH-36's movements during most of 1943. Readers with access to any such data are requested to post the information on the Discussion and Questions board or j-aircraft.org's IJN Ship Message Board

-Bob Hackett, Sander Kingsepp and Peter Cundall.

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