KUSENTEI!

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

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1941:
Tamano. Laid down at Mitsui’s Engineering & Shipbuilding yard.

10 August 1942:
Launched and numbered CH-37.

31 October 1942:
Completed and registered in the Kure Naval District.

November 1942:
Attached to the the Kure Guard Unit. Conducts patrols in the Bungo Straits.

March 1943:
Rabaul. Reassigned to the Eighth Fleet's 8th Base Force. Escorts convoys between Rabaul and Palau.

9 April 1943:
At 1400, CH-37 departs Rabaul escorting a convoy consisting of KOAN and HARUNA MARUs and tankers KYOEI MARU and HISHI MARU No. 2.

12 April 1943:
LtCdr Louis D. McGregor's USS PIKE (SS-173) attacks the convoy, but KOAN MARU successfully evades a torpedo attack at 05-30N, 150-42E.

14 April 1943:
At 1040, arrives a Truk.

25 April 1943:
At 1500, CH-37 departs Rabaul escorting a convoy consisting of ROKKOSAN, MIYAURA, RISSHUN, RAKUTO and HOEI MARUs and tanker SAN CLEMENTE MARU.

4 May 1943:
50 miles SE of Palau. At about 1725, LtCdr Harry B. Dodge’s USS SEAL (SS-183) attacks the convoy. In a submerged attack, Dodge fires three torpedoes and hits SAN CLEMENTE MARU. At about 2000, she sinks at 06-50N, 134-28E.

22 May 1943:
Truk. Convoy No. 3415 arrives from Yokosuka consisting of KAMIKAWA, HAKOZAKI and TONEI MARUs. CH-37 and CH-12 replace kaibokan OKI that is detached from the escort.

22 May 1943:
CH-37 and CH-12 depart Truk for Rabaul escorting convoy No. 3415 now consisting only of KAMIKAWA MARU.

28 May 1943:
N of Kavieng, New Ireland. At about 1000 (JST) while enroute to Palau the convoy is attacked at 01-42N, 150-18E by a B-24, but it is driven off. At about noon, the convoy is attacked by LtCdr (later Rear Admiral-Ret) Walter G. Ebert's USS SCAMP (SS-277). At 1203 (JST), in the midst of a heavy squall, seaplane tender KAMIKAWA MARU is hit by three torpedoes, floods, loses power and settles by the stern.

29 May 1943:
About midnight, KAMIKAWA MARU is attacked again by SCAMP. At 0016, she takes another hit, thereafter rolls over to port and sinks at 01-36S, 150-24 E. SCAMP survives counter-attacks by the escort. Later that day. the remainder of the convoy arrives at Rabaul.

7 June 1943:
CH-37 and CH-24 depart Rabaul escorting convoy in O-704 consisting of HEIMEI, MACASSAR, KINKASAN and KONAN MARUs.

13 June 1943:
Convoy O-704 is intercepted by LtCdr Edward S. Carmick's USS SARGO (SS-188) that begins tracking the convoy.

14 June 1943:
430 miles SE of Palau. That night, Carmick makes a submerged attack. He torpedoes and sinks passenger-cargo ship KONAN MARU at 06-05N, 138-25E. The subchasers drop four DCs and cause some damage to SARGO, but later she arrives safely at Midway Island.

15 June 1943:
Arrives at Palau.

30 November 1943:
At 0300, CH-37 and CH-38 depart Rabaul escorting a convoy consisting of WALES, SHINYU, NIKKI, SHOHO, AWA and HIMALAYA MARUs. At 2310, the convoy is attacked by Consolidated PBY "Catalina" seaplanes. HIMALAYA MARU is hit and sinks at 02-47S, 150-25E.

8 December 1943:
Arrives at Palau.

12 December 1943:
At 1200, CH-37 and CH-38 depart Palau escorting convoy N-206 consisting of ALASKA, RYUA, CEYLON, PACIFIC, KAITO and KAIKA MARUs.

19 December 1943:
At 1910, the convoy is attacked by PBY Catalinas, but they are driven off. At 2040, a second attack develops. KAITO MARU is hit set on fire and later sinks at 04-35N. 151-21E the following day. At 2132, in another attack ALASKA and PACIFIC MARUs are both hit. PACIFIC MARU is damaged, but ALASKA MARU has to be abandoned. The survivors are rescued by CH- 37. ALASKA MARU sinks the following day at 03-45N, 151-30E.

20 December 1943:
Arrives at Rabaul.

19 November 1943:
CH-37 and CH-38 depart Palau escorting convoy SO-904 consisting of TASMANIA, HOZUGAWA, KENZAN MARUs and RYUKO MARU towing a midget supply submarine. During the voyage south the convoy is plagued by submarine attacks.

25 November 1943:
At 1025, KENZAN MARU is torpedoed and sunk by LtCdr Oscar Hagberg's USS ALBACORE (SS-218) at 00-51N, 146-00E.

28 November 1943:
Arrives at Rabaul.

20 December 1943:
Arrives at Rabaul.

5 January 1944:
CH-37 and CH-38 depart Palau for Rabaul escorting convoy SO-504 consisting of NICHIAI, LYONS, YAMAYURI and CHIBURI MARUs.

10 January 1944:
Off New Hanover, Bismarcks. At about 1500, a submarine is sighted on the surface and engaged with gunfire.

11 January 1944:
At 2109, a B-24 attacks the convoy unsucessfully.

12 January 1944:
At 0032, other aircraft attack the convoy and one plane is shot down. Later that day, the convoy arrives at Rabaul.

21 January 1944:
At 0945, CH-37 and CH-41 depart Balikpapan with patrol boat PB-36 escorting convoy O-103 consisting of oilers IRO, SATA and JAMBI MARU.

23 January 1944:
JAMBI MARU is detached from the convoy and steams to Tarakan.

28 January 1944:
At 1350, arrives at Palau.

20 February 1944:
CH-37 and CH-38 depart Rabaul for Palau escorting convoy O-003 consisting of gunboat KOWA MARU and transport KOKAI MARU and fleet tug NAGAURA evacuating 751st Naval Air Group (Mitsubishi G4M Betty bomber) maintenance personnel to Japan, escorted by subchasers CH-37 and CH-38 and auxiliary subchaser CHa-48.

21 February 1944:
N of New Hanover. At 1320, the convoy is attacked by 15 North American B-25 "Mitchell" medium bombers of the 5th Air Force's 345th Bomb Group's 500th and 501st Bomb Squadrons that bomb, strafe and sink KOKAI and KOWA MARUs and CHa-48 and damage CH-38 heavily at 02-30S, 150-15E. NAGAURA effects repairs, then rescues some of the survivors and continues on her voyage north.

Eight of the B-25s are damaged by AA fire and one has to ditch off Finschafen, New Guinea. All five crewmembers escape. Some 19 hours later, they are picked up from their life rafts by Australian auxiliary patrol boat HMAS PALUMA.

22 February 1944:
160 miles NW of Kavieng, New Ireland. Captain (later Admiral/CNO) Arliegh A. Burke's DesRron 23's USS CHARLES AUSBURNE (DD-570)(F), DYSON (DD-572), STANLY (DD-478), CONWAY (DD-507) and SPENCE (DD-512) engage and sink tug NAGAURA at 00-54S, 148-38E. Convoy O-003 is the last convoy to leave Rabaul.

27 February 1944:
Truk. CH-37 and CH-38 complete battle-damage repairs.

6 March 1944:
CH-37 and CH-38 depart Palau for Takao, Formosa with destroyers SHIGURE and SHIRANUHI escorting convoy PATA-04 consisting of TASMANIA, KENNICHI, BRAZIL, HIYAMA, ASAHISAN, KENZAN, YOZAN, CHINZEI and CLYDE MARUs.

13 March 1944:
At 1000, arrives at Takao.

15 March 1944:
At 1200, CH- 37 and CH-38 depart Takao with destroyers SHIGURE and NOKAZE and minesweeper W-17 escorting convoy TAMO-11 consisting of TAITO, MUTSU, HINODE, MANILA, MANKO, ASAHI, BELGIUM, KOTO, SORACHI, KOHO, TARUYASU, KENWA, KENZUI, BRAZIL and KENNICHI MARUS and UNKAI MARU No. 12 and tankers TACHIBANA, NITTETSU, SAN DIEGO and SANKO MARUs and OGURA MARU No. 1.

16 March 1944:
At 1600, TOYO and TEIKO MARUs join the convoyfrom Kirun.

21 March 1944:
At 0430, MANKO, ASAHI, and TOYO MARUs are detached from the convoy. At 1200, the convoy arrives Nagasaki.

22 March 1944:
Arrives at Moji.

21 April 1944:
CH-37 and CH-38 depart Tungchiaoshan (Tangjiqiozshan) near Shanghai for New Guinea via Manila with destroyers ASAKAZE, SHIRATSUYU and FUJINAMI, kaibokan KURAHASHI, CD-20, CD-22, minelayer SHIRATAKA, gunboats UJI, ATAKA, minesweeper W-22 and auxiliary minesweeper TAMA MARU No. 7 escorting the "Take" ("Bamboo") convoy consisting transports KAZUURA, MITSUKI, BRAZIL, TENSHINZAN (AMATSUSAN), ADEN, TAJIMA, YOZAN, MANSHU, FUKUYO, TEIKAI, KANAN, TEIKAI, TEIKO and UNKAI MARUs and YOSHIDA MARU No. 1 and an unidentified ship.

26 April 1944:
At about 0600, LtCdr (later Rear Admiral-Ret) Thomas M. Dykers' USS JACK (SS-259) makes a radar-assisted surface attack on the convoy. Dykers torpedoes and sinks YOSHIDA MARU No. 1 at 18-06N, 119-40E. She takes down about 2,700 troops of the IJA's 210th Infantry Regiment.

April 1944:
Arrives at Manila.

October 1944:
Reassigned to the General Escort Command's 1st Surface Escort Division.

5 November 1944:
CH-37 departs Manila with kaibokan CD-18 and CD-26 and subchasers CH-15, CH-17, CH-23 and CH-38 escorting convoy MATA-31 consisting of seven unidentified merchant ships.

6 November 1944:
At 1055, an enemy submarine is sighted at 16-11N, 109-06E.

12 November 1944:
Departs Subic Bay.

15 November 1944:
Arrives at Takao.

17 November 1944:
Arrives at Takao

23 November 1944:
At 1530, CH-37 departs Takao with kaibokan CD-1, CD-3, CD-8, CD-28, CD-54, old destroyer KURETAKE and subchasers CH-17, CH-18 and CH-38 escorting convoy TAMA-32A consisting of AKAGISAN, HAGIKAWA, SORACHI, JINYO, NICHIYO, SHOEI, WAYO, MINO, SHIROUMA (HAKUBA) and SHONAN MARUs and BANSHU MARU No. 63 and KIDOTEI SS No. 6. Soon after leaving, anchors along the coast.

24 November 1944:
At 0400, departs Formosan coast.

25 November 1944:
At 2200, arrives at Musa Bay, Fuga Island.

27 November 1944:
At 0400, departs Musa Bay. At 1645, arrives at Lapoc Bay.

28 November 1944:
At 0600, departs Lapoc Bay. At 1800, arrives at N San Fernando.

29 November 1944:
At 0600, departs N San Fernando.

30 November 1944:
At 0500, arrives at Manila.

9 December 1944: Operation "TA No. 9" – The Reinforcement of Leyte, Philippines:
Captain Miyashita Makoto’s SubChasDiv 21’s CH-37 and CH-17 with DesDiv 30’s YUZUKI, UZUKI and KIRI depart for Ormoc escorting an unnamed convoy consisting of MINO, SORACHI and TASMANIA MARUs carrying 4,000 soldiers of the Takahashi Detachment (5th Infantry Regiment) plus food and ammunition. The convoy is accompanied by landing ships T. 140 and T. 159 with 400 amphibious tank-equipped marines of the Ito Naval Landing Force.

11 December 1944:
30 miles off Leyte. The convoy is attacked twice by about 40 USMC F4U "Corsair" fighter-bombers of VMFs 211, 218 and 313. In the second low level attack, TASMANIA and MINO MARUs are hit and later sink at 11-20N, 124-10E. SORACHI MARU is ordered to head to Palompon, while the escorts rescue survivors. UZUKI is detached to pick up another group of survivors. Shortly before midnight, YUZUKI, KIRI, T. 140, T. 159 and the Naval Landing Force are sent ashore at Ormoc in their amphibious tanks. They are engaged by the U. S. Army and USS COGHLAN (DD-606). T. 159 is hit and abandoned, but T. 140 escapes with heavy damage.

12 December 1944:
Palompon. SORACHI MARU, CH-37 and CH-17 complete their landings and depart for Manila.

13 December 1944:
CH-37, CH-17 and SORACHI MARU arrive at Manila.

2 January 1945:
At 0100, CH-37 departs Keelung for Moji with destroyer KIRI, kaibokan CD-9, CD-14, CD-32, CD-46, torpedo boat KIRI and minesweeper W-17 escorting convoy TAMO-34 consisting of YAMAMURA, DAITO, OJIKASAN, DAIRETSU and DAIEI MARUs and an unidentified ship.

4 January 1945:
Off San Fernando, Luzon, Philippines. USAAF planes strafe the convoy, but only OJIKASAN MARU suffers some minor damage and a number of casualties.

10 January 1945:
Departs Takao with subchasers CH-23 and CH-38 escorting convoy TAMO-36 consisting of two unidentified merchant ships.

19 January 1945:
Arrives at Moji.

21 May 1945:
USN codebreakers intercept and decrypt a message that reads: "CH-37, CH-58 and Transport T. 173 are scheduled to depart Sasebo at 1800." The message also gives the scheduled positions for 1800, 22 May as 30-40N, 129-45E and 1800, 23 May as 29-25 N, 129-15 E.

22 May 1945:
Near Amami Oshima, Ryukyus. Aircraft from carriers USS BENNINGTON (CV-20) and HORNET (CV-12) sink CH-37, CH-58 and landing ship T. 173 at 29-45N, 129-10E.

10 August 1945:
Removed from the Navy List.

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Authors' Notes:
Thanks also go to John Whitman of the USA for info on CNO intercepts of Japanese messages.

-Bob Hackett, Sander Kingsepp and Peter Cundall.

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