KUSENTEI!

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

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1941:
Tsurumi. Laid down at Nippon Kokan K. K.’s shipyard.

31 August 1942:
Launched and numbered CH-38.

10 December 1942:
Completed and registered in the Sasebo Naval District. Attached to the Sasebo Guard Unit. Conducts patrols in the Goto archipelago.

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

16 April 1943:
CH-38 departs Palau escorting a convoy consisting of NISSHUN, TEIKAI, KURAMASAN and NIKKI MARUs and BANSHU MARU No. 2.

18 April 1943:
At 1230, LtCdr Bernard F. McMahon's USS DRUM (SS-228) torpedoes and sinks NISSHUN MARU at 02-02N, 148-27E.

24 April 1943:
Arrives at Rabaul.

9 May 1943:
CH-38 and CH-23 depart Rabaul for Palau escorting convoy R-09 consisting of YODOGAWA, CHOKO, YAMABUKI, FUKKO, NIKKI, TATEISHI MARUs and BANSHU MARU No. 15.

11 May 1943:
NE of Manus. At 0730, that same day, YODOGAWA MARU is hit by two torpedoes fired by LtCdr Edward C. Stephan's USS GRAYBACK (SS-208) at 00-40N, 148-55E. YODOGAWA MARU is set afire and sinks.

17 May 1943:
Arrives at Palau.

28 August 1943:
CH-38, CH-39 and minesweeper W-22 depart Rabaul for Palau escorting convoy O-605 consisting of ASAKAZE, YAMAGIRI, NICHIRYO, TAISHO and TACOMA MARUs.

At 2255, the convoy is attacked by LtCdr McMahon's USS DRUM. McMahon torpedoes YAMAGIRI MARU, but she makes it back to Rabaul. The escorts drop 27 depth charges on DRUM, but she escapes.

2 September 1943:
The remainder of the convoy arrives at Palau.

4 September 1943:
CH-38 and CH-16 depart Palau for Rabaul escorting convoy N-404 consisting of KANSAI, AMAGISAN, KINUGASA and MAYASAN MARUs.

9 September 1943:
The convoy arrives at Rabaul. AMAGISAN and KINUGASA MARUs are detached.

16 September 1943:
CH-38 and CH-16 depart Rabaul for Palau escorting convoy O-602A consisting of KANSAI and MAYASAN MARUs.

18 September 1943:
N of Manus, Admiralty Islands. At 1700, LtCdr (later Rear Admiral-Ret) Walter G. Ebert's USS SCAMP (SS-277) attacks the convoy and sinks army cargo ship KANSAI MARU at 00-41N, 146-28E. Although damaged by the escorts’ depth charges, SCAMP remains on patrol.

19 September 1943:
At 0925, USN codebreakers intercept and decrypt a message from from Subchaser Div 24 that reads: “As a result of torpedo attacks at 1909, 2130 and 2200, KANSAI MARU sank. 265 survivors including captain taken on board Subchaser No. 38 and No. 16. At 0830 Convoy (rejoined position) 01-03 N, 146-27 E.”

21 September 1943:
Arives at Palau.

28 September 1943:
At 1200, CH-38 and CH-16 depart Palau for Rabaul escorting convoy N-805 consisting of MAEBASHI, NISSHU, KINKASAN, TOUN and TONEI MARUs.

30 September 1943:
373 miles ESE of Palau. At 0640, LtCdr George H. Wales' USS POGY (SS-266) torpedoes and sinks MAEBASHI MARU at 01-00N, 139-28E. She takes down 1, 389 troops and 61 crewmen and gunners.[1]

1 October 1943:
746 miles ESE of Palau. At about 1700, LtCdr William T. Nelson's USS PETO (SS-265) torpedoes and sinks KINKASAN and TONEI MARUs at 04-00N, 143-50E.

6 October 1943:
The remainder of the convoy arrives at Rabaul.

9 October 1943:
CH-38 departs Rabaul for Buin, Bougainville escorting a convoy consisting of TETSUYO and YOSHINO MARUs and HINO MARU No. 5.

10 October 1943:
At 1430, the convoy is attacked by USN aircraft. HINO MARU No. 5. takes three direct hits that set her deck cargo of bombs and ammunition afire. The crew abandons ship. Thereafter, HINO MARU No. 5 explodes and sinks.

11 October 1943:
The remainder of the convoy arrives at Buin.

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.

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.

5 January 1944:
CH-38 and CH-37 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.

20 February 1944:
CH-38 and CH-37 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. CH-38 is heavily damaged by gunfire, but escapes to Truk. Convoy O-003 is the last convoy to leave Rabaul.

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

6 March 1944:
CH-38 and CH-37 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-38 and CH-37 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 convoy from Kirun. CH-38 probably is detached.

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

22 March 1944:
Arrives at Moji.

20 March 1944:
At 0200, CH-38 departs Tateyama with destroyers KISHINAMI, OKINAMI and ASASHIMO escorting Marianas troop reinforcement convoy Higashi-Matsu ("East Pine") No. 3 Special ("Toku") consisting of transports MANJU, ASAKA and SANYO MARUs. These are the fast elements of the No. 3 reinforcement movement. [2]

28 March 1944:
Arrives at Truk.

21 April 1944:
CH-38 and CH-37 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.

28 April 1944:
Manila. Reassigned to the Southwest Area Fleet's 3rd Southern Expeditionary Fleet's 32nd Special Base Force.

1 May 1944:
The remaining ships of the convoy depart Manila for Wasile, Halmahera, Moluccas, but CH-37 is detached.

13 May 1944:
At 0355, CH-38 departs Wasile Bay with minelayer SHIRATAKA, patrol boats PB-102 (ex-USS STEWART, DD-224)and PB-104, and auxiliary netlayer KOREI MARU escorting the remnants of convoy Take No. 1 consisting of TEIKAI, MITSUKI, KAZUURA, BRAZIL MARUs, newly joined ATLAS MARU and another unidentified ship (possibly YOZAN MARU).

14 May 1944:
Arrives at Lembeh anchorage, Celebes.

20 May 1944:
At 2105, the convoy arrives at Manila.

28 May 1944:
At 1300, CH-38 departs Manila with destroyer TSUGA, patrol boats PB-102, PB-104 and auxiliary netlayer KOREI MARU escorting convoy H-27 consisting of SHINNO, KOHOKU, KOSEI, MURORAN, SHIROGANESAN, TAIYU, TEIYU and JUZAN MARUs.

3 June 1944:
At 2044, arrives Banka anchorage, NE Celebes.

4 June 1944:
At 0555, departs Banka anchorage.

8 June 1944:
At 1617, arrives Wasile, Halmahera.

11 June 1944:
CH-38 departs Kau Bay, Halmahera with destroyer TSUGA, PB-104 and auxiliary netlayer KOREI MARU escorting convoy H-27 (return) consisting of AKAGISAN, KOAN, SORACHI, SHIROGANESAN, YOZAN and TAIYU MARUs and YOSHIDA MARU No. 3.

12 June 1944:
CH-38 and TSUGA are detached for Davao.

August 1944:
Reassigned directly to the Combined Fleet and attached to Subchaser Division 21. Escorts convoys between Manila and mainland Japan.

5 November 1944:
CH-38 departs Manila with kaibokan CD-18 and CD-26 and subchasers CH-15, CH-17, CH-23 and CH-37 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-38, CH-17, CH-18 and CH-37 depart Takao with kaibokan CD-1, CD-3, CD-8, CD-28, CD-54, and old destroyer KURETAKE 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.

10 January 1945:
Departs Takao with subchasers CH-23 and CH-37 escorting convoy TAMO-36 consisting of two unidentified merchant ships.

19 January 1945:
Arrives at Moji.

21 May 1945:
CH-38 departs Shanghai for Tsingtao with gunboat OKITSU escorting convoy SE-27 consisting of NEIHA (NINGPO), KOSHO (HSING CHANG) and KOA (HSING YA) MARUs.

22 May 1945:
Arrives at Tsingtao.

27 May 1945:
At 0500, CH-38 departs Tsingtao with gunboat OKITSU for Shanghai escorting convoy SHI-103 consisting of NEIHA, KOSHO, CHOHEI and KOA MARUs.

29 May 1945:
At 1315, arrives at Shanghai.

15 August 1945:
Tsingtao. CH-38’s crew receives notification of the termination of the war.

9 September 1945:
Japanese troops in China formally surrender.

25 October 1945:
Removed from the Navy List.

October 1945:
CH-38 is assigned to the Allied Minesweeping Service.

3 October 1947:
Nakhodka, Siberia. Ceded to the Soviet Union as a war reparation.

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Authors' Note:
[1] MAEBASHI MARU carried 3,200 passengers and crew, data from a captured diary.

[2] A slower section of Higashi-Matsu No. 3 Special consisting of 10 transports and supply ship HAYASAKI, escorted by light cruiser YUBARI, DesDiv 5's HATAKAZE, DesDiv 6's IKAZUCHI and DesDiv 32's TAMANAMI, torpedo boat OTORI, kaibokans HIRADO and NOMI and subchasers CH-48, CH-51 and CH-54 departed Kisarazu on 22 March 1944 in two echelons for Palau and Saipan.

Thanks 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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