KUSENTEI!
IJN Subchaser CH-39:
Tabular Record of Movement
© 2005-2011 Bob Hackett, Sander Kingsepp and Peter Cundall
Revision 3
1941:
Harima. Laid down at Harima Zosensho K. K.
26 May 1942:
Launched and numbered CH-39
31 October 1942:
Completed and registered in the Kure Naval District.
November 1942:
Assigned to the Kure Guard Unit. Patrols the Bungo Straits.
12 November 1942:
CH-39 and CH-37 depart Saeki escorting the “B” convoy (No. 8 Military Movement) consisting of LIMA and MIYAURA MARUs.
E 13 November 1942:
The escorts are detached at 29N.
9 December 1942:
CH-39, CH-37 and patrol boat PB-46 depart Saeki escorting the “G” convoy (No.8 Military Movement) consisting of MOMOYAMA, HOEISAN, KOSO, TAIMEI, TOKO, ANNAN and BUNZAN MARUs.
E 10 December 1942:
CH-39 is detached at 28N.
18 December 1942:
Departs Saeki escorting the “J convoy” (No. 8 Military Movement) consisting of ASO, SHANGHAI and SYDNEY MARUs.
E 19 December 1942:
CH-39 is detached at 29N.
21 December 1942:
Joins a convoy consisting of storeship MAMIYA (probably from Truk) and oiler SHIRETOKO (from Jaluit) at 30-00N 133-10E.
23 December 1942:
CH-39 is detached off Fukajima.
25 December 1942:
Joins tanker TATEKAWA MARU off Mizunoko Lighthouse and escorts her south to 90 degrees off Toi Misaki.
30 December 1942:
Departs Saeki escorting the “Q convoy” (No. 8 Military Movement) consisting of TAISEI, KOFUKU, YORIHIME and IKUTA MARUs.
E 31 December 1942:
CH-39 is detached at 28N.
5 January 1943:
Joins Army transport KAZUURA MARU off Fukajima and escorts her south.
E 6 January 1943:
CH-39 is detached 90 degrees off Toi Misaki.
9 January 1943:
CH-39 and minelayer NATSUSHIMA depart Saeki escorting the “T convoy” (No. 8 Military Movement) consisting of SEKKO, TAIYU (DAITAKU), and FLORIDA MARUs.
E 10 January 1943:
The escorts are detached at 29N.
23 January 1943:
Joins storeship IRAKO off Mizunoko Lighthouse and escorts her south.
E 24 January 1943:
CH-39 is detached 90 degrees off Toi Misaki.
5 February 1943:
CH-37 and CH-39 briefly escort cruiser SUZUYA and destroyer AMATSUKAZE.
7 February 1943:
CH-39 and minelayer NUWAJIMA depart Saeki escorting the “A2 convoy” (No. 8 Military Movement) consisting of YAHIKO, HOUN, TAIKO and SHINNO MARUs.
E 8 February 1943:
The escorts are detached at 29N.
12 February 1943:
CH-39 and minelayer NUWAJIMA join store ship MAMIYA off Fukajima and head south.
E 13 February 1943:
The escorts are detached 90 degrees off Toi Misaki.
1 March 1943:
Reassigned to the Eighth Fleet's 8th Base Force at Rabaul. Undergoes refit at Sasebo.
18 March 1943:
Departs Sasebo for Rabaul.
30 March 1943:
Arrives at Rabaul.
7 April 1943:
CH-39 and CH-18 depart Rabaul for Palau escorting a convoy consisting of TOYO, KOKOKU, AKAGISAN and OYAMA (YUZAN) MARUs.
9 April 1943:
250 miles NNW of Kavieng, New Ireland. At about noon, the convoy is attacked by LtCdr Bernard F. McMahon's USS DRUM (SS-228). McMahon torpedoes and sinks YUZAN (OYAMA) MARU at 00-38N, 150-17E. 4 crewmen are KIA.
10 April 1943:
DRUM torpedoes and damages AKAGISAN MARU, but she does not sink and is able to make it to Truk.
13 April 1943:
The convoy arrives at Truk instead of its original destination of Palau.
28 August 1943:
CH-39, CH-38 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 DRUM. He fires four torpedoes at one ship and two at another. A torpedo hits YAMAGIRI MARU in the starboard side between holds No. 2 and No. 3, but she does not sink and is able to make 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.
7 September 1943:
CH-39 and CH-17 depart Rabaul for Palau escorting convoy 794 consisting of consisting of HIBI, SHICHISEI, MATSUE and UMEKAWA MARUs.
E 14 September 1943:
Arrives at Palau.
9 October 1943:
At 1300, CH-39 and CH-16 depart Rabaul for Palau escorting convoy O-903 consisting of KYOEI, TAKAOKA and NANMAN MARUs.
16 October 1943:
At 0830, arrives at Palau.
20 October 1943:
Departs Palau escorting convoy SO-002 consisting of TAJIMA and SHINKO MARUs.
28 October 1943:
Arrives at Rabaul.
13 November 1943:
At 1200, CH-39 and CH-24 depart Rabaul escorting convoy convoy O-305 consisting of HOKKAI, TAISHO, MACASSAR and LYONS MARUs and HOSHI MARU No. 5. The convoy is shadowed that evening by a USAAF B-24.
14 November 1943:
At 0003, the B-24 launches a slow low level attack and hits TAISHO MARU amidships in hold No. 3. TAISHO MARU is damaged but able to return to Rabaul arriving the following day.
20 November 1943:
Arrives at Palau.
25 November 1943:
CH-39 and CH-24 depart Palau for Rabaul escorting convoy SO-505 consisting of HOKKO, UCHIDE, YURI, COLUMBIA and CLYDE MARUs.
28 November 1943:
At 1010, LtCdr James W. Davis' USS RATON (SS-270) attacks the convoy. YURI MARU is hit by three torpedoes. She blows up and sinks at 01-40N, 141-51E. 13 crewmen and 38 troops of the No. 2 Special Naval Landing Force (SNLF) are KIA.
Davis next torpedoes and hits HOKKO MARU aft and sinks her. Three crewmen and one out of 640 troops aboard are KIA. Later that evening, RATON attacks the convoy again, but is unsuccessful.
29 November 1943:
LtCdr Robert J. Foley's USS GATO (SS-212) attacks the convoy unsuccessfully.
30 November 1943:
GATO launches a second attack. Foley torpedoes and sinks COLUMBIA MARU at 01-56N, 147-21E. Abandoned and drifted away, she finally sinks at 01-56N, 147-21E. Only one crewman is KIA.
CH-39 steams ahead. At 0300, CH-39 meets convoy O-006 from Rabaul consisting of WALES, NIKKI, SHOHO, SHINYU and AWA MARUs. Thereafter, CH-39 is the convoy's sole escort.
7 December 1943:
At 0900, arrives at Palau.
27 December 1943:
At 0800, CH-39 and CH-33 depart Rabaul for Palau escorting convoy O-706 consisting of SHIRANESAN, RYUA, HARUNA, HOKKAI and HITAKA MARUs and KOSHU MARU No. 2.
3 January 1944:
Arrives at Palau at 0800. Later that same day, CH-39, CH-33 and CH-24 depart Palau escorting convoy No. 8031 consisting of oiler OGURA MARU No. 3.
9 January 1944:
Arrives at Truk.
20 January 1944:
Departs Truk with destroyer HAMANAMI and CH-24, CH-30 and CH-33 escorting a convoy consisting of oiler OGURA MARU No. 3.
February 1944:
Departs Ponape for Truk escorting a convoy consisting of NIPPO, KITAGAMI and YUBAE MARUs, TAKUMAN MARU No. 2 and SHONAN MARU No. 5.
10 February 1944:
Arrives at Truk.
16 February 1944:
Off Three Island Harbor, New Hanover. CH-39 is escorting cargo ship SANKO MARU towing a midget submarine. The convoy is attacked by Fifth Air Force B-25 "Mitchell" medium-bombers of the 500th Bomb Squadron of the 345 Bomb Group. The B-25s bomb, strafe and sink CH-39 and SANKO MARU and damage the midget.
That same afternoon, B-25s of the 499th Bomb Squadron of the 345 Bomb Group find CH-39 sunk by the stern on a reef and abandoned, but the midget submarine is still on the surface. They bomb and strafe the midget and claim a sinking.
17 February 1944:
B-25s of the 500th Bomb Squadron return to the scene again and find the midget submarine still on the surface. They again bomb and strafe the midget and also claim a sinking. [1]
30 April 1945:
Removed from the Navy List.
Authors' Notes:
[1] Japanese sources claim the midget submarine's crew scuttled her after the B-25 attacks.
-Bob Hackett, Sander Kingsepp and Peter Cundall.
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