KUSENTEI!

© 2005-2006 Bob Hackett, Sander Kingsepp and Peter Cundall

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1943:
Koyagi Island. Launched at the Kawaminami shipyard and numbered CH-47

12 August 1943:
Completed. Registered in the Yokosuka Naval District and assigned to the Yokosuka Guard Force.

27 August 1943:
Departs Yokosuka for Truk escorting convoy 3827B consisting of supply ship SHINSEI and SHONAN MARUs and Oil Tanker No. 6010.

28 August 1943:
10 miles W of Mikura Shima. The convoy is attacked by LtCdr Thomas L. Wogan's old USS TARPON (SS-175). At 0445, SHINSEI MARU is damaged by a torpedo at 33-52N, 139-29E. The convoy turns back to Japan.

29 August 1943:
Arrives at Tateyama.

15 May 1944:
CH-47 and CH-45, minelayer YAEYAMA and minesweeper W-48 depart Manila for Halmahera Island escorting convoy H-26 consisting of the ETAJIMA, KENWA, TEMPEI, AKAGISAN, TAIJUN, TAIYU, TOUN and SHIRAHAMA MARUs and SHINSEI MARU No. 18.

22 May 1944:
Off Davao, Philippines. At about 0100, LtCdr Brooks J. Harral's USS RAY (SS-271) makes a radar-assisted night attack on the surface on the convoy. In a series of attacks, Harral torpedoes TEMPEI MARU. She sinks at 05-16S, 127-42E.

23 May 1944:
At about 0500, the RAY makes a radar-assisted attack on the surface and torpedoes TAIJUN MARU. She sinks at 02-42N, 128-08E. CH-47 and the remainder of H-26 arrive at Kau Bay, Halmahera late that day.

August 1944:
Undergoes repairs.

September 1944:
Conducts patrols off Chichi-Jima, Ogasawara Gunto (Bonin Islands).

December 1944:
Tokyo. Undergoes repairs at Ishikawajima.

16 January 1945:
At 1200, CH-47, CH-42, kaibokans CD-12, CD-56 and minesweeper W-29 depart Tateyama escorting convoy 3115 consisting of KURETAKE, YONEYAAMA and NANYO MARUs and UNYO MARU No. 6.

19 January 1945:
Arrives at Futami, Chichijima.

17 February 1945:
CH-47 is damaged by aircraft at 32-45N, 111-56E.

27 February 1945:
Shiono-Misaki, Honshu. Carrier aircraft from Vice Admiral (later Admiral) Marc A. Mitscher's (former CO of HORNET) Task Force 58 attack CH-47, but inflict only minor damage.

March 1945:
Izu Peninsula. Escorts convoys in the Shimoda area. [1]

15 July 1945:
Yokosuka. Assigned to the 1st Special Attack Squadron.

15 August 1945:
The crew of CH-47 is notified of the termination of hostilities with the Allied powers.

15 September 1945:
Removed from the Navy List,

1 December 1945:
Assigned to the Repatriation Service. Designated a special cargo ship.

20 April 1946:
Departs Shanghai on her first repatriation voyage.

22 April 1946:
Arrives at Hakata.

26 April 1946:
Departs Hakata.

28 April 1946:
Arrives at Shanghai.

2 May 1946:
Departs Shanghai on her second and final repatriation voyage.

4 May 1946:
Arrives at Hakata.

1 October 1947:
Delivered to the United States as war compensation. Scrapped soon thereafter.

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Authors' Notes:
[1] In 1854, Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry landed at Shimoda. It was the site of the signing of the Japan-American treaty of trade and amity.

-Bob Hackett, Sander Kingsepp and Peter Cundall.

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