KUSENTEI!

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

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16 November 1942:
Hakodate, Hokkaido. Laid down at Hakodate Senkyo shipyard as CH-449.

5 July 1943:
Renumbered CH-49.

15 September 1943:
Launched.

31 January 1944:
Completed and commissioned in the IJN. Assigned to the Sasebo Naval District in the Sasebo Guard Unit. Patrols out of Amami O-Shima, Ryukyus.

15 March 1944:
CH-49 and auxiliary submarine chaser CHa-74 depart Naha, Okinawa escorting convoy OKI-502 consisting of ANZAN MARU and oiler TEIKON MARU.

16 March 1944:
At 0150, LtCdr Robert D. Risser's USS FLYING FISH (SS-229) torpedoes and sinks ANZAN MARU at 27-38N, 128-58E. TEIKON MARU seeks shelter at Koniya. Later, the ships arrive at Moji.

10 April 1944:
Assigned to the 4th Surface Escort Division at Sasebo. Escorts convoys between Sasebo and Okinawa.

19 April 1944:
CH-49 departs Kagoshima for Naha, Okinawa with auxiliary minesweepers HAKATA MARU No. 6, SHONAN MARU No. 16, TAKUNAN MARU No. 1 and auxiliary submarine chaser NAGATO MARU escorting convoy ROKU-813 consisting of 12 unidentified merchant ships.

30 April 1944:
CH-49 departs Naha for Kagoshima with auxiliary minesweepers HAKATA MARU No. 6 and SHONAN MARU No. 16, and auxiliary submarine chaser NAGATO MARU escorting convoy OKI-004 consisting of four unidentified merchant ships.

3 May 1944:
CH-49 departs Naha for Koniya with torpedo boat MANAZURU, auxiliary submarine chaser CHIKUTO MARU and auxiliary minesweeper SHONAN MARU No. 16 escorting convoy RIN-OKI consisting of 11 unidentified merchant ships.

6 May 1944:
CH-49 departs Kagoshima for Naha, Okinawa with torpedo boat MANAZURU, auxiliary subchaser RYUSEI MARU and auxiliary minesweeper SHONAN MARU No. 16 escorting convoy ROKU-813 (ii) consisting of nine unidentified merchant ships. CH-49 sails only as far as Koniya.

9 May 1944:
CH-49 departs Koniya en route to Minami Daito Jima and Oki Daito Jima escorting convoy Daito Jima Homen Army Fishing Boat Convoy No. 3 consisting of 25 unidentified fishing boats

22 May 1944:
CH-49 departs Kagoshima for Keelung with torpedo boat MANAZURU, minelayer NIIZAKI, auxiliary minesweeper HIMESHIMA MARU, auxiliary patrol boats TAIAN MARU and CHOUN MARU No. 13 escorting convoy KATA-205 consisting of 10 unidentified merchant ships.

3 June 1944:
CH-49 departs Kagoshima for Keelung with auxiliary minesweeper TAIHEI MARU No. 3 Go and auxiliary patrol boat TAISEI MARU No.5 escorting convoy KATA-906 consisting of six unidentified merchant ships.

7 June 1944:
CH-49 departs Keelung with torpedo boat MANAZURU, auxiliary minesweepers TAIHEI MARU No. 3 Go and TAKUNAN MARU No. 1, CHITOSE MARU, auxiliary subchaser RYUSEI MARU and auxiliary patrol boat TAISEI MARU No. 5 escorting convoy TAKA-703 consisting of four unidentified merchant ships en route to Kagoshima, some direct and some via Naha.

25 July 1944:
At 0155, CH-49 and CH-58 depart Davao, Philippines for Zamboanga, Mindanao escorting convoy Z-258 consisting of AZUCHISAN, OYO, TATSUHARU, RYUKA and KITAGAMI MARUs, HISHI MARU No 2, KYOEI MARU No. 2 and LST No. 127. Other escorts include kaibokan CD-6, minesweeper No. 30, auxiliary subchaser KYO MARU No. 12, auxiliary netlayer TOKACHI MARU and auxiliaries TOKO MARU and HIYODORI MARU No. 2. Later that day, RYUKA MARU, LST No.127, HIYODORI MARU No. 2. and TOKO MARU are detached from the convoy for Sarangani Bay.

27 July 1944:
At 0055, LtCdr (later Captain) Bladen D. Claggett’s USS DACE (SS-247) torpedoes and sinks KYOEI MARU No. 2 at 05-20N, 121-43E. The escorts counterattack and drop 20 depth-charges, all unsuccessfully. At 1830, the convoy arrives at Zamboanga.

28 July 1944:
CH-49 and CH-58 depart Zamboanga with kaibokan CD-6 and CD-16 escorting convoy C-294 consisting of four unidentified merchant ships

31 July 1944 :
Arrives at Cebu.

17 August 1944:
CH-49 ,CH-18 and CH-17 depart Keelung with minelayers TSUBAME, NIIZAKI torpedo boat MANAZURU, auxiliary minesweepers SEKI MARU, SHONAN MARU No. 16, TOSHI MARU No. 7, TAKUNAN MARU No. 1, HIMESHIMA MARU, CHOUN MARU No. 8, auxiliary patrol boats CHOUN MARU No. 13, TAISEI MARU No. 5 and TAIAN MARU escorting convoy TAKA-708 consisting of 23 unidentified merchant ships enroute to Koniya or Kagoshima, some direct and some via Naha.

19 August 1944:
At 1200, arrives at Naha. Most ships in the convoy stop and unload. CH-18 returns to Kagoshima

28 August 1944:
At 0400, CH-49, CH-17 and CH-18 depart Kagoshima, Kyushu for Keelung, Formosa escorting convoy KATA-827 consisting of TSUKUSHI MARU No. 3, DOSHI, ISSHIN, KONZAN, NANYO, HAKUYO and SHOKYU MARUs and 25 other unidentified ships. Other escorts include torpedo boat MANAZURU, minelayer NIIZAKI, auxiliary netlayer SHINTO MARU No. 2, auxiliary subchaser CHIKUTO MARU, auxiliary minesweepers SHONAN MARU No. 16, HOEI MARU and auxiliary HOKOKU MARI No. 3.

30 August 1944:
Departs Naha.

4 September 1944:
At 1030, arrives at Keelung.

September 1944:
Escorts convoys between Sasebo and Amami O-Shima.

29 September 1944:
CH-49 departs Naha for Kagoshima with minelayer NIIZAKI, auxiliary patrol boat CHIKUTO MARU, auxiliary minesweepers SEKI MARU, HOEI MARUand SHONAN MARU No. 16 escorting convoy NAKA-908 consisting of four unidentified merchant ships.

6 October 1944:
CH-49 departs Keelung for Kagoshima with kaibokan CD-30, torpedo boat MANAZURU, minelayer NUWAJIMA, auxiliary netlayer SHINTO MARU No. 2, minesweeper W-15, auxiliary minesweepers CHOUN MARU No. 8, KAIYO MARU No. 1 Go and auxiliary patrol boats CHOUN MARU No. 13, SOBUN and HOKUYO MARUs escorting convoy TAKA-410 consisting of 14 unidentified merchant ships some direct to Kagoshima and some via Miyako Shima and Kasari Wan.

21 October 1944:
At 1200, CH-49 departs Kagoshima for Naha with kaibokan CD-30, torpedo boat MANAZURU, minesweeper W-15, auxiliaries KIKU MARU No. 7, HIMESHIMA MARU, auxiliary minesweeper SHONAN MARU No. 16 and TOSHI MARU No. 7 escorting convoy KATA-916 consisting of CHOJUSAN, TOMITSU, EDOGAWA, BANSEI, TENSHO, AMAKUSA, SHINTON, SANKA, HAKKA, YOSAN, TORAI, TAIKYU, SAKISHIMA, RYUKYU, KANKYO and AMOY MARUs and fleet stores ships MUROTO and KINESAKI.

22 October 1944:
At 0730, LtCdr (later Vice Admiral) Veron L. Lowrance’s USS SEA DOG (SS-401) torpedoes and sinks MUROTO at 29-18N, 129-44E. Lowrance also torpedoes and damages TOMITSU MARU. The convoy’s escorts and aircraft subject SEA DOG to a long and heavy counterattack in which 109 depth-charges are dropped, but Lowrance evades and SEA DOG escapes.

25 October 1944:
Arrives at Naha.

3 November 1944:
CH-49 departs Kagoshima with torpedo boat MANAZURU, minesweepers W-15 and W-16, auxiliary minesweepers SEKI and CHITOSE MARUs, TAKUNAN MARU No. 3, BANSHU MARU No. 51, TOSHI MARU No. 7 and SHONAN MARU No. 16, auxiliary patrol boats TAIAN MARU, auxiliary subchaser RYUSEI MARU escorting convoy KATA-322 consisting of KAIRYU, KINZAN, KEIUN, KENJO, SEIZAN, TAISEI, TOSHO, GINZAN and MALAY MARUs and TAMON MARU No.12.

6 November 1944:
Arrives at Naha. CH-49 and part of the convoy is detached.

7 November 1944:
CH-49 departs Naha for Kagoshima with torpedo boat MANAZURU, minesweeper W-15, auxiliary patrol boat TAIAN MARU, auxiliary minesweepers TOSHI MARU No.7, CHOUN MARU No. 8, CHITOSE and SEKI MARUs escorting convoy NAKA-713 consisting of 13 unidentified merchant ships.

24 December 1944:
CH-49 departs Keelung for Kagoshima with kaibokan CD-30, CD-42, torpedo boat MANAZURU, minesweeper W-15, auxiliary netlayer SHINTO MARU No. 2, auxiliary minesweepers CHOUN MARU No. 8, HIMESHIMA and CHITOSE MARUs escorting convoy TAKA-406 consisting of eight unidentified merchant ships some direct to Kagoshima and some via Naha.

26 February 1945: CH-49 departs Tomie, Goto Retto with kaibokan FUKUE, minelayers TSUBAME and NUWAJIMA and auxiliary submarine chaser SANKYO MARU escorting convoy SAI-1 consisting of DAIKEN, NICHIRIN, TOYOSAKA and EDOGAWA MARUs .

1 March 1945: Off Miyako Jima. Aircraft of Vice Admiral (later Admiral) Marc A. Mitscher’s Task Force 58 sink DAIKEN, TOYOSAKA and damage EDOGAWA MARU. NICHIRIN MARU escapes south, but is sunk the following day.

Off Ishigaki Shima. Task Force 58 aircraft damage minelayer NUWAJIMA and kaibokan FUKUE and sink minelayer TSUBAME at 24-23N, 124-12E. TF 58's planes also damage CH-49 off Ishikiri, Suwanose Island.

2 April 1945:
Amami O-Shima. TG 58. 4’s planes damage CH-49 at 28-07N, 129-09E.

10 May 1945:
Assigned to the 5th Special Attack Squadron at Sasebo. Escorts convoys between Sasebo and Tsingtao, China.

15 August 1945:
Sasebo. CH-49’s crew receives notice of the termination of hostilities with the Allied Powers.

5 October 1945:
Removed from the Navy List.

1 December 1945:
Assigned to the Allied Repatriation Service. Designated a repatriation ship.

3 October 1947:
Formosa. CH-49 is handed over to the Chinese Nationalist Government. The Chinese rename her YA LUNG; later HAI HUNG and finally ZHUJIANG.

1964:
Taiwan. Removed from the Republic of China's Navy List.

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-Bob Hackett, Sander Kingsepp and Peter Cundall.

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