KUSENTEI!



(Subchaser No. 46 by Takeshi Yuki scanned from "Color Paintings of Japanese Warships")

IJN Subchaser CH-54:
Tabular Record of Movement

© 2008-2013 Bob Hackett, Sander Kingsepp and Peter Cundall

Revision 1


1943:
Niigata. Laid down at Niigata Iron Works shipyard.

1943:
Launched and numbered CH-54.

12 November 1943:
Completed and registered in the Yokosuka Naval District. Attached to the Yokosuka Guard Force.

December 1943:
Conducts patrols from Owase and escorts convoys.

March 1944:
Escorts convoys between Chichi-Jima, Ogasawara (Bonin) Islands and the mainland.

22 March 1944:
Tokyo Bay. CH-54 departs Tokyo Bay for Saipan and Palau with light cruiser YUBARI, DesDiv 5's HATAKAZE, DesDiv 6's IKAZUCHI and DesDiv 32's TAMANAMI, torpedo boat OTORI, kaibokan NOMI and HIRADO and subchasers CH-48 and CH-51 escorting troop reinforcement convoy Higashi-Matsu No. 3 consisting of supply ship HAYASAKI and KOJUN, MEIRYU, TATSUURA, KENAN, TOMITSU, CHOHAKUSAN and NANYO MARUs and HOSHI MARU No. 11 and NISSEI MARU No. 1.

25 March 1944:
50 miles N of Muko Jima, Ogasawara Islands. LtCdr (later Rear Admiral-Ret) Bafford E. Lewellen's (USNA ‘31) old USS POLLACK (SS-180) attacks the convoy. USS POLLACK torpedoes and sinks CH-54 at 28-34N, 142-14E. Lewellen also claims damage to two freighters.

10 May 1944:
Removed from the Navy List.


Thanks to Mr. Gilbert Casse of France.

-Bob Hackett, Sander Kingsepp and Peter Cundall.


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