KUSENTEI!

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

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25 January 1938:
Yokohama. Laid down at the Mitsubishi Heavy Industries shipyard.

28 July 1938:
Launched and numbered CH-5.

6 December 1938:
Completed and registered in the IJN.

7 December 1941: Operation "M" - The Invasion of the Northern Philippines:
Assigned to Rear Admiral (later Vice Admiral) Hirose Sueto's (former CO of AOBA) 2nd Base Force of Vice Admiral Takahashi Ibo's (36) (former CO of KIRISHIMA) Third Fleet. Attached to the Philippines Seizure Force in Cdr Ota's SubChasDiv 21 with CH-4, CH-6, CH-16, CH-17 and CH-18. At 1630, departs Mako, Pescadores.

10 December 1941:
Participates in the landings at Vigan, Philippines. 22 December 1941: The Invasion of the Philippines:
Lingayen Gulf. Three echelons of 76 transports carrying the main part of LtGen Homma Masaharu's Fourteenth Army land at Lingayen. SubChasDiv 21 escorts Rear Admiral Hirose's third echelon of 22 transports from Keelung, Formosa.

January 1942:
Carries out patrols in the Davao area

24 February 1942: Operation "J" - The Invasion of Java, Netherlands East Indies:
Participates in the landings at Bantam Bay, near Batavia (Jakarta), Java.

8-12 March 1942:
Participates in the capture of Surabaya, Java.

10 March 1942:
Assigned to Vice Admiral Takahashi's Southwest Area Fleet's newly formed Second Southern Expeditionary Fleet in Special Base Force 22 organized at Surabaya with CH-4 and CH-6. Escorts convoys to Balikpapan, Borneo.

29 July 1942: Operation "T" - Banda Sea Operations:
At 1500, the 3rd Attack Force departs Ambon, Moluccas. The force includes CH-5 of Special Base Force 22 carrying a platoon of the 3rd Yokosuka Special Naval Landing Force (SNLF) and Special Base Force 23's CH-21, carrying one company of Special Base Force 24. Cover is provided by DesDiv 5's ASAKAZE, HAURUKAZE and MATSUKAZE of the 1st Southern Expeditionary Fleet.

30 July 1942:
CH-5 lands troops on the Tanimbar Islands.

31 July 1942:
Returns to Ambon.

22 December 1942:
Departs Balikpapan at 1600 escorting oiler SAN CLEMENTE MARU and another ship to longitude 121.

25 May 1943:
At 0800, departs Balikpapan escorting TAIKAI, SEIZAN and SONTO MARUs towards Makassar. Then probably escorts IKUSHIMA MARU back to Balikpapan.

26 May 1943:
At 0800, CH-5 departs Balikpapan. Escorts oiler AKEBONO MARU, enroute to Rabaul, as far as 2 degrees N latitude.

27 May 1943:
At 1600, takes over escort of convoy near Balikpapan consisting of oiler KYOEI MARU and cargo ships TOBI, SHONAN and MIYAURA MARUs en route to Tarakan.

29 May 1943:
At 1400, arrives at Tarakan.

30 May 1943:
Escorts oiler AZUMA MARU from Tarakan to Balikpapan.

11 August 1943:
CH-5 departs Tarakan escorting oiler TSURUMI.

13 August 1943:
Arrives at Balikpapan.

20 August 1943:
At 0900, CH-5 and CH-4 depart Balikpapan escorting convoy No. 2606 consisting of AMAGISAN, NICHIAI and YAMAYURI MARUs and tanker TSURUMI.

23 August 1943:
YAMAYURI MARU and CH-5 are detached for Menado and then NICHIAI MARU is detached.

5 October 1943:
CH-5 departs Balikpapan with destroyer SANAE escorting convoy No. 2608 consisting of TSURUMI, ONDO and five unidentified merchant ships. Soon after leaving, TSURUMI encounters machinery problems and is forced to turn back.

10 October 1943:
Arrives at Palau.

16 October 1943:
CH-5 departs Palau with destroyer SANAE escorting convoy No. 2511 consisting of NICHIRYO and SHOEI MARUs at 9 knots.

23 October 1943:
At 0800, arrives at Balikpapan.

8 October 1943:
CH-5 departs Tarakan escorting a convoy consisting of oilers TOA and NIPPON MARUs.

9 October 1943:
At 1700, arrives at Balikpapan.

16 October 1943:
Departs Palau with destroyer SANAE escorting convoy 2511 consisting of NICHIRYO and SHOEI MARUs at 9 knots.

23 October 1943:
At 0700, arrives Balikpapan. Prior to arrival, NICHIRYO MARU detached and sailed independently to Ambon. Later that day, CH-5 is ordered to Kau to escort SENKO MARU to Balikpapan.

14 November 1943:
At 1700, CH-5 departs Balikpapan with destroyers HIBIKI and HANAKAZE escorting fast tanker convoy consisting of NAMPO, TOA, NIPPON and SHINKOKU MARUs.

17 February 1944:
CH-5 and auxiliary gunboat PEKING MARU depart Balikpapan for Palau escorting a convoy consisting of oilers OGURA MARU No. 3 and KYOEI MARU No. 2.

23 February 1944:
At about 2300, LtCdr (later Rear Admiral) James C. Dempsey's USS COD (SS-224) makes a surface attack, torpedoes and sinks OGURA MARU No. 3 at 03-53N, 129-17E.

26 February 1944:
Arrives at Palau.

2 May 1944:
Arrives at Makassar escorting a convoy consisting of SUITEN MARU, oiler ENOSHIMA MARU and another unidentified ship.

8 June 1944:
W of Menado, Celebes. At about 1600, lookouts aboard LtCdr Willard R. Laughon's surfaced USS RASHER (SS-269) spot smoke on the horizon at 30,000 yards. Later, the targets are misidentified as "old armored cruiser ASAMA" (fleet oiler SHIOYA) and an "AMATSUKAZE (KAGERO)-class destroyer" (CH-5) patrolling two miles ahead of SHIOYA.

Laughon makes a submerged attack from starboard and fires six torpedoes. Five hit SHIOYA. Her magazine explodes and the aft part of the ship is obscured by flames up to the stacks. SHIOYA takes on a list to starboard. Laughon takes RASHER to 300 feet and evades eight depth charges. He and his crew hear breaking up noises. SHIOYA sinks at 03-04N, 124-03E. [1]

25 October 1944:
At 0650, CH-5, CH-31 and patrol boat No. 2 depart Tarakan escorting convoy M-246 consisting of UNKAI MARU No. 12, CAROLINE MARU and oilers TAKASAGO MARU No. 2, NANSHIN MARU No. 8, NANKO MARU No. 1 and HORAI MARU No. 7 At 1437 that day, UNKAI MARU No. 12 runs aground. Patrol boat PB-2 is detached to guard the ship. [2]

29 October 1944:
Arrives at Honda Bay, N of Puerto Princesa. Later that day, UNKAI MARU No. 12 and patrol boat PB-2 rejoin the convoy at Puerto Princesa.

31 October 1944:
At 2000, arrives at Taytay Bay, NE Palawan.

1 November 1944:
Departs Taytay Bay. Later that day, the convoy is attacked by LtCdr George H. Laird's USS BLACKFIN (SS-322) and LtCdr William T. Kinsella's RAY (SS-271). At 0923, Laird torpedoes and sinks UNKAI MARU No. 12 and CAROLINE MARU, both at 12-57N, 120-12E. At 1042, Kinsella sinks HORAI MARU No. 7 at the same location. Later that day, the rest of the convoy arrives at Manila.

2 November 1944:
At 1130, fleet convoy TAMA-31A departs Takao for Manila consisting of KAGU MARU and navy LST's T. 111, T. 139, T. 140 and T. 160 escorted by subchaser CH-21 and minesweeper W-20. The ships are part of an emergency transport run to Manila following the Battle for Leyte Island and are carrying 1,820 men including a naval construction unit from Kure, an anti-aircraft unit and a Special Naval Landing Force.

3 November 1944:
Near Lingayen Gulf, Luzon, Philippines. A temporary wolf pack is formed consisting of consisting of Cdr (later Rear Admiral) Wreford G. Chapple’s BREAM (SS-243), LtCdr William T. Kinsella’s RAY (SS-271), LtCdr Maurice W. Shea’s RATON (SS-270) and LtCdr (later Captain) Enrique D. Haskins’ GUITARRO (SS-363).

Meanwhile, the convoy proceeds into the danger zone. While in the Bashi Channel, the convoy evades torpedoes probably fired by LtCdr Robert E. Ward's USS SAILFISH (SS-192), then shelters in Lapoc Bay, N of Vigan, arriving there at 1800.

4 November 1944:
At 0700, convoy TAMA-31A leaves Lapoc Bay and heads south for Manila. At 1627, LtCdr Shea's RATON attacks the convoy and fires six torpedoes at KAGU MARU, but they all miss. The convoy’s escorts and air cover counterattack, but without effect. At somepoint during the day, CH-5 and auxiliary subchaser KEISHU MARU join TAMA-31's escort.

Later that day, Cdr Chapple’s BREAM puts one of four torpedoes he fires into KAGU MARU.

10.5 miles NW of Cape Bolinao, Lingayen Gulf. That evening, GUITARRO attacks KAGU MARU. At 1748 (JST), one of a spread of eight torpedoes hits her amidships. A fire starts in the engine room. After GUITARRO's attack, RAY fires two torpedoes and blows off KAGU MARU’s bow. At 2010, KAGU MARU sinks at 15-54N, 119-45E. CH-5 and auxiliary subchaser KEISHU MARU counter-attack unsuccessfully. Credit for the sinking is divided among the wolfpack’s submarines.

9 January 1945:
Bantem Bay, E of Bawean Island, Borneo. Ltz 1 (LtCdr) Jacob F. Drijfhout van Hooff's Dutch submarine O-19, operating under ComSubSoWesPac, is alerted by an "Ultra" signal that a small convoy is steaming eastwards S of Borneo. Just before sunset. a mast appears on the horizon near Tandjung Puting. Van Hooff executes an "end around" to get ahead of the convoy.

Van Hooff surfaces at sunset and sights a small freighter and an escort. He fires three torpedoes and gets a hit that sinks SHINKO MARU No. 1 at 03-41S-111-54E. CH-5 depth charges O-19 and causes heavy damage. O-19 safely returns to Fremantle via Darwin, Australia. [3]

27 March 1945:
CH-5 departs Balikpapan for Surabaya escorting convoy BASU-05 consisting of six unidentified ships.

29 March 1945:
CH-5 is ordered to rendezvous with another convoy operating between Banjermasin and Surabaya. 31 March 1945:
Makassar Strait, off Balikpapan, Borneo. USAAF B-24 "Liberator" heavy-bombers attack the convoy and damage CH-5.

At 1508, USN codebreakers intercept and decrypt a message from CH-5 that reads: “While escorting convoy engaged in battle with planes outside Balikpapan Harbor. At this time took four near misses. Suffered damage to searchlight, depth charge projectors and ----- lights. The above require repairs. Expended 450 rounds of ammunition. Request the ship be docked and engines overhauled at this time.”

Later that day, arrives at Surabaya.

31 March-8 May 1945:
Surabaya. Undergoes repairs by the IJN's 102nd Repair Unit.

E 8 May 1945:
Repairs are completed. CH-5 departs Surabaya for Balikpapan.

29 May 1945:
CH-5 departs Surabaya for Balikpapan escorting TOBI MARU (former Dutch TOBELO).

1 June 1945:
Java Sea. At 1524, Royal Navy Lt Richard L. Jay's submarine HMS TIPTOE fires two torpedoes at 982-ton TOBI MARU and gets one hit that sinks her at 04-53S, 115-48E.

USN codebreakers intercept and decrypt a message from CH-5 that reads:“Torpedo attack, 1 hit, fear sinking, in position bearing 180 [degrees] distant 4 miles from Matasiri Island.”

30 June 1945:
N of Bali, Java. CH-5 departs Makassar, Celebes escorting convoy MASU-705 to Surabaya. The convoy consists of sea-trucks NASHIN MARU No. 16, SUGI MARU, SHONAN MARU No. 2 and dredge BANDAI MARU. At about 0200, the convoy is attacked by LtCdr Benjamin C. Davis' USS BAYA (SS-318) and LtCdr Ernest S. Friedrick's CAPITAINE (SS-336). The submarines engage and damage CH-5 with their 5-inch deck guns and sink IJA cargo ship BANDAI MARU at 06-27S, 117-13E. CH-5 does not sink and later is towed to Batavia (Jakarta), Java (Indonesia) for repairs.

15 August 1945:
Batavia. The crew of CH-5 is notified of the termination of hostilities with the Allied Powers. Later, CH-5 is taken over by British Forces in a severely damaged condition. She is moved to Singapore at an undetermined date.

11 July 1946:
Off Singapore. Scuttled by the Royal Navy.

10 August 1946:
Removed from the Navy List.

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Authors' Note:
[1] Later, CNO analysts discussed the 8 June 44 attack by RASHER: “The SHIOYA was scheduled to be in position 03-08 N., 124-00 E. at 1930 on 8 June under the escort of CH-5. On 8 June at 2018, CH-5 originated a dispatch to Balikpapan and Davao, infoing CINC Combined Fleet and 2nd Southern Expeditionary Fleets. At 082030, CH-5 was addressed in care of Davao Special Base Force. This untranslated traffic probably dealt with the attack on SHIOYA. That SHIOYA was not sunk on 7 June is proved by the fact that at 081248 she was the concealed originator of a dispatch to various fleet commands.”

[2] Some British sources claim HMS TALLY-HO! sank CH-5 in the Malacca Strait on 6 Oct '44, but clearly this is a mis-identification.

[3] Sources vary concerning the identification of the escort. Ultra signals, based on decrypts, claim it was CH-5. During the action, CH-5 may have sustained damage, but the extent of damage, if any, is unknown.

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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