KUSENTEI!

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

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1943:
Laid down at the Niigata Engineering Co., Ltd. Niigata factory.

1943:
Launched and numbered CH-60.

28 March 1944:
Completed and registered in the Kure Naval District. Assigned to the Kure Guard Unit. Undergoes training.

April 1944:
Kitagisi, Kyushu. Conducts continuous patrols. Escorts convoys.

4 May 1944:
Reassigned to Vice Admiral (Admiral, posthumously) Yamagata Seigo’s (39)(former CO of HOSHO) 4th Southern Expeditionary Fleet’s 26th Special Base Force. Performs fleet guardship duties at Manila and Davao. Later, escorts convoys out of Ambon.

29 May 1944:
At 0600, CH-60, light cruiser KASHII, escort carriers SHINYO and KAIYO, kaibokan AWAJI, CHIBURI, CD-19 and minelayer TSUBAME depart Moji escorting convoy HI-65 consisting of oilers ITSUKUSHIMA, OMUROSAN, ZUIHO and TOHO MARUs, naval oiler SHIRETOKO, cargo liners ARIMASAN, MANILA, KASHII and TATSUWA MARUs and troop transport SHINSHU MARU.

2 June 1944:
Formosa Straits. AWAJI is torpedoed by LtCdr Albert L. Raborn's USS PICUDA (SS-382) and sinks near Yasho Island at 22-48N, 121-24E. Raborn fires two torpedoes at ARIMASAN MARU that cause her to collide with SHINSHU MARU's stern. This causes a depth charge explosion that kills about 70 men and damages her rudder. KASHII takes SHINSHU MARU in tow. ARIMASAN MARU is lightly damaged in the attack and heads for Kirun with KASHII and SHINSHU MARU.

2 June 1944:
E of Formosa. The convoy is attacked by LtCdr (later Captain) Enrique D. Haskins' new USS GUITARRO (SS-363) enroute from Pearl to Fremantle. At 0519 and 0527, Haskins makes a moonlight periscope approach and fires six torpedoes at an oiler. One of the torpedoes makes a circular run and GUITARRO is forced deep. Later, GUITARRO avoids depth charge and aircraft attacks and escapes to Australia.

4 June 1944:
Arrives at Takao, Formosa. KAIYO rejoins the convoy after brief stop at Saei. Oiler JINEI MARU joins the convoy at sea.

12 June 1944:
At 1350, arrives at Singapore.

11 July 1944:
At 0900, CH-60 and minesweeper W- 5 depart Kau, Halmahera Island escorting a convoy consisting of HAMBURG, NARRUO, CLYDE, CHINKAI MARUs and SHINSEI MARU No. 5.

13 July 1944:
At 1830, the convoy arrives Bitung NE Celebes.

16 July 1944:
At 0730, CH-60 and W-5 depart Bitung in a convoy consisting of CELEBES, TAIIAN, TAIKAI and TOYO MARUs.

22 July 1944:
At 1720, the convoy arrives Ambon.

1 August 1944:
At 1100, CH-60 departs Makassar escorting a convoy consisting of landing ships T-149 and T-151.

5 August 1944:
At 0635, the convoy arrives at Ambon.

October 1944:
Reassigned to Vice Admiral Mikawa Gunichi’s 3rd Southern Expeditionary Fleet’s 31st Special Base force at Manila. Conducts patrols and escorts convoys.

14 December 1944:
At 0440, CH-60 and destroyer MOMO depart Manila’s “Million Dollar Pier” (No.7) for Moji, escorting the “ORYOKU MARU” convoy. ORYOKU MARU is carrying general goods and 3,511 evacuees including 1,619 Allied POWs, most of whom are field grade officers. Japanese civilians occupy the passenger cabins. The POWs are crammed into three cargo holds.

7 miles S of Napo Point. At 0650, air attacks begin by Vice Admiral (later Admiral) Marc A. Mitscher’s (former CO of HORNET, CV-8) Task Force 38's USS HORNET (CV-12). Between six and 13 TBF "Avengers" attack the ORYOKU MARU convoy in eleven waves that day. ORYOKU MARU is hit by bombs and her hull opened in many places by near misses. The ship begins taking on water and develops a 15 degree list to port. Her captain decides to strand her in shallow water. At 1020, ORYOKU MARU is beached at Suesute Point. The engine room is urgently repaired to allow the ship to be refloated on the high tide.

Subic Bay, Philippines. At 2150, the ship drops anchor inside Olongapo Port. The dead and passengers are offloaded, but the POW’s are left on board with guards. At the same time, the ship begins taking in water again and her list increases. The convoy is dissolved at, or prior to this time, and CH-60 and MOMO head north.

15 December 1944:
Subic. ORYOKU MARU is again bombed by 12 waves of aircraft from HORNET. At 0800 another prolonged air raid begins with 16 aircraft from HORNET attacking. Direct bomb hits start fires and wreck fire fighting pumps. Manual efforts to douse the fires are to no avail. At 1030, Abandon Ship is ordered. At 1630, off Caiman reef, the ship’s bow lodges in a group of rocks. ORYOKU MARU heels over and sinks about 300 yards offshore from the former Olongapo Naval Base at 14-45N, 120-13E.

140 miles WSW of Cape Bolinao, Luzon. At about 1900 that same day, CH-60 and MOMO are attacked by LtCdr Francis W. Scanland's USS HAWKBILL (SS-366). Scanland fires three torpedoes by radar and sinks MOMO about at 16-00N, 117-39 E. CH-60 escapes.

February 1945:
CH-60 is reassigned to the 1st Marine Escort Division. Escorts convoy between Formosa (Taiwan) and Sasebo.

5 March 1945:
CH-60 is reassigned to the General Escort Command’s First Escort Fleet’s 31st Subchaser Division with CH-19, CH-20, CH-21 and CH-26.

15 August 1945: Cessation of Hostilities:
At Sasebo.

5 October 1945:
Removed from the Navy List. Attached to the Allied Repatriation Service and designated a special cargo ship.

11 October 1945:
Departs Sasebo. Later that day arrives Pusan and departs port that evening.

12 October 1945:
Arrives at Hakata.

15 October 1945:
Departs Hakata.

16 October 1945:
Arrives at Pusan and departs port later that day arriving at Hakata late the same day.

19 October 1945:
Departs Hakata.

20 October 1945:
Arrives at Pusan and departs later that day.

21 October 1945:
Arrives at Hakata.

24 October 1945:
Departs Hakata.

25 October 1945:
Arrives at Pusan and departs later that day.

26 October 1945:
Arrives at Hakata.

8 November 1945:
Departs Hakata.

9 November 1945:
Arrives at Pusan and departs later that day.

10 November 1945:
Arrives at Hakata.

12 November 1945:
Departs Hakata.

13 November 1945:
Arrives at Pusan and departs later that day.

14 November 1945:
Arrives at Hakata.

18-29 November 1945:
Undergoes repairs.

20 December 1945:
Departs Hakata.

21 December 1945:
Arrives at Pusan and departs later that day.

22 December 1945:
Arrives at Hakata.

24 December 1945:
Departs Hakata.

25 December 1945:
Arrives at Pusan and departs later that day.

26 December 1945:
Arrives at Hakata.

10 January 1946:
Departs Hakata.

13 January 1946:
Arrives at Shanghai and departs later that day.

15 January 1946:
Arrives at Hakata.

17 January 1946:
Departs Hakata.

21 January 1946:
Arrives at Shanghai.

22 January 1946:
Departs Shanghai.

25 January 1946:
Arrives at Hakata.

26 January 1946:
Departs Hakata.

27 January 1946:
Arrives at Shanghai.

30 January 1946:
Departs Shanghai.

1 February 1946:
Arrives at Hakata.

6 February 1946:
Departs Hakata.

10 February 1946:
Arrives at Shanghai.

12 February 1946:
Departs Shanghai.

15 February 1946:
Arrives at Hakata.

20 February 1946:
Departs Hakata.

22 February 1946:
Arrives at Shanghai and departs later that day.

26 February 1946:
Arrives at Hakata.

1 March 1946:
Departs Hakata.

3 March 1946:
Arrives at Shanghai.

4 March 1946:
Departs Shanghai.

7 March 1946:
Arrives at Kagoshima.

25 March 1946:
Departs Sasebo.

27 March 1946:
Arrives at Shanghai and departs later that day.

29 March 1946:
Arrives at Hakata.

3 April 1946:
Departs Sasebo.

5 April 1946:
Arrives at Shanghai.

10 April 1946:
Departs Shanghai.

12 April 1946:
Arrives at Hakata.

19 April 1946:
Departs Hakata.

23 April 1946:
Arrives at Shanghai and departs later that same day.

28 April 1946:
Arrives at Hakata.

30 April 1946:
Departs Hakata.

4 May 1946:
Arrives at Korojima, near Tientsin

13 May 1946:
Departs Korojima

17 May 1946:
Arrives at Hakata.

23 May 1946:
Departs Hakata.

27 May 1946:
Arrives at Korojima.

28 May 1946:
Departs Korojima.

31 May 1946:
Arrives at Hakata.

3 June 1946:
Departs Hakata.

6 June 1946:
Arrives at Korojima.

7 June 1946:
Departs Korojima.

9 June 1946:
Arrives at Hakata.

13 June 1946:
Departs Hakata.

16 June 1946:
Arrives at Korojima.

20 June 1946:
Departs Korojima.

22 June 1946:
Arrives at Hakata.

26 June 1946:
Departs Hakata.

30 June 1946:
Arrives at Korojima.

1 July 1946:
Departs Korojima.

4 July 1946:
Arrives at Hakata.

13 July-20 August 1946:
Undergoes repairs.

26 September 1946:
Departs Kure.

30 September 1946:
Arrives at Okinawa.

1 October 1946:
Arrives at Okinawa.

4 October 1946:
Arrives at Kure.

6 October 1946:
Departs Kure.

8 October 1946:
Arrives at Okinawa.

10 October 1946:
Departs Okinawa.

13 October 1946:
Arrives at Kure.

15-31 October 1946:
Under repair at Kure.

4 November 1946:
Departs Kure.

6 November 1946:
Arrives at Okinawa and departs later that day.

8 November 1946:
Arrives at Kure.

22 November 1946:
Departs Kure.

25 November 1946:
Arrives at Okinawa and departs later that day.

27 November 1946:
Arrives at Kure.

1948:
Scrapped.

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Authors' Note:
[1] On 27 December, the remaining POWs were loaded aboard BRAZIL and ENOURA MARUs and departed for Takao, Formosa. On 13 January 1945, after more bombings at Takao - again by aircraft from HORNET- the 900 remaining POWs sailed from Takao aboard BRAZIL MARU and arrived at Moji, Japan on 29 January 1945. Of the original 1,619 POWs, 1,348 died enroute from various causes including starvation, dehydration, disease and physical abuse by their captors. Different authors give different figures for the number of POWs still alive when BRAZIL MARU arrived in Moji, but most agree only 271 men survived to be repatriated.

-Bob Hackett, Sander Kingsepp and Peter Cundall.

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