KUSENTEI!
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(Subchaser No. 46 by Takeshi Yuki scanned from "Color
Paintings of Japanese Warships")
IJN Subchaser CH-63:
Tabular Record of Movement
© 2005-2009 Bob Hackett, Sander Kingsepp and Peter Cundall
30 June 1944:
Niigata. Completed at Niigata Engineering Co. Ltd’s
factory. Assigned to the Sasebo Guard Squadron. Undergoes training.
15 August 1944:
At 0600, CH-63 departs Moji for Takao with destroyer HATSUSHIMO, torpedo boat HIYODORI, kaibokan CD-10, CD-20 and minesweeper W-20 escorting convoy MOTA-23 consisting of FUKUREI, EDOGAWA, DAIJO, EIJII, MANSHU, ATSUTA, CHINA, ROZAN, EIMAN, TOYOOKA, KOGYO, AWAJI MARUs, YOSHIDA MARU No. 3, TOYO MARU No. 3 and an unidentified ship.
24 August 1944:
At about 0700, LtCdr Henry S. Monroe's USS RONQUIL (SS-396) torpedoes and sinks YOSHIDA MARU No. 3 with all hands. At about the same time, Monroe torpedoes and damages FUKUREI MARU. She floods and drifts ashore where she is abandoned about three months later.
25 August 1944:
At 1400, the convoy arrives at Keelung.
5 September 1944:
At 1900, CH-63 departs Takao with destroyers HATSUHARU and HIBIKI, torpedo boat HIYODORI, kaibokan CD-1, CD-3, CD-7, CD-8, minesweeper W-20 and auxiliary subchaser CHa-67 escorting convoy TAMA-25 (formerly MOTA-23) consisting of KOGYO, EIJII, TOYOOKA, EIMAN, ATSUTA, ROZAN, MANSHU, EKKAI, TERUKUNI, NANREI and HOKUSEN MARUs.
6 September 1944:
At 0230, KOGYO MARU develops engine troubles and turns back. At 0423, EIJII MARU strikes mines twice at 22-19N 120-30E. HIBIKI comes alongside, but is damaged in the bow by another mine and forced to return to Takao. At 0800, as HIBIKI pulls away, EIJII MARU is rocked by a third mine
explosion and quickly sinks. 617 men are KIA. The convoy withdraws to Tungchiang. EIMAN MARU suffers engine problems, is detached and returns to Takao, probably escorted by CH-63.
18 September 1944:
At 0630, CH-63 departs Takao for Manila with CH-41 and minesweepers W-17, W-20 escorting convoy TAMA-26 consisting of MIZUHO, SHIRANESAN, EIMAN, ARABIA, TOSHIKAWA, HOTEN, AWAJI and NICHINAN MARUs and TOYO MARU No. 3.
21 September 1944:
At 0705, Cdr (later Vice Admiral) Glynn R. Donaho's USS PICUDA (SS-382) torpedoes and sinks AWAJI MARU at 18-43N, 120-53E. NICHINAN MARU rescues survivors.
At 0835, Cdr Louis D. McGregor's USS REDFISH (SS-395) torpedoes and sinks MIZUHO MARU at 18-37N, 120-41E. 1,313 passengers and crew of the 5,415 persons she was carrying are lost with her.
1 October 1944:
At 2056, arrives at Manila.
October 1944:
Reassigned to the 1st Southern Expeditionary Fleet in the 15th Special Base Force. Escorts convoys to and from the Andaman archipelago.
4 October 1944:
CH-63 departs Manila with destroyer TAKE escorting convoy MAMI-11 consisting of TATSUSHIRO and ATSUTA MARUs, tanker NANSHIN MARU No. 7 and an unidentified ship.
5 October 1944:
At about 1300, LtCdr James A. Atkins' USS COD (SS-224) torpedoes and damages ATSUTA MARU. Then at 1420, Atkins torpedoes and sinks TATSUSHIRO MARU at 13-02N 120-16E.
14 October 1944:
The convoy arrives at Miri.
9 February 1945:
At 0800, CH-63 departs Singapore with patrol boat PB-104 and kaibokan CD-132 escorting convoy HI-88E consisting of tanker ENKEI MARU and cargo ship SHINYU MARU.
E 14 February 1945:
Arrives at Cap St Jacques. CH-63 is detached.
23 March 1945:
CH-63 departs Penang with CH-34 escorting a convoy consisting of storeship TESHIO MARU and RISUI MARU (ex-LIPIS) carrying food for the Andaman and Nicobar garrisons. The convoy's initial destination is Port Blair, then Car Nicobar.
25 March 1945:
E of Khota Andaman. At 1030, the convoy is intercepted by Captain (later Admiral Sir) Manley L. Power's 26th Destroyer Flotilla consisting of destroyers HMS SAUMAREZ, VIRAGO, VIGILANT and VOLAGE. At 1059, the destroyers open fire on the convoy with gunfire and launch eight torpedoes, all of which miss.
The undamaged convoy makes for the southwest. At 1129, Captain Powers radios for air support. Two RAF Consolidated B-24 “Liberator” bombers soon arrive and in a low-level bombing attack sink TESHIO MARU, but one B-24 is caught in the blast of its own bombs and crashes into the sea.
At 1150, the 26th Destroyer Flotilla renews its attack on the convoy and HMS VOLAGE sinks RISUI MARU at 10-38N, 94-42E. HMS SAUMAREZ rescues the downed B-24's crew. At 1230, VIRAGO and VIGILANT open fire at long range on CH-63 and CH-34. VIGILANT closes and fires eight torpedoes at the subchasers, one of which hits and sinks CH-63.
10 May 1945:
Removed from the Navy List.
Author's Note:
See:
http://www.stanhough.com/Vigilant.htm
for more detailed info on CH-63's last engagement.
Thanks go to reader "SteveC" for this input.
-Bob Hackett, Sander Kingsepp and Peter Cundall.
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