Japanese Subchasers

KUSENTEI!

IJN Subchaser CH-8: Tabular Record of Movement
© 2005-2020 Bob Hackett, Sander Kingsepp and Peter Cundall
Revision 12

10 January 1938:
Laid down at Tama Shipbuilding.
9 August 1938:
Launched and numbered CH-8.

30 November 1938:
Completed and registered in the IJN.
29 May 1940:
CH-8 and auxiliary minesweeper TAMAZONO MARU No. 1 depart Ominato and escort the CHITOSe carrier group.
31 May 1940:
Together with minelayer KUROSAKI returns to Ominato.
4 June 1940:
CH-8, minelayers SHIRAKAMI and ASHIZAKI depart Ominato for Mutsu Wan and Tsugaru Straits on a training exercise.
11 June 1940:
Arrives back at Ominato.
24 July 1940:
CH-8, minelayers ASHIZAKI, KUROSAKI and SHIRAKAMI all depart Ominato on a training exercise.
31 July 1940:
CH-8 and minelayer SHIRAKAMI depart Ominato on a military mission.
19 August 1940:
CH-8, minelayers ASHIZAKI, KUROSAKI and SHIRAKAMI all depart Ominato on a naval exercise in Mutsu Wan and Tsugaru Straits.
26 August 1940:
Arrive back at Ominato.
6 September 1940:
CH-8 departs Ominato and undertakes asdic testing using submarine RO-59 as the target in Mutsu Wan.
30 September 1940:
CH-8, patrol boat PB-35, minelayers ASHIZAKI and KUROZAKI and tugs No. 1 and No. 2 all depart Ominato on Naval manoevres returning in October.
31 October 1940:
CH-8 undertakes [vessel] examination exercises in Mutsu Wan.
November 1941:
Camranh Bay, Indochina. CH-8 is assigned to SubChasDiv 11 with CH-7 and CH-9 in Rear Admiral (later Vice Admiral) Hiraoka Kumeichi's (39) (former CO of HIEI) Ninth Base Force of Vice Admiral Ozawa Jisaburo’s Southern Fleet.
3 December 1941:
At 0600 CH-7 and CH-8 depart Sana, Hainan Island.
8 December 1941: Opening of Hostilities with the Western Allies:
Camranh Bay, Indochina. CH-8 is in Vice Admiral Ozawa Jisaburo’s (37) Southern Fleet with Rear Admiral (later Vice Admiral) Hiraoka Kumeichi (39) (former CO of HIEI) 9th Base Force in Cdr Hayashi Risaku’s (50) SubChasDiv 11 with CH-7 and CH-9. CH-8 departs later that day to escort the Malay Invasion Force.

At 0030 CH-8 arrives off Singora.
12 December 1941:
At 2000 CH-8 and CH-9 depart Singora and later arrive at Pulo Condore.
15 December 1941:
At 1100 departs Pulo Condore.
16 December 1941:
At 2100 arrives at Kota Bharu.
19 December 1941:
Attacks an enemy submarine off Kota Bharu, apparently without result.
21 December 1941:
At 2100 departs Kota Bharu.
22 December 1941:
At 1215 arrives at Singora.
19 December 1941:
10 miles NNE of Kota Bharu, Malaysia. Dutch submarine Hr. Ms. O-20 is spotted and attacked by a Kawanishi E7K2 “Alf” floatplane from SENDAI. AMAGIRI, AYANAMI and URANAMI are detached to keep the submarine down until the Japanese troop convoy has cleared the area. CH-8 joins the hunt for O-20, dropping a number of depth charges.
21 December 1941:
At 2100 departs Kota Bharu.
22 December 1941:
At 1215 arrives at Singora.
10 January 1942:
At 1850 departs Singora.
12 January 1942:
At 1200 arrives at Pulo Condore, FIC.
Mid-Late January 1942:
South China Sea. CH-8 participates in the capture of the Dutch island of Natuna Besar.
22 January 1942:
At 1300 CH-7, CH-8 and CH-9 depart Pulo Condore.
26 January 1942:
At 0400 CH-8 and CH-9 arrive at Anambas. At 0900 CH-8 arrives at Endau.
28 January 1942:
At 1200 CH-7 and CH-8 depart Endau.
29 January 1942:
At 0330 CH-7 and CH-8 arrive at Anambas.
31 January 1942:
At 1100 CH-7 and CH-8 depart Anambas.

9 February 1942: Operation "L" - The Invasion of Palembang, Sumatra:
SubChasDiv 11's CH-8 and CH-7 depart Camranh Bay for Palembang with kaibokan SHIMUSHU and MineSweepDiv 1's W-1, W-2, W-3, W-4 and W-5 escorting eight transports. Rear Admiral (later Vice Admiral) Hashimoto Shintaro's (41) DesRon 3's light cruiser SENDAI with DesDiv 11's FUBUKI, HATSUYUKI and SHIRAYUKI and DesDiv 20's ASAGIRI provide close cover.
16 February 1942:
The transports land troops near Palembang.
March 1942:
Arrives at Penang, Malaya.
12 March 1942:
At 1030 in Palohan Bay, Pulo Weh, Sumatra seizes the communications boat HERCULES (107 tons).
2 April 1942:
CH-8, Kaibokan SHIMUSHU, Cruiser KASHII, Submarine chaser CH-8 and destroyers SHIKINAMI and HATAKAZE depart Singapore escorting 45 transports of the 2nd Invasion Convoy including CELEBES, RASHIN, RAKUYO, SINGAPORE, MIDORI, AYATOSAN, ALASKA, WALES, KAMO, KYOKUSEI, KUNITAMA, KOFUKU, SHINYU, SHINYO, SHINKYO, TAMAHOKO, CHILE, NAGATO, MAEBASHI, MANJU, MACASSAR, MIIKESAN, YASUKAWA, YAMAFUJI, RYOGA, LONDON, WAKATSU, IKOMA, KAISHO, TOYAMA and WAKATSU MARUs and DAIGEN MARU No. 3, SHINSEI MARU No. 1 and YOSHIDA MARU No. 3 and eleven unidentified ships carrying the IJA's 18th Infantry Division. Meanwhile at 1825 HATSUTAKA departs Penang returning there at 2322.
4 April 1942:
The convoy arrives at Penang. At 0730 escort duties are taken over by HATSUTAKA, SHIMUSHU, CH-8 and three destroyers of DesRon 5. Torpedo boat KARI also joins at some unknown stage. KASHII is detached from the convoy and returns to Singapore the same day.
7 April 1942:
Arrives at Rangoon with the 2nd invasion convoy.
15 April 1942:
At 0830 departs Penang with submarine chaser CH-8, minelayer HATSUTAKA, torpedo boat KARI and destroyers ASAKAZE and AKIKAZE and joins up with 3rd Convoy of Operation U consisting of TAIKAI, HAMBURG, TEIKAI, HOKURYU, ANYO, GINYO, KUWAYAMA, KOCHI, MEIGEN, KENKOKU (3377 grt), SAMARANG, SUEZ, TAIZAN, BUYO, PENANG, HAVRE, BRAZIL, MONTREAL, YAWATA, YONEYAMA, HOKUROKU, ARGUN, ENGLAND MARUs, SHINTO MARU No. 1, probably TOTAI MARU and four unidentified merchant ships also escorted by auxiliary gunboat CHOSA MARU and other unidentified small escorts.
19 April 1942:
At 0138 arrives at the Rangoon rivermouth. At 1801 departs.
22 April 1942:
At 1130 arrives at Penang.
April 1942:
Escorts convoys between Penang and Singapore.
18 June 1942:
Departs Singapore.
20 June 1942:
Arrives at Pemangkat and departs later that day.
21 June 1942:
Arrives at Serasan and departs later that day.
22 June 1942:
Arrives at Ralai, Natuna Islands and departs later that day.
25 June 1942:
Arrives back at Singapore.
4 July 1942:
CH-8 and CH-9 depart Singapore.
9 July 1942:
CH-8 and CH-9 arrive back at Singapore.
14 July 1942:
Singapore. CH-8 is assigned to the Southwest Area Fleet's 1st Southern Expeditionary Fleet in the 10th Special Base Force's SubChasDiv 11 with CH-7 and CH-9.
17 July 1942:
Departs Singapore.
19 July 1942:
Arrives off Miri Bay and undertakes patrols.
8 August 1942:
Departs Miri escorting a convoy consisting of NAKO, KINUGAWA and CHIHAYA (Ex Dutch TJISAROEA) MARUs.
10 August 1942:
Minesweeper W-12 takes over the escort from subchaser CH-8 which is detached.
11 August 1942:
Arrives at Singapore.
15 August 1942:
Departs Singapore.
21 August 1942:
Arrives at Singapore.
29 August 1942:
Departs Singapore.
31 August 1942:
Arrives back at Singapore.
16 September 1942:
At 1505 arrives at Penang from Seletar.
18 September 1942:
At 1600 departs Penang.
25 September 1942:
At 1130 arrives at Penang.
27 September 1942:
At 0830 CH-7 and CH-8 depart Penang.
1 October 1942:
At 1300 arrives at Emmahaven (Padang) where later joined by CH-7.
7 October 1942:
At 1600 and 1700 respectively, CH-7 and CH-8 depart Emmahaven (Padang).
13 October 1942:
At 1130 both CH-7 and CH-8 arrive at Singapore.
15 October 1942:
At 1230 CH-7 and CH-8 depart Singapore.
17 October 1942:
At 1145 both escorts arrive at Penang together.
26 October 1942:
At 1400 CH-7 and CH-8 depart Penang together.
1 November 1942:
At 1800 and 1200 respectively, both CH-7 and CH-8 arrive back at Penang.
6 November 1942:
At 1520 CH-8 departs Penang.
11 November 1942:
At 1600 CH-8 and auxiliary subchaser SHONAN MARU No. 12 arrive at Penang.
17 November 1942:
At 1900 together with auxiliary submarine chaser SHONAN MARU No. 7 departs Penang with RAKUYO MARU.
18 November 1942:
At 0720 meets up with COLUMBIA MARU and escorts ship towards Penang. Later that day at 06-21N 99-05E COLUMBIA MARU is torpedoed and damaged by HMS TRUSTY. The ship is hit by a single torpedo but safely makes Penang.
19 November 1942:
At 1100 detaches and joins R-20 convoy consisting of TOYOKAWA and NANMAN MARUs.
21 November 1942:
At 1330 detaches and undertakes an anti submarine sweep.
24 November 1942:
At 0100 arrives at Penang.
28 November 1942:
At 1800 departs Penang.
30 November 1942:
At 1400 arrives at Singapore.
1 December 1942:
Drydocked.
9 December 1942:
At 1100 departs Singapore.
10 December 1942:
At 1015 arrives at Penang.
15 December 1942:
At 1000 departs Penang.
17 December 1942:
At 1635 arrives at Sibolga.
18 December 1942:
At 1400 departs Sibolga.
19 December 1942:
At 1330 arrives at Padang.
20 December 1942:
At 0900 departs Padang.
21 December 1942:
At 0900 arrives at Enggano Bay and departs from there at 1630.
25 December 1942:
At 0900 arrives at Sabang.
27 December 1942:
At 1900 departs Sabang.
28 December 1942:
At 1300 arrives at Penang.
9 January 1943:
CH-8 departs Singapore for Rangoon, Burma with auxiliary netlayer CHOKO MARU escorting convoy S-23 consisting of MOJI and NICHIMEI MARUs carrying IJA troops.
15 January 1943:
170 miles NW of Mergui, Burma. Convoy S-23 is attacked several times by Allied bombers. NICHIMEI MARU suffers several bomb hits and near misses. At 1550, she sinks. 97 troops and five crewmen and gunners are lost.
19 January 1943:
Arrives at Rangoon.
7 February 1943:
At 0000 departs Penang to escort a P and then an R convoy.
11 February 1943:
At 0930 arrives at Penang.
13 February 1943:
At 0800 departs Penang and later that day at 2045 arrives at Port Swettenham.
14 February 1943:
At 0830 departs Port Swettenham and later that day at 2000 arrives at Belawan.
16 February 1943:
At 0930 departs Belawan and at 1920 arrives at Penang.
18 February 1943:
At 1700 CH-7 and CH-8 depart Penang.
19 February 1943:
At 2100 both vessels arrive at Malacca.
23 February 1943:
At 2000 CH-8 departs Malacca.
26 February 1943:
At 1600 arrives at Sabang.
3 March 1943:
At 1400 CH-7 and CH-8 depart Sabang.
4 March 1943:
At 1635 both arrive at Medan.
6 March 1943:
At 1530 CH-7 and CH-8 depart Medan.
7 March 1943:
At 1000 CH-8 arrives at Penang.
13 March 1943:
At 2130 departs Penang.
15 March 1943:
At 1215 arrives at Port Blair.
21 March 1943:
At 1030 departs Port Blair.
24 March 1943:
At 0110 arrives at Penang.
28 March 1943:
At 0704 departs Penang on an escort mission to Belawan.
10 April 1943:
At 1150 arrived at Penang.
12 April 1943:
At 2000 departed Penang.
1 May 1943:
At 1900 departs Penang.
2 May 1943:
At 2010 returns to Penang.
25 May 1943:
At 0700 departs Penang with minelayer HATSUTAKA escorting a convoy to Rangoon via Mergui.
30 May 1943:
At 1545 arrives at Tavoy, Mergui. CH-8 departs to nearby Reef Island.
3 June 1943:
At 1330 departs Reef Island and meets up off Tavoy with minelayer HATSUTAKA escorting a convoy.
8 June 1943:
At 1440 arrives at Nancowry.
11 June 1943:
At 1030 meets up with Auxiliary submarine tender HIE MARU and escorts the ship up the Malacca Straits to Penang.
12 June 1943:
At 1030 arrives at Penang.
17 June 1943:
At 1600 departs Nancowry with minelayer HATSUTAKA.
18 June 1943:
At 1600 arrives at Sabang.
19 June 1943:
At 1200 departs Sabang with minelayer HATSUTAKA.
20 June 1943:
At 0930 arrives at Penang.
27 June 1943:
At 0025 departs Penang on an anti submarine sweep with minelayer HATSUTAKA.
1 July 1943:
At 2340 arrives back at Penang.
11 July 1943:
At 1900 departs Penang for Nancowry.
13 July 1943:
At 0540 arrives back at Penang. At 1600 departs Penang.
14 July 1943:
At 1800 arrives at Sabang with minelayer HATSUTAKA.
15 July 1943:
At 0830 departs Sabang. Later in the Andaman Sea HATSUTAKA makes a rendezvous with German submarine U-511. Vice Admiral Nomura Naokuni (35)(former CO of KAGA), Japan's representative to the Axis Tripartite Commission in Berlin since 1941, and Major Sugita Tamotsu of the IJA Medical Service, both passengers aboard U-511 inbound from France, briefly visit HATSUTAKA for a bath and then return to the U-boat. Thereafter, the minelayer and CH-8 escorts U-511 safely to Penang.
16 July 1943:
At 1414 the group arrives at Penang.
24 July 1943:
At 1600 departs Penang.
26 July 1943:
At 1515 arrives at Singapore. At 1850 docked at Keppel dockyard.
4 August 1943:
At 1110 undocked. At 1450 anchors in Keppel harbour.
5 August 1943:
At 1330 departs Singapore on an escort mission.
8 August 1943:
At 1015 arrives at Belawan and departs from there at 1545.
9 August 1943:
At 1830 arrives at Kelang and departs from there at 1850.
10 August 1943:
At 1920 arrives at Penang and departs later that day on patrol at 2300.
11 August 1943:
At 0800 arrives back at Penang before departing at 1500 on an escort mission.
15 August 1943:
At 1810 arrives in the Rangoon river estuary and immediately departs.
18 August 1943:
At 0730 arrives back at Penang.
21 August 1943:
At 1200 CH-7 and CH-8 depart Penang on an anti submarine sweep.
27 August 1943:
At 2130 both arrive back at Penang.
29 August 1943:
At 2300 CH-8 departs Penang escorting a convoy.
3 November 1943:
At 1400, CH-8 departs Penang escorting fleet oiler KAMOI.
5 November 1943:
Indian Ocean. At 1900, arrives at Port Blair, Andaman Islands with KAMOI.
11 November 1943:
At 2000 arrives at Penang.
2 December 1943:
At 2030 arrives at Penang.
13 December 1943:
At 0030 departs Penang on an anti submarine sweep.
17 December 1943:
At 1015 arrives back at Penang.
18 December 1943:
At 1100 departs Penang.
E 19 December 1943:
At 1100 arrives at Sabang. CH-8 escorts fleet oiler KAMOI between Sabang, Sumatra and Singapore.
20 December 1943:
At 1200 departs Sabang escorting KAMOI.
22 December 1943:
At 1300 arrives at Padang.
23 December 1943:
At 0730 departs Padang.
24 December 1943:
At 0940 arrives at Merak and departs at 1000 escorting two Army ships.
27 December 1943:
At 1135 arrives at Padang.
29 December 1943:
At 1800 departs Padang escorting KAMOI.
31 December 1943:
At 1330 transits the Sunda Straits and at 1900 arrives at Jakarta.
2 January 1944:
At 1900 departs Jakarta.
4 January 1944:
Arrives at Singapore and at 1330 departs to meet TAIFUKU MARU.
5 January 1944:
At 1600 arrives at Singapore.
10 January 1944:
At 1300 departs Singapore.
13 January 1944:
At 1000 arrives at Sabang.
16 January 1944:
At 1400 departs Sabang.
17 January 1944:
At 1600 arrives at Car Nicobar and departs later that day.
18 January 1944:
At 1220 arrives at Sabang.
20 January 1944:
At 1530 departs Sabang.
21 January 1944:
At 1610 arriives at Penang.
23 January 1944:
At 1120 departs Penang.
25 January 1944:
At 1630arrives at Penang.
26 January 1944:
At 2000 departs Penang.
28 January 1944:
At 2200 arrives at Sabang.
30 January 1944:
At 0800 departs Sabang.
5 February 1944:
At 1500 arrives at Penang.
10 February 1944:
At 2000 departs Penang.
12 February 1944:
NW of Penang. Auxiliary subchaser CHOKO MARU and CH-8 chase British submarine HMS STONEHENGE after her unsuccessful attack on a vessel identified as a seaplane tender. At 1943, following a depth-charge atack by CHOKO MARU, HMS STONEHENGE surfaces in position 05-43N, 99-51E. She is immediately targeted by CH-8, but manages to torpedo CHOKO MARU at 05-46N, 99-52E. CH-8 chases the submarine, but inflicts only some slight damage.
13 February 1944:
At 1525 arrives at Penang and at 1800 departs.
17 February 1944:
At 2000 arrives back at Penang.
22 February 1944:
At 2100 CH-7 and CH-8 depart Penang on an anti submarine sweep.
24 February 1944:
At 1130 CH-8 arrives at Singapore and departs at 1400.
25 February 1944:
At 0300 CH-8 temporarily anchors in the Kelang Straits departing at 0450. At 1915 both escorts arrive at Singapore.
26 February 1944:
At 1200 departs Singapore.
27 February 1944:
At 0800 arrives at the Panjang Straits and departs there soon after.
28 February 1944:
At 1315 arrives at Singapore. The ship spent the whole of March undergoing main engine repairs.
4 April 1944:
At 1100 undocked and at 1600 arrives at Keppel Harbour.
7 April 1944:
At 1200 departs Keppel Harbour, Singapore on M Sakusen operation.
11 April 1944:
At 1110 arrives back at Keppel Harbour Singapore and departs at 1800.
16 April 1944:
At 0840 arrives at Penang.
19 April 1944:
At 0147 departs Penang.
20 April 1944:
At 1346 arrives at Sabang and departs there at 2000 on an anti submarine sweep.
23 April 1944:
At 1010 arrives at Sabang and departs there at 1325.
24 April 1944:
At 1100 arrives at Penang.
27 April 1944:
At 1030 departs Penang.
28 April 1944:
At 0917 arrives at Langsa, Sumatra.
29 April 1944:
At 0800 arrives at Lhokseumawe, Sumatra and departs from there at 2100.
30 April 1944:
At 1030 arrives at Sabang and departs there at 1200. At 1739 arrives at Kotaradja.
2 May 1944:
At 1600 departs Kotaradja.
5 May 1944:
At 2000 arrives at Padang.
6 May 1944:
Departs Padang.
7 May 1944:
At 1000 arrives at Sikakap.
10 May 1944:
At 1800 departs Sikakap.
11 May 1944:
At 1000 arrives at Padang and departs from there at 1200.
13 May 1944:
At 1200 arrives at Jakarta.
14 May 1944:
At 1600 departs Jakarta.
18 May 1944:
At 1530 arrives at Padang.
19 May 1944:
At 1100 departs Padang.
21 May 1944:
At 2100 arrives at Jakarta.
22 May 1944:
At 1800 departs Jakarta.
24 May 1944:
At 1545 arrives at Padang.
25 May 1944:
At 1800 departs Padang.
27 May 1944:
At 2000 arrives at Jakarta.
30 May 1944:
At 1430 departs Jakarta.
17 August 1944:
Departs Singapore with minesweeper W-34 and one unidentified escort escorting an army convoy through the Malacca Straits.
19 August 1944:
At 0242, at N04.08-E099.29 W-34 sights a torpedo. At 2400, W-34 detaches and heads towards Penang.
Assigned together with minesweeper W-34 to escort auxiliary transport RISUI MARU (ex British LIPIS) from Singapore to Sabang, where she has to load empty drums, and back to Singapore.
E 23 August 1944:
RISUI MARU departs Singapore escorted by subchaser CH-8.
25 August 1944:
At 1245, the convoy meets up with minesweeper W-34. At 1845, W-34 drops depth-charges (DCs) at position 02-58N, 100-18E.
28 August 1944:
Arrives at Sabang.
29 August 1944:
At 1200, departs Sabang with minesweeper W-34 escorting RISUI MARU.
31 August 1944:
At 2030 near One Fathom Bank, CH-8 ends escort and heads towards Penang.
1 September 1944:
At 1500 arrives at Penang.
10 September 1944:
At 1210 departs Penang and returns there at 2400.
11 September 1944:
At 1000 departs Penang.
12 September 1944:
At 1600 arrives at Singapore.
13 September 1944:
At 0900 departs Singapore.
15 September 1944:
At 0900 arrives at Jakarta.
16 September 1944:
At 1500 departs Jakarta with auxiliary minesweeper REISUI MARU escorting Army transport JUNYO MARU on a military operation.
21 September 1944:
At 1210 arrives at Padang.
22 September 1944:
At 1900 departs Padang.
26 September 1944:
At 1415 arrives at Singapore.
27 September 1944:
At 1000 depsrts Singapore.
28 September 1944:
At 1535 arrives at Penang.
1 October 1944:
At 1600 departs Penang.
5 October 1944:
At 1600 arrives at Singapore as part of M-4 operation.
22 October 1944:
At 0800 CH-8 and CH-7 depart Singapore escorting convoy SHIMA-03 consisting of six unidentified merchant ships.
26 October 1944:
At 0800 arrives at Miri.
27 October 1944:
Departs Miri.
1 November 1944:
At 0649 temporarily anchors off Palawan Island.
5 November 1944:
At 1548 arrives at Manila.
7 November 1944:
At 1907, CH-8 departs Manila for Singapore with CH-7 escorting convoy MASHI-03 consisting of tankers NICHINAN MARU No. 2 and SHIMOTSU MARU.
8 November 1944:
At 2257, after the convoy avoids one torpedo attack, LtCdr (later Cdr) Marshall H. Austin's (USNA ’35) USS REDFIN (SS-272) torpedoes and sinks NICHINAN MARU No. 2 at 14-10N 116-37E. The ship is carrying Apprentice Paratroopers and men from the 60th and 62nd Special Machine Gun Squads. 80 of these men together with five gunners and one crewman are killed. The forepart of the wreck sinks at 1030 the following day.
9 November 1944:
At 0055, LtCdr (later Captain) Irvin S. Hartman's (USNA ’33) USS BARBERO (SS-317) torpedoes and sinks SHIMOTSU MARU 14-32N, 116-53E after a series of unsuccessful attacks by both USS REDFIN and USS BARBERO. At 1100, SHIMOTSU MARU sinks at 14-32N, 116-53E. Nine escorting troops and 30 crewmen are KIA. The convoy is dissolved.
10 November 1944:
At 1542 arrives at Manila.
13 November 1944:
At 2049 CH-7 and CH-8 depart Manila on an anti submarine sweep.
17 November 1944:
At 0903 both arrive at Saigon and depart there at 1550.
18 November 1944:
At 2020 both arrive at St Jacques.
19 November 1944:
CH-8 and CH-7 depart St Jacques escorting convoy SASHI-34 consisting of nine unidentified merchant ships.
22 November 1944:
At 1542 arrives at Singapore.
24 November 1944:
At 1500 departs Singapore.
26 November 1944:
At 1144 arrives at Singapore and undergoes repairs.
2 December 1944:
At 1642 CH-8 and CH-9 depart Singapore on an anti submarine sweep.
4 December 1944:
At 1700 CH-8 arrives at Penang.
6 December 1944:
At 117 departs Penang on an anti submarine sweep.
11 December 1944:
At 1548 arrives back at Penang.
12 December 1944:
At 1344 departs Penang on an anti submarine sweep as part of a wider military operation No. 40.
20 December 1944:
At 1745 arrives back at Penang.
24 December 1944:
Departs Penang escorting minelayer HATSUTAKA.
27 December 1944:
At 1040 arrives back at Penang.
5 January 1945:
At 1900 departs Penang.
6 January 1945:
At 1430 arrives at Port Swettenham (Port Klang) for refuelling.
7-21 January 1945: Operation M5 – Anti-submarine sweep in the Malacca Strait:
CH-8 is attached to the Southern Expeditionary Fleet’s 15th Base Force’s Subchaser Division 11 also consisting of CH-34 and CH-35 plus auxiliary subchasers CHa-41, WAKATAKE and MIYAKO MARUs. SubChaDiv 11 is supported by the 331st and 936th Air Groups.
At 0900 CH-8 departs Port Swettenham to begin operation M-5.
9 January 1945:
W of Penang. British LtCdr H. B. Turner’s submarine HMS PORPOISE, out of Trincomalee, Ceylon (Sri Lanka), lays two minefields consisting of fifty moored-contact and twelve magnetic ground mines. Turner radios Trincomalee to report the successful end of this mission. Japanese radio directional finders at Penang pickup HMS PORPOISE's transmission and locate the submarine's position. [1][2]

11 January 1945:
CH-8, conducting a sonar search SSE of Penang, discovers a submerged target and, at 0206, attacks it. Following the attack, the submarine is observed to stop. A second attack follows at 0317; in all 15 depth charges are dropped at 04-15N, 100-14E. CH-8's CO lodges a claim for a sinking, but does not receive any such credit.
98 miles W of Penang. At 0757, a Nakajima B6N2 "Jill" attack bomber of the 331st Naval Air Group discovers a surfaced submarine at 05-30N, 98-39E. Before the submarine can dive, the pilot drops two 132-lb bombs; one nearly misses the bow, the second is a direct hit. The attack brings an oil slick to the surface with a diameter of about 100 feet. The B6N2 pilot is credited with a kill and his attack is so recorded by the IJN. HMS PORPOISE was the 74th and last British submarine lost in World War II. [3]
By evening, a steadily increasing oil slick appears, measuring 3.8 nm in length and 330 ft in diameter. CH-8 makes an additional sonar search and finds the target still sitting on the bottom. A different ship passes the same location on 14 January; by that time the oil slick is 10 nm long and 330 ft in diameter.
That same day, the area off Penang is temporarily closed for merchant traffic due to the presence of the magnetic mines.
14 January 1945:
CH-8 and CH-41 are ordered to proceed to Port Swettenham for refueling. At 1845 returns to Penang.
19 January 1945:
At 1807 departs Penang on a continuation of the anti submarine sweep.
20 January 1945:
At 1807 arrives at Lumut.
21 January 1945:
At 0750 departs Lumut. At 1930 arrives back at Penang and remains there for the rest of the month.
16 February 1945:
CH-8 and CH-9 depart Penang to meet up and escort an oil tanker convoy to Singapore.
March 1945:
CH-8 departs Sabah, Sumatra escorting an unidentified convoy.
4 March 1945:
85 nms S of Penang. Working together, British LtCdr (later Vice Admiral, Sir) Arthur R. Hezlet’s submarine HMS TRENCHANT and British Lt Robert H. H. Brunner’s submarine HMS TERRAPIN jointly attack and sink CH-8 by gunfire in the central Malacca Strait, 04-04N, 110-35E.
6 March 1945:
At 1430, USN codebreakers intercept and decrypt a message that reads: “At 1700 March 4th ---- in position 04-08N, 100-35E, subchaser No. 8 while carrying out hunter killer operations engaged two surface enemy submarines. Sank at 1740 --.”
Fleet Radio Unit Melbourne intercepts and decrypts a message that says that subchaser No. 8 reported being "shelled by 2 allied submarines at 1720 on 4th in Dindings Channel (4.08N 100.35E). 101 survivors were subsequently rescued"... by an unidentified Japanese ship.
3 May 1947:
Removed from the Navy List.

Author's Notes:
[1] Several submarines were lost during the war because of the demands of admirals and their staffs for routine information. Notably the Japanese, but also ComSoWesSubPac and the Kriegsmarine. Such officers were either technically ignorant of the capabilities of radio directional finding, or worse, unmindful of the safety of the ships and crews entrusted to them.
[2] On 18 May '45, off Penang, subchaser CH-57 hit a mine laid by HMS PORPOISE on 9 Jan '45 at 05-20N, 100-08E and was lightly damaged.
[3] HMS PORPOISE carried fuel oil in external tanks. Note that Kevin Denlay’s expedition researhced the location in 2011 and apparently came to the conclusion that the target in question was not HMS PORPOISE, but rather the wreck of UIT-23 (ex-Italian REGINALDO GIULIANI) torpedoed by HMS TALLY-HO in February 1944.
Little data were found detailing CH-8's movements for Sep 1943 to mid 1944. Readers with access to additional data are requested to post the information on the Discussion and Questions board or at j-aircraft.org's IJN Ship Message Board

Thanks go to John Whitman of the USA, Gilbert Casse of France and Hans Mcilveen of the Netherlands for info on intercepts of Japanese messages.
-Bob Hackett, Sander Kingsepp and Peter Cundall.

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