Cha-156 or No. 156 (Japanese: 第百五十六號驅潜特務艇) was a No.1-class auxiliary submarine chaser of the Imperial Japanese Navy that served during World War II.
| History | |
|---|---|
 Empire of Japan | |
| Name | Cha-156 |
| Laid down | 15 September 1943 |
| Launched | 25 January 1944 |
| Completed | 31 March 1944 |
| Stricken | 10 May 1945 |
| Homeport | Kure |
| Fate | Sunk by aircraft, 29 March 1945 |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type | No.1-class Submarine chaser |
| Displacement | 130 long tons (132 t) standard[1] |
| Length | 29.20 m (95 ft 10 in) overall |
| Beam | 5.65 m (18 ft 6 in) |
| Draught | 1.97 m (6 ft 6 in) |
| Propulsion | |
| Speed | 11.0 knots (20.4 km/h; 12.7 mph) |
| Range | 1,000 nmi (1,900 km; 1,200 mi) at 10.0 kn (18.5 km/h; 11.5 mph) |
| Complement | 32 |
| Armament |
|
History
editShe was laid down on 15 September 1943 and launched on 25 January 1944.[2] She was completed on 31 March 1944 and assigned to the Saeki Defense Unit, Kure Defense Force, Kure Naval District.[2] On 1 November 1944, she was reassigned to the Kaohsiung Defense Force, Formosa.[2]
Convoy MI-27
editOn 15 November 1944, she departed Moji, Kitakyūshū destined for Miri, Borneo with fellow No.1-class auxiliary submarine chaser Cha-157, Type C escort ship CD-61,[3] Type D escort ship CD-134, and minesweeper W-101, escorting convoy MI-27 consisting of four tankers (Awagawa Maru, Kyokuun Maru, Osakasan Maru, and Enkei Maru) and six transport/cargo ships (Edogawa Maru, Shoho Maru, Matsuura Maru, Seisho Maru, Koshu Maru, and Chinkai Maru).[4] Enkei Maru and Kyokuun Maru developed mechanical problems and were forced to return to Moji.[4] The convoy was running parallel to Convoy Hi-81 which had left Imari on 14 November 1944 destined for Formosa to benefit from air cover provided by HI-81's escort carrier Shin'yō which was carrying fourteen Nakajima B5N "Kate" torpedo bombers of the 931st Air Squadron, Saeki Naval Air Station.[5] The two convoys converged together at times.[5]
On 17 November 1944, in the Yellow Sea off Cheju Island, MI-27 was spotted by the US submarines Sunfish and Peto which were operating in a wolfpack with Spadefish.[4] Sunfish torpedoed and damaged both Edogawa Maru and Seisho Maru while Peto torpedoed and sank Osakasan Maru (killing 142).[4] Nearby, Spadefish spotted Shin'yō of HI-81 and fired six torpedoes four of which hit causing the carrier to burst into flames and sink (killing 1,130).[5] W-101 and CD-61 were disattached from MI-27 to pick up survivors.[5] On 18 November 1944, Sunfish torpedoed and sank the damaged Seisho Maru (killing 448) and the damaged Edogawa Maru (killing 2,083); while Peto torpedoed and sank Chinkai Maru (killing 39).[4] After losing four of the eight ships being escorted, the remainder of convoy MI-27 arrived at Sijiao Island on 19 November 1944.[4]
Demise
editOn 29 March 1945, she was attacked and sunk by Consolidated B-24 Liberators with the Fifth Air Force while docked in the port of Takao, Taiwan at 22°40′N 120°15′E / 22.667°N 120.250°E.[2][6] She was struck from the Navy List on 10 May 1945.[2]
References
edit- ^ Toda, Gengoro S. (21 September 2019). "驅潜特務艇 (Cha - Stats)". Imperial Japanese Navy - Tokusetsukansen (in Japanese).
- ^ a b c d e Toda, Gengoro S. "第百五十六號驅潜特務艇の艦歴 (No. 156 submarine chaser - Ship History)". Imperial Japanese Navy -Tokusetsu Kansen (in Japanese).
- ^ Hackett, Bob; Kingsepp, Sander; Yutaka, Iwasaki; Casse, Gilbert; Cundall, Peter. "IJN Escort CD-61: Tabular Record of Movement". combinedfleet.com. Retrieved 30 April 2020.
- ^ a b c d e f Hackett, Bob; Kingsepp, Sander; Mcilveen, Hans; Casse, Gilbert; Cundall, Peter. "IJN Minesweeper W-101: Tabular Record of Movement". combinedfleet.com. Retrieved 25 April 2020.
- ^ a b c d Tully, Anthony P. "IJN Shinyo: Tabular Record of Movement". combinedfleet.com. Retrieved 30 April 2020.
- ^ Lettens, Jan (24 January 2014). "Cha-156 (+1945)". Wrecksite.