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.
She was laid down on 15 September 1943 and launched on 25 January 1944.[1] She was completed on 31 March 1944 and assigned to the Saeki Defense Unit, Kure Defense Force, Kure Naval District. On 1 November 1944, she was reassigned to the Kaohsiung Defense Force, Formosa.
On 15 November 1944, she departed Moji, Kitakyūshū destined for Miri, Borneo with fellow Cha-157, Type C escort ship CD-61,[2] Type D escort ship CD-134, and minesweeper, escorting convoy MI-27 consisting of four tankers (Awagawa Maru, Kyokuun Maru, Osakasan Maru, and Enkei Maru) and six transport/cargo ships (Shoho Maru, Matsuura Maru,, Koshu Maru, and Chinkai Maru).[3] Enkei Maru and Kyokuun Maru developed mechanical problems and were forced to return to Moji.[3] 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 which was carrying fourteen Nakajima B5N "Kate" torpedo bombers of the 931st Air Squadron, Saeki Naval Air Station.[4] The two convoys converged together at times.[4]
On 17 November 1944, in the Yellow Sea off Cheju Island, MI-27 was spotted by the US submarines and which were operating in a wolfpack with .[3] Sunfish torpedoed and damaged both Edogawa Maru and Seisho Maru while Peto torpedoed and sank Osakasan Maru (killing 142).[3] 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).[4] W-101 and CD-61 were disattached from MI-27 to pick up survivors.[4] 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).[3] After losing four of the eight ships being escorted, the remainder of convoy MI-27 arrived at Sijiao Island on 19 November 1944.[3]
On 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 22.6667°N 135°W.[1] [5] She was struck from the Navy List on 10 May 1945.[1]