CH-4-class submarine chaser explained

The was a class of submarine chasers of the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN), serving during and after World War II. Nine vessels were built between 1937 and 1939 under the Maru 3 Programme.

Design

Developed under project number was K7, the No.4 class submarine chaser was an improved variant of the No.3 class, with increased freeboard. Other general features were the same as the No.3 class. Their design was elaborate, because the Navy Technical Department (Kampon) devoted itself to making them small. However, the design was not able to accept additional anti-aircraft guns and depth charges.

Ships in class

Ship #ShipBuilderLaid downLaunchedCompletedFate
62No.7[1] Tsurumi Iron Works30 October 193710 June 193815 November 1938Sunk by aircraft at east of Car Nicobar on 11 April 1945.
63No.8Tama Shipyards10 January 19389 August 193830 November 1938Sunk by HMS Trenchant and HMS Terrapin at Strait of Malacca on 4 March 1945.
64No.4Ōsaka Iron Works, Sakurajima Factory19 January 193813 September 193828 December 1938Struck a naval mine and sank at Surabaya on 13 August 1945.
65No.5Mitsubishi, Yokohama Shipyard25 January 193828 July 19386 December 1938Scuttled by Royal Navy off Singapore on 11 July 1946. Decommissioned on 10 August 1946.
66No.11Tsurumi Iron Works19 January 193828 June 19382 February 1939Sunk by aircraft at west of Buka Island on 6 November 1943.
67No.12Tama Shipyards15 July 19388 February 193930 April 1939Probably sunk by USS Bluegill east of Mindanao on 13 August 1944. Decommissioned on 30 September 1945.
68No.10Ōsaka Iron Works, Sakurajima Factory16 September 193831 January 193915 June 1939Aground at Angaur on 2 May 1944. Later scuttled.
69No.9Mitsubishi, Yokohama Shipyard10 May 193815 October 19389 May 1939Decommissioned on 20 December 1945. Surrendered to Republic of China on 3 October 1947, and renamed Haida. Renamed Fuling (PC-107) in January 1951. Renamed Minjiang in 1954. Decommissioned in 1960.
70No.6Tsurumi Iron Works5 July 19386 February 193920 May 1939Heavy damaged by aircraft at Palau on 30 March 1944. Later sank in shallow water.

Bibliography

Notes and References

  1. . The same shall apply hereinafter.