Japanese submarine chaser Cha-12

Cha-12 or No. 12 (Japanese: 第十二號驅潜特務艇) 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-12
Builder: 念組造船鐵工所
Laid down: 11 January 1942
Launched: 8 January 1943
Completed: 6 April 1943
Stricken: 1 November 1943
Homeport: Sasebo
Fate: sunk by naval gunfire, 18 August 1943
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:
  • 1 × intermediate diesel
  • shingle shaft, 400 bhp
Speed: 11.0 knots (12.7 mph; 20.4 km/h)
Range: 1,000 nmi (1,900 km) at 10.0 kn (11.5 mph; 18.5 km/h)
Complement: 32
Armament:
  • 1 × 7.7 mm machine gun[2]
  • 22 × depth charges
  • 1 × dunking hydrophone
  • 1 × simple sonar
  • From mid 1943, the 7.7 mm machine gun was replaced with a 13.2mm machine gun

History

She was laid down on 11 January 1942 and launched on 8 January 1943.[3] She was completed on 6 April 1943.[3] She was assigned to the Sasebo Defense Force, Sasebo Naval District on 6 April 1943.[3] On 1 June 1943, she was reassigned to the First Base Force, Eighth Fleet.[3]

Battle off Horaniu

On 17 August 1943, she was assigned to escort duty for 13 Daihatsu-class landing craft and 3 motor torpedo boats carrying 2 companies of army troops and a naval platoon tasked with establishing a barge depot and staging base at Horaniu on the northeast part of Vella Lavella in order to facilitate the evacuation of 9,000 troops from the island. She was accompanied by subchaser Cha-5, two armored Daihatsus, another motor torpedo boat, and a Soukoutei-class armored boat with four destroyers (Sazanami, Hamakaze, Isokaze, and Shigure) commanded by Rear-Admiral Baron Matsuji Ijuin providing heavy cover. The convoy left Buin on the 17th and on 18 August 1943, they were attacked by the USS destroyers USS Nicholas, USS Chevalier, USS O'Bannon, and USS Taylor.[4][5] In the ensuing Battle off Horaniu, she was sunk along with Cha-5, 2 torpedo boats, and 1 Daihatsu by gunfire north of Vella Lavella.[3][6]

She was struck from the Navy List on 1 November 1943.[3]

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References
  1. Toda, Gengoro S. (21 September 2019). "驅潜特務艇 (Cha - Stats)". Imperial Japanese Navy - Tokusetsukansen (in Japanese).
  2. "1-GO auxiliary submarine chasers (1943 - 1945)". navypedia.org. Retrieved 10 April 2020.
  3. Toda, Gengoro S. "第十二號驅潜特務艇の艦歴 (No. 12 submarine chaser - Ship History)". Imperial Japanese Navy -Tokusetsu Kansen (in Japanese).
  4. O'Hara, Vincent P. "Battle off Horaniu: August 18, 1943, 0040-0121 hours". The Thunder of the Guns: Battles of the Pacific War.
  5. Miller Jr., John (1956). Cartwheel The Reduction of Rabaul (PDF). Department of the Army. p. 182.
  6. Lettens, Jan (12 December 2014). "Cha-12 (+1943)". Wrecksite.
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