Japanese submarine chaser Cha-203

Cha-203 or No. 203 (Japanese: 第二百十四號驅潜特務艇) was a No.1-class auxiliary submarine chaser of the Imperial Japanese Navy that served during World War II and with Japan during the post-war period.

History
Imperial Japanese Navy
NameCha-203
BuilderMurakami Shipyard, Ishinomaki
Yard number2053
Laid down26 November 1943
Launched15 June 1944
Completed14 October 1944
Commissioned14 October 1944
Decommissioned20 November 1945
Fatemobilized by the Allied occupation forces, 1 December 1945
Allied Occupation Force
Acquired1 December 1945
Decommissioned1 August 1947
Fatetransferred to Ministry of Transportation, 28 August 1947
Ministry of Transportation
Acquired28 August 1947
Fatetransferred to Japan Maritime Safety Agency, 1 May 1948
Japan Maritime Safety Agency
Acquired28 August 1947
RenamedPatrol Vessel Hiyodori (PB-22), 20 August 1948
Patrol Vessel Hiyodori (PS-22), 21 July 1950
Minesweeper Hiyodori (MS-84), 1 December 1951
Fatetransferred to the Coastal Safety Force, 1 August 1952
Japan Coastal Safety Force
Acquired1 August 1952
Fate transferred to Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force, 1 July 1954
Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force
Acquired1 July 1954
Decommissioned31 March 1965
RenamedMinesweeper Inshore Hiyodori (MSI-700), 1 September 1957
Fateunknown
General characteristics
Class and typeNo.1-class submarine chaser
Displacement130 long tons (132 t) standard[1]
Length29.20 m (95 ft 10 in) overall
Beam5.65 m (18 ft 6 in)
Draught1.97 m (6 ft 6 in)
Propulsion
  • 1 × intermediate diesel
  • shingle shaft, 400 bhp (300 kW)
Speed11.0 knots (20.4 km/h; 12.7 mph)
Range1,000 nmi (1,900 km; 1,200 mi) at 10.0 kn (18.5 km/h; 11.5 mph)
Complement32
Armament
  • 1 × 13.2 mm machine gun
  • 22 × depth charges
  • 1 × dunking hydrophone
  • 1 × simple sonar

History

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Her construction was authorized under the Maru Sen Programme (Ship # 2001–2100). She was laid down on 26 November 1943 as ship 2053 at the Murakami Shipyard (村上造船所) in Ishinomaki[1] and launched on 15 June 1944.[2]

She was completed and commissioned on 14 October 1944,[2] fitted with armaments at the Yokosuka Naval Arsenal, and assigned to the Ōminato Guard District under lieutenant Keio Ebisawa (海老澤 経男).[2] On 1 November 1944, she was assigned to the Tsugaru Defense Force and tasked with defending the Tsugaru Strait.[2] She spent most of the war conducting anti-submarine and minesweeping patrols between the ports of Hachinohe, Hakodate, and Muroran.[2] Cha-203 survived the war and was decommissioned on 20 November 1945.[2][3]

On 1 December 1945, she was enrolled as a minesweeper by the occupation forces,[2] one of 269 Japanese ships that served as a minesweeper under the Allied forces after the war.[4] She conducted minesweeping operations based out of Ominato and later Shimonoseki.[2] On 1 August 1947, she was demobilized[2] and on 28 August 1947, she was released to the Ministry of Transportation.[2]

On 1 May 1948, she was assigned to the Japan Maritime Safety Agency, a sub-agency of the Ministry of Transportation, and designated on 20 August 1948 as patrol vessel Hiyodori (ひよどり) (PB-22).[2] On 21 July 1950, she was re-designated as patrol vessel Hiyodori (PS-22) and on 1 December 1951 she was redesignated as minesweeper Hiyodori (MS-84).[2] On 1 August 1952, she was assigned to the Coastal Safety Force.[2] On 1 July 1954, she was transferred to the newly created Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force and re-designated on 1 September 1957 as minesweeper inshore Hiyodori (MSI-700).[2][5] She was delisted on 31 March 1965.[2]

References

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  1. ^ a b Toda, Gengoro S. (21 September 2019). "驅潜特務艇 (Cha - Stats)". Imperial Japanese Navy - Tokusetsukansen (in Japanese).
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o Toda, Gengoro S. "第二百二號驅潜特務艇の艦歴 (No. 203 submarine chaser - Ship History)". Imperial Japanese Navy -Tokusetsu Kansen (in Japanese).
  3. ^ Japanese Naval Vessels at the End of the War (PDF). 25 April 1947. pp. 113–115.
  4. ^ Hackett, Bob; Cundall, Peter; Casse, Gilbert (2012). "Kakyakusen: IJN Escort CD-76: Tabular Record of Movement". combinedfleet.com. Retrieved 30 March 2020.
  5. ^ "MSI" refers to Minesweeper Inshore