HMS Moth (1915)

HMS Moth (Pennant number: T69) was an Insect-class gunboat of the Royal Navy. Entering service in 1916, Moth had a varied career with service in the Middle East, the White Sea and the Far East in two world wars. Scuttled in World War II during the invasion of Hong Kong, the ship was raised and put into service by the Imperial Japanese Navy as Suma (須磨). The ship remained active throughout the war, before striking a naval mine in the Yangtze River in 1945 and sinking.

HMS Moth was laid down during the first half of 1915 at the yards of the Sunderland Shipbuilding Company, with her sister ship Mantis. Moth was launched on 9 October 1915 and completed on 5 January 1916.

Moth was dispatched to the Middle East (Mesopotamia area) in 1916. During the Russian Revolution in 1918−1919, Moth participates in actions in Northern Russia with sister ships Cicala, Cockchafer, Cricket, and Glowworm in support of White Russian forces against the Bolsheviks. In July 1919, she was dispatched to the White Sea, returning back to the UK by October to avoid the winter freeze. On 17 January 1920, she had been reassigned to the China Station.^[b]

In December 1941, she became a member of the Far East fleet with Cicala at Hong Kong. On 8 December 1941, Moth and Cicala were in port during an air raid by the Imperial Japanese Army Air Force. Cicala was sunk on 21 December. Moth was in the dock for repairs, but with the fall of the city to the Japanese imminent, Moth sank on 12 December, when the ship’s drydock was scuttled.^[1]

The Imperial Japanese Navy dispatched the Navy 2nd Construction Department (海軍第二工作部, Kaigun Dai-2 Kōsaku-Bu) to Hong Kong to investigate Moth, and on February 1942, she was refloated. She had a handover ceremony on 30 June 1942, attended by Vice-Admiral Masaichi Niimi. On the next day, after being considered to be salvaged, she began an extensive rebuild, which was completed by 20 July. On 14 July 1942, she was renamed Suma (須磨);^[c] registered in the Sasebo Naval District as a gunboat; and assigned to the China Area Fleet, 2nd China Expeditionary Fleet, 15th Squadron. Suma remained in Hong Kong for fitting out until 3 October 1942.^[1]

On 15 October 1942, Suma was reassigned to the Pearl River Basin Guard Fleet, to provide aid to SNLF troops in anti-insurgency operations. On the next day, she landed a 19-strong SNLF unit in Tai O village on Lantau Island. On 22 October 1942, she landed a 47-strong SNLF unit at Lai Chi Wo in the New Territories, Hong Kong. B-25 Mitchell medium bombers (from the 14th Air Force) attacked Hong Kong after midnight of 25 October 1942, Suma received no damage and fired back at the attacking bombers. She was attacked by B-25s on the next day, claiming to shot down one. On 30 December 1942, she was attacked by aircraft on the Yangtze River, suffering light damage.^[1]

Suma underwent a refit on 5–8 January 1943. She underwent repairs on 8 April 1943. The ship was drydocked at No. 2 Repair Facility for more repairs on 1–5 August, and another refit on 5–12 August, with trials conducted after. On 29 July 1943, she fired on US bombers during an air raid on Hong Kong, expending 78 40mm rounds and 210 7.7mm rounds. She was reassigned to the Yangtze River Area Base Force on 20 August 1943. Suma arrived in Kiangnan Shipyard, Shanghai to undergo hull repairs and refit from 1 September to 9 October 1943. The ship was attacked by three B-25s on 29 December 1943, and by two B-25s the next day receiving some damage, while shooting down one B-25.^[d][1]

Suma underwent a major upgrade at Mitsubishi Yangshupu Shipyard, Shanghai on 22 April 1944: A 76.2 mm 3rd Year Type gun replaced one of the 6-inch guns; New 25 mm Type 96 anti-air guns in twin mounts replaced both the fore and aft mounted 40 mm Type 91 guns; The 40 mm Type 91 guns were relocated to the bridge wings along with new 13.2 mm Type 93 heavy machine guns. On 11 June 1944, the ship was attacked by P-38 Lightnings and on 18 June, by three B-25Gs. On 26 December, she was attacked by seven P-51D Mustangs, with the aft 25 mm gun wrecked and 18 killed and four wounded. The aft gun was replaced and repairs made to the ship on the 28–30 December at Yanhu.^[1]

Suma was attacked by P-51s on 11 February 1945, when it claims downing one. The ship was repaired at Mitsubishi Yangshupu Shipyard, Shanghai from 17 February to 12 March 1945. She was active on the Yangtze River in anti-insurgency operations. On 19 March 1945, she struck a naval mine which was previously laid by 14th Air Force planes on 4 March at Anqing, and sank with a loss of 8 crewmen. Gunboat Narumi evacuated 40 wounded and 36 survivors.^[1]

• Colledge, J. J.; Warlow, Ben (2006) [1969]. Ships of the Royal Navy: The Complete Record of All Fighting Ships of the Royal Navy from the 15th Century to the Present (Rev. ed.). London: Chatham Publishing. ISBN 978-1-86176-281-8. OCLC 67375475.
• Watanabe Yoshiyuki (2004). "Contributor". 帝国海軍真実の艦艇史 未発表写真と綿密な考証で明かされる秘められた新事実の数々 [The True History of the Imperial Navy's Ships: New and Hidden Facts Revealed Through Unpublished Photographs and Detailed Research]. By Rekishi Gunzō. History of Pacific War (in Japanese). Vol. 45. Japan: Gakken. ISBN 4-05-603412-5.
• Money, Paul (17 June 2015). "HMS MOTH – April to June 1919, January to December 1920, China Station". naval-history.net.
• Hackett, Bob; Kingsepp, Sander; Cundall, Peter (2015). "IJN Gunboat SUMA: Tabular Record of Movement". Combinedfleet.com. Retrieved 12 December 2016.

• "USAF MISSING AIRCREW REPORT SUMMARY SHEET (MACR 01631)". aviationarchaeology.com. AVIATION ARCHAEOLOGICAL INVESTIGATION & RESEARCH. Retrieved 26 February 2026.
• Pat (29 June 2021). "Search for crash site of Arnold, Keating, White, and Smith". rshonor.org. Remembering Shared Honor. Retrieved 26 February 2026.

• ER (18 December 2016). "BAAG Naval Section Intelligence Summary, mid to late September 1942, ship repair, maintenance and movements". industrialhistoryhk.org. The Industrial History of Hong Kong Group. Retrieved 5 March 2026.