 As the "Jingei"-class submarine tenders were unable to support the new s, they were reassigned to the Training Fleet around this time, and their duties as submarine tenders were taken up by the new s.
After the Marco Polo Bridge Incident of 7 July 1937, "Chōgei" was assigned to transport troops of the IJA 10th Division to northern China, as well as a thousand troops of the 1st Special Naval Landing Force.On arrival at Port Arthur, word was received that Japanese positions in Shanghai were in danger of being overrun, so "Chōgei" quickly reembarked the same troops and transported them to Shanghai.Aside from duty as a troop transport, shuttling between Shanghai and Port Arthur, "Chōgei" took no further combat role in the Second Sino-Japanese War.