Japanese T,101 Class Landing Ship Tank

Tokusetsu-Yusokan

IJN T.101 Class Landing Ship Tank

(T.101 Class Landing Ship Tank by T. Yuki)

IJN LST T.102: Tabular Record of Movement
© 2014 Bob Hackett

15 December 1943:
Osaka. Laid down at Osaka Zosenjo as Hull No. 1502.
5 February 1944:
Numbered T.102.
28 February 1944:
Launched.
15 March 1944:
Completed. Captain Kubo Seizo is the Commanding Officer. Attached to the Kure Guard Force.
19 May 1944:
T.102 is attached to Vice Admiral Mikawa Gunichi's (38)(former CO KIRISHIMA) Southwestern Area Fleet.
20 May 1944:
Departs Moji for Manila.
7 June 1944:
Arrives at Kau, Halmahera, Moluccas.
9 June 1944:
Departs Kau for Ambon, Moluccas.
10 June 1944:
Attached to the Gohoku Force. [1]
13 June 1944:
Arrives at Ambon.
26 June 1944:
Detached from the Gohoku Force.
30 June 1944:
At 1100, T.102 and T.101 depart Ambon, Moluccas for Surabaya, Java in a convoy also consisting of IKUTAGAWA (ex-Italian RAMB II) and SEIA MARUs escorted by torpedo boat KARI, minesweeper W-12 and auxiliary minelayer SHONAN MARU No. 2.
1 July 1944:
At 0500, departs Namrole and at 1900 arrives at Besbias.
2 July 1944:
At 0700, departs Besbias and at 1800 arrives at Gule Tosru.
3 July 1944:
At 0320, departs Gule Tosru and after 1100 arrives at Laea Bay.
4 July 1944:
At 0600, departs Laea Bay and transits the Salajar Channel. At 1000, arrives at Tandjung Patjiub.
5 July 1944:
At 1900, departs Tandjung Patjiube and at 2100 arrives at Daziandazian. SHONAN MARU No. 2 is detached from the convoy.
7 July 1944:
At 0650, departs Daziandazian.
9 July 1944:
At 1130, arrives at Surabaya Griesse lighthouse.
13 July 1944:
Departs Surabaya Griesse lighthouse and later that day arrives at Surabaya.
13 July 1944:
Departs Surabaya for Balikpapan, Borneo, Timor and Manila.
5 September 1944:
T. 102 is re-classified a 2nd class Yusokan.
24 September 1944:
Gulf of Colon. T. 102 is engaged in surface-to-air combat and suffers some damage.
25 September 1944:
T.102 and five T.101-class landing ships tank (LST) are administratively assigned to Rear Admiral Sone Akira's (44)(former CO of NACHI) 1st Transport Squadron. Fast Naval transports T.6, T.9 and T.10 are also initially assigned to Transron 1.
24 October 1944:
In the morning, light cruiser KINU and destroyer URANAMI sortie from Cavite for Cagayan. CruDiv 16 is attacked by aircraft from Rear Admiral (later Admiral) Frederick C. Sherman's (former CO of LEXINGTON (CV-2) Task Group 38.3's carriers USS ESSEX (CV-9) and LEXINGTON (CV-16). Near misses cause light structural damage, but strafing kills 47 crewmen aboard the KINU and 25 crewmen on URANAMI.
25 October 1944: Operation "TA No. 2 (Tagousakusen)" - The Reinforcement of Leyte:
Arrives at Cagayan. T.102 and T.101 each load 400 men. T.6, T.9 and T.10 each embark 350 troops. In the morning, they depart for Ormoc as CruDiv 16 arrives. KINU embarks 347 men and URANAMI 150 men, then they depart Cagayan. The seven ships carry 2,347 troops including the 30th Division’s 41st Infantry consisting of the regimental headquarters and 1st and 2nd Battalions.
26 October 1944:
Ormoc Bay, Leyte, Philippines. The ships put the 41st Regiment ashore. T.102 and T.101 are ordered back to the Visayas to pick up more troops while CruDiv 16 and the three naval transports depart for Manila. Guimarras Strait. En route to Bacolod on Negros Island, T.102 is attacked and sunk by carrier planes from Vice Admiral (Admiral, posthumously) John S. McCain's (USNA '06) Task Group 38.1's USS HANCOCK (CV-19) at 11-00N, 123-00E.
10 December 1944:
Removed from the Navy List.

Author's Note:
[1] The Gohoku Force apparently was an IJAAF airfield defense unit with HQ at Ambon.
Thanks go to Sander Kingsepp of Estonia.

-Bob Hackett

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