Tokusetsu-Yusokan
IJN T.103 Class Landing Ship Tank
(T.101 Class Landing Ship Tank by Takeshi Yuki)
IJN LST T.133:
Tabular Record of Movement
© 2014-2016 Bob Hackett
5 February 1944.
Numbered T.133.
10 April 1944.
Sasebo. Laid down at the Sasebo Naval Arsenal as a 950-ton T. 103-class landing ship tank.
6 June 1944:
Launched.
4 July 1944:
Completed. Based at Sasebo. Lt Murakami Yuri is appointed Commanding Officer.
23 July 1944
T.133 departs Sasebo for Yokosuka.
29 July 1944:
Departs Yokosuka for Tateyama and joins convoy No. 3729 also consisting of ENJU, HOKKAI, KYUSHU, SHOGEN, TONEGAWA,
MARUs and UNKAI MARU No.7 escorted by Rear Admiral Takahashi Ichimatsu's (40) (former CO of TSUGARU) 2nd Convoy Escort Group's flagship destroyer escort MATSU,
destroyer HATAKAZE, kaibokan CD-4, Navy fast transports T.2 and T.4 and subchasers CH-51 and CH-52. Arrives at Tateyama and then departs for Iwo Jima.
That same day, light carrier ZUIHO, escorted by destroyer FUYUTSUKI, sorties from Yokosuka to provide air and anti-submarine cover for the convoy.
1 August 1944:
Ogasawara (Bonin) Islands. Convoy No. 3729 arrives at Futami Harbor, Chichi Jima. Upon arrival some of the cargo ships depart for Iwo
Jima. Bad weather causes delays in unloading. ZUIHO and FUYUTSUKI, after maintaining position near the Izu Shichito Islands, make for the West Inland Sea.
4 August 1944: Operation "Scavenger" – Aerial Bombardment of Iwo Jima and the Ogasawara Islands:
About 0930, an air raid warning is received from Tokyo. All ships proceed to sea in convoy No. 4804. From 1030 on, the convoy is attacked by three waves of aircraft
of Rear Admiral (later Admiral) Joseph J. Clark's (USNA '17) (former CO of USS YORKTOWN, CV-10) Task Group 58.1. The first wave attacks the convoy 20 miles
NW of Chichi Jima. Destroyer HATAKAZE suffers rudder damage. At about 1100, kaibokan CD-4 is near-missed by bombs fore and aft to starboard. She suffers slight
damage with two men KIA. The Japanese claim shooting-down several aircraft.
In the second raid, ENJU MARU is sunk with the loss of 21 passengers and 52 crewmen. The third strike occurs between 1600 and 1630, during which the majority
of the ships succumb to torpedo attacks from both sides of the convoy. CD-12 incurs some damage. After organizing the rescue of the convoy's survivors, flagship MATSU l
eads the still intact escort group and TONEGAWA MARU, the lone surviving cargo ship, northwards.
Off the coast of Iwo Jima, carrier planes from USS BUNKER HILL (CV-17) and USS LEXINGTON (CV-16) sink T.133 at 24-47N, 141-20E. Casualties are unknown.
10 October 1944:
Removed from the Navy List.
-Bob Hackett
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