Dai 1 Go-gata Yusokan

© 2014-2018 Bob Hackett
Revision 1

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5 July 1944:
Yokohama. Laid down at Mitsubishi Shipyard as Ship No. 2913, a 1,500-ton No. 1 class landing ship.

30 September 1944:
Launched and numbered T.13.

1 October 1944:
Reserve Lt (later LtCdr) Niimura Oimura is appointed the Chief Equipping Officer (CEO).

1 November 1944:
Completed. Attached to the Yokosuka Guard Force. LtCdr Niimura Oimura is the Commanding Officer.

11-12 November 1944:
Yokosuka. T.13's crew undergoes various training.

13 November 1944:
A Type 2 Mk. 1 depth charge projector is refitted.

18 November 1944:
Embarks fresh water and ammunition.

19-20 November 1944:
Embarks the HAYABUSA-class MTB (motor torpedo boat) No. 30 and 141 passengers.

20 November 1944:
Departs Yokosuka for Chichi Jima and Haha Jima, Ogasawara (Bonin) Islands.

22 November 1944:
Arrives at Futami Bay, Chichi Jima. Between 0825 and 1315 the cargo and passengers destined for that island are debarked. Departs Futami and later arrives at Haha Jima. After debarking the rest of the cargo between 2135 and 0645 the next morning departs for Chichi Jima.

23 November 1944:
Arrives at Chichi Jima. At 1320, attacked by aircraft. T.13's high-angle guns fire 12 rounds, her 25-mm guns fire 579 and the 13-mm machine guns fire 84 rounds. Departs Chichi Jima and arrives at Haha Jima. At 1740, starts unloading cargo and continues until 0300 the next morning, then departs.

26 November 1944:
Arrives at Tateyama Bay. Departs and arrives at Yokosuka.

2 December 1944:
Departs Yokosuka for Futami Bay, Chichi Jima, and Iwo Jima via Usami.

5 December 1944:
Arrives at Futami Bay. Unloads motor torpedo boat MTB No. 214, then departs.

6 December 1944:
Arrives at Iwo Jima. Completes landing troops and patient evacuation then departs for Usami.

9 December 1944:
Arrives at Usami.

10 December 1944:
Departs Usami for Yokosuka.

14 December 1944:
Departs Yokosuka for Futami Bay, Chichi Jima.

16 December 1944:
Arrives at Futami Bay.

17 December 1944:
Arrives at Iwo Jima. Engages in surface-to-air combat, probably against B-24 "Liberator" heavy bombers from Saipan and Guam.

18 December 1944:
Completes landing cargo and departs.

20 December 1944:
Arrives at Yokosuka.

11 February 1945:
T.13 is damaged by aircraft, Bonins.

10 March 1945:
LtCdr Kono Osamu is appointed the CO.

10 May 1945:
Reserve LtCdr Kubo Takeshi (former CO of CD-31) is appointed the CO.

23 May-6 June 1945:
T.13 undergoes repairs in Sasebo.

17 July 1945:
Sasebo Navy Yard. Enters No. 7 dry-dock.

28 July 1945:
At 0805, undocked. At 0830, moors at No. 4 buoy, but at 1040 engages in surface to air combat, probably against aircraft from Admiral William F. Halsey, Jr.'s Task Force 38, Third Fleet. T.13's main guns fire 16 rounds, her 25-mm AA guns fire 475 and her 13-mm machine guns 30 rounds.

31 July 1945:
At 1030, engages in surface to air combat. T.13's main guns fire 8 rounds, her 25-mm AA guns fire 148 and her 13-mm machine guns 31 rounds.

September 1945:
T.13 survives the war at Sasebo and is surrendered to the Allied Occupation Forces.

1 December 1945:
Removed from the Navy List. Assigned to the Allied Repatriation Service. [1]

5 December 1945:
Ex-LtCdr Toyama Saburo (66)(former CO of SHINNAN) is appointed the CO.

21 January 1946:
Ex-Lt Nagamatsu Kumaichi is appointed the CO.

September 1946:
Ex-LtCdr Takubo Tatsuo (64)(former CO of YUKAZE) is appointed the CO.

2 October 1946:
Ex-LtCdr Honda Yukito (former CO of CD-205) is appointed the CO of T.13 as additional duty.

1947:
Refitted as a whaling mothership and operated jointly by Kyokuyo and Nippon Suisan Kaisha, Ltd. off the Ogasawara Islands (Bonin) Islands. Transports whale meat to Tokyo.

5 August 1947:
Ex-Lt Hashimoto Ichiro (71)(former gunnery officer of SHIOKAZE) is appointed the CO.

8 August 1947:
Nakhodka, Siberia. Transferred as a war reparation to the Soviet Navy's Pacific Fleet. Renamed TYUMEN-ULA. Recommissioned as a netlayer.

5 July 1948:
Demilitarized and refitted. Designated as rescue ship and renamed SATURN.

28 February 1964:
Removed from the Navy List and sold for scrap sometime thereafter.

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Author's Notes:

[1] Allied occupation forces were responsible for the return of six million Japanese military personnel and civilians from Japan's defunct far-flung Empire. In addition, there were over a million Korean and about 40,000 Chinese prisoners and conscript laborers and approximately 7,000 Formosans and 15,000 Ryukyu Islanders to be repatriated.

Some Allied and many former IJN warships, from aircraft carriers to kaibokan, were used to facilitate the enormous repatriation effort. Japanese vessels and crews were used to the fullest extent possible to conserve Allied manpower and accelerate demobilization. Each ex-IJN ship first had to be demilitarized; guns removed or, in the case of large warships, barrels severed, ammunition landed, and radar and catapults removed, if fitted. Repatriation of the Chinese on Japanese ships began early in October from Hakata, but U.S. guard detachments had to be placed on many ships to prevent disorder because the Japanese crews could not control the returnees.

Japanese-run repatriation centers were established at Kagoshima, Hario near Sasebo, and Hakata near Fukuoka. Other reception centers were established and operated at Maizuru, Shimonoseki, Sasebo, Senzaki, Kure, Uraga, Yokohama, Moji and Hakodate. Allied line and medical personnel supervised the centers. Incoming Japanese were sprayed with DDT, examined and inoculated for typhus and smallpox, provided with food, and transported to their final destination in Japan.

-Bob Hackett

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