Japanese T,103 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.140: Tabular Record of Movement
© 2014-2017 Bob Hackett

5 February 1944:
Numbered T.140
26 July 1944:
Sasebo Navy Yard. Laid down as a 950-ton T. 103-class landing ship tank.
E August 1944:
Launched.
E September 1944.
Completed.
5 September 1944: :
T. 140 is re-classified a 2nd class Yusokan.
9 December 1944: Operation "TA No. 9" – The Reinforcement of Leyte, Philippines:
A convoy consisting of MINO, SORACHI and TASMANIA MARUs depart Manila for Ormoc Bay, Leyte escorted by DesDiv 30’s YUZUKI, UZUKI and KIRI And SubChasDiv 21’s CH-17 and CH-37. The convoy is carrying 4,000 soldiers of the Takahashi Detachment (5th Infantry Regiment) plus food and ammunition. The convoy is accompanied by T. 140 and T. 159 with ten Special Type 2 Toku-ni-shiki uchibitei kami (Ka-Mi) Light Amphibious tanks and about 400 Special Naval Landing Force (SNLF) troops of LtCdr Itoh’s Landing Force.

(Scale Model of a Type 2 Ka-mi-3 light amphibious tank)

11 December 1944:
30 miles off Leyte. The convoy is attacked twice by about 40 USMC F4U "Corsair" fighter-bombers of VMFs 211, 218 and 313. In the second low level attack, TASMANIA and MINO MARUs are hit and later sink at 11-20N, 124-10E. TASMANIA MARU takes down many of the 1053 troops as well as 96 gunners and 43 crewmen.
MINO MARU, loaded with war supplies, ammunition, foodstuffs and troops, sinks with one gunner and 13 crewmen KIA. SORACHI MARU is ordered to head to Palompon, while the escorts rescue survivors. UZUKI is detached to pick up another group of survivors.
Ormoc. Shortly before midnight, T. 140 and T. 159 covered by YUZUKI and KIRI land the Takahashi Detachment and the SNLF in their amphibious tanks. 10 Tanks are launched and eight reach the beach. They are engaged by the U.S. Army and USS COGHLAN (DD-606) and destroyed or captured by the Americans on the beach.
T. 159 is hit and abandoned, but T. 140 escapes with heavy damage.
12 January 1945: Operation "Gratitude"- Task Force 38's Strikes on Indochina:
Saigon, French Indochina. Aircraft of Vice Admiral (Admiral, posthumously) John S. McCain’s (USNA ’06) Task Force 38 bomb and sink T. 140 and IKUTAGAWA MARU (ex-Italian RAMB II) at 10-20N, 107-50E. The planes also sink or damage many other ships in the raid.
10 March 1945:
Removed from the Navy List.

Author's Note:

Thanks go to Sander Kingsepp of Estonia.

-Bob Hackett

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