Japanese No.1 class Landing Ships

Dai 1 Go-gata Yusokan
IJN No. 1 Class Fast Transport

(No. 1 Class Fast Transport T.5 by Takeshi Yuki)

IJN Transport T.2: Tabular Record of Movement
© 2014-2015 Bob Hackett
Revision 2

10 February 1944:
Yokohama. Laid down at Mitsubishi Yokohama Shipyard as Ship No. 2902, a 1,500-ton No. 1 class landing ship.
15 March 1944:
Numbered T.2.
6 May 1944:
Launched.
7 June 1944:
Reserve LtCdr (Cdr, posthumously) Arima Kunio (former CEO of kaibokan OKINAWA) is appointed the Chief Equipping Officer.
25 June 1944:
Completed. LtCdr Arima is the Commanding Officer. Attached to the Yokosuka Naval District.
14 July 1944:
At 1440, T.2 departs Tateyama for Chichi Jima and Iwo Jima escorting convoy No. 3714, also consisting of HASSHO, KATASURAGAWA and NISSHU MARUs, UNKAI MARU No. 10 and Landing Ship No. 105 escorted by kaibokan CD-4, subchasers CH-50 and CH-51.
17 July 1944:
At midnight, UNKAI MARU No. 10 straggles behind the convoy.
18 July 1944:
NW Of Chichi Jima. At about 0200, LtCdr Albert L. Becker's (USNA '34) USS COBIA (SS-245) torpedoes and sinks UNKAI MARU No. 10 at 28-58N, 139-04E. 19 crewmen are KIA and her cargo of aircraft spare parts is lost.
At 0650, COBIA attacks the convoy. At about 0700, Becker torpedoes and sinks NISSHU MARU at 28-40N, 139-25E. She is carrying over 1,000 soldiers and LtCol (Colonel,posthumously) Baron Nishi Takeichi's (1932 Olympic Equestrian Gold Medalist) 26th Tank Regiment from Pusan, Korea, consisting of 600 men and 28 Type 95 "Ha-Go" light tanks. 48 IJA soldiers including two tankers, three crewmen and 45 gunners are KIA. The other marus and the escorts rescue LtCol Nishi and 1,247 soldiers, 127 Navy personnel and 74 crewmen. [1]

(Type 95 "Ha-Go" light tank at the former United States Army Ordnance Museum, Aberdeen, MD)
24 July 1944:
Arrives at Yokosuka.
29 July 1944:
T-2 and T-4 depart Tateyama for Chichi Jima, escorting convoy No. 3729 also consisting of ENJU, HOKKAI, KYUSHU, SHOGEN and TONEGAWA MARUs and UNKAI MARU No.7 escorted by destroyer escort MATSU, flagship of the 2nd Convoy Escort Group's Commander Rear Admiral Takahashi Ichimatsu (40)(former CO of TSUGARU), destroyer HATAKAZE, kaibokan CD-4 and subchasers CH-52 and CH-51.
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.
2 August 1944:
T.2 departs Chichi Jima for an amphibious resupply landing on Iwo Jima, but is unable to complete the mission because of bad weather
3 August 1944:
T.2 returns to Chichi Jima.
(Iwo Jima and the Ogasawara (Bonin) Islands.)
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.
At 1254, Rear Admiral (later Admiral) Laurance T. DuBose's (USNA '13) Task Unit 58.1.6 is detached to sink the cripples. Task Unit 58.1.6 consists of CruDiv 13's USS SANTA FE (F) (CL-60), USS MOBILE (CL-63), USS BILOXI (CL-80) and USS OAKLAND (CL-95), DesDiv 100's USS COGSWELL (DD-651), USS INGERSOLL (DD-652) and USS KNAPP (DD-653) and DesDiv 91's USS IZARD (DD-589), USS CHARRETTE (DD-581), USS BURNS (DD-588) and USS BROWN (DD-546).
About 25 miles NW of Muko Jima, Bonins. At 1930, MATSU is taken under fire and sunk by shell fire of COGSWELL, INGERSOLL and KNAPP at 27-40N, 141-48E. Later, the Americans overtake and sink TONEGAWA MARU. 83 crewmen and 61 troops are KIA. HATAKAZE, CD-4, CD-12 and subchaser CH-51 escape.
Futami Port, Chichi Jima. T.4 is bombed and damaged by aircraft from light carrier USS CABOT (CVL-29) at 27-07N, 142-12E. She floods and is stranded.
5 August 1944:
Aircraft from Rear Admiral (later Admiral-Ret) Joseph J. Clark's (USNA '17) TG 58. 1 and Rear Admiral (later Vice Admiral) Alfred E. Montgomery's (USNA '12) TG 58.3, supported by Rear Admiral DuBose's cruisers and destroyers, repeat strikes on Chichi Jima and Haha Jima. Off Chichi Jima, USS BUNKER HILL's (CV-17) planes damage T.2 and further damage T.4 at 27-07N, 142-12E.
Off Chichi Jima. Crippled T.2 hits a reef in stormy weather and sinks at 27-05N, 142-09E.
10 October 1944:
Removed from the Navy List.

Author's Note:
[1] Lt Col Nishi's 26th Tank Regiment was not resupplied with light tanks until Dec '44. Nishi was KIA on Iwo in '45. He was portrayed in Clint Eastwood's 2006 film "Letters from Iwo Jima."

-Bob Hackett

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