Dai 1 Go-gata Yusokan
IJN No. 1 Class Fast Transport
(No. 1 Class Fast Transport T.5 by T. Yuki)
IJN Transport T.11:
Tabular Record of Movement
© 2014 Bob Hackett
18 July 1944:
Kure Naval Arsenal. Laid down as Ship No. 2911, a 1,500-ton No.
1 class landing ship.
25 August 1944:
Launched and numbered T.11
30 September 1944:
Lt Korodan Jingtai is appointed Chief Equipping Officer.
5 November 1944:
Completed. Lt Korodan is the Commanding Officer.
19 November 1944:
T.11 departs Kure for Manila, Luzon, Philippines.
5 December 1944: Operation "TA No. 8" (Tagousakusen) - The Reinforcement
of Leyte, Philippines:
T.11 departs Manila for Ormoc Bay, Leyte in convoy TA
No. 8 also consisting of transports AKAGISAN, HAKUBA and NICHIYO MARUs and
SHINSEI MARU No. 5 escorted by DesDiv 43’s destroyers UME (F), MOMO and SUGI and subchasers CH-18 and CH-38. The transports carry about 4,000 men of the IJA 68th
Brigade.
7 December 1944:
ComDesDiv 43 Captain Sugama Ryokichi (50) (former CO of YUKIKAZE) learns of the American landings at at Albuera, south of Ormoc,
supported by a fleet of 80 vessels. Sugama orders the transports to beach
themselves at San Isidro, 30 miles north of Ormoc. Sugama then heads to the
north with the escorts.
At 0900, convoy TA No. 8 arrives at San Isidro and commences unloading.
At 0930, 70 USAAF Consolidated B-24 "Liberator" heavy bombers attack. All the
convoy's transports are deliberately beached. Throughout the day, the landing
area remains under constant assault from USAAF 5th Air Force and USMC F4U
“Chance-Vought “Corsair” fighter-bombers of VMF 211, VMF 218, and VMF 313.
About 350 troops aboard the transports are KIA.
When T-11 docks and tries to unload the 68th Brigade’s heavy equipment and artillery, aircraft hit her four times, but the majority of the brigade’s troops get ashore. Only two field guns and very little other material can be landed. The planes attack and destroy AKAGISAN, HAKUBA and NICHIYO MARUs and SHINSEI MARU No. 5.
(USMC F4U “Corsair” rocket-firing fighter-bomber)
T.11 is damaged heavily and later sinks in shallow water at 11-23N,
124-18E.
Fighter-bombers also strafe destroyer SUGI and she suffers minor damage.
UME is hit by a dud bomb in the forward engine room at 11-25N, 124-20E. Late in
the afternoon Sugama sends MOMO back to assist the transports, but she can do
little. MOMO clips a reef near Masbate that night, but all the destroyers and
subchasers make it back to Manila on 8 December.
3 May 1945:
Removed from the Navy List.
-Bob Hackett
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