Tokusetsu-Yusokan
IJN T.103 Class Landing Ship Tank
(T.101 Class Landing Ship Tank by T. Yuki)
IJN LST T.158:
Tabular Record of Movement
© 2018 Bob Hackett & Sander Kingsepp
5 February 1944.
Numbered T.158.
Provisionally attached to Kure Naval District.
24 May 1944:
Mukojima. Laid down at Hitachi K.K. as Hull No. 1558,
a 950-ton T.103-class landing ship tank.
23 June 1944:
Launched.
4 September 1944:
T.158 is completed and commissioned in the IJN.
Attached to Kure Naval District. Reserve Lt (LtCdr, posthumously) Hase
Kazuo (formerly attached to Kure Naval District HQ) is the Commanding Officer.
5 September 1944:
Rerated a 2nd Class Yusokan. Assigned to Combined
Fleet. Departs Onomichi for Kure, arrives later that day.
8-10 September 1944:
Embarks fuel, provisions and ammunition.
15 September 1944:
Departs Kure for Karatsu port, Kyushu.
17 September 1944:
Arrives at Karatsu.
18 September 1944:
Departs Karatsu for Sasebo, arrives later that day.
19 September-1 October 1944:
At Sasebo. Embarks provisions and cargo
for the garrison of Okinawa.
25 September 1944:
Reassigned to 1st Transport Squadron.
2 October 1944:
Departs Sasebo on a transport run to Naha, Okinawa.
4 October 1944:
Arrives at Naha harbor.
5-6 October 1944:
Unloads her cargo.
10 October 1944:
Vice Admiral (later Admiral) Marc A. Mitscher's
Task Force 38 launches a strike with nearly 200 aircraft against military
installations on Okinawa. Prior to the attack T.158 transfers 300 25-mm AA
rounds to CH-15, likewise present in Naha harbor.
At 0940 T.158 is attacked by carrier planes and receives a bomb hit (dud)
to the foredeck. Near misses off starboard cause several minor leaks. The
engines are temporarily disabled. Six depth charges are dumped overboard to
minimize strafing damage. By 1020 the engine power is restored and the
transport heads out to sea at the best possible speed.
Five minutes later another bomb hit ignites a massive fuel fire. T.158
anchors off the harbor and her crew attempts to douse the fire. Four near
misses disable her AA guns and her CO is killed by bomb fragments. At 1420 the
battle flag is lowered and the survivors abandon the ship. Ten minutes later
T.158 sinks at 26-39N, 127-52E.
10 December 1944:
Removed from the Navy List.
-Bob Hackett & Sander Kingsepp
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