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 T. Yuki)

IJN Transport T.4: Tabular Record of Movement
© 2014-2015 Bob Hackett
Revision 2

1 February 1944:
Kure Navy Yard. Laid down as Ship No. 2904, a 1,500-ton No. 1 class landing ship.
15 March 1944:
Numbered T.4.
20 March 1944:
Launched.
10 May 1944:
Reserve LtCdr (Cdr, posthumously) Kawahara Masayori (former CO of WAKAMIYA) is appointed Chief Equipping Officer.
15 June 1944:
Completed. LtCdr Kawahara is the Commanding Officer.
28 June 1944:
T.4 departs Yokosuka for Chichi Jima, Ogasawara (Bonin) Islands.
Chichi Jima

30 June 1944:
Arrives at Chichi Jima.
10 July 1944:
T.4 departs Chichi Jima with LST T.153.
14 July 1944:
Arrives at Yokosuka.
18 July 1944:
At 1700, T.4 departs Yokohama in convoy No. 3718B also consisting of IJN LSTs T.104 and T.152 and KYUSHU, RYUKO, TSURUGA and YAYOI MARUs escorted by destroyers HATAKAZE and MATSU, torpedo boat CHIDORI, auxiliary minesweepers KEINAN MARU and TAMA MARU No. 6 and subchaser CH-52.
22 July 1944:
At 1400, arrives at Chichi Jima.
29 July 1944:
T.4 and T.2 depart Tateyama for Chichi Jima, escorting convoy No. 3729 consisting of ENJU, HOKKAI, KYUSHU, SHOGEN and TONEGAWA MARUs and UNKAI MARU No. 7, also 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. Light carrier ZUIHO, escorted by destroyer FUYUTSUKI, sorties from Yokosuka to provide air and anti-submarine cover for the convoy.
1 August 1944:
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 lzu Shichi Islands, make for the West Inland Sea.
2 August 1944:
T.4 arrives at Iwo Jima.

(Pre-invasion Iwo Jima with Mount Suribachi in the foreground)

4 August 1944: Operation "Scavenger" – The Aerial Bombardment of Iwo Jima and the Bonin Islands:
T.4 is bombed and damaged by aircraft from light carrier USS CABOT (CVL-28) at 27-07N, 142-12E. [1] [2]
5 August 1944:
Aircraft from Rear Admiral (later Admiral-Ret) Joseph J. Clark's (USNA '17) Task Group 58.1 and Rear Admiral Alfred E. Montgomery's (USNA '12) TG 58.3 and Rear Admiral (later Admiral) Laurance T. DuBose's (USNA '13) cruisers and destroyers strike Chichi Jima and Haha Jima, Bonins.
Off Chichi Jima, carrier planes from USS BUNKER HILL (CV-17) damage T.2 at 27-05N, 142-09E.
Takinoura Bay, Ani Jima. Planes from BUNKER HILL sink T.4 with all hands at 27-07N, 142-12E.
10 November 1944:
Removed from the Navy List.

Author's Note:
[1] Sources conflict about the 4-5 Aug '44 attacks. Some say T.4 was sunk by USS CABOT (CVL-28) while others say BUNKER HILL (CV-17).
[2] Thanks go George Kernahan, a USN carrier aircraft researcher, who says...
"On 4 August, USS HORNET (CV-12) and USS FRANKLIN (CV-13) of TG58.1 each launched three strikes. All three from HORNET and two from FRANKLIN were against the big convoy north of Chichi Jima. USS CABOT contributed two VT to one of these convoy strikes. One strike from FRANKLIN with three VT from USS CABOT (CVL-28) attacked shipping just off NW Chichi. I believe that T.4 may have been hit by a bomb from FRANKLIN in this attack.

"On 5 Aug '44, the two TG58.1 CVs flew three strikes each, all targeting the Futami Ko area of Chichi Jima. TG 58.3's BUNKER HILLl launched two strikes against Futami Ko and two against Takinoura Wan on Ani Jima. USS LEXINGTON (CV-16) contributed two against Futami Ko and one against Haha Jima. CVL CABOT did not contribute to the strikes on the 5th."

-Bob Hackett

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