No.101-class landing ship

The No.101 class landing ship (第一〇一号型輸送艦,) was a class of amphibious assault ships of the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) and Imperial Japanese Army (IJA), serving during and after World War II. The No.101 class was equipped with diesel engines, while the similar No.103 class landing ship (第一〇三号型輸送艦,) was equipped with a turbine engine. The IJN called them 2nd class transporter (二等輸送艦,). The No.103 class has the IJA's SB craft (SB艇,) variant. This article handles them collectively.

Background

 * In June 1943, after its defeat in the Guadalcanal Campaign, the IJN realized the necessity of a high-speed military transporter, and they devised two types of ship. One was the 1,500-ton mother ship (the No.1 class) of the Daihatsu and Kō-hyōteki, the other the 900-ton amphibious assault ship for beachhead (described in this article).
 * The IJA already had an amphibious assault ship, the SS craft. However, the SS craft were not suitable for mass-production for a structure elaborate very much. Therefore, the IJA wanted the new amphibious assault ships.
 * The plans of the IJN and the IJA were accorded. They cooperated for new amphibious assault ships. The IJN offered a design and shipyards while the IJA offered mineral resources.

Design

 * The IJN already obtained information regarding Operation Torch from Germany, including some photographs and sketches of the LCT Mk.V.
 * In August 1943, the Navy Technical Department (Kampon) studied these and finished a basic design. It was a scaled-up model of the LCT.
 * In September 1943, the Kampon entrusted the detailed design to the Kure Naval Arsenal. The Kure Naval Arsenal finished it within two months, and the No.101 was laid down in November 1943.

Construction

 * The Kampon designed a new turbine engine for this class. However, it was not ready in time for the first 6 vessels. The Kampon put the wartime standard diesel engine on first 6 vessels. The IJN called them No.101 class or SB (D). For the all the others, turbine engines were supplied smoothly. The IJN called them No.103 class or SB (T). Completed vessels were split between the IJN and IJA.
 * The IJA received 32 vessels from No.103 class, however the IJA did not master handling of a turbine engine. The IJA returned 10 vessels to the IJN. The completed vessels were sent one by one to the front.
 * About the No.103 class and SB crafts, several vessels were changed the coal-fired boilers on January 1945. Detailed construction records were not left.

Navy service

 * Most of the Navy vessels were sent to the Battle of Leyte, 18 of them were lost. Most of them, however, succeeded in the landing of tanks and troops.
 * Only 9 vessels survived war.

Army service

 * As of 2009 a detailed record about the vessels in the Army service is not known to exist in Japan.
 * The armaments were not unified.
 * The IJA let ten SB crafts participate in the Philippines Campaign. Their actions were limited to the Luzon northern coast, Taiwan and Ryukyu Islands. The IJA lost only one SB craft.
 * After the Philippines Campaign, the SB crafts were used only in Japanese mainland peripheral sea area.