| Japanese Naval Vessels at Balanacan Harbor |
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Fast Transport Ships
Displacement 1500 tons
Armament 2 × 127mm & 15 - 26 × 25mm
Speed 22 knots
T-6 Built Kure Navy Yard, Commissioned August 19, 1944 Sunk
T-9 Built Kure Navy Yard, Commissioned September 20, 1944 Damaged
T-10 Built Kure navy Yard, Commissioned September 25, 1944 Sunk
Displacement 1500 tons
Armament 2 × 127mm & 15 - 26 × 25mm
Speed 22 knots
T-6 Built Kure Navy Yard, Commissioned August 19, 1944 Sunk
T-9 Built Kure Navy Yard, Commissioned September 20, 1944 Damaged
T-10 Built Kure navy Yard, Commissioned September 25, 1944 Sunk
| T-9 |
Destroyer
The Take was of the MATSU class,in a most robust and successful, if Spartan,
design. Usually referred to as "escort destroyers" and named (after trees) as
2nd-Class Destroyers, their displacement of over 1,000 tons nonetheless
earned them the Empire's rating of 1st-Class Destroyer.
While similar to Allied destroyer-escorts in form and function, the MATSUs were
both 50-70' longer and more heavily-armed, especially in the AA role, with 5"
guns that could be elevated to 90 degrees and scores of 25 mm. machine-guns.
A quadruple bank of the deadly Long-Lance torpedo tubes and Types 13 and 22
radar outfits were also shipped.
Very important in these times of deteriorating fortunes for the Empire were
their sturdiness and survivability: a unique boiler-engine, boiler-engine power
plant arrangement helped insure that no single hit would be crippling. Their top
speed of just under 28 knots was less than desired, but adequate for most tasks
assigned.
Displacement: 1,262 - 1,289 tons
Dimensions: 328 (length) by 30.5 (beam) by 11 (draught) feet
Machinery: 2-shaft geared turbines: 19,000 SHP; 28 knots
Radius: 4,680 at 16 knots
Armament: 3 x 5"/40 cal. DP guns (1 x 2, 1 x 1); 24 x 25 mm. AA guns (4
x
3, 12 x 1); 4 x 24" torpedo tubes (1 x 4); 36 - 60 depth charges.
Complement: 211
Japanese Naval DestroyerTake - Commissioned: 1942/43? Damaged
Captain: LtCdr Tanaka Kirokuni
TAKE was the star of the class, operating as far afield as Palau and the
Philippines, sinking an enemy destroyer and possibly a submarine, and
surviving the war to tell about it.
The Take was of the MATSU class,in a most robust and successful, if Spartan,
design. Usually referred to as "escort destroyers" and named (after trees) as
2nd-Class Destroyers, their displacement of over 1,000 tons nonetheless
earned them the Empire's rating of 1st-Class Destroyer.
While similar to Allied destroyer-escorts in form and function, the MATSUs were
both 50-70' longer and more heavily-armed, especially in the AA role, with 5"
guns that could be elevated to 90 degrees and scores of 25 mm. machine-guns.
A quadruple bank of the deadly Long-Lance torpedo tubes and Types 13 and 22
radar outfits were also shipped.
Very important in these times of deteriorating fortunes for the Empire were
their sturdiness and survivability: a unique boiler-engine, boiler-engine power
plant arrangement helped insure that no single hit would be crippling. Their top
speed of just under 28 knots was less than desired, but adequate for most tasks
assigned.
Displacement: 1,262 - 1,289 tons
Dimensions: 328 (length) by 30.5 (beam) by 11 (draught) feet
Machinery: 2-shaft geared turbines: 19,000 SHP; 28 knots
Radius: 4,680 at 16 knots
Armament: 3 x 5"/40 cal. DP guns (1 x 2, 1 x 1); 24 x 25 mm. AA guns (4
x
3, 12 x 1); 4 x 24" torpedo tubes (1 x 4); 36 - 60 depth charges.
Complement: 211
Japanese Naval DestroyerTake - Commissioned: 1942/43? Damaged
Captain: LtCdr Tanaka Kirokuni
TAKE was the star of the class, operating as far afield as Palau and the
Philippines, sinking an enemy destroyer and possibly a submarine, and
surviving the war to tell about it.
| T-6 IN CENTER AND T-9 RIGHT HAND SIDE As depicted by Takeshi Yuki, "Color Paintings of Japanese Warships") |
| T-10 |
| 25mm AA gun |
| Type 89 Naval Gun |
The Japanese Armament for the 4 ships were:
Take: 4 25mm 3 barrel AA guns and 8 25mm single barrel AA guns, 3 5”
/40cal AA guns.
The T-6, T-9 and T-10:
13 - 25mm single barrel AA guns, 1- 25mm 3 barrel AA gun and 1- 5”
/127mm type 89 double mount main gun
The Japanese main AA gun was the 25mm Type 96 Hotchkiss. It was
magazine fed, with only 15 rounds which meant the gun would have to cease
firing to have a new magazine put in place, so frequent stoppages for change
outs were required. That was a major drawback.
The Japanese considered the Type 89 127mm to be a good AA weapon and it
had a fast rate of fire and good elevation and training speeds, especially on
the later mods. Its primary shortcoming was a relatively low muzzle
velocity and thus a short range and low AA ceiling.
The 5”/40cal gun was the standard Japanese heavy AA weapon of the war,
being carried aboard a wide variety of vessels, and also used as a coast
defense mount. It was a fairly good weapon, although its muzzle velocity
was fairly unimpressive.
Take: 4 25mm 3 barrel AA guns and 8 25mm single barrel AA guns, 3 5”
/40cal AA guns.
The T-6, T-9 and T-10:
13 - 25mm single barrel AA guns, 1- 25mm 3 barrel AA gun and 1- 5”
/127mm type 89 double mount main gun
The Japanese main AA gun was the 25mm Type 96 Hotchkiss. It was
magazine fed, with only 15 rounds which meant the gun would have to cease
firing to have a new magazine put in place, so frequent stoppages for change
outs were required. That was a major drawback.
The Japanese considered the Type 89 127mm to be a good AA weapon and it
had a fast rate of fire and good elevation and training speeds, especially on
the later mods. Its primary shortcoming was a relatively low muzzle
velocity and thus a short range and low AA ceiling.
The 5”/40cal gun was the standard Japanese heavy AA weapon of the war,
being carried aboard a wide variety of vessels, and also used as a coast
defense mount. It was a fairly good weapon, although its muzzle velocity
was fairly unimpressive.
Japanese Records for 24 November 1944: show the vessels were assigned to
"Operation TA No. 5" (TA-Go 5-ji Sakusen) - The Reinforcement of Leyte: T.9,
T.6 and T.10 departed Manila escorted by destroyer TAKE. The T.9 carries the
3rd Company and part of the 1st Machine-gun Company of 1st Battalion, 12th
Independent Infantry Regiment.
Japanese company strength is ~180 men. We could make an assumption that
there were 270 soldiers plus the crew of 148 on the T-9. It is not listed what
the T-6 and T-10 had on board.
We do know that on Oct 31 the T.9, T.6 and T.10 departed Manila for Ormoc
Bay carrying 1,000 men of the Imabori Detachment so it would not be
unreasonable to again assume that this total number of soldiers could have
been aboard the vessels in Balanacan.
It is not known which ship was sunk first the T-6 or the -T-10. Whichever one
it was, the last TBM-1C Avenger plane to drop it’s 500 lb. bomb scored a direct
hit, the vessel breaking in two and sinking within 5 minutes.
The second vessel was hit by an F6F-5 Hellcat on a strafing run and hit an
object on the stern (described as a mine) which caused a terrific explosion and
sunk the vessel.
T-9 and Take were both damaged in the initial attack but managed to leave
the harbor before the 2nd strike group returned.
Commanding Officers:
Take:
LtCdr Unaki Tsuyoshi (64) 宇都 豊 01.11.44–02.09.45
DesDiv 43, 31st Squadron, 5th Fleet 20.08.44–05.02.45
T-6 LtCdr Fukujiro Nakamura
T-9 Resv LtCdr Akagi, Tsuyoshi
T-10 Resv LtCdr Nai Mitsugu
"Operation TA No. 5" (TA-Go 5-ji Sakusen) - The Reinforcement of Leyte: T.9,
T.6 and T.10 departed Manila escorted by destroyer TAKE. The T.9 carries the
3rd Company and part of the 1st Machine-gun Company of 1st Battalion, 12th
Independent Infantry Regiment.
Japanese company strength is ~180 men. We could make an assumption that
there were 270 soldiers plus the crew of 148 on the T-9. It is not listed what
the T-6 and T-10 had on board.
We do know that on Oct 31 the T.9, T.6 and T.10 departed Manila for Ormoc
Bay carrying 1,000 men of the Imabori Detachment so it would not be
unreasonable to again assume that this total number of soldiers could have
been aboard the vessels in Balanacan.
It is not known which ship was sunk first the T-6 or the -T-10. Whichever one
it was, the last TBM-1C Avenger plane to drop it’s 500 lb. bomb scored a direct
hit, the vessel breaking in two and sinking within 5 minutes.
The second vessel was hit by an F6F-5 Hellcat on a strafing run and hit an
object on the stern (described as a mine) which caused a terrific explosion and
sunk the vessel.
T-9 and Take were both damaged in the initial attack but managed to leave
the harbor before the 2nd strike group returned.
Commanding Officers:
Take:
LtCdr Unaki Tsuyoshi (64) 宇都 豊 01.11.44–02.09.45
DesDiv 43, 31st Squadron, 5th Fleet 20.08.44–05.02.45
T-6 LtCdr Fukujiro Nakamura
T-9 Resv LtCdr Akagi, Tsuyoshi
T-10 Resv LtCdr Nai Mitsugu