IJN No. 1 Class Landing Ship (1st Class Transporter)

Amphibious Assault Vessel

Imperial Japan | 1944

"While developed as a fast transport, the No. 1 Class Landing Ship proved effective in other battlefield roles like sub-hunting and airspace defense."

Authored By: Staff Writer | Last Edited: 12/13/2023 | Content ©www.MilitaryFactory.com | The following text is exclusive to this site; No A.I. was used in the generation of this content.

The No.1-class Landing Ship was constructed by the Kure Naval Arsenal and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) for the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) during World War 2 (1939-1945) in response to losses incurred by IJN destroyers pressed into the landing ship role across the Pacific Theater since the war began. The result was a reliable, versatile vessel whose group construction spanned from 1943 until 1945. Commissioned service ran from 1944 until 1950 and, while 34 of the type were envisioned, just 21 of the lot were actually completed with 16 of these lost-in-service and 5 retired.

The No.1-class Landing Ship succeeded the aging No.1-class Patrol Boat design of 1940 (just two completed). When developed by the Kure Naval Arsenal, the new ship carried the project designation of "J37". Kure was also tabbed as its primary contractor with support to be given by MHI as the manufacture of the series progressed. Construction ensued at such a feverish pace that a single unit could be completed in under three months.

The ship was granted a standard displacement of 1,525 tons but could tip the scales at 1,830 tons if pressed. Dimensions included a running length of 315 feet with a beam of 33.5 feet and a draught of 21.3 feet. Power was from a single Kampon geared turbine fed by twin Kampon water tube boiler units developing 9,500 horsepower. The arrangement propelled the ship to speeds of 22 knots under ideal conditions and range was a useful 3,800 nautical miles - reaching many parts of the Pacific Theater.

Internally, the ships could carry a load of 260 tons of cargo, six midget subs, or seven light tanks.

Aboard was a complement of 148. Radar services were handled by a Type 22 series unit and the vessel was also outfitted with the Type 93 hydrophone / active sonar units. Later models carried the more advanced Type 13 series radar.

Despite their transport-centric role, the vessels were outfitted with self-defense armament which added tactical value apart from their ferry duties. This included 2 x 127mm L/40 Anti-Aircraft (AA) autocannons, 15 x 25mm Type 96 AA guns, and 18 x Depth charges. As such, the class could be pressed into air defense, sub-hunting, and area neutralization roles if need be.

Despite their valuable contributions to the Japanese cause in World War 2, the ships suffered mightily during their wartime exposure, resulting in just five surviving the fighting. These were then turned over to the Allies at war's end.

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Power & Performance
Those special qualities that separate one sea-going vessel design from another. Performance specifications presented assume optimal operating conditions for IJN No. 1 Class Landing Ship (1st Class Transporter).

2 x Kampon water tube boilers with 1 x Kampon geared turbine developing 9,500 shaft horsepower to 1 x Shaft.
Propulsion

22.0 kts
25.3 mph
Surface Speed

3,700 nm
4,258 miles | 6,853 km
Range

Structure
The bow-to-stern, port-to-starboard physical qualities of IJN No. 1 Class Landing Ship (1st Class Transporter).

148
Personnel
Complement

315.0 ft
96.01 meters
O/A Length

33.5 ft
10.21 meters
Beam

11.9 ft
3.63 meters
Draught

1,525
tons
Displacement

Armament
Available supported armament and special-mission equipment featured in the design of IJN No. 1 Class Landing Ship (1st Class Transporter).

2 x 127mm (5") L/40 Anti-Aircraft (AA) guns.
15 x 25mm Type 96 AA guns.
18 x Naval Depth Charges.

Ships-in-Class (21)
Notable series variants as part of the IJN No. 1 Class Landing Ship (1st Class Transporter) family line as relating to the No. 1 Class Landing Ship group.

21 Vessels Made up the No. 1 Class Landing Ship group.

Operators
Global operator(s) of the IJN No. 1 Class Landing Ship (1st Class Transporter). Nations are displayed by flag, each linked to their respective national naval warfare listing.

Shipbuilder(s): Kure Naval Arsenal / Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) - Imperial Japan

[ Imperial Japan; Taiwan ]

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Image of the IJN No. 1 Class Landing Ship (1st Class Transporter)

Going Further...
IJN No. 1 Class Landing Ship (1st Class Transporter) Amphibious Assault Vessel appears in the following collections:

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