JAPOŃSKI DUŻY OKRĘT DESANTOWY - SBT

SB-tei (SBT for short) is the name for a sub-type of Japanese amphibious assault ships belonging to almost identical classes, number 101 and number 103 from the Second World War. In total, about 70 units of both classes were created (ie No. 101 and No. 103). The standard displacement of these ships was 950 tons, with a total length of 80.5 meters and a width of 9.1 meters. The maximum speed did not exceed 13.5-14 knots. The armament of this type of unit varied widely, but most often consisted of a combination of a 76.2 mm cannon, 25 mm anti-aircraft guns and depth charges. Landing ships of the 101 and 103 classes, including the SB-tei sub-type, were developed with the more or less successful cooperation of the Japanese Navy and the Army, which after the campaign on the Gudalcanal Island (August 1942 - February 1943) concluded that they needed a new a type of landing ship that could be mass-produced and was as cheap as possible. At the same time, the design of the new units was to some extent based on the information provided by the German side, and obtained during Operation Torch (November 1942) and concerning, of course, Allied landing units - especially LCT units. It is often argued that Japanese designers "simply" scaled the LCT barges and adapted them to Japanese needs and production capabilities. Ultimately, however, quite successful types of landing ships emerged. It is worth adding that the main difference between them was the propulsion: units of the 101 class were powered by diesel engines, and those of the 103 class - a steam power plant.