Author Topic: World War II-era Japanese submarine  (Read 307 times)

Offline Krusher

  • Gold Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 2246
World War II-era Japanese submarine
« on: March 21, 2005, 01:26:41 PM »
WWII SUB found

HONOLULU (AP) - The wreckage of a large World War II-era Japanese submarine has been found by researchers in waters off Hawaii.

A research team from the University of Hawaii discovered the I-401 submarine Thursday during test dives off Oahu.

``We thought it was rocks at first, it was so huge,'' said Terry Kerby, pilot of the research craft that found the vessel. ``But the sides of it kept going up and up and up, three and four stories tall. It's a leviathan down there, a monster.''

The submarine is from the I-400 Sensuikan Toku class of subs, the largest built before the nuclear ballistic missile submarines of the 1960s.


They were 400 feet long and nearly 40 feet high and could carry a crew of 144. The submarines were designed to carry three ``fold-up'' bombers that could be assembled for flight within minutes.


Kerby said the main hull is sitting upright and is in good shape. The I-401 numbers are clearly visible on the sides, and the anti-aircraft guns are in almost perfect condition, he said.

Offline nuchpatrick

  • Silver Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 1062
      • http://www.361stvfg.com
World War II-era Japanese submarine
« Reply #1 on: March 21, 2005, 02:10:17 PM »
Not really a find more of a intentional sinking..by the US Navy.. Very cool that they did find it tho!

4 June 1946:
The I-400 is a target ship in the Pacific off Pearl Harbor for tests of the Mark 10-3 exploder. At 1210, she sinks by the stern at 21-13N, 158-07W after being hit by three Mark 18-2 electric torpedoes fired by Cdr D. B. Bell's new USS TRUMPETFISH (SS-425).

Offline Mickey1992

  • Gold Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 3362
World War II-era Japanese submarine
« Reply #2 on: March 21, 2005, 02:17:09 PM »
Quote
Originally posted by nuchpatrick
The I-400 is a target ship in the Pacific off Pearl Harbor for tests of the Mark 10-3 exploder. At 1210, she sinks by the stern at 21-13N, 158-07W after being hit by three Mark 18-2 electric torpedoes fired by Cdr D. B. Bell's new USS TRUMPETFISH (SS-425).


I thought I-400 was a class of boat, not a particular boat.

Offline Rino

  • Plutonium Member
  • *******
  • Posts: 8495
World War II-era Japanese submarine
« Reply #3 on: March 21, 2005, 02:41:29 PM »
Quote
Originally posted by Mickey1992
I thought I-400 was a class of boat, not a particular boat.


     Can be both, but I believe the one they found is the I-401.
80th FS Headhunters
PHAN
Proud veteran of the Cola Wars

Offline nuchpatrick

  • Silver Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 1062
      • http://www.361stvfg.com
World War II-era Japanese submarine
« Reply #4 on: March 21, 2005, 02:43:35 PM »
Nope,It's actually the Sen-Toku class, I-400 was the first.. of the group I-401, and I-402.

Heres what happened to I-401 same fate of the 400..I pulled the wrong ship and date :)

31 May 1946:
The I-401 is a target ship in the Pacific off Pearl Harbor for tests of the Mark 10-3 exploder. At 1059, she sinks by the stern at 21-12N, 158-07W after being hit by two Mark-18 electric torpedoes fired by Cdr O. R. Cole's USS CABEZON (SS-334).


And a clip from one of my books....
Unfortunately for Japan, the war situation deteriorated so rapidly that these boats were never allowed to show what they could do.  On 26 July 1945, I-400 and I-401 set out on a combat mission to launch their aircraft in Kamikaze attacks on the American fleet anchorage at Ulithi.  In coordination with a Kaiten attack, they were scheduled to launch early on 17 August, but by then hostilities had ceased.  Both boats therefore returned to Japan and were surrendered to the Allies.  After the war, these two were taken to the United States, examined, and finally scuttled in the Pacific in 1946.  I-402 was converted to carry precious fuel to Japan from the East Indies, but never performed such a mission.  She was scuttled off Goto Island in 1946.  Construction of two further boats of this design, I-404 and I-405, was stopped before completion, although I-404 was 90% complete.  A further 13 boats were canceled before construction started.

Offline StarOfAfrica2

  • Platinum Member
  • ******
  • Posts: 5162
      • http://www.vf-17.org
World War II-era Japanese submarine
« Reply #5 on: March 21, 2005, 03:56:22 PM »
AP picked up the story from the local paper here:

http://starbulletin.com/2005/03/20/news/index1.html

According to the Star's story, both the I-400 and I-401 left on their first mission to drop biologicals on the west coast.  They were re-routed to the Panama Canal.  The ships were captured at sea and never completed their mission.