Type B submarine

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Class overview
NameType-B submarines
Builders
OperatorsNaval Ensign of Japan.svg Imperial Japanese Navy
Preceded byJunsen type submarine
Subclasses
Built1938-1944
In commission1940-1945

The Cruiser submarine Type-B (巡潜乙型潜水艦, Junsen Otsu-gata sensuikan) was a class of submarine in the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) which served during World War II. The Type-B submarines were similar to the Type-A apart from not having the headquarters installation.

Class variants[]

The Type-B submarines were divided into four classes:

  • Type-B (乙型(伊十五型, Otsu-gata, I-15-class)
  • Type-B Mod.1 (乙型改一(伊四十型, Otsu-gata Kai-1, I-40-class)
  • Type-B Mod.2 (乙型改二(伊五十四型, Otsu-gata Kai-2, I-54-class)
  • V22A Type (第5115号艦型, Dai-5115-Gō kan-gata, 5115th vessel-class). The 5115th vessel-class submarines were not built and remained a design only.

Type-B (I-15 class)[]

I-15 on 15 September 1940

Project number S37. Twenty boats were built between 1937 and 1944 under the Maru 3 Programme (Boats 37 - 42) and Maru 4 Programme (Boats 139 - 152).

Boats in class
Boat No. Boat Builder Laid down Launched Completed Fate
37 I-15 [1] Kure Naval Arsenal 25-01-1938 07-03-1939 30-09-1940 Sunk by USS Southard near San Cristóbal on 10-11-1942
38 I-17 Yokosuka Naval Arsenal 25-08-1937 12-11-1938 31-01-1941 Sunk by HMNZS Tui and maritime patrol aircraft at Nouméa 23°26′S 166°54′E / 23.433°S 166.900°E / -23.433; 166.900 on 19-08-1943
39 I-19 Mitsubishi, Kōbe Shipyard 15-03-1938 16-09-1939 28-04-1941 Sunk by USS Radford in the Gilbert Islands on 25-11-1943
40 I-21 Kawasaki, Kōbe Shipyard 07-01-1939 24-02-1940 15-07-1941 Probably lost in an accident or sunk by enemy attack near Tarawa, after 27-11-1943
41 I-23 Yokosuka Naval Arsenal 08-12-1938 24-11-1939 27-09-1941 Probably lost in an accident or sunk by enemy attack near the Hawaiian Islands, after 24-02-1942
42 I-25 Mitsubishi, Kōbe Shipyard 03-02-1939 08-06-1940 15-10-1941 Probably lost in an accident or sunk by enemy attack near Espiritu Santo, after 23-08-1943
43 The dummy for the naval budget of the Yamato-class battleship.
139 I-26 Kure Naval Arsenal 07-06-1939 10-04-1940 06-11-1941 Probably lost in an accident or sunk by enemy attack east of the Philippines, after 27-10-1944
140 I-27 Sasebo Naval Arsenal 05-07-1939 06-06-1940 24-02-1942 Sunk by HMS Paladin and HMS Petard in the Maldives at 00°57′N 72°16′E / 0.950°N 72.267°E / 0.950; 72.267 on 12-02-1944
141 I-28 Mitsubishi, Kōbe Shipyard 25-09-1939 17-12-1940 06-02-1942 Sunk by USS Tautog north of Rabaul at 06°30′N 152°00′E / 6.500°N 152.000°E / 6.500; 152.000 on 17-05-1942
142 I-29 Yokosuka Naval Arsenal 20-09-1939 29-09-1940 27-02-1942 Sunk by USS Sawfish south of Sabtang Island at 20°10′N 121°50′E / 20.167°N 121.833°E / 20.167; 121.833 on 26-07-1944
143 I-30 Kure Naval Arsenal 07-06-1939 17-09-1940 28-02-1942 Sunk by a mine at Singapore on 13-10-1942
144 I-31 Yokosuka Naval Arsenal 06-12-1939 13-03-1941 30-05-1942 Sunk by USS Frazier and USS Edwards at Attu Island on 13-05-1943
145 I-32 Sasebo Naval Arsenal 20-01-1940 17-12-1940 26-04-1942 Sunk by USS Manlove and USS PT-1135 northeast of Wotje Atoll on 24-03-1943
146 I-33 Mitsubishi, Kōbe Shipyard 01-02-1940 01-05-1941 10-06-1942 Lost in an accident at Truk on 26-09-1942. Salvaged and repaired starting 29-12-1942. Later, lost in another accident at Iyo Nada on 13-06-1944. Salvaged and scrapped starting 28-06-1953
147 I-34 Sasebo Naval Arsenal 09-01-1941 24-09-1941 31-08-1942 Sunk by HMS Taurus at Penang Island on 13-11-1943
148 I-35 Mitsubishi, Kōbe Shipyard 02-09-1940 24-09-1941 31-08-1942 Sunk by USS Meade and USS Frazier south of Tarawa on 22-11-1943
149 I-36 Yokosuka Naval Arsenal 04-12-1940 01-11-1941 30-09-1942 Converted to the Kaiten mother ship on 01-09-1944. Decommissioned on 30-11-1945, sunk as a target off Gotō Islands on 01-04-1946
150 I-37 Kure Naval Arsenal 07-12-1940 22-10-1941 10-03-1943 Converted to the Kaiten mother ship on 09-09-1944. Sunk by USS Conklin and USS McCoy Reynolds north of Palau, on 19-11-1944
151 I-38 Sasebo Naval Arsenal 19-06-1941 15-04-1942 31-01-1943 Sunk by USS Nicholas east of Luzon on 12-11-1944
152 I-39 Sasebo Naval Arsenal 19-06-1941 15-04-1942 22-04-1943 Sunk by USS Boyd west of Makin at 03°10′N 171°55′E / 3.167°N 171.917°E / 3.167; 171.917 on 16-11-1943
153 The dummy for the naval budget of the Yamato-class battleships

Type-B Mod.1 (I-40 class)[]

I-45 in 1943

Project number S37B. Six boats were planned under the Maru Kyū Programme (Boats 370 - 375), all boats were completed. On the outside this class looked the same as the I-15 class; however, they were built from high-tensile strength steel and equipped with diesel engines of a simpler design.

Boats in class
Boat No. Boat Builder Laid down Launched Completed Fate
370 I-40 Kure Naval Arsenal 18-03-1942 10-11-1942 31-07-1943 Probably lost in an accident, after 22-11-1943
371 I-41 Kure Naval Arsenal 18-03-1942 10-11-1942 18-09-1943 Sunk by USS Lawrence C. Taylor east of the Philippines at 12°44′N 130°42′E / 12.733°N 130.700°E / 12.733; 130.700 on 12-11-1944
372 I-42 Kure Naval Arsenal 18-03-1942 10-11-1942 03-11-1943 Sunk by USS Tunny southwest of Palau at 06°40′N 134°03′E / 6.667°N 134.050°E / 6.667; 134.050 on 23-03-1944
373 I-43 Sasebo Naval Arsenal 27-04-1942 25-10-1942 05-11-1943 Sunk by USS Aspro north of Truk at 12°42′N 149°17′E / 12.700°N 149.283°E / 12.700; 149.283 on 15-02-1944
374 I-44 Yokosuka Naval Arsenal 11-06-1942 05-03-1943 31-01-1944 Converted to the Kaiten mother ship on 22-10-1944. Sunk by USS Heermann, USS Uhlmann, USS Mertz, USS Collett and aircraft from USS Bataan north-northwest of Minami Daitō at 12°42′N 149°17′E / 12.700°N 149.283°E / 12.700; 149.283 on 18-04-1945
375 I-45 Sasebo Naval Arsenal 15-07-1942 06-03-1943 28-12-1943 Sunk by USS Whitehurst east of the Philippines on 28-10-1944

Type-B Mod.2 (I-54 class)[]

I-54 in 1944

Project number S37C. Twenty-one boats were planned under the Maru Kyū Programme (Boats 627 - 636) and Kai-Maru 5 Programme (Boats 5101 - 5114). Eighteen boats were cancelled in late 1943, because the IJN was setting the  [ja] (戊型潜水艦, Bo-gata sensuikan) as 1945's main submarines.

  • Boats in class
Boat No. Boat Builder Laid down Launched Completed Results Fate
627 I-54 Yokosuka Naval Arsenal 01-07-1942 04-05-1943 31-03-1944 Damaged USS Santee on 25-10-1944 (?)[2] Sunk on 23 October 1944, by the destroyer escort Richard M. Rowell.[3][4]
629 I-56 Yokosuka Naval Arsenal 29-09-1942 30-06-1943 08-06-1944 Damaged USS LST-695 on 24-10-1944
Damaged USS Santee on 25-10-1944 (?)[2]
Converted to the Kaiten mother ship on 14-11-1944. Sunk by USS Hudson at Kumejima Island, at 26°22′N 126°30′E / 26.367°N 126.500°E / 26.367; 126.500 on 05-04-1945
631 I-58 Yokosuka Naval Arsenal 26-12-1942 09-10-1943 07-09-1944 Damaged USS Lowry on 28-07-1945 by Kaiten
Sank USS Indianapolis on 30-07-1945
Damaged USS Thomas F. Nickel on 12-08-1945 by Kaiten (?)
Converted to the Kaiten mother ship, before completion. Decommissioned on 30-11-1945, sunk as a target off the Gotō Islands on 01-04-1946
633 - 636 Cancelled in 1943
5101 - 5114

V22A Type[]

Project number S49A. Eighteen boats were planned under the Kai-Maru 5 Programme (Boats 5115 - 5132). However, all boats were cancelled in late 1943, because the IJN concentrated on production of Type-E submarine (戊型潜水艦, Bo-gata sensuikan) from 1945 onwards

  • Boats in class
Boat No. Boat Builder Laid down Launched Completed Fate
5115 - 5132 Cancelled in 1943

Characteristics[]

Type Type-B (I-15) Type-B Mod. 1 (I-40) Type-B Mod. 2 (I-54) V22A Type
Displacement Surfaced 2,198 long tons (2,233 t) 2,230 long tons (2,266 t) 2,140 long tons (2,174 t) 2,330 long tons (2,367 t)
Submerged 3,654 long tons (3,713 t) 3,700 long tons (3,759 t) 3,688 long tons (3,747 t) No data
Length (overall) 108.70 m (356 ft 8 in) 108.70 m (356 ft 8 in) 108.70 m (356 ft 8 in) 106.50 m (349 ft 5 in) (waterline)
Beam 9.30 m (30 ft 6 in) 9.30 m (30 ft 6 in) 9.30 m (30 ft 6 in) 9.64 m (31 ft 8 in)
Draft 5.14 m (16 ft 10 in) 5.20 m (17 ft 1 in) 5.19 m (17 ft 0 in) 5.32 m (17 ft 5 in)
Depth 7.90 m (25 ft 11 in) 7.90 m (25 ft 11 in) 7.90 m (25 ft 11 in) No data
Power plant and shaft 2 × Kampon Mk. 2 Model 10 diesels
2 shafts
2 × Kampon Mk. 1A Model 10 diesels
2 shafts
2 × Kampon Mk. 22 Model 10 diesels
2 shafts
2 × Kampon Mk. 2 Model 10 diesels
2 shafts
Power Surfaced 12,400 bhp 11,000 bhp 4,700 bhp 11,000 bhp
Submerged 2,000 shp 2,000 shp 1,200 shp 2,400 shp
Speed Surfaced 23.6 knots (43.7 km/h) 23.5 knots (43.5 km/h) 17.7 knots (32.8 km/h) 22.4 knots (41.5 km/h)
Submerged 8.0 knots (14.8 km/h) 8.0 knots (14.8 km/h) 6.5 knots (12.0 km/h) 8.0 knots (14.8 km/h)
Range Surfaced 14,000 nmi (26,000 km) at 16 knots (30 km/h) 14,000 nmi (26,000 km) at 16 knots (30 km/h) 21,000 nmi (39,000 km) at 16 knots (30 km/h) 14,000 nmi (26,000 km) at 16 knots (30 km/h)
Submerged 96 nmi (178 km) at 3 knots (5.6 km/h) 96 nmi (178 km) at 3 knots (5.6 km/h) 105 nmi (194 km) at 3 knots (5.6 km/h) 80 nmi (150 km) at 3 knots (5.6 km/h)
Test depth 100 m (330 ft) 100 m (330 ft) 100 m (330 ft) 100 m (330 ft)
Fuel 774 tons 814 tons 842.8 tons 735 tons
Complement 94 94 94 No data
Armament (initial) • 6 × 533 mm (21 in) Torpedo tubes
(6 × front)
• 17 × Type 95 torpedoes
• 1 × 140 mm (5.5 in) L/40 11th Year Type naval gun[5]
• 2 × Type 96 25mm AA guns
• 6 × 533 mm (21 in) TTs (6 × front)
• 17 × Type 95 torpedoes
• 1 × 140 mm (5.5 in) L/40 11th Year Type Naval gun[5]
• 2 × Type 96 25mm AA guns
• 6 × 533 mm (21 in) TTs (6 × front)
• 19 × Type 95 torpedoes
• 1 × 140 mm (5.5 in) L/40 11th Year Type Naval gun[5]
• 2 × Type 96 25mm AA guns
• 8 × 533 mm (21 in) TTs (8 × front)
• 16 × torpedoes
• 1 × 14 cm/40 11th Year Type naval gun[5]
• 4 × 25mm AA guns
• 8 × naval mines
Aircraft and facilities • Catapult and hangar
• 1 × Watanabe E9W1 Slim seaplane
• Catapult and hangar
• 1 × Yokosuka E14Y2 Glen seaplane
• Catapult and hangar
• 1 × Yokosuka E14Y2 Glen seaplane
• Catapult and hangar
• 1 × floatplane

Footnotes[]

  1. ^ 伊号第15潜水艦 (I-Gō Dai-15 Sensuikan).
  2. ^ Jump up to: a b This result is estimated with a 'thing' by I-56 in many Japanese documents
  3. ^ Stille, Mark. Imperial Japanese Navy Submarines 1941-45 (Osprey, 2007), p.33;
  4. ^ Fitzsimons, Bernard, ed. Encyclopedia of 20th Century Weapons and Warfare (London: Phoebus, 1978), Vol. 13, p.1409, "I54".
  5. ^ Jump up to: a b c d Campbell, John Naval Weapons of World War Two ISBN 0-87021-459-4 p.191

Bibliography[]

  • Milanovich, Kathrin (2021). "The IJN Submarines of the I 15 Class". In Jordan, John (ed.). Warship 2021. Oxford, UK: Osprey Publishing. pp. 29–43. ISBN 978-1-4728-4779-9.
  • "Rekishi Gunzō"., History of Pacific War Vol.17 I-Gō Submarines, Gakken (Japan), January 1998, ISBN 4-05-601767-0
  • Rekishi Gunzō, History of Pacific War Vol.35 Kō-hyōteki and Kōryū, Gakken (Japan), April 2002, ISBN 4-05-602741-2
  • Rekishi Gunzō, History of Pacific War Vol.36 Kairyū and Kaiten, Gakken (Japan), May 2002, ISBN 4-05-602693-9
  • Rekishi Gunzō, History of Pacific War Extra, "Perfect guide, The submarines of the Imperial Japanese Forces", Gakken (Japan), March 2005, ISBN 4-05-603890-2
  • Model Art Extra No.537, Drawings of Imperial Japanese Naval Vessels Part-3, Model Art Co. Ltd. (Japan), May 1999, Book code 08734-5
  • The Maru Special, Japanese Naval Vessels No.31 Japanese Submarines I, Ushio Shobō (Japan), September 1979, Book code 68343-31
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