Type A submarine

Not to be confused with Type A Kō-hyōteki-class submarine.
Class overview
NameType-A submarines
Builders
Operators Imperial Japanese Navy
Preceded byJunsen type submarine
Subclasses
Built1938–1945
In commission1941–1945

The Cruiser submarine Type-A (巡潜甲型潜水艦, Junsen Kō-gata sensuikan) was a class of submarine in the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN), which served during the Second World War. The Type-A submarines were built to take a role of the command ships for submarine squadrons. For this reason they had equipment for a headquarters, better radio facilities and a floatplane.

Class variants

The Type-A submarines were divided into four classes:

  • Type-A (甲型（伊九型）, Kō-gata, I-9-class)
  • Type-A Mod.1 (甲型改一（伊十二型）, Kō-gata Kai-1, I-12-class)
  • Type-A Mod.2 (甲型改二（伊十三型）, Kō-gata Kai-2, I-13-class)
  • V21 Type (第5094号艦型, Dai-5094-Gō kan-gata, 5094th vessel-class). The 5094th vessel class boats were not built and remained only a design.

Type-A (I-9 class)

Main article: Type A1 submarine
I-10 in 1942 in Penang

Project number S35Ja. Their design was based on the Junsen III (I-7 class). Three boats were built in 1938-42 under the Maru 3 Programme (Boat # 35 - 36) and Maru 4 Programme (Boat # 138).

  • Boats in class
Boat No. Boat Builder Laid down Launched Completed Results Fate
35 I-9 [1] Kure Naval Arsenal 25-01-1938 20-05-1939 13-02-1941 Sank USS Lahaina 12-12-1941 Sunk by USS Frazier at Kiska 52°08′N 177°38′E / 52.133°N 177.633°E / 52.133; 177.633 (I-9) 13-06-1943.
36 I-10 Kawasaki-Kōbe Shipyard 07-06-1938 20-09-1939 31-10-1941 Sank Panamanian merchant ship Donerail 10-12-1941
Sank USS Melvin H. Baker 05-06-1942
Sank Panamanian merchant ship Atlantic Gulf 06-06-1942
Sank RMS King Lud 08-06-1942
Sank RMS Queen Victoria 28-06-1942
Sank USS Express 30-06-1942
Sank Greek merchantman Nymphe 06-07-1942
Sank RMS Hartismere 08-07-1942
Sank Dutch merchant ship Alchiba 09-07-1942
Sank USS Samuel Gompers 30-01-1943
Sank USS Gulfwave 01-03-1943
Sank Norwegian merchantman Alcides 22-07-1943
Sank Norwegian merchant ship Bramora 14-09-1943
Sank USS Elias Howe 24-09-1943
Sank Norwegian merchant ship Storvixen 01-10-1943
Sank Norwegian merchantman Anna Knudsen 02-10-1943
Sank RMS Congella 24-10-1943
Sank or damaged unknown warship 02-07-1944 		Sunk by USS David W. Taylor and USS Riddle east of Saipan 15°26′N 147°48′E / 15.433°N 147.800°E / 15.433; 147.800 (I-10) 04-07-1944.
138 I-11 Kawasaki-Kōbe Shipyard 10-04-1940 28-02-1941 16-05-1942 Sank Greek merchant ship George S. Livanos 20-07-1942
Sank USS Coast Farmer 21-07-1942
Sank USS William Dawes 22-07-1942
Damaged HMAS Hobart 20-07-1943
Damaged USS Matthew Lyon 11-08-1943 		Lost in an accident or sunk by a mine near Funafuti January 1944.

Type-A Mod.1 (I-12 class)

Project number S35B. Five boats were planned under the Maru Tsui Programme (Boat # 620 - 621) and the Kai-Maru 5 Programme (Boat # 5091 - 5093). They were equipped with less powerful diesel engines which shortened the time needed to build them. Only one boat, I-12, was completed to the original design. The I-13 and the later boats were converted to a new submarine class (I-13 class), because the number of I-400 class boats was reduced.

  • Boats in class
Boat No. Boat Builder Laid down Launched Completed Results Fate
620 I-12 Kawasaki-Kōbe Shipyard 05-11-1942 03-08-1943 25-05-1944 Sank USS John A. Johnson 30-10-1944 Sunk by minesweeper USS Ardent on 13-11-1944.
621 I-13 Kawasaki-Kōbe Shipyard 04-02-1943 Converted to the I-13 class in October 1943.
5091 I-14 Kawasaki-Kōbe Shipyard 18-05-1943
5092 I-15 Kawasaki-Senshū Shipyard 30-04-1943
5093 I-1 Kawasaki-Senshū Shipyard 24-06-1943

Type-A Mod.2 (I-13 class)

Main article: Type A Mod.2 submarine
(Left to right) USS Proteus, I-400, I-401 and I-14 on 29 August 1945 at Yokosuka

Project number S35C. Four boats were planned under the Maru Tsui Programme (Boat # 621) and the Kai-Maru 5 Programme (Boat # 5091 - 5093). However, four boats were converted to new submarine class (I-13 class), because a number of submarines of the I-400 class were cancelled. They had a large hangar and were equipped with bulges to be able to operate 2 × special Aichi M6A1 Seiran attack bombers. The headquarters institutions were removed.

  • Boats in class
Boat No. Boat Builder Laid down Launched Completed Results Fate
621 I-13 Kawasaki-Kōbe Shipyard 04-02-1943 30-11-1943 16-12-1944 Sunk by USS Lawrence C. Taylor, USS Robert F. Keller and aircraft from USS Anzio northeast of the Ogasawara Islands 16-07-1945.
5091 I-14 Kawasaki-Kōbe Shipyard 18-05-1943 14-03-1944 14-03-1945 Captured by USS Murray 27-08-1945, decommissioned 15-09-1945, sunk as a target off the Hawaiian Islands 28-05-1946.
5092 I-15 Kawasaki-Senshū Shipyard
Kawasaki-Kōbe Shipyard (after launch) 		30-04-1943 12-04-1944 Converted to a tanker submarine in June 1945;[2] 90% complete; scrapped in 1945.
5093 I-1 Kawasaki-Kōbe Shipyard
Kawasaki-Senshū Shipyard (after launch) 		24-06-1943 10-06-1944 70% complete; Sunk by a typhoon on 18-09-1945; later salvaged and scrapped.

V21 Type

Project number S48. Three boats were planned under the Kai-Maru 5 Programme. However, all boats were cancelled in late 1943, because the IJN turned its attention to the construction of Type E submarine [ja] (戊型潜水艦, Bo-gata sensuikan) in 1945.

  • Boats in class
Boat No. Boat Builder Laid down Launched Completed Fate
5094 - 5096 Cancelled in 1943.

Characteristics

Type Type-A (I-9) Type-A Mod.1 (I-12) Type-A Mod.2 (I-13) V21 Type
Displacement Surfaced 2,434 long tons (2,473 t) 2,390 long tons (2,428 t) 2,620 long tons (2,662 t) 2,330 long tons (2,367 t)
Submerged 4,150 long tons (4,217 t) 4,172 long tons (4,239 t) 4,762 long tons (4,838 t) No data
Length (overall) 113.70 m (373 ft 0 in) 113.70 m (373 ft 0 in) 113.70 m (373 ft 0 in) 111.00 m (364 ft 2 in) (waterline)
Beam 9.55 m (31 ft 4 in) 9.55 m (31 ft 4 in) 11.70 m (38 ft 5 in) 9.82 m (32 ft 3 in)
Draft 5.36 m (17 ft 7 in) 5.36 m (17 ft 7 in) 5.89 m (19 ft 4 in) 5.50 m (18 ft 1 in)
Depth 8.30 m (27 ft 3 in) 8.30 m (27 ft 3 in) 8.30 m (27 ft 3 in) No data
Power plant and shaft 2 × Kampon Mk.2 Model 10 diesels
2 shafts 		2 × Kampon Mk.22 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 4,700 bhp 4,700 bhp 11,000 bhp
Submerged 2,400 shp 1,200 shp 600 shp 2,400 shp
Speed Surfaced 23.5 knots (43.5 km/h) 17.7 knots (32.8 km/h) 16.7 knots (30.9 km/h) 22.4 knots (41.5 km/h)
Submerged 8.0 knots (14.8 km/h) 6.2 knots (11.5 km/h) 5.5 knots (10.2 km/h) 8.0 knots (14.8 km/h)
Range Surfaced 16,000 nmi (30,000 km) at 16 knots (30 km/h) 22,000 nmi (41,000 km) at 16 knots (30 km/h) 21,000 nmi (39,000 km) at 16 knots (30 km/h) 16,000 nmi (30,000 km) at 16 knots (30 km/h)
Submerged 90 nmi (170 km) at 3 knots (5.6 km/h) 75 nmi (139 km) at 3 knots (5.6 km/h) 60 nmi (110 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 878 tons 917 tons 917 tons 880 tons
Complement 104 112 108 No data
Armament (initial) • 6 × 533 mm (21 in) Torpedo tubes
(6 × front)
• 18 × Type 95 torpedoes
• 1 × 140 mm (5.5 in) L/40 11th Year Type Naval gun[3]
• 4 × Type 96 25mm AA guns 		• 6 × 533 mm (21 in) TTs (6 × front)
• 18 × Type 95 torpedoes
• 1 × 140 mm (5.5 in) L/40 11th Year Type Naval gun[3]
• 4 × Type 96 25mm AA guns 		• 6 × 533 mm (21 in) TTs (6 × front)
• 12 × Type 95 torpedoes
• 1 × 140 mm (5.5 in) L/40 11th Year Type Naval gun[3]
• 10 × Type 96 25mm AA guns 		• 6 × 533 mm (21 in) TTs (6 × front)
• 18 × torpedoes
• 1 × 140 mm Naval gun
• 4 × 25mm AA guns
Aircraft and facilities • Catapult and hangar
• 1 × Watanabe E9W1 Slim seaplane 		• Catapult and hangar
• 1 × Yokosuka E14Y2 Glen seaplane 		• Catapult and hangar
• 2 × Aichi M6A1 Seiran floatplane 		• Catapult and hangar
• 1 × floatplane

Footnotes

  1. ^ 伊号第9潜水艦 (I-Gō Dai-9 Sensuikan). The same shall apply hereinafter.
  2. ^ Senshi Sōsho Vol.88 (1975), p.272
  3. ^ a b c Campbell, John Naval Weapons of World War Two ISBN 0-87021-459-4 p.191

Bibliography

  • "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.63 "Documents of IJN submarines and USN submarines", Gakken (Japan), January 2008, ISBN 978-4-05-605004-2
  • 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.13, "Japanese submarines I-13 class and I-400 class", Ushio Shobō (Japan), July 1977, Book code 8343-7
  • The Maru Special, Japanese Naval Vessels No.31, "Japanese Submarines I", Ushio Shobō (Japan), September 1979, Book code 68343-31
  • Senshi Sōsho Vol.88 Naval armaments and war preparation (2), "And after the outbreak of war", Asagumo Simbun (Japan), October 1975

See also