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Type A Kō-hyōteki-class submarine

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Ko-hyoteki class submarine.jpg
Type A Ko-hyoteki-class submarine, No.19, grounded in the surf on Oahu after the attack on Pearl Harbor, December 1941
Class overview
Operators Empire of Japan
Completed
  • 101
  • 1 × First prototype
  • 2 × Second prototype
  • 46 × Type 'A'
  • 5 × Type 'B'
  • 47 × Type 'C'
General characteristics
TypeKō-hyōteki kō-gata (甲標的甲型, Target 'A', Type 'A') class midget submarine
Displacement46 long tons (47 t) submerged[1]
Length23.9 m (78 ft 5 in)[1]
Beam1.8 m (5 ft 11 in)[1]
Height3 m (9 ft 10 in)
Propulsion
  • 192 trays of two two-volt cells each,
  •  136 trays forward
  •  56 trays aft
  • 1 × electric motor, 600 hp (447 kW)[1] at 1800 rpm
  • 2 × screws counter-rotating on single shaft
  •  leading prop 1.35 m diameter, right-handed;
  •  trailing prop 1.25 m diameter, left-handed
Speed
  • 23 knots (43 km/h; 26 mph) surfaced
  • 19 knots (35 km/h; 22 mph) submerged[1]
Range
  • 100 nmi (190 km) at 2 kn (3.7 km/h; 2.3 mph)[1]
  • 80 nmi (150 km) at 6 kn (11 km/h; 6.9 mph)
  • 18 nmi (33 km) at 19 kn (35 km/h; 22 mph)
Test depth30 m (98 ft)[1]
Complement2[1]
Armament
  • 2 × 450 mm (17.7 in) torpedoes, muzzle-loaded into tubes[1]
  • 1 × 140 kg (300 lb) scuttling charge
NotesBallast: 2,670 kg (5,890 lb) in 534 × 5 kg lead bars

The Type A Ko-hyoteki (甲標的甲型, Kō-hyōteki kō-gata, Target 'A', Type 'A') class was a class of Japanese midget submarines (Kō-hyōteki) used during World War II. They had hull numbers but no names. For simplicity, they are most often referred to by the hull number of the mother submarine. Thus, the midget carried by I-16-class submarine was known as I-16's boat, or "I-16tou."

This class was followed by: Type B (甲標的乙型, Kō-hyōteki otsu-gata), Type C (甲標的丙型, Kō-hyōteki hei-gata), and Type D (甲標的丁型, Kō-hyōteki tei-gata), the last one better known as Kōryū (蛟龍).[2][3]

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Japan

Japan

Japan is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north toward the East China Sea, Philippine Sea, and Taiwan in the south. Japan is a part of the Ring of Fire, and spans an archipelago of 14,125 islands, with the five main islands being Hokkaido, Honshu, Shikoku, Kyushu, and Okinawa. Tokyo is the nation's capital and largest city, followed by Yokohama, Osaka, Nagoya, Sapporo, Fukuoka, Kobe, and Kyoto.

Midget submarine

Midget submarine

A midget submarine is any submarine under 150 tons, typically operated by a crew of one or two but sometimes up to six or nine, with little or no on-board living accommodation. They normally work with mother ships, from which they are launched and recovered and which provide living accommodation for the crew and support staff.

World War II

World War II

World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a global conflict that lasted from 1939 to 1945. The vast majority of the world's countries, including all of the great powers, fought as part of two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis. Many participants threw their economic, industrial, and scientific capabilities behind this total war, blurring the distinction between civilian and military resources. Aircraft played a major role, enabling the strategic bombing of population centres and the delivery of the only two nuclear weapons ever used in war.

Type C submarine

Type C submarine

The Cruiser submarine Type-C was one of the first classes of submarine in the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) to serve during the Second World War. Type-C submarines were better armed than the Type-A and Type-B. The Type-Cs were also utilized as Kō-hyōteki or Kaiten mother ships, for this reason they were not equipped with aviation facilities.

Jiaolong

Jiaolong

Jiaolong or jiao is a dragon in Chinese mythology, often defined as a "scaled dragon"; it is hornless according to certain scholars and said to be aquatic or river-dwelling. It may have referred to a species of crocodile.

History

Japanese Landing ship No.5 carried Type 'C' No.69.
Japanese Landing ship No.5 carried Type 'C' No.69.

Fifty were built. The "A Target" name was assigned as a ruse: if their design were prematurely discovered by Japan's foes, the Japanese Navy could insist that the vessels were battle practice targets. They were also called "Tubes" (, Tou) or "Target" (, Teki, abbreviation of 'Hyōteki') and other nicknames.

The first two, No.1 and No.2, were used only in testing. They did not have conning towers, which were added to the later boats for stability under water.

No.19 was launched by I-24 at Pearl Harbor. Most of the other fifty are unaccounted for, although three were captured in Sydney (Australia), and others in Guam, Guadalcanal, and Kiska Island, accounting for some of the other hull numbers.

The submarines were each armed with two 450 mm (17.7 in.) torpedoes in muzzle-loading tubes one above the other at the bow. In the Pearl Harbor attack, the specially designed Type 97 torpedo was used, with a 772 pounds (350 kg) warhead and a range of 3.4 miles (5.5 km) at 44 knots (81 km/h), but problems with the oxygen flasks meant that all later attacks used a different torpedo. Some have stated that a version of the Type 91 torpedo, designed for aircraft launching, was used, but other reports[4] indicate that the Type 97 torpedo was modified to the Type 98, otherwise known as the Type 97 special. There is no definitive information that the Type 91 was used. The Type 98 was later supplanted by the Type 02 torpedo. There was also a demolition charge which has been suggested was large enough to enable the submarine to be used as a suicide weapon, but there is no evidence that it was ever used as one.

Each submarine had a crew of two men. A junior officer conned the boat while a petty officer manipulated valves and moved ballast to control trim and diving.[1]

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No.1-class landing ship

No.1-class landing ship

The No.1-class landing ship was a class of amphibious assault ships of the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN), serving during and after World War II. The IJN also called them 1st class transporter .

Conning tower

Conning tower

A conning tower is a raised platform on a ship or submarine, often armoured, from which an officer in charge can conn the vessel, controlling movements of the ship by giving orders to those responsible for the ship's engine, rudder, lines, and ground tackle. It is usually located as high on the ship as practical, to give the conning team good visibility of the entirety of the ship, ocean conditions, and other vessels.

Japanese submarine I-24 (1939)

Japanese submarine I-24 (1939)

The second I-24 was one of five Type C cruiser submarines of the C1 sub-class built for the Imperial Japanese Navy. During World War II, she operated as the mother ship for a midget submarine during the attack on Pearl Harbor and the attack on Sydney Harbour, supported Japanese forces during the Battle of the Coral Sea and the Battle of the Santa Cruz Islands, and served in the Guadalcanal campaign, New Guinea campaign, and Aleutian Islands campaign. She was sunk in June 1943.

Attack on Pearl Harbor

Attack on Pearl Harbor

The attack on Pearl Harbor was a surprise military strike by the Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service upon the United States against the U.S. naval base at Pearl Harbor in Honolulu, Territory of Hawaii, just before 8:00 a.m. on Sunday, December 7, 1941. The United States was a neutral country at the time; the attack led to its formal entry into World War II the next day. The Japanese military leadership referred to the attack as the Hawaii Operation and Operation AI, and as Operation Z during its planning.

Type 97 torpedo

Type 97 torpedo

The Type 97 was a 17.7 inches (45 cm) diameter torpedo used by the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War II. Intended for use with Japan's Kō-hyōteki-class midget submarines, the torpedo was based on the 24-inch diameter Type 93 "Long Lance" used by Japanese surface vessels, but redesigned to meet the smaller 18-inch physical dimensions of the midgets' two torpedo tubes. Larger Japanese submarines were armed with the 21-inch Type 95 torpedo.

Type 91 torpedo

Type 91 torpedo

The Type 91 was an aerial torpedo of the Imperial Japanese Navy. It was in service from 1931 to 1945. It was used in naval battles in World War II and was specially developed for attacks on ships in shallow harbours.

Suicide weapon

Suicide weapon

A suicide weapon is a weapon designed to be used in a suicide attack, typically based on explosives.

Sailing ballast

Sailing ballast

Ballast is used in ships to provide moment to resist the lateral forces on the hull. Insufficiently ballasted boats tend to tip or heel excessively in high winds. Too much heel may result in the vessel capsizing. If a sailing vessel needs to voyage without cargo, then ballast of little or no value will be loaded to keep the vessel upright. Some or all of this ballast will then be discarded when cargo is loaded.

Pearl Harbor attack

Raising of midget submarine No.18 from Keehi Lagoon by USS Current (ARS-22) in 1960
Raising of midget submarine No.18 from Keehi Lagoon by USS Current (ARS-22) in 1960
Japanese Type A Midget Submarine recovered in 1960 off Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.
Japanese Type A Midget Submarine recovered in 1960 off Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.

Five of these boats participated in the Pearl Harbor attack, with possibly two actually making it into the harbor. Secret war records show that submarine crews had been ordered to scuttle their subs after the attack and provisions were made to recover stranded crews. Of the five used at Pearl Harbor, No.19 was captured with its pilot Kazuo Sakamaki where it grounded on the east side of Oahu. During World War II, No.19 was put on tour across the United States to help sell War Bonds.[5] Now a U.S. National Historic Landmark, No.19 is an exhibit at the National Museum of the Pacific War in Fredericksburg, Texas.[5]

A second Pearl Harbor midget submarine, No.18, was located by U.S. Navy divers and US Marine Divers in training including Laurence McInnis and Fred Stock of A Company, 3rd Recon Battalion, off Keehi Lagoon east of the Pearl Harbor entrance on 13 June 1960.[1] The submarine had been damaged by a depth charge attack and abandoned by its crew before it could fire its torpedoes.[1] This submarine was restored and placed on display at the Naval Academy Etajima 15 March 1962.[1]

The midget submarine attacked by Ward (DD-139) at 6:37 a.m. on 7 December, No.20, was located in 400 meters (1,312 feet) of water five miles outside Pearl Harbor by a University of Hawaii research submersible on 28 August 2002. It was visited at approximately 6:30 am local time, by an Okeanos explorer ROV, on 7 December 2016, 75 years after it was sunk.[6]

A fourth submarine, No.22, entered the harbor and fired its torpedoes at Curtiss (AV-4) and Monaghan (DD-354). Both of those torpedoes missed and are believed to have hit a dock at Pearl City and the shore of Ford Island.[1] This submarine was sunk by Monaghan at 8:43 a.m. on 7 December and later recovered and used as fill during construction of a new landside pier at the Pearl Harbor submarine base. The hulk was uncovered again in 1952 but was so badly corroded by chlorine gas from the electrical batteries that it was again reburied at the same location. The crew's remains are still entombed in the submarine.[1][7]

In 1992, 2000, and 2001, Hawaii Undersea Research Laboratory's submersibles found the wreck of a midget sub lying in three parts three miles south of the Pearl Harbor entrance. The wreck was in the debris field where much surplus U.S. equipment was dumped from the West Loch Disaster of 1944, including vehicles and landing craft. In 2009, a research team assembled by the PBS television series Nova positively identified the sub as being the last, No.16, of the 5 Ko-Hyoteki that participated in the 7 December 1941, attack, plioted by Ensign Masaji Yokoyama and Petty Officer 2nd Class Sadamu Kamita. Both of its torpedoes were missing, indicating that the midget sub may have fired its torpedoes prior to its sinking. Although this correlates with reports of two torpedoes fired at the light cruiser St. Louis at 10:04 at the entrance of Pearl Harbor, and a possible torpedo fired at destroyer Helm at 08:21,[8] there is circumstantial evidence to support a hypothesis that No.16, like No.22, successfully entered Pearl, fired its torpedoes at Battleship Row, and fled to the relative quiet of neighboring West Loch, where it was scuttled by its crew. When a series of explosions sank an amphibious fleet being assembled in the Loch in 1944, it is believed the remains of the sub were collected and dumped in the subsequent salvage operation, which was kept classified as secret until 1960. A photograph[9] taken from a Japanese plane during the Pearl Harbor attack shows what might have been No.16 inside the harbor firing its torpedoes at Battleship Row. The sinking of the USS West Virginia and capsizing of the USS Oklahoma may have been accelerated by a torpedo hit from a submarine-launched torpedo, the warheads of which were larger than the aerial torpedoes. Some believe that in the photo, where the torpedoes' paths had supposedly started, were sprays that indicated a midget-submarine rocking up and down due to the force of the torpedo being launched, causing the propellers of the stern to be exposed, kicking up clouds of water spray. A war time report from Admiral Nimitz confirmed the recovery of at least one dud torpedo of the type employed by the midget submarines.[10] Japanese forces received a radio message from a midget submarine at 00:41 on 8 December claiming damage to one or more large warships inside Pearl Harbor.[11] At 22:41 on 7 December, they received a message from No. 16 describing the air attack on Pearl Harbor as successful, and at 00:51 on 8 December they received another message that read "Unable to navigate."[12] They never heard from No. 16 again. This discovery is covered in the Nova episode Killer Subs in Pearl Harbor[13] and companion website, I-16tou.com.[14]

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USS Current (ARS-22)

USS Current (ARS-22)

USS Current (ARS-22) was a Diver-class rescue and salvage ship commissioned by the U.S. Navy during World War II. Her task was to come to the aid of stricken vessels.

Attack on Pearl Harbor

Attack on Pearl Harbor

The attack on Pearl Harbor was a surprise military strike by the Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service upon the United States against the U.S. naval base at Pearl Harbor in Honolulu, Territory of Hawaii, just before 8:00 a.m. on Sunday, December 7, 1941. The United States was a neutral country at the time; the attack led to its formal entry into World War II the next day. The Japanese military leadership referred to the attack as the Hawaii Operation and Operation AI, and as Operation Z during its planning.

Kazuo Sakamaki

Kazuo Sakamaki

Kazuo Sakamaki was a Japanese naval officer who became the first prisoner of war of World War II to be captured by U.S. forces.

National Historic Landmark

National Historic Landmark

A National Historic Landmark (NHL) is a building, district, object, site, or structure that is officially recognized by the United States government for its outstanding historical significance. Only some 2,500, or roughly three percent, of over 90,000 places listed on the country's National Register of Historic Places are recognized as National Historic Landmarks.

Fredericksburg, Texas

Fredericksburg, Texas

Fredericksburg is the seat of Gillespie County, in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2010 Census, this city had a population of 10,530.

Naval Academy Etajima

Naval Academy Etajima

Etajima base in Etajima city, Hiroshima prefecture is in the Etajima-cho government building and is the base of the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force. Beside housing the 1st Technical School and the Officer Candidates School, it is home to the local Kure Naval District, LCAC training facilities, and Self-Defense Force oil storage. In addition, the Special Forces of the Maritime Self Defense Force is here.

USS Curtiss (AV-4)

USS Curtiss (AV-4)

USS Curtiss (AV-4) was the first purpose-built seaplane tender constructed for the United States Navy. She was named for Glenn Curtiss, an American naval aviation pioneer that designed the Curtiss NC-4, the first aircraft to fly across the Atlantic Ocean.

USS Monaghan (DD-354)

USS Monaghan (DD-354)

USS Monaghan (DD-354) was the last ship built of the Farragut-class destroyer design. She was named for Ensign John R. Monaghan. Monaghan was laid down on November 21, 1933 at the Boston Navy Yard, and launched on January 9, 1935. She was sponsored by Miss Mary F. Monaghan, niece of Ensign Monaghan, and commissioned on 19 April 1935. During the next few years Monaghan operated primarily in the North Atlantic, training US Navy personnel who served in World War II. Monaghan was present during the Pearl Harbor raid on December 7, 1941. She participated in the Battle of the Coral Sea and the Battle of Midway in 1942. Monaghan was sunk in Typhoon Cobra east of the Philippines in 1944.

Ford Island

Ford Island

Ford Island is an islet in the center of Pearl Harbor, Oahu, in the U.S. state of Hawaii. It has been known as Rabbit Island, Marín's Island, and Little Goats Island, and its native Hawaiian name is Mokuʻumeʻume. The island had an area of 334 acres (135 ha) when it was surveyed in 1825, which was increased during the 1930s to 441 acres (178 ha) with fill dredged out of Pearl Harbor by the United States Navy to accommodate battleships.

Hawaii Undersea Research Laboratory

Hawaii Undersea Research Laboratory

The Hawaii Undersea Research Laboratory (HURL) is a regional undersea research program within the School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology (SOEST) at University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, in Honolulu. It is considered one of the more important of the independently run undersea research laboratories in the U.S. HURL operates two deep diving submersibles, the Pisces IV and Pisces V and specializes in supporting scientific ocean research and exploration. HURL is actively involved in monitoring deep-sea ecosystems, including coral habitats and fisheries, and conducts maritime archaeology research including documenting World War II wreckage from the Attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941.

Light cruiser

Light cruiser

A light cruiser is a type of small or medium-sized warship. The term is a shortening of the phrase "light armored cruiser", describing a small ship that carried armor in the same way as an armored cruiser: a protective belt and deck. Prior to this smaller cruisers had been of the protected cruiser model, possessing armored decks only. While lighter and smaller than other contemporary ships they were still true cruisers, retaining the extended radius of action and self-sufficiency to act independently around the world. Through their history they served in a variety of roles, primarily as convoy escorts and destroyer command ships, but also as scouts and fleet support vessels for battle fleets.

USS St. Louis (CL-49)

USS St. Louis (CL-49)

USS St. Louis, eighth of nine Brooklyn-class light cruisers, was the fifth ship of the United States Navy named after the city of St. Louis, Missouri. Commissioned in 1939, she was very active in the Pacific during World War II, earning eleven battle stars.

Attacks on Sydney

HMAS Kuttabul after sinking.
HMAS Kuttabul after sinking.
The two midget submarines sunk in Sydney Harbour were used to construct a composite midget submarine which toured Australia during the war.
The two midget submarines sunk in Sydney Harbour were used to construct a composite midget submarine which toured Australia during the war.

On the night of 29 May 1942, five large Japanese submarines positioned themselves 56 kilometres north-east of Sydney Heads. At 3 a.m. the next day one of the submarines launched a reconnaissance aircraft. After circling Sydney Harbour the aircraft returned to its submarine, reporting the presence of 'battleships and cruisers' moored in the harbour. The flotilla's commanding officer decided to attack the harbour with midget submarines the next night. The next day the five submarines approached to within 11 kilometres of Sydney Heads, and at about 4:30 p.m. they released three midget submarines, which then began their approach to Sydney Harbour.

The outer-harbour defences detected the entry of the first midget submarine, No.14, at about 8 pm, but it was not identified until it became entangled in an anti-torpedo net that was suspended between George's Head and Green Point. Before HMAS Yarroma was able to open fire, the submarine's two crew members destroyed their vessel with demolition charges and killed themselves.

The second submarine, No.24b, entered the harbour at about 9.48 p.m. and headed west towards the Sydney Harbour Bridge, causing a general alarm to be issued by the Naval Officer in Charge, Sydney. About 200 metres from Garden Island the submarine was fired on by the heavy cruiser USS Chicago. The submarine then fired its two torpedoes at the cruiser. One torpedo ran ashore on Garden Island, but failed to explode. The other passed under the Dutch submarine K9 and struck the harbour bed beneath the depot ship HMAS Kuttabul where it exploded, killing 21 sailors (19 Royal Australian Navy and 2 Royal Navy). The submarine then slipped out of the harbour, its mission complete, and disappeared. Its wreck was located, about 30 km north of the harbour and 5 km to seaward, in November 2006. It is now protected as a war grave.

The third submarine, No.21, was sighted by HMAS Yandra at the entrance to the harbour and was depth-charged. Some four hours later, having recovered, it entered the harbour, but it was subsequently attacked with depth charges and sunk in Taylor Bay by vessels of the Royal Australian Navy. Both members of the submarine's crew committed suicide.

The two submarines that were recovered were identical, and their remains were used to reconstruct a complete submarine, which toured New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia before being delivered to the Australian War Memorial in Canberra in 1943, where it remains on display.

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Attack on Sydney Harbour

Attack on Sydney Harbour

In late May and early June 1942, during World War II, Imperial Japanese Navy submarines made a series of attacks on the Australian cities of Sydney and Newcastle. On the night of 31 May – 1 June, three Ko-hyoteki-class midget submarines, each with a two-member crew, entered Sydney Harbour, avoided the partially constructed Sydney Harbour anti-submarine boom net, and attempted to sink Allied warships. Two of the midget submarines were detected and attacked before they could engage any Allied vessels. The crew of M-14 scuttled their submarine, whilst M-21 was successfully attacked and sunk. The crew of M-21 killed themselves. These submarines were later recovered by the Allies. The third submarine attempted to torpedo the heavy cruiser USS Chicago, but instead sank the converted ferry HMAS Kuttabul, killing 21 sailors. This midget submarine's fate was unknown until 2006, when amateur scuba divers discovered the wreck off Sydney's northern beaches.

Australia

Australia

Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands. Australia is the largest country by area in Oceania and the world's sixth-largest country. Australia is the oldest, flattest, and driest inhabited continent, with the least fertile soils. It is a megadiverse country, and its size gives it a wide variety of landscapes and climates, with deserts in the centre, tropical rainforests in the north-east, and mountain ranges in the south-east.

Flotilla

Flotilla

A flotilla, or naval flotilla, is a formation of small warships that may be part of a larger fleet.

Sydney Harbour Bridge

Sydney Harbour Bridge

The Sydney Harbour Bridge is a steel through arch bridge in Sydney, spanning Sydney Harbour from the central business district (CBD) to the North Shore. The view of the bridge, the harbour, and the nearby Sydney Opera House is widely regarded as an iconic image of Sydney, and of Australia itself. Nicknamed "The Coathanger" because of its arch-based design, the bridge carries rail, vehicular, bicycle and pedestrian traffic.

HMAS Kuttabul (ship)

HMAS Kuttabul (ship)

HMAS Kuttabul, formerly SS Kuttabul, was a Royal Australian Navy depot ship, converted from a Sydney Ferries Limited ferry.

Royal Australian Navy

Royal Australian Navy

The Royal Australian Navy (RAN) is the naval force of the Australian Defence Force (ADF). The professional head of the RAN is Chief of Navy (CN) Vice Admiral Mark Hammond AM, RAN. CN is also jointly responsible to the Minister of Defence (MINDEF) and the Chief of Defence Force (CDF). The Department of Defence as part of the Australian Public Service administers the ADF.

Royal Navy

Royal Navy

The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by English and Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were fought in the Hundred Years' War against France. The modern Royal Navy traces its origins to the early 16th century; the oldest of the UK's armed services, it is consequently known as the Senior Service.

Depth charge

Depth charge

A depth charge is an anti-submarine warfare (ASW) weapon. It is intended to destroy a submarine by being dropped into the water nearby and detonating, subjecting the target to a powerful and destructive hydraulic shock. Most depth charges use high explosive charges and a fuze set to detonate the charge, typically at a specific depth. Depth charges can be dropped by ships, patrol aircraft, and helicopters.

New South Wales

New South Wales

New South Wales is a state on the east coast of Australia. It borders Queensland to the north, Victoria to the south, and South Australia to the west. Its coast borders the Coral and Tasman Seas to the east. The Australian Capital Territory and Jervis Bay Territory are enclaves within the state. New South Wales' state capital is Sydney, which is also Australia's most populous city. In December 2021, the population of New South Wales was over 8 million, making it Australia's most populous state. Just under two-thirds of the state's population, 5.3 million, live in the Greater Sydney area.

South Australia

South Australia

South Australia is a state in the southern central part of Australia. It covers some of the most arid parts of the country. With a total land area of 984,321 square kilometres (380,048 sq mi), it is the fourth-largest of Australia's states and territories by area, and second smallest state by population. It has a total of 1.8 million people. Its population is the second most highly centralised in Australia, after Western Australia, with more than 77 percent of South Australians living in the capital Adelaide, or its environs. Other population centres in the state are relatively small; Mount Gambier, the second-largest centre, has a population of 33,233.

Australian War Memorial

Australian War Memorial

The Australian War Memorial is Australia's national memorial to the members of its armed forces and supporting organisations who have died or participated in wars involving the Commonwealth of Australia and some conflicts involving personnel from the Australian colonies prior to Federation. Opened in 1941, the memorial includes an extensive national military museum.

Canberra

Canberra

Canberra is the capital city of Australia. Founded following the federation of the colonies of Australia as the seat of government for the new nation, it is Australia's largest inland city and the eighth-largest Australian city overall. The city is located at the northern end of the Australian Capital Territory at the northern tip of the Australian Alps, the country's highest mountain range. As of June 2021, Canberra's estimated population was 453,558.

Attacks on Madagascar

On 29 May 1942, the Japanese submarines I-10, I-16 and I-20 arrived at Madagascar. I-10's reconnaissance plane spotted Revenge-class battleship HMS Ramillies at anchor in Diego Suarez harbor but the plane was spotted and Ramillies changed her berth. I-20 and I-16 launched two midget submarines, one of which managed to enter the harbor and fired two torpedoes while under depth charge attack from two corvettes. One torpedo seriously damaged Ramillies, while the second sank the 6,993 ton oil tanker British Loyalty (later refloated). Ramillies was later repaired in Durban and Plymouth.

The crew of one of the submarines, Lieutenant Saburo Akieda and Petty Officer Masami Takemoto, beached their submarine (No.20b) at Nosy Antalikely and moved inland towards their pick-up point near Cape Amber. They were informed upon when they bought food at a village and both were killed in a firefight with Royal Marines three days later. The second midget submarine, No.16b, was lost at sea and the body of one of its crew was found washed ashore a day later.

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Battle of Madagascar

Battle of Madagascar

The Battle of Madagascar was a British campaign to capture the Vichy French-controlled island Madagascar during World War II. The seizure of the island by the British was to deny Madagascar's ports to the Imperial Japanese Navy and to prevent the loss or impairment of the Allied shipping routes to India, Australia and Southeast Asia. It began with Operation Ironclad, the seizure of the port of Diego-Suarez near the northern tip of the island, on 5 May 1942.

Submarine

Submarine

A submarine is a watercraft capable of independent operation underwater. It differs from a submersible, which has more limited underwater capability. The term is also sometimes used historically or colloquially to refer to remotely operated vehicles and robots, as well as medium-sized or smaller vessels, such as the midget submarine and the wet sub. Submarines are referred to as boats rather than ships irrespective of their size.

Madagascar

Madagascar

Madagascar, officially the Republic of Madagascar is a sovereign island country in the Indian Ocean, approximately 400 kilometres off the coast of East Africa across the Mozambique Channel. At 592,800 square kilometres (228,900 sq mi), it is the world's second-largest island country, after Indonesia. Its capital and largest city is Antananarivo.

Revenge-class battleship

Revenge-class battleship

The Revenge class, sometimes referred to as the Royal Sovereign class or the R class, consisted of five superdreadnought battleships built for the Royal Navy in the 1910s. All of the ships were completed to see service during the First World War. There were originally to have been eight of the class, but two were later redesigned, becoming the Renown-class battlecruisers, while the other, which was to have been named HMS Resistance, was cancelled outright. The design was based on that of the preceding Queen Elizabeth class, but with reductions in size and speed to make them more economical to build.

HMS Ramillies (07)

HMS Ramillies (07)

HMS Ramillies was one of five Revenge-class super-dreadnought battleships built for the Royal Navy during the First World War. They were developments of the Queen Elizabeth-class battleships, with reductions in size and speed to offset increases in the armour protection whilst retaining the same main battery of eight 15-inch (381 mm) guns. Completed in late 1917, Ramillies saw no combat during the war as both the British and the German fleets had adopted a more cautious strategy by this time owing to the increasing threat of naval mines and submarines.

Harbor

Harbor

A harbor, harbour, or haven is a sheltered body of water where ships, boats, and barges can be docked. The term harbor is often used interchangeably with port, which is a man-made facility built for loading and unloading vessels and dropping off and picking up passengers. Ports usually include one or more harbors. Alexandria Port in Egypt is an example of a port with two harbors.

Corvette

Corvette

A corvette is a small warship. It is traditionally the smallest class of vessel considered to be a proper warship. The warship class above the corvette is that of the frigate, while the class below was historically that of the sloop-of-war.

Oil tanker

Oil tanker

An oil tanker, also known as a petroleum tanker, is a ship designed for the bulk transport of oil or its products. There are two basic types of oil tankers: crude tankers and product tankers. Crude tankers move large quantities of unrefined crude oil from its point of extraction to refineries. Product tankers, generally much smaller, are designed to move refined products from refineries to points near consuming markets.

Durban

Durban

Durban, nicknamed Durbs, is the third most populous city in South Africa after Johannesburg and Cape Town and the largest city in KwaZulu-Natal. Durban forms part of the eThekwini Metropolitan Municipality, which includes neighbouring towns and has a population of about 3.44 million, making the combined municipality one of the largest cities on the Indian Ocean coast of the African continent. Durban was also one of the host cities of the 2010 FIFA World Cup.

Plymouth

Plymouth

Plymouth is a port city and unitary authority in South West England. It is located on the south coast of Devon, aplocal caves, and artefacts dating from the Bronze Age to the Middle Iron Age have been found at Mount Batten, showing that it was one of few principal trading ports of pre-Roman Britannia dominating continental trade with Armorica. An unidentified settlement named TAMARI OSTIA is listed in Ptolemy's Geographia and is presumed to be located in the area of the modern city. An ancient promontory fort was located at Rame Head at the mouth of Plymouth Sound with ancient hillforts located at Lyneham Warren to the east, Boringdon Camp and Maristow Camp to the north.

Lieutenant

Lieutenant

A lieutenant is a commissioned officer rank in the armed forces of many nations.

Royal Marines

Royal Marines

The Corps of Royal Marines (RM), also known as the Royal Marines Commandos, are the UK's special operations capable commando force, amphibious light infantry and also one of the five fighting arms of the Royal Navy. The Corps of Royal Marines can trace their origins back to the formation of the "Duke of York and Albany's maritime regiment of Foot" on 28 October 1664, and can trace their commando origins to the formation of the 3rd Special Service Brigade, now known as 3 Commando Brigade on 14 February 1942, during the Second World War.

Characteristics

according to Rekishi Gunzō[15]
Type First prototype Second prototype
(Prod. No. 1–2)
Type A
(Prod. No. 3–52)
Type B
(Prod. No. 49–53)
Type C
(Prod. No. 54–100)
Displacement
submerged
41.525 long tons (42 t) 44.150 long tons (45 t) 46 long tons (47 t) 47 long tons (48 t) 49.09 long tons (50 t)
Length (overall) 23.3 m (76 ft 5 in) 23.9 m (78 ft 5 in) 23.9 m (78 ft 5 in) 24.9 m (81 ft 8 in) 24.9 m (81 ft 8 in)
Beam 1.824 m (5 ft 11.8 in) 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in) 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in) 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in) 1.88 m (6 ft 2 in)
Draft 3.074 m (10 ft 1.0 in) 3.1 m (10 ft 2 in) 3.4 m (11 ft 2 in) 3.4 m (11 ft 2 in) 3.43 m (11 ft 3 in)
Draught 1.854 m (6 ft 1.0 in) 1.88 m (6 ft 2 in) 1.88 m (6 ft 2 in) 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in) 1.88 m (6 ft 2 in)
Propulsion 224 × Type 'B' special rechargeable batteries,
electric motor (600 bhp),
single shaft,
contra-rotating propellers
224 × Type 'D' special rechargeable batteries,
electric motor (600 bhp),
single shaft,
contra-rotating propellers
224 × Type 'D' special rechargeable batteries,
electric motor (600 bhp),
single shaft,
contra-rotating propellers
224 × Type 'D' special rechargeable batteries,
electric motor (600 bhp),
1 × electric generator (40 bhp),
single shaft,
contra-rotating propellers
208 × Type 'D' special rechargeable batteries,
electric motor (600 bhp),
1 × electric generator (40 bhp),
single shaft,
contra-rotating propellers
Speed Surfaced no data no data no data 6 knots (11 km/h) 6 knots (11 km/h)
Submerged 25 knots (46 km/h) 25 knots (46 km/h) 19.0 knots (35.2 km/h) 19.0 knots (35.2 km/h) 18.5 knots (34.3 km/h)
Range Surfaced no data no data no data 500 nmi (930 km) at 6 knots (11 km/h) 500 nmi (930 km) at 6 knots (11 km/h)
Submerged no data no data 15.8 nmi (29.3 km) at 9 knots (17 km/h)
84 nmi (156 km) at 6 knots (11 km/h)
15.8 nmi (29.3 km) at 9 knots (17 km/h)
84 nmi (156 km) at 6 knots (11 km/h)
15.4 nmi (28.5 km) at 8.5 knots (15.7 km/h)
120 nmi (220 km) at 4 knots (7.4 km/h)
Test depth 100 m (330 ft) 100 m (330 ft) 100 m (330 ft) 100 m (330 ft) 100 m (330 ft)
crew 2 2 2 2 3
Armament 2 × 533 mm (21 in) Type 89 torpedoes 2 × 450 mm (18 in) Type 97 torpedoes 2 × 450 mm (18 in) Type 97 torpedoes, later replaced Type 2 Torpedo 2 × 450 mm (18 in) Type 2 torpedoes 2 × 450 mm (18 in) Type 2 torpedoes
Builder Kure Naval Arsenal Kure Naval Arsenal Karasukojima Naval Armory (Production number 3–20)
'P' (Ōurasaki) Naval Armory (Production number 21–52)
'P' Naval Armory 'P' Naval Armory
Number built 1 2 50
Production number 49–52 were rebuilt to the Type 'B' in 1943, some boats rebuilt to the Type 'A' trainer.
5
Production number 49–52 were rebuilt from the Type 'A'.
47
Approx. 10 boats were rebuilt to the Type 'C' trainer.
Building period[16] 1932–1933 1938–1940 1940–1943 1943 1943–1944

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Knot (unit)

Knot (unit)

The knot is a unit of speed equal to one nautical mile per hour, exactly 1.852 km/h. The ISO standard symbol for the knot is kn. The same symbol is preferred by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), while kt is also common, especially in aviation, where it is the form recommended by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). The knot is a non-SI unit. The knot is used in meteorology, and in maritime and air navigation. A vessel travelling at 1 knot along a meridian travels approximately one minute of geographic latitude in one hour.

Nautical mile

Nautical mile

A nautical mile is a unit of length used in air, marine, and space navigation, and for the definition of territorial waters. Historically, it was defined as the meridian arc length corresponding to one minute of latitude. Today the international nautical mile is defined as exactly 1,852 metres. The derived unit of speed is the knot, one nautical mile per hour.

Torpedo

Torpedo

A modern torpedo is an underwater ranged weapon launched above or below the water surface, self-propelled towards a target, and with an explosive warhead designed to detonate either on contact with or in proximity to the target. Historically, such a device was called an automotive, automobile, locomotive, or fish torpedo; colloquially a fish. The term torpedo originally applied to a variety of devices, most of which would today be called mines. From about 1900, torpedo has been used strictly to designate a self-propelled underwater explosive device.

Type 97 torpedo

Type 97 torpedo

The Type 97 was a 17.7 inches (45 cm) diameter torpedo used by the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War II. Intended for use with Japan's Kō-hyōteki-class midget submarines, the torpedo was based on the 24-inch diameter Type 93 "Long Lance" used by Japanese surface vessels, but redesigned to meet the smaller 18-inch physical dimensions of the midgets' two torpedo tubes. Larger Japanese submarines were armed with the 21-inch Type 95 torpedo.

Kure Naval Arsenal

Kure Naval Arsenal

Kure Naval Arsenal was one of four principal naval shipyards owned and operated by the Imperial Japanese Navy.

Kure, Hiroshima

Kure, Hiroshima

Kure is a port and major shipbuilding city situated on the Seto Inland Sea in Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan. With a strong industrial and naval heritage, Kure hosts the second-oldest naval dockyard in Japan and remains an important base for the Japan Maritime Self-Defence Force (JMSDF) named, JMSDF Kure Naval Base. As of 1 May 2015, the city has an estimated population of 228,030 and a population density of 646 persons per km2. The total area is 352.80 km2.

Survivors

There are the remains of one in the open at Kiska in the Aleutian Islands, and some in the waters nearby.[17]

There are four reasonably intact Type A midgets on display in the world:

A third such submarine used in the attack at Sydney has been found, but remains in the waters off Sydney, to be left in situ as a war grave. [22]

Discover more about Survivors related topics

Kiska

Kiska

Kiska is one of the Rat Islands, a group of the Aleutian Islands of Alaska. It is about 22 miles (35 km) long and varies in width from 1.5 to 6 miles. It is part of Aleutian Islands Wilderness and as such, special permission is required to visit it. The island has no permanent population.

Aleutian Islands

Aleutian Islands

The Aleutian Islands, also called the Aleut Islands or Aleutic Islands and known before 1867 as the Catherine Archipelago, are a chain of 14 large volcanic islands and 55 smaller islands. Most of the Aleutian Islands belong to the U.S. state of Alaska, but some belong to the Russian federal subject of Kamchatka Krai. They form part of the Aleutian Arc in the Northern Pacific Ocean, occupying a land area of 6,821 sq mi (17,666 km2) and extending about 1,200 mi (1,900 km) westward from the Alaska Peninsula toward the Kamchatka Peninsula in Russia, and act as a border between the Bering Sea to the north and the Pacific Ocean to the south. Crossing longitude 180°, at which point east and west longitude end, the archipelago contains both the westernmost part of the United States by longitude and the easternmost by longitude. The westernmost U.S. island in real terms, however, is Attu Island, west of which runs the International Date Line. While nearly all the archipelago is part of Alaska and is usually considered as being in the "Alaskan Bush", at the extreme western end, the small, geologically related Commander Islands belong to Russia.

Submarine Force Library and Museum

Submarine Force Library and Museum

The United States Navy Submarine Force Library and Museum is located on the Thames River in Groton, Connecticut. It is the only submarine museum managed exclusively by the Naval History & Heritage Command division of the Navy, and this makes it a repository for many special submarine items of national significance, including USS Nautilus (SSN-571). Visitors may take a 30-minute self-guided audio tour of the Nautilus.

Naval Academy Etajima

Naval Academy Etajima

Etajima base in Etajima city, Hiroshima prefecture is in the Etajima-cho government building and is the base of the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force. Beside housing the 1st Technical School and the Officer Candidates School, it is home to the local Kure Naval District, LCAC training facilities, and Self-Defense Force oil storage. In addition, the Special Forces of the Maritime Self Defense Force is here.

HA. 19 (Japanese midget submarine)

HA. 19 (Japanese midget submarine)

The HA. 19 is a historic Imperial Japanese Navy Type A Kō-hyōteki-class midget submarine that was part of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on 7 December 1941. The submarine's crew was ordered to enter Pearl Harbor, attack the moored American warships with its two torpedoes and then scuttle her with explosives. However, the crew was unable to enter the harbor due to navigational difficulties, and the submarine ran aground and was captured by American forces.

National Museum of the Pacific War

National Museum of the Pacific War

The National Museum of the Pacific War is located in Fredericksburg, Texas, the boyhood home of Fleet Admiral Chester W. Nimitz. Nimitz served as commander in chief, United States Pacific Fleet (CinCPAC), and was soon afterward named commander in chief, Pacific Ocean Areas, during World War II. The six-acre site includes the Admiral Nimitz Museum, which is housed in the old Nimitz Hotel and tells the story of Nimitz beginning with his life as a young boy through his naval career as well as the evolution of the old hotel.

Australian War Memorial

Australian War Memorial

The Australian War Memorial is Australia's national memorial to the members of its armed forces and supporting organisations who have died or participated in wars involving the Commonwealth of Australia and some conflicts involving personnel from the Australian colonies prior to Federation. Opened in 1941, the memorial includes an extensive national military museum.

Source: "Type A Kō-hyōteki-class submarine", Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, (2022, December 21st), https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Type_A_Kō-hyōteki-class_submarine.

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References

Notes

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o Stewart, A.J., LCDR USN. "Those Mysterious Midgets", United States Naval Institute Proceedings, December 1974, p.55-63
  2. ^ Kemp, Paul; Hill, David (1999). Midget submarines of the Second World War. Chatham. pp. 58–59, 76. ISBN 1-86176-042-6.
  3. ^ Jameson, John H.; Scott-Ireton, Della A. (2007). Out of the Blue: Public Interpretation of Maritime Cultural Resources. Springer. p. 184. ISBN 978-0-387-47861-6.
  4. ^ US Naval Technical Mission to Japan : Report on Japanese Kaiten and Torpedoes, 1946
  5. ^ a b "Japanese HA-19" Archived 2007-09-27 at the Wayback Machine, Historical Naval Ships Association
  6. ^ "The Search for the World War II Japanese Midget Submarine Sunk off Pearl Harbor, December 7, 1941". Archived from the original on 26 September 2008. Retrieved 7 September 2008.
  7. ^ Lord, 1957, picture section 2 pg. 15
  8. ^ Zimm 2011, pp. 330–341
  9. ^ http://ww2db.com/images/battle_pearl3.jpg
  10. ^ Maugh, Thomas H., II, "Pearl Harbor mini-submarine mystery solved? Researchers think they have found the remains of a Japanese mini-submarine that probably fired on U.S. battleships on Dec. 7, 1941", Los Angeles Times, 7 December 2009
  11. ^ Ofstie, R. A., Rear Admiral, USN. The Campaigns of the Pacific War (United States Government Printing Office, 1946), p. 19
  12. ^ Hackett, Bob; Kingsepp, Sander (2017). "IJN Submarine I-16: Tabular Record of Movement". combinedfleet.com. Retrieved 26 August 2020.
  13. ^ "Killer Subs in Pearl". PBS. 5 January 2010. Retrieved 27 May 2012.
  14. ^ "I-16tou.com". Retrieved 5 January 2009.
  15. ^ Rekishi Gunzō, pp. 39–46.
  16. ^ Rekishi Gunzō, pp. 80–95.
  17. ^ https://news.uaf.edu/japans-torpedo-like-submarine-rusts-alaska-island/
  18. ^ "Historic Naval Ships Visitors Guide - Japanese HA-8". archive.hnsa.org.
  19. ^ "Naval History Magazine". U.S. Naval Institute.
  20. ^ "The HA-19, also known as Japanese Midget Submarine "C" by the US Navy, a historic Imperial Japanese Navy Type A Ko-hyoteki-class midget submarine displayed at the National Museum of the Pacific War in Fredericksburg, Texas". Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. 20540 USA.
  21. ^ "Japanese Midget Submarine | Australian War Memorial". www.awm.gov.au.
  22. ^ "Divers struck gold when they found World War II Japanese submarine". 28 May 2012.

Bibliography

External links

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