B1 type submarine
Encyclopedia
The Type B1 submarine (also known as the I-15 series) were the most numerous submarine class of the Imperial Japanese Navy
during World War II
. In total 20 were built, starting with I-15
, which gave the series their alternative name.
These submarines were fast, had a very long range, and carried a single seaplane, located in a hangar in front of the conning tower, and launched by a catapult. Late in the war, some of the submarines had their aircraft hangar removed, to replace it with a 14 cm gun. In 1944, the I-36 and I-37 were modified so that they could carry four Kaiten
manned torpedoes, with I-36 later being further modified to carry six.
Altogether the Type B submarines (B1, B2, and B3 combined) are credited with sinking 56 merchant ships for a total of 372,730 tonnes, about 35% of all merchant shipping sunk by Japanese submarines during the war.
All B1 type submarines were lost during the conflict, except for I-36, which was scuttled off Gotō Islands
by the US Navy on 1 April 1946.
Imperial Japanese Navy
The Imperial Japanese Navy was the navy of the Empire of Japan from 1869 until 1947, when it was dissolved following Japan's constitutional renunciation of the use of force as a means of settling international disputes...
during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. In total 20 were built, starting with I-15
Japanese submarine I-15
I-15 was a Japanese B1 type submarine. She was completed at Kure Navy Yard on September 30, 1940, whereupon she entered into service with the Imperial Japanese Navy. Her first and only commanding officer was Commander Nobuo Ishikawa. I-15 operated off the north coast of Oahu during the raid on...
, which gave the series their alternative name.
These submarines were fast, had a very long range, and carried a single seaplane, located in a hangar in front of the conning tower, and launched by a catapult. Late in the war, some of the submarines had their aircraft hangar removed, to replace it with a 14 cm gun. In 1944, the I-36 and I-37 were modified so that they could carry four Kaiten
Kaiten
The Kaiten were manned torpedos and suicide craft, they were used by the Imperial Japanese Navy in the final stages of World War II.-History:...
manned torpedoes, with I-36 later being further modified to carry six.
Service
The series was rather successful, especially at the beginning of the war.- I-17Japanese submarine I-17I-17 was a Japanese B1 type submarine of the Imperial Japanese Navy which saw service during World War II. She was the first Axis ship to shell the United States mainland.-Pearl Harbor:...
shelled an oil field up the beach from Santa BarbaraSanta Barbara, CaliforniaSanta Barbara is the county seat of Santa Barbara County, California, United States. Situated on an east-west trending section of coastline, the longest such section on the West Coast of the United States, the city lies between the steeply-rising Santa Ynez Mountains and the Pacific Ocean...
and damaged a pump house in Elwood in February 1942. She was sunk by the New Zealand trawler TuiHMNZS Tui (T234)HMNZS Tui was a Bird class minesweeper of the Royal New Zealand Navy. She was commissioned in 1941 for minesweeping and anti-submarine roles....
and two US Navy aircraft off NoumeaNouméaNouméa is the capital city of the French territory of New Caledonia. It is situated on a peninsula in the south of New Caledonia's main island, Grande Terre, and is home to the majority of the island's European, Polynesian , Indonesian, and Vietnamese populations, as well as many Melanesians,...
on 19 August 1943.
- On 15 September 1942 I-19 fired six torpedoes at the aircraft carrier USS WaspUSS Wasp (CV-7)USS Wasp was a United States Navy aircraft carrier. The eighth Navy ship of that name, she was the sole ship of her class. Built to use up the remaining tonnage allowed to the U.S. for aircraft carriers under the treaties of the time, she was built on a reduced-size version of the Yorktown-class...
, two of which hit the carrier and destroyed it. The four remaining torpedoes went on for several thousand meters and hit another carrier force, damaging the battleship USS North CarolinaUSS North Carolina (BB-55)USS North Carolina was the lead ship of her class of battleship and the fourth in the United States Navy to be named in honor of this U.S. state. She was the first new-construction U.S. battleship to enter service during World War II, participating in every major naval offensive in the Pacific...
, and sinking the destroyer USS O'BrienUSS O'Brien (DD-415)USS O'Brien was a World War II-era Sims-class destroyer in the service of the United States Navy, named in honor of Captain Jeremiah O'Brien and his five brothers, Gideon, John, William, Dennis and Joseph, who captured the HMS Margaretta on 12 June 1775 during the American revolution.The O’Brien...
. She was likely sunk by US Navy aircraft attacks on 18 October 1943.
- I-25Japanese submarine I-25was a B1-Type submarine of the Imperial Japanese Navy that served in World War II, took part in the Attack on Pearl Harbor, and carried out the only aerial bombing on the continental United States during wartime; during the so-called Lookout Air Raid; and the Bombardment of Fort Stevens, both...
conducted one of the few attacks on the continental United States in September 1942. She was sunk by destroyer USS PattersonUSS Patterson (DD-392)USS Patterson , a , was the 2nd ship of the United States Navy to be named for Daniel Todd Patterson, an officer of the US Navy that served in the Quasi-War with France, First Barbary War, and the War of 1812....
off the New HebridesNew HebridesNew Hebrides was the colonial name for an island group in the South Pacific that now forms the nation of Vanuatu. The New Hebrides were colonized by both the British and French in the 18th century shortly after Captain James Cook visited the islands...
on 3 September 1943.
- I-26Japanese submarine I-26I-26 was a Japanese B1 type submarine which saw service in the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War II. She was completed and commissioned at the Kure Dockyard on 6 November 1941, under the command of Commander Yokota Minoru....
sank a US Army chartered Schooner Cynthia Olson 7 December 1941 {35 died}. She crippled the aircraft carrier USS SaratogaUSS Saratoga (CV-3)USS Saratoga was the second aircraft carrier of the United States Navy and the fifth ship to bear her name. She was commissioned one month earlier than her sister and class leader, , which is the third actually commissioned after and Saratoga...
with one torpedo hit (out of six launched) on 31 August 1942. On 13 November, she also destroyed the cruiser USS JuneauUSS Juneau (CL-52)The first USS Juneau was a United States Navy Atlanta-class light cruiser sunk at the Naval Battle of Guadalcanal in November 1942. In total 687 men, including the five Sullivan brothers, were killed in action as a result of its sinking....
. She was sunk in action off Leyte in October 1944.
- I-29Japanese submarine I-29I-29, code-named Matsu , was a B1 type submarine of the Imperial Japanese Navy used during World War II on two secret missions with Germany, during one of which she was sunk.-Type B Submarines:...
was used to conduct personnel and technology exchanges with GermanyGermanyGermany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
.
Losses
- I-15Japanese submarine I-15I-15 was a Japanese B1 type submarine. She was completed at Kure Navy Yard on September 30, 1940, whereupon she entered into service with the Imperial Japanese Navy. Her first and only commanding officer was Commander Nobuo Ishikawa. I-15 operated off the north coast of Oahu during the raid on...
was sunk off San Cristobol on 2 November 1942 by destroyer USS McCallaUSS McCalla (DD-488)USS McCalla , a Gleaves-class destroyer, was the second ship of the United States Navy to be named for Bowman H. McCalla, who served during the Spanish-American War and would eventually attain the rank of Rear Admiral ....
. - I-19 was sunk by USS RadfordUSS Radford (DD-446)USS Radford , named for Rear Admiral William Radford, was a Fletcher-class destroyer in the United States Navy during World War II, the Korean War and the Vietnam War....
25 November 1943 - I-21Japanese submarine I-21was a Japanese Type B1 submarine which saw service during World War II in the Imperial Japanese Navy. She displaced 1,950 tons and had a speed of . I-21 was the most successful Japanese submarine to operate in Australian waters, participating in the attack on Sydney Harbour in 1942 and sinking...
made her final report on 27 November 1943, off the Gilbert IslandsGilbert IslandsThe Gilbert Islands are a chain of sixteen atolls and coral islands in the Pacific Ocean. They are the main part of Republic of Kiribati and include Tarawa, the site of the country's capital and residence of almost half of the population.-Geography:The atolls and islands of the Gilbert Islands...
, following which she was never heard from again. Some sources say she was sunk by aircraft from escort carrier USS ChenangoUSS Chenango (CVE-28)The second USS Chenango was launched on 1 April 1939 as Esso New Orleans by the Sun Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Company, in Chester, Pennsylvania, sponsored by Mrs...
on 29 November 1943. - I-23 was lost in February 1942, following a final report made from off OahuOahuOahu or Oahu , known as "The Gathering Place", is the third largest of the Hawaiian Islands and most populous of the islands in the U.S. state of Hawaii. The state capital Honolulu is located on the southeast coast...
. - I-25Japanese submarine I-25was a B1-Type submarine of the Imperial Japanese Navy that served in World War II, took part in the Attack on Pearl Harbor, and carried out the only aerial bombing on the continental United States during wartime; during the so-called Lookout Air Raid; and the Bombardment of Fort Stevens, both...
was sunk by on 25 August 1943. - I-27Japanese submarine I-27I-27 was a submarine of the Imperial Japanese Navy which saw service during the Pacific Campaign of World War II. I-27 was commissioned at Sasebo, Japan on February 24, 1942. The sub's commander, Commander Fukumura, had a history of machine-gunning survivors of ships she had sunk, including the...
was sunk by the British destroyers HMS PaladinHMS Paladin (G69)HMS Paladin was a P-class destroyer of the British Royal Navy that saw service during the Second World War. She was built by John Brown and Co. Ltd., Clydebank...
and HMS PetardHMS Petard (G56)HMS Petard was a "P"-class destroyer of the British Royal Navy that saw service during World War II. She was one of the three "P" class ships, out of the original eight, to survive the war in a serviceable condition....
off Addu Atoll on 12 February 1944 after it had sunk the troopshipTroopshipA troopship is a ship used to carry soldiers, either in peacetime or wartime...
SS Khedive IsmailSS Khedive IsmailThe SS Khedive Ismail was a steamship sunk with great loss of life in 1944.The 7,513 ton steamship was launched as the Aconcagua by Scotts of Greenock in 1922. The Aconcagua passed into Egyptian ownership in 1935 and was renamed after Isma'il Pasha, the Khedive of Egypt from 1863 until 1879...
with the loss of about 1,300 lives. She was first rammed by Paladin then torpedoed by Petard. - I-28Japanese submarine I-28I-28 was a submarine of the Imperial Japanese Navy which saw service during the Pacific Campaign of World War II. I-28 was commissioned at Kobe, Japan on February 6, 1942. The submarine participated in the Battle of the Coral Sea in May 1942...
was sunk by submarine USS TautogUSS Tautog (SS-199)', a Tambor-class submarine, was the first ship of the United States Navy to be named for the tautog, a small edible sport fish, which is also called a blackfish....
south of Truk on 17 May 1942. - I-29Japanese submarine I-29I-29, code-named Matsu , was a B1 type submarine of the Imperial Japanese Navy used during World War II on two secret missions with Germany, during one of which she was sunk.-Type B Submarines:...
was sunk by USS Sawfish in Balintang ChannelBalintang ChannelThe Balintang Channel is the small waterway that separates the Batanes and Babuyan Islands, both of which belong to the Philippines, in the Luzon Strait....
on 26 July 1944. - I-30Japanese submarine I-30I-30 was a Type B1 submarine of the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War II. After operating in the Indian Ocean she participated in a Yanagi mission, aimed at connecting Japan and Nazi Germany by submarine. She was the first Japanese submarine to reach Europe, arriving at Lorient, France in...
was the first Japanese submarine to reach Europe under the Yanagi missions, but she was sunk by a mine off SingaporeSingaporeSingapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
on 13 October 1942. - I-31Japanese submarine I-31I-31 was a Type B1 submarine operated during World War II. She was sunk by American destroyers near Attu.-References:...
was sunk by destroyers USS EdwardsUSS Edwards (DD-619)USS Edwards was a Gleaves-class destroyer of the United States Navy. She was the second Navy ship named "Edwards", and the first named for Lieutenant Commander Walter A. Edwards , who as commander of in 1922 rescued nearly five hundred people from the burning French transport Vinh-Long. For his...
and USS FarragutUSS Farragut (DD-348)The third USS Farragut , named for Admiral David Glasgow Farragut USN , was the lead ship of her class of destroyers in the United States Navy.-History:...
off KiskaKiskaKiska is an island in the Rat Islands group of the Aleutian Islands of Alaska located at . It is about long and varies in width from - Discovery :...
on 12 May 1943. - I-32 was sunk by the destroyer escort USS Manlove and the subchaser south of Wotje on 24 March 1944.
- I-33 was lost during sea trials in the Inland Sea on 13 June 1944.
- I-34Japanese submarine I-34I-34 was a Kaidai Junsen Type B1 class submarine of the Imperial Japanese Navy. During World War II, while on a Yanagi mission between Japan and Germany carrying strategic raw material and information, she was sunk by the British submarine HMS Taurus using Ultra intelligence.-Commissioning:Her keel...
was sunk by submarine off PenangPenangPenang is a state in Malaysia and the name of its constituent island, located on the northwest coast of Peninsular Malaysia by the Strait of Malacca. It is bordered by Kedah in the north and east, and Perak in the south. Penang is the second smallest Malaysian state in area after Perlis, and the...
on 13 November 1943. - I-35 was sunk by destroyers and USS Frazier off TarawaTarawa AtollTarawa is an atoll in the central Pacific Ocean, previously the capital of the former British colony of the Gilbert and Ellice Islands. It is the location of the capital of the Republic of Kiribati, South Tarawa...
on 23 November 1943. - I-37 was sunk by destroyer escorts USS Conklin and USS McCoy Reynolds off Leyte on 19 November 1944.
- I-38 was sunk by destroyer USS NicholasUSS Nicholas (DD-449)USS Nicholas was a Fletcher-class destroyer of the United States Navy, which served through most of World War II, and for 27 years and two more wars after. She was the second Navy ship to be named for Major Samuel Nicholas....
near YapYapYap, also known as Wa'ab by locals, is an island in the Caroline Islands of the western Pacific Ocean. It is a state of the Federated States of Micronesia. Yap's indigenous cultures and traditions are still strong compared to other neighboring islands. The island of Yap actually consists of four...
on 12 November 1944. - I-39 was sunk by destroyer USS BoydUSS Boyd (DD-544)USS Boyd was a of the United States Navy, named for Joseph Boyd, who took part in Stephen Decatur's expedition into Tripoli harbor during the First Barbary War....
in the Gilberts on 26 November 1943.
Altogether the Type B submarines (B1, B2, and B3 combined) are credited with sinking 56 merchant ships for a total of 372,730 tonnes, about 35% of all merchant shipping sunk by Japanese submarines during the war.
All B1 type submarines were lost during the conflict, except for I-36, which was scuttled off Gotō Islands
Goto Islands
The are Japanese islands in the East China Sea, off the western coast of Kyūshū. The islands are a part of Nagasaki Prefecture.- Geography :There are 140 islands in total, including five main islands:,,,, and....
by the US Navy on 1 April 1946.