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HA. 19 (Japanese Midget Submarine)
Encyclopedia
The HA. 19 (Japanese Midget Submarine) (also known as Japanese Midget Submarine "C" by the U.S. Navy) is a historic Imperial Japanese Navy
Type A Ko-hyoteki class midget submarine that was part of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. Orders for this submarine were to enter Pearl Harbor. However, she did not enter the harbor, and it was grounded and captured. The submarine was put on display at NAS Key West, in Florida, but is now in Fredericksburg
, Texas
.
, Kure
as a Type A Ko-hyoteki class submarine in 1938. The Type 92 periscope was installed later in May of 1941.
In November 1941, Ha-19 was part of the Kido Butai and physically attached to I-24
as its mother ship. Its two man crew consisted of Ensign Kazuo Sakamaki
(1918-1999) and Chief Warrant Officer Kiyoshi Inagaki (1915-1941).
On 7 December 1941 at 3:30am, Ha-19 launched from I-24 with a broken gyrocompass
. The crew had four and a half hours to get to Pearl Harbor
, Hawaii
to join the Attack on Pearl Harbor
and had to fix the compass en route.
Ha-19 reached the entrance to the harbor, and impaired by the unfixed compass, it hit a reef three times and got grounded on the starboard side of the entrance at 8:00am. With the attack on the Harbor underway, the stranded submarine was spotted and attacked at 8:17 by the USS Helm
. The destroyer missed and managed to blast Ha-19 off the reef, knocking Sakamaki unconscious. Inagaki dived the submarine, and when he resurfaced at 8:18, the Helm opened fire again and missed. Inagaki dived once more to escape the confrontation.
When Sakamaki awoke, they made another attempt at the harbor. The grounding had damaged the vessel so it could not fire one of its torpedoes. It flooded and the batteries were giving off fumes from being in contact with seawater. Attempting to enter the harbor they hit the reef again and reversed for another attempt. On the next try, it was grounded again, but after adjusting the ballast it was freed. On the final attempt, it came under a depth charge
attack that disabled its ability to fire the other torpedo and damaged the periscope. The crew decided to abort the attack and turned around. The fumes given off by the batteries finally overcame them and the currents carried it east. The crew awoke to find it was night, and they intended to land the submarine ashore at Waimānalo
. The engine died and it ran aground on another reef. Sakamaki ordered Inagaki to abandon ship while he set the scuttling charge
and followed suit. The charge failed to detonate. Sakamaki managed to swim through the surf to shore where he collapsed and was captured the next day. Inagaki drowned and his body washed ashore.
in January 1942 where it went on war bond
tours. It was at Navy Pier
, Chicago
, Illinois
when the War ended.
On 20 January 1947, it was put on outdoor display at Naval Air Station Key West
, Key West
, Florida
. On 2 December 1964, it was loaned to the Key West Art and Historical Association and moved to an indoor exhibit at Key West Light
. On 30 June 1989, it was listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places
, and was declared a U.S. National Historic Landmark
.
In 1991, it was moved to Fredericksburg
, Texas
to become part of the National Museum of the Pacific War
at the Admiral Nimitz State Historic Site.
That same year, Sakamaki attended a historical conference and was reunited with his submarine.
Ha-19 is located at the National Museum of the Pacific War
, the former Admiral Nimitz Museum, at 340 East Main Street in Fredericksburg, Texas.
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...
Type A Ko-hyoteki class midget submarine that was part of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. Orders for this submarine were to enter Pearl Harbor. However, she did not enter the harbor, and it was grounded and captured. The submarine was put on display at NAS Key West, in Florida, but is now in Fredericksburg
Fredericksburg, Texas
Fredericksburg is the seat of Gillespie County, in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2010 Census estimate, the city had a population of 10, 530...
, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
.
Build
Ha-19 was built at Kure Naval DockyardKure Naval Arsenal
was one of four principal naval shipyards owned and operated by the Imperial Japanese Navy. -History:The Kure Naval District was established at Kure, Hiroshima in 1889, as the second of the naval districts responsible for the defense of the Japanese home islands along with the establishment of the...
, Kure
Kure, Hiroshima
is a city in Hiroshima prefecture, Japan.As of October 1, 2010, the city has an estimated population of 240,820 and a population density of 681 persons per km². The total area is 353.74 km².- History :...
as a Type A Ko-hyoteki class submarine in 1938. The Type 92 periscope was installed later in May of 1941.
Pearl Harbor
Japanese submarine I-24
I-24 was a submarine of the Imperial Japanese Navy which saw service during the Pacific Campaign of World War II. I-24 was commissioned at Sasebo, Japan on October 31, 1941...
as its mother ship. Its two man crew consisted of Ensign Kazuo Sakamaki
Kazuo Sakamaki
was a Japanese naval officer who became the first Japanese prisoner of war of World War II captured by American forces.-Biography:Sakamaki was born in what is now part of the city of Awa, Tokushima Prefecture...
(1918-1999) and Chief Warrant Officer Kiyoshi Inagaki (1915-1941).
On 7 December 1941 at 3:30am, Ha-19 launched from I-24 with a broken gyrocompass
Gyrocompass
A gyrocompass is a type of non-magnetic compass which bases on a fast-spinning disc and rotation of our planet to automatically find geographical direction...
. The crew had four and a half hours to get to Pearl Harbor
Pearl Harbor
Pearl Harbor, known to Hawaiians as Puuloa, is a lagoon harbor on the island of Oahu, Hawaii, west of Honolulu. Much of the harbor and surrounding lands is a United States Navy deep-water naval base. It is also the headquarters of the U.S. Pacific Fleet...
, Hawaii
Hawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
to join the Attack on Pearl Harbor
Attack on Pearl Harbor
The attack on Pearl Harbor was a surprise military strike conducted by the Imperial Japanese Navy against the United States naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, on the morning of December 7, 1941...
and had to fix the compass en route.
Ha-19 reached the entrance to the harbor, and impaired by the unfixed compass, it hit a reef three times and got grounded on the starboard side of the entrance at 8:00am. With the attack on the Harbor underway, the stranded submarine was spotted and attacked at 8:17 by the USS Helm
USS Helm (DD-388)
USS Helm was a Bagley-class destroyer in the United States Navy during World War II. She was named for Rear Admiral James Meredith Helm. Helm received 11 battle stars for her World War II service in the Pacific.-Pre-war:...
. The destroyer missed and managed to blast Ha-19 off the reef, knocking Sakamaki unconscious. Inagaki dived the submarine, and when he resurfaced at 8:18, the Helm opened fire again and missed. Inagaki dived once more to escape the confrontation.
When Sakamaki awoke, they made another attempt at the harbor. The grounding had damaged the vessel so it could not fire one of its torpedoes. It flooded and the batteries were giving off fumes from being in contact with seawater. Attempting to enter the harbor they hit the reef again and reversed for another attempt. On the next try, it was grounded again, but after adjusting the ballast it was freed. On the final attempt, it came under a depth charge
Depth charge
A depth charge is an anti-submarine warfare weapon intended to destroy or cripple a target submarine by the shock of exploding near it. Most use explosives and a fuze set to go off at a preselected depth in the ocean. Depth charges can be dropped by either surface ships, patrol aircraft, or from...
attack that disabled its ability to fire the other torpedo and damaged the periscope. The crew decided to abort the attack and turned around. The fumes given off by the batteries finally overcame them and the currents carried it east. The crew awoke to find it was night, and they intended to land the submarine ashore at Waimānalo
Waimanalo Beach, Hawaii
Waimānalo Beach is a census-designated place located in the City & County of Honolulu, in the District of Koolaupoko on the island of Oahu in the U.S. state of Hawaii. This small windward community is located near the eastern end of the island and the climate is dry. As of the 2000 Census, the...
. The engine died and it ran aground on another reef. Sakamaki ordered Inagaki to abandon ship while he set the scuttling charge
Scuttling
Scuttling is the act of deliberately sinking a ship by allowing water to flow into the hull.This can be achieved in several ways—valves or hatches can be opened to the sea, or holes may be ripped into the hull with brute force or with explosives...
and followed suit. The charge failed to detonate. Sakamaki managed to swim through the surf to shore where he collapsed and was captured the next day. Inagaki drowned and his body washed ashore.
Capture
On 7 December 1941, Ha-19 was bombed by Army planes. The bombs missed and made it break free and wash ashore. With the aid of an army tractor it was pulled out of the sea. Ha-19 was built to be disassembled into three parts, and this characteristic was utilized. It was transported to Pearl Harbor Submarine Base. The submarine was searched, yielding documents, and it was determined that most of the damage was a result of the multiple groundings.Exhibit
Ha-19 was sent to the U.S. mainlandContiguous United States
The contiguous United States are the 48 U.S. states on the continent of North America that are south of Canada and north of Mexico, plus the District of Columbia....
in January 1942 where it went on war bond
Series E bond
Series E U.S. Savings Bonds were marketed by the United States government as war bonds from 1941 to 1980. When Americans refer to war bonds, they are usually referring to Series E bonds. Those issued from 1941 to November 1965 accrued interest for 40 years; those issued from December 1965 to June...
tours. It was at Navy Pier
Navy Pier
Navy Pier is a long pier on the Chicago shoreline of Lake Michigan. It is located in the Streeterville neighborhood of the Near North Side community area. The pier was built in 1916 at a cost of $4.5 million, equivalent to $ today. It was a part of the Plan of Chicago developed by architect and...
, Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
, Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
when the War ended.
On 20 January 1947, it was put on outdoor display at Naval Air Station Key West
Naval Air Station Key West
Naval Air Station Key West , is a naval air station and military airport located on Boca Chica Key, four miles east of the central business district of Key West, Florida, United States....
, Key West
Key West
Key West is an island in the Straits of Florida on the North American continent at the southernmost tip of the Florida Keys. Key West is home to the southernmost point in the Continental United States; the island is about from Cuba....
, Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
. On 2 December 1964, it was loaned to the Key West Art and Historical Association and moved to an indoor exhibit at Key West Light
Key West Light
The Key West lighthouse is located in Key West, Florida. The first Key West lighthouse was a tower completed in 1825. It had 15 lamps in 15-inch reflectors. The first keeper, Michael Mabrity, died in 1832, and his widow, Barbara, became the lighthouse keeper, serving for 32 years...
. On 30 June 1989, it was listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
, and was declared a U.S. National Historic Landmark
National Historic Landmark
A National Historic Landmark is a building, site, structure, object, or district, that is officially recognized by the United States government for its historical significance...
.
In 1991, it was moved to Fredericksburg
Fredericksburg
Fredericksburg may refer to a location in the United States:*Fredericksburg, California*Fredericksburg, Indiana*Fredericksburg, Iowa*Fredericksburg, Ohio*Fredericksburg, Pennsylvania , various places*Fredericksburg, Texas...
, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
to become part of the 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. Fleet Admiral Nimitz served as CinCPAC, Commander in Chief, United States Pacific Fleet during World War II...
at the Admiral Nimitz State Historic Site.
That same year, Sakamaki attended a historical conference and was reunited with his submarine.
Ha-19 is located at the 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. Fleet Admiral Nimitz served as CinCPAC, Commander in Chief, United States Pacific Fleet during World War II...
, the former Admiral Nimitz Museum, at 340 East Main Street in Fredericksburg, Texas.