Japanese submarine I-16
Japanese submarine I-16 was one of five Type C cruiser submarines of the C1 sub-class built for the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) during the 1930s which was sunk by USS England while traveling from Truk, Micronesia to Buin, Bougainville, Papua New Guinea on a supply run on 19 May 1944.[1]
 Japanese submarine I-16 on trial run off Sasebo. | |
| History | |
|---|---|
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| Name: | I-16 |
| Builder: | Mitsubishi Kobe Yard |
| Yard number: | 44 |
| Laid down: | 15 September 1937 |
| Launched: | 8 July 1938 |
| Commissioned: | 30 March 1940 |
| Fate: | Sunk by depth charges from USS England on 19 May 1944. |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type: | Type C1 submarine |
| Displacement: |
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| Length: | 109.3 m (358 ft 7 in) overall |
| Beam: | 9.1 m (29 ft 10 in) |
| Draft: | 5.3 m (17 ft 5 in) |
| Installed power: |
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| Propulsion: |
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| Speed: |
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| Range: |
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| Test depth: | 100 m (330 ft) |
| Crew: | 107 |
| Armament: |
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| Notes: | Fitted to carry 1 × Type A midget submarine |
Construction
The I-16 was laid down on 15 September 1937 at the Mitsubishi's Kobe Yard. She was launched on 8 July 1938 and towed to Kure Navy Yard for completion. She was commissioned on 30 March 1940 under the command of Commander Kobayashi Hitoshi. At the time of her completion, she was the lead boat of the C-1 class which consisted of 7 other submarines.[1]
The Type C submarines were derived from the earlier KD6 sub-class of the Kaidai class with a heavier torpedo armament for long-range attacks. They displaced 2,595 tonnes (2,554 long tons) surfaced and 3,618 tonnes (3,561 long tons) submerged. The submarines were 109.3 meters (358 ft 7 in) long, had a beam of 9.1 meters (29 ft 10 in) and a draft of 5.3 meters (17 ft 5 in). They had a diving depth of 100 meters (330 ft).[2]
For surface running, the boats were powered by two 6,200-brake-horsepower (4,623 kW) diesel engines, each driving one propeller shaft. When submerged each propeller was driven by a 1,000-horsepower (746 kW) electric motor. They could reach 23.6 knots (43.7 km/h; 27.2 mph) on the surface and 8 knots (15 km/h; 9.2 mph) underwater.[3] On the surface, the C1s had a range of 14,000 nautical miles (26,000 km; 16,000 mi) at 16 knots (30 km/h; 18 mph); submerged, they had a range of 60 nmi (110 km; 69 mi) at 3 knots (5.6 km/h; 3.5 mph).[4]
The boats were armed with eight internal bow 53.3 cm (21.0 in) torpedo tubes and carried a total of 20 torpedoes. They were also armed with a single 140 mm (5.5 in)/40 deck gun and two single or twin mounts for 25 mm (1 in) Type 96 anti-aircraft guns. They were equipped to carry one Type A midget submarine aft of the conning tower.[4]
Active Service
On 31 July 1941, I-16 was assigned a new commanding officer by the name of LtCdr Yamada Kaoru who had previously been the Co of I-56. I-16 would see her first use in the Attack on Pearl Harbor for which she was enrolled in the Advance Expeditionary Fleet (Sixth Fleet) on 15 November 1941 and two days later assigned to Captain Sasaki Hankyu's Special Attack Unit with I-18, -20, -24 and the flagship, I-22. The Special Attack Unit sails from Kure to the Kamegakubi Naval Proving Ground on 18 November 1941 to each be fitted with a then top-secret two-man Type A Midget submarine.[5]
The unit departs Japan at 2.15am on 19 November 1941 for the Hawaiian Islands, passing South of Midway on route. On 7 December 1941 they reach Hawaii and I-16 lies about seven miles South-West of the entrance of Pearl Harbor. At 0.42 am, I-16 launches its Midget Submarine which joins the four others released from the Special Attack Unit before patrolling West of Lanai, Hawaii. The subsequent air attack on Pearl Harbor turned out to be a success, however none of the midget submarines made it back to their mother ships. I-16 ultimately departs her patrol area for Kwajalein on 12 December where she arrives on 20 December in company of I-20. Not long after I-16 was recalled to Japan for further tests for the submarines capabilities.[5]
In 1942, I-16 is assigned to A Detachment along with I-10, I-18, I-20, I-30 and their support ships the auxiliary cruisers/supply ships Aikoku Maru and Hokoku Maru. The detachment departs Japan on 30 April 1942 albeit without I-30 for the East African coast for possible attacks under the command of the flagship I-10. During this voyage I-16 sank four ships before returning to Japan on 26 August 1942.[5]
I-16's commanding officer is replaced with former CO of I-6 LtCdr Nakamura Shozo on 18 December 1942. I-16 would find herself part of another major operation by the name of KE-Go which consisted of the evacuation of Japanese forces from Guadacanal which lasted from 31 January 1943 to 9 February. Her role in this was to patrol the South-East of Gaudacanal along with I-11, I-25 and I-32. A total of 11,700 troops were successfully evacuated from the island.[5]
The first incident of I-16 commenced on 2 April 1943 when she collided with I-20 underwater and had to return to Yokosuka for repairs which lasted until 21 September. After returning to service I-16 completed seven supply runs to New Guinea between 17 October 1943 and 15 December 1943 before being slightly damaged in an air raid on Christmas Day at Rabaul. She returns to Yokosuka and is drydocked on 1 January 1944. The repairs lasted until early February and The commanding Officer was again replaced on 15 February with LtCdr Takeuchi Yoshitaka, the former CO of I-158.[5]
I-16 was based at Truk, Micronesia in April 1944. It is from here that she departed on 14 May 1944 at 8 am on a supply mission to Buin, Bougainville, Papua New Guinea while carrying rice in 75-lb rubber bags.[5]
Sinking
Five days into the supply run to Buin, I-16 was spotted by an American patrol plane 140 miles North-East of Cape Alexander, Solomons. At 13.35 pm I-16 was spotted by the sonar of USS England. USS England attacked I-16 at 13.41 pm with the first of five depth charge barrages. At 14.35 pm during the last attack, I-16 was fatally hit and exploded. The underwater explosion was powerful enough to lift USS England's fantail out of the water by 6 inches. The sinking was confirmed when debris started surfacing 20 minutes after the explosion. I-16 was lost with all 107 crew and was presumed sunk on 25 June 1944 before being removed from the Navy list on 10 October 1944.[1]
Raiding History
I-16 ended up sinking four ships during her career with the loss of 14 lives.[5]
| Date | Name | Nationality | Tonnage[Note 1] | Fate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 June 1942 | Susak | .svg.png){kind=small} |
3,889 | Sunk |
| 8 June 1942 | Aghios Georgios IV |  |
4,847 | Sunk |
| 12 June 1942 | Supetar | |
3,748 | Sunk |
| 1 July 1942 | Eknaren |  |
5,243 | Sunk |
Wreck
Her wreck still lies at 05°10′S 158°10′E and is considered a war grave.[1]
Notes
- Merchant ship tonnages are in gross register tons. Military vessels are listed by tons displacement.
References
- Bagnasco, Erminio (1977). Submarines of World War Two. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 0-87021-962-6.
- Boyd, Carl & Yoshida, Akikiko (2002). The Japanese Submarine Force and World War II. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 1-55750-015-0.
- Carpenter, Dorr B. & Polmar, Norman (1986). Submarines of the Imperial Japanese Navy 1904–1945. London: Conway Maritime Press. ISBN 0-85177-396-6.
- Chesneau, Roger, ed. (1980). Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1922–1946. Greenwich, UK: Conway Maritime Press. ISBN 0-85177-146-7.
- Hashimoto, Mochitsura (1954). Sunk: The Story of the Japanese Submarine Fleet 1942 – 1945. Colegrave, E.H.M. (translator). London: Cassell and Company. ASIN B000QSM3L0.
- Stille, Mark (2007). Imperial Japanese Navy Submarines 1941-45. New Vanguard. 135. Botley, Oxford, UK: Osprey Publishing. ISBN 978-1-84603-090-1.
| Shipwrecks |
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|---|---|
| Other incidents |
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1943   April 1944 | |
- "IJN I-16 (+1944)". wrecksite.eu. 11 November 2009. Retrieved 13 June 2020.
- Bagnasco, p. 192
- Chesneau, p. 201
- Carpenter & Dorr, p. 104
- "HIJMS Submarine I-16: Tabular Record of Movement". combinedfleet.com. 2001. Retrieved 13 June 2020.