Japanese submarine I-181

Japanese submarine I-181 (originally I-81) was a Kaidai type cruiser submarine of the KD7 sub-class built for the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) during the 1940s. She was lost with all hands when she was ran aground in New Guinea after a battle with American ships in early 1944.

Sister ship I-176 at sea, 1942
History
Empire of Japan
Name: I-181
Builder: Kure Naval Arsenal
Laid down: 1941?, as I-81
Launched: 2 May 1942
Completed: 24 May 1943
Renamed: 1942, as I-181
Stricken: 30 April 1944
Fate: Ran aground and wrecked, 16 January 1944
General characteristics
Class and type: Kaidai type, KD7-class
Displacement:
  • 1,862 t (1,833 long tons) surfaced
  • 2,644 t (2,602 long tons) submerged
Length: 105.5 m (346 ft 2 in)
Beam: 8.25 m (27 ft 1 in)
Draft: 4.6 m (15 ft 1 in)
Installed power:
  • 8,000 bhp (6,000 kW) (diesels)
  • 1,800 hp (1,300 kW) (electric motors)
Propulsion:
Speed:
  • 23 knots (43 km/h; 26 mph) surfaced
  • 8 knots (15 km/h; 9.2 mph) submerged
Range:
  • 8,000 nmi (15,000 km; 9,200 mi) at 16 knots (30 km/h; 18 mph) surfaced
  • 50 nmi (93 km; 58 mi) at 5 knots (9.3 km/h; 5.8 mph) submerged
Test depth: 80 m (260 ft)
Complement: 86
Armament:

Design and description

The submarines of the KD7 sub-class were medium-range attack submarines developed from the preceding KD6 sub-class. They displaced 1,862 metric tons (1,833 long tons) surfaced and 2,644 metric tons (2,602 long tons) submerged. The submarines were 105.5 meters (346 ft 2 in) long, had a beam of 8.25 meters (27 ft 1 in) and a draft of 4.6 meters (15 ft 1 in). The boats had a diving depth of 80 m (260 ft) and a complement of 86 officers and crewmen.[1]

For surface running, the boats were powered by two 4,000-brake-horsepower (2,983 kW) diesel engines, each driving one propeller shaft. When submerged each propeller was driven by a 900-horsepower (671 kW) electric motor. They could reach 23 knots (43 km/h; 26 mph) on the surface and 8 knots (15 km/h; 9.2 mph) underwater. On the surface, the KD7s had a range of 8,000 nautical miles (15,000 km; 9,200 mi) at 16 knots (30 km/h; 18 mph); submerged, they had a range of 50 nmi (93 km; 58 mi) at 5 knots (9.3 km/h; 5.8 mph).[2]

The boats were armed with six internal 53.3 cm (21.0 in) torpedo tubes, all in the bow. They carried one reload for each tube; a total of a dozen torpedoes. They were originally intended to be armed with two twin-gun mounts for the 25 mm (1.0 in) Type 96 anti-aircraft gun, but a 120 mm (4.7 in) deck gun for combat on the surface was substituted for one 25 mm mount during construction.[3]

Construction and career

Built by the Kure Naval Arsenal, the boat was laid down as I-81 and renamed I-181 in 1942. She was launched on 2 May 1942 and completed on 24 May 1943.[1] I-181 ran aground in Kelanoa Harbour, New Guinea, and wrecked after a battle with an American destroyer and a PT boat with the loss of all 89 officers and crewmen. She was struck from the Navy List on 30 April 1944.[4]

Notes
  1. Carpenter & Polmar, p. 105
  2. Chesneau, p. 199
  3. Bagnasco, pp. 183, 186
  4. Hackett & Kingsepp
gollark: Is that the Macron ISA?
gollark: (Macron does not count as it is:- bad- real, but still bad)
gollark: It's a shame there are NO GOOD PROGRAMMING LANGUAGES whatsoever.
gollark: OH NO. "Kestrel" has undergone semantic satiation.
gollark: Oh, is Kestrel not the .NET Kestrel?

References
  • Bagnasco, Erminio (1977). Submarines of World War Two. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 0-87021-962-6.
  • 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.
  • Hackett, Bob & Kingsepp, Sander (2010). "IJN Submarine I-181: Tabular Record of Movement". combinedfleet.com. Retrieved 8 November 2015.
  • Jentschura, Hansgeorg; Jung, Dieter & Mickel, Peter (1977). Warships of the Imperial Japanese Navy, 1869–1945. Annapolis, Maryland: United States Naval Institute. ISBN 0-87021-893-X.
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