Japanese submarine I-61
I-61 was a Kaidai-class cruiser submarine of the KD4 sub-class built for the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) during the 1920s. She sank in an October 1941 collision,[2] just prior to Japan's entry into World War II.
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History | |
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Name: | I-61 |
Builder: | Mitsubishi Kobe Yard, Kobe, Japan |
Laid down: | 15 November 1926 |
Launched: | 12 November 1927 |
Completed: | 6 April 1929 |
Commissioned: | 6 April 1929 |
Decommissioned: | 11 January 1932 |
Recommissioned: | June 1934 |
Decommissioned: | 20 March 1940 |
Recommissioned: | ? |
Fate: |
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Stricken: | 1 April 1942 |
General characteristics | |
Class and type: | KD4 Type, Kadai type submarine |
Displacement: |
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Length: | 97.70 m (320 ft 6 in) |
Beam: | 7.80 m (25 ft 7 in) |
Draught: | 4.83 m (15 ft 10 in) |
Propulsion: |
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Speed: |
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Range: | |
Test depth: | 60 m (197 ft) |
Complement: | 58 officers and enlisted |
Armament: |
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Construction and commissioning
The first unit of the KD4 sub-class, I-61 was built by Mitsubishi at Kobe, Japan. Her keel was laid on 15 November 1926 and she was launched on 12 November 1927. She was completed on 6 April 1929.
Service history
Upon completion, I-61 was assigned to the Sasebo Naval District. On 24 April 1929, she and her sister ship, the submarine I-62, combined to form Submarine Division 29.[3][4] She was placed in reserve on 11 January 1932,[4] but returned to active status in June 1934.
On 11 March 1939, I-61 suffered damage in a collision with the Japanese destroyer Yakaze off Mitajiri, Japan, but was repaired and returned to service.[3] On 20 March 1940, Submarine Division 29, consisting of I-61, I-62, and I-64, was placed in reserve.[4] On 8 January 1941, I-61 collided with the merchant ship Kōshū Maru south of Cape Ashizuki, Japan.[3]
On 2 October 1941, with the commander of Submarine Division 29 on board, I-61 departed Sasebo with the submarine tender Rio de Janeiro Maru bound for a fleet gathering point at Murokusumi in Yamaguchi Prefecture. In the Koshiki Channel that evening, the Japanese gunboat Kisomaru mistook a red light she saw I-61 displaying aft of Rio de Janeiro Maru for that of a smaller vessel than I-61 and collided with I-61 around 23:21. I-61 sank quickly, with the loss of 70 lives.[2][3][5]
On 20 January 1942, I-61′s wreck was refloated, and it was sold for scrapping in 1942. I-61 was struck from the naval register on 1 April 1942.
References
Footnotes
- もしくは10ktで10,000海里(『写真 日本の軍艦 第12巻 潜水艦』p57の表より)(in Japanese)
- [#昭和天皇実録八巻]493頁(伊号潜水艦沈没事件)この脚注はこのページ上で2回使用されています。(in Japanese)
- 『ハンディ版 日本海軍艦艇写真集19巻』72頁。この脚注はこのページ上で4回使用されています。(in Japanese)
- 『艦長たちの軍艦史』428頁。この脚注はこのページ上で3回使用されています。(in Japanese)
- 『日本海軍の潜水艦 - その系譜と戦歴全記録』103頁。(in Japanese)
Bibliography
- 海軍歴史保存会『日本海軍史』第7巻、第9巻、第10巻、第一法規出版、1995年。(in Japanese)
- 勝目純也『日本海軍の潜水艦 - その系譜と戦歴全記録』大日本絵画、2010年。(in Japanese)
- 宮内庁編『昭和天皇実録 第八 昭和十五年至昭和十七年』東京書籍株式会社、2016年3月。ISBN 978-4-487-74408-4。(in Japanese)
- 外山操『艦長たちの軍艦史』光人社、2005年。 ISBN 4-7698-1246-9 (in Japanese)
- 雑誌「丸」編集部『写真 日本の軍艦 第12巻 潜水艦』光人社、1990年。ISBN 4-7698-0462-8 (in Japanese)
- 雑誌「丸」編集部『ハンディ版 日本海軍艦艇写真集19巻』潜水艦伊号、光人社、1997年。(in Japanese)