Japanese submarine I-67

I-67 was a Kaidai-type cruiser submarine of the Imperial Japanese Navy. A KD5 sub-class boat, she sank in a training accident in 1940.

History
Empire of Japan
Name: I-67
Builder: Mitsubishi Kobe Yard, Kobe, Japan
Laid down: 14 October 1929
Launched: 7 April 1931
Completed: 8 August 1932
Commissioned: 8 August 1932
Decommissioned: 1 December 1937
Recommissioned: ?
Fate: Sank 29 August 1940
Stricken: 1 November 1940
General characteristics
Class and type: Kaidai-class submarine (KD5 Type)
Displacement:
  • 1,732 tonnes (1,705 long tons) surfaced
  • 2,367 tonnes (2,330 long tons) submerged
Length: 97.7 m (320 ft 6 in)
Beam: 8.2 m (26 ft 11 in)
Draft: 4.7 m (15 ft 5 in)
Installed power:
  • 6,000 bhp (4,500 kW) (diesels)
  • 1,800 hp (1,300 kW) (electric motors)
Propulsion:
Speed:
  • 20 knots (37 km/h; 23 mph) surfaced
  • 8.25 knots (15.28 km/h; 9.49 mph) submerged
Range:
  • 10,800 nmi (20,000 km; 12,400 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph) surfaced
  • 60 nmi (110 km; 69 mi) at 3 knots (5.6 km/h; 3.5 mph) submerged
Test depth: 70 m (230 ft)
Complement: 75
Armament:

Design and description

The submarines of the KD5 sub-class were improved versions of the preceding KD4 sub-class. They displaced 1,732 tonnes (1,705 long tons) surfaced and 2,367 tonnes (2,330 long tons) submerged. The submarines were 97.7 meters (320 ft 6 in) long, had a beam of 8.2 meters (26 ft 11 in) and a draft of 4.7 meters (15 ft 5 in). The boats had a diving depth of 75 m (246 ft)[1]

For surface running, the boats were powered by two 3,400-brake-horsepower (2,535 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 20 knots (37 km/h; 23 mph) on the surface and 8 knots (15 km/h; 9.2 mph) underwater. On the surface, the KD5s had a range of 10,800 nautical miles (20,000 km; 12,400 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph); submerged, they had a range of 60 nmi (110 km; 69 mi) at 3 knots (5.6 km/h; 3.5 mph).[2]

The boats were armed with six internal 53.3 cm (21.0 in) torpedo tubes, four in the bow and two in the stern. They carried a total of 14 torpedoes. They were also armed with one 100 mm (3.9 in) deck gun for combat on the surface,[2] as well as a 13.2 mm (0.52 in) anti-aircraft machinegun.[1]

Construction and commissioning

I-67 was built by Mitsubishi at Kobe, Japan. Her keel was laid on 14 October 1929 and she was launched on 7 April 1931. She was completed and commissioned on 8 August 1932.

Service history

Upon commissioning, I-67 was assigned to the Kure Naval District. When the submarine I-66 was commissioned on 10 November 1932, I-67 and I-66 combined to form Submarine Division 30.[3][4] I-67 was decommissioned and placed in reserve on 1 December 1937.[4]

Later reactivated, I-67 on 29 August 1940 was in the Pacific Ocean off the southern coast of Minamitorishima taking part in a Combined Fleet exercise with the commander of Submarine Division 30 and an exercise judge on board in addition to her crew of 89. When a seaplane from the seaplane carrier Mizuho approached, I-67 practiced a crash dive to avoid a mock attack by the plane. She never resurfaced, and sank with the loss of all 91 men on board.[3][4] On 25 September 1940, the Imperial Japanese Navy officially declared all on board to be dead,[3] and I-67 was stricken from the Navy list on 1 November 1940.

The cause of I-67′s loss remains unknown. During the post-accident investigation, the crew of Mizuho′s seaplane said they believed that they saw I-67 submerge with a rear hatch still open. Investigators concluded that if she had submerged with the hatch open, rapid flooding would have occurred and caused her to sink quickly by the stern.[4][5]

Notes
  1. Carpenter & Polmar, p. 93
  2. Bagnasco, p. 183
  3. 『ハンディ版 日本海軍艦艇写真集19巻』73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)
  4. 『艦長たちの軍艦史』432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)
  5. 『日本海軍の潜水艦 - その系譜と戦歴全記録』107頁。(in Japanese)

References
  • 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)
  • 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)
  • 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)
  • 外山操『艦長たちの軍艦史』光人社、2005年。 ISBN 4-7698-1246-9 (in Japanese)
  • 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.
  • Rohwer, Jürgen (2005). Chronology of the War at Sea 1939–1945: The Naval History of World War Two (Third Revised ed.). Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 1-59114-119-2.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.