KD3A (I-53) class submersible (1926)

Japan 1926-46: I-53, 54, 55, 58, large oceanic submarines.

The Kaidai IIIa type (海大IIIa型, Navy large type IIIa) or I-153-class followed the design of the KD1 and KD2 but with strengthened hulls. Four were built: I-53/I-153 (survived the war, sank in 1946 Operation Bottom) I-54/I-154 (scuttled by gunfire Operation Bottom), I-55/I-155 (scuttled by gunfire, Operation Bottom) and I-58/I-158 (sank 1946 Operation Road’s End). In 1945, I-155 and I-158 had been modified as Kaiten suicide torpedo carriers. Note that were was a KD3b (I-56 to I-63) that followe dimmediately but a bit longer and with a modified bow.

I-53 on trials in 1927, colorized by Hirootoko Jr. (src below)

Development of the Kaidai III

The Kaichū Type was follow-up medium-sized submarine for the IJN, inspored by German war reparation large oceanic types. They were planned already in 1919 as a “first class” type able to reach Guam or Pearl Harbour from Japan and dedicated to fleet operations. Commerce raiding was not even their main task, as they were rather intended to attack USN assets first and re-establish the balance with the smaller IJN in case of war. These “U-Kreuzer” were a very interesting design for long range fleet operations and this led Japanese strategists to order long-range reconnaissance submarines also doubling as fleet interdiction submarines.

The KD-1 was a prototype designed to carry and operate a reconnaissance aircraft (the first in the IJN) but i alerady brought on the table many solutions that would be followed on the KD-2. Both had been ordered under the 1919 fiscal year. Without prior experience with such large submarines led Project S22 (KD-I) to be notably inspired by the British K-class submarine, and a second prototype was ordered as part of the Hachi-Roku Fleet Plan (Eight-six fleet program), from a rival shipbuilding school of thoughts but still part of the same Project S22. Construction was suspended as she was to be redesigned according to the ex-German U 139 submarine, just arrived as a war prize. The Kaidai II type was born, Project S25. Launched on 12 June 1923, completed in May 1925 she had revised powerplant and hull shape, to reach a better top speed and be more useful for fleet operations and reconnaissance.

The Previous KD-2 prototype I-52/I-152, was a prototype for a full class (N°52-56) ordered but cancelled in 1922 under the terms of Washington Treaty. Meanwhile, more sturies for former Imperial German Navy U-boats led to further design revisions leading to the KD-III. Under project number S26 (Kaidai IIIa) and S27 (Kaidai IIIb) these nine Kaidai IIIs were based on earlier designs with a strengthened hull for deep diving and the Kaidai IIIb will end 40 cm longer with a different bow design.

Launch of I-53 (reddit).

The Japanese “U-Kreuzer”

Still looking to improve the recipe of the KD-1 and KD-2, Japanese strategists wanted to use these submarines for long-range reconnaissance and attack an enemy fleet in a war of attrition, if approaching Japan. I-51 and I-52 (KD-1 and 2) had been ordered the Eight-six fleet program as prototypes, but they were too advanced to be revised when on 20 June 1919 after difficult negociations with former entente powers*, Japan obtained as war reparation seven German U-boats. The first recovered already led to a complete redesign of I-52, and the next ones would led to even more rethinking. The whole serie planned for the KD-2 as seen above has been cancelled, leading to a new complete re-design and the birth of Project S-26.
*Due to the fact Japan did arguably far less hard combat than any other belligerent, its participation was mostly opportunistic

But it did not stopped there. With all this ex-German submarine fleet, Japanese wanted to reverse engineering the designs the right way and took a step further: They quickly hired hundreds of German submarine engineers, technicians, and former U-boat officers. All of them, unemployed after the defeat and probably seduced by a good salary in an exotic land, packed up, and they stayed there under five-year contracts. The United States Navy′s Office of Naval Intelligence (ONI) eventually learned about this through its contacts in Japan and soon estimated that some 800 German advisors were already in Japan by December 1920, an enormous, unprecedented recruitment. The Japanese also sent delegations to postwar Germany, to purchase all avalable patents as well. Thus, the next KD-III would be more German than ever, truly Japan’s “U-Kreuzer”.

Based largely on the Kaidai Type II, they however featured a much strengthened double hull, with many other aspects influenced by one of the largest WWI German submarine and an example of a “U-Kreuzer”, U-125. The German term, this signified “Underseeboote Kreuzer” reflecting its range and powerful gun armament, some having two 152 mm (6 inches) light cruiser guns. However U-125, a 1,163 t (1,145 long tons) surfaced boat, was also preculiar. This Type EII was indeed a minelayer submarine, and had a single 15 cm deck gun. The Japanese essentially got rid of its 100 cm (39 in) stern mine chutes for 42 mines, and added two more torpedo tubes forward and two aft. But many technical details of U-125 were essentially transplanted on a modified KD-2 hull.

All nine boats were built from 1927 and until 1930. More survived the war as already by 1942-45 given their age, they were kept in home waters for training. Thus they ended scuttled or scrapped shortly after the end of the War. But they had some successes in a few wartime patrols. The Kaidai III had no seaplane embarked but they carried a heavy gun (120 mm) like previous models, and like the previous KD-2 and KD-1, they had eight torpedo tubes, including six in the bow. What was most important is the fact they were the first “mass-produced” fleet submarines in Japan. I-53 was the first laid down at Kure as N°64 on 1st April 1924, launched in August the next year as I-53 and completed in March 1927. I-54 was built at Sasebo as well as I-55 at Kure also in 1924-27 buy I-58 was built at Yokosuka, laid down in December 1924 and completed in May 1928.

Design of the KD-3 class

Hull and general design

I-53 and her sisters displaced 1,829 metric tons (1,800 long tons) surfaced, 2,337 metric tons (2,300 long tons) submerged. Other sources gives 1,635 tons standard (light), 1,800 tons surfaced and fullu loaded, and 2,300 tons fully loaded and submerged. They were much larger than the inspiration, U-125, larger than I-51 and 52 as well. Symbolically, they reached 100 meters (328 ft 1 in) long for a beam of 8 meters (26 ft 3 in) and draft of 4.82 meters (15 ft 10 in) and a complement of 60 officers and crewmen.

The hull has the same outer dimensions as I-52 but the major difference was for the increased thickness of the inner hull. For their large size, they had now a service diving depth of 60 metres (197 ft), likely 100m for the crushing limit. Engineers also managed to have the internal volume slightly increased as the cross section of the pressure hull was made slightly trapezoidal, but this added 300 tons of displacement.

Externally they had a new anti-submarine net cutter at the bow, and the bow nose had a O-ring for towing. The forward section of the hull was fuller for buoyancy but sloped downwards to the slanted stem. The two anchors were in their own recesses for better flow, and the two diving forward planes aft of the anchors were also folded in their horizontal recesses instead of raised up like in many submarines of the time. The main gun was the same as previous models (see below) and fitted in a platform protected by a bulwark/breakwater, sponsoned over the sides.

The conning tower was roughly similar than previous boats but integrated a well profiled “foot” at its base. There was an enclosed helmsman post with windows forward, then another “bridge” with windows for navigation further aft and up. The boat had three periscopes, two for watch and one for attack. The aft section of the conning tower was open and AA guns were located there. It ended with a signal mast. There was another small mast aft at the end of the deck, flying the national colors. The exhausts were located there too. The upper rudder aft was protected by a guard bar.

Powerplant

I-53 and sisters kept their Sulzer diesel engines, with new models that had slightly improved performance over the ones on I-52. Wheb surfaced, these two 3,400-brake-horsepower (2,535 kW) diesel engines drove two fixed-pitch 3-bladed propeller shaft. When submerged the propeller were disconnected and reconnected to the shafts coming from a pair of 900-horsepower (671 kW) electric motors for 1,800 hp total. Thanks to this, top speed while surfaced reached 20 knots (37 km/h; 23 mph) surfaced, and 8 knots (15 km/h; 9.2 mph) submerged. The surface range was 10,000 nautical miles (19,000 km; 12,000 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph) and the submerged range was 90 nmi (170 km; 100 mi) at 3 knots (5.6 km/h; 3.5 mph). Other sources precises she could also do 6,130 nautical miles (11,400 km) at 16 knots surfaced if needed.

Armament

I-53 and sisters of the KD-3a class retained the salme armament as the previous KD-2, eight 533mm torpedo tubes, six forward, two aft (16 total), a 120mm/45 (4.7″) dual-purpose gun thanks to the mount and recess for extra elevation initially. Later AA guns were installed.

120cm/45 Type 10 deck gun

This 12 cm/45 10th Year Type or 120/45 10-shiki, naval gun was installed. Initially this was a dual purpose anti-aircraft and coastal defense gun, derived from the 12 cm/45 3rd Year Type naval gun. It was relatively simple to produce, threw a powerful shell and did not require external power. It was also used on three cruiser classes and the Taiyō-class escort carrier.

Specs

Mass: 8.5 tons, length 5.94 m (19 ft 6 in), barrel 5.4 m (17 ft 9 in) L/45. 2.16 m (7 ft 1 in) x 2.34 m (7 ft 8 in).
Shell: Fixed QF 120×708mmR 20.6 kg (45 lb 7 oz). Semi-automatic with horizontal sliding-wedge breech, hydro-spring recoil.
Pedestal mount, rate of fire 10-12 rpm, mv 825 m/s (2,710 ft/s) range 16,000 m (17,000 yd).

Type 6 533mm Torpedo

The KD-3 type had six tubes in the bow and reloads for each, plus two in the stern and two reloads, like the previous I-52, for sixteen total of the 6th Year Type torpedoes, the first type using metric measurements. This model was designed at the brand new Imperial Japanese Navy Technical Department, favoring a rule era naming scheme. Development started in 1914, completed in 1917 for a service in 1918 on both surface ships and submarines. Originally defined in the Eight-Eight Program replacing the 18-in by a 21-inch caliber torpedo and planning a 61 cm (24-inch) Type 8. This went with the decision to switch to metric units. In 1922, the Washington Naval Treaty was signed by Japan and forbade any caliber besides 550 mm (French standard) and the international norm remained at 53 cm.

The 1,432 kg (3,157 lb), 6.84 m (22.4 ft) Type 6 was powered by a Wet heater to bring its 203 kg (448 lb) Shimose warhead at 7,650 m (4.13 nmi) at 36 knots (67 km/h) ot 10,000 m (5.4 nmi) at 32 knots (59 km/h), 15,000 m (8.1 nmi) at 26 knots (48 km/h). These were above average performances already compared to other Navies for that caliber. It’s possible they tested the Type 89 in the 1930s, however the latter was only carried by the Junsen and Kaidai-type submarines. They could reach 45 knots. They could also have tested or deployed the Type 92 electric torpedo, leaving no trail (more data on later posts).

Type 3 machine gun

Japan acquired a license and began producing Hotchkiss Mle 1897 machine guns in 6.5mm Arisaka, 87 caliber. During the Russo-Japanese War, each Japanese division had 24 Hotchkiss machine guns. Being lighter than the Russian Maxims, the Hotchkiss performed well. The production evolved to become the Type 3 Heavy Machine Gun in 1914. Howeve it seems they were only present on the KD-3b, not the KD-3a.

I-53 and following could optionally carry sixteen naval mines of the type compatible with her tubes. This also is not confirmed by all sources. More on Navweaps.

Sensors

These submersibles had a pair of hydrophones, K type echo-sounder and later a K-chubu hydrophone. Other equipments included a ratio transmitter special 4 and 2 receiver RDF-T4. They also had degaussing equipment with three 3/8 inch coils directly below deck and two fitted on the sail like her sister.

I-53 in light grey livery, unknown origin.

I-53 in black livery, 1944, author’s rendition. Note her large counter-keels for stability.

⚙ I-53 specifications
Displacement	1,829 long tons surfaced, 2,330 tons submerged
Dimensions	100 x 8 x 4.82m (328 ft 1 in x 26 ft 3 in x 15 ft 10 in)
Propulsion	2x Sulzer-type No.3 diesels: 6,800 bhp surfaced. 2 EM, 1,800 shp submerged
Speed	20 knots surfaced (37 kph), 8 knots (15 kph) submerged
Range	xx tons fuel, 10,000 nm/10 kts surfaced, 90 nm/3 kts submerged
Armament	8× 533 mm TTs (6 bow, 2 stern, 16), 1x 120 mm/45 deck gun, see notes.
Test depth	60 m (197 ft)
Sensors	K type Hydrophones
Crew	60

Career of the KD-IIIa class

I-53 (1927)

I-53 on sea trials in 1927.

I-53 was prdeted from Kure Naval Arsenal in Kure on 1 April 1924 as Submarine No. 64. She was renamed I-53 on 1 November 1924, launched on 5 August then completed and commissioned on 30 March 1927, attached to the Kure Naval District. On 5 May she entered SubDiv 17, SubRon 2, 2nd Fleet, Combined Fleet. On 5 September she entered SubDiv 18, second unit of SubRon 2. On 1 December 1930 she wa spar of the Kure Defense Squadron, District, and on 1 December 1931 she took part in major exercises. She left homeport Sasebo on 29 June 1933 with sisters I-54 and I-55 (SubDiv 18) and I-56, 57, 58 of SubDiv 19 for a training cruise off China and Mako, Pescadores Islands. They entered Takao, Formosa (Taiwan) on 5 July 1933 and departed on 13 July 1933 for Chinese waters. They sailed home and arrived in Tokyo Bay on 21 August 1933. On 25 August they were part of an Imperial fleet review at Yokohama. She later returned to the Kure Defense Division from 15 November, then the Kure Guard Squadron from 11 December.

On 1 February 1934, she was back in longer range cruisers and by 7 February 1935 she left Sasebo with I-54, 55, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64 for a training cruise for kaidai types, in the Kuril Islands. They made it into Sukumo Bay on 25 February 1935. They departed Sasebo on 29 March 1935 back to Chinese waters, and returned home by 4 April. On 15 November 1935 her division was reassigned to SubRon 1, 1st Fleet, Combined Fleet. She had fleet exercises off Honshu on 1 February 1936. While proceeding toward Sukumo Bay on 27 February 1936 she had an engine failure and was rammed accidentally by I-56 accidentally, 32 nautical miles (59 km; 37 mi) off the Daiosaki lighthouse, but took only minor damage. In another fleet exercises off Kyushu in May 1936 she had another collision with I-55, also no serious damage.

On 15 November 1939, her Division was reassigned to SubRon 4, still 1st Fleet. On 11 October 1940, I-53 took part in the largest naval review for the Emperor in Yokohama Bay (largest in Japanese history) along with 98 submarines and 500 aircraft, in honor of the 2,600th anniversary of Emperor Jimmu’s rule (legendary first emperor). Her squadron was reassigned directly to the Combined Fleet on 15 November 1940 and she was mobilized for an offensive, with her division, still I-53, I-54, and I-55 leaving Kure on 20 November 1941 for Samah, Hainan Island (china sea) arriving on 26 November 1941. They left on 1 December 1941 to take up positions and herself supported Operation E for the invasion of British Malaya. She patrolled the Anambas Islands on 7 December 1941. On the 20th she arrived at Cam Ranh Bay (Japanese-occupied French Indochina) to resupply and prepared for a second patrol.

On 29 December she left with I-54 for a deployment, but suffered damage underway in a heavy gale and returned for repairs. I-53 left again on 6 January 1942 and sailed northwest of Java (NL East Indies) to catch potential Dutch vessels escaping the area. She spotted nothing and was back at Cam Ranh Bay on 24 January.
She left for a 3rd patrol on 7 February with I-54 via Lombok Strait to the Indian Ocean. There, she spotted and attacked, sank on 27 February, the Dutch 917 GRT auxiliary tanker “Ben 2” underway from Surabaya to Australia. She notably carried many 150 mm (5.9 in) artillery shells. This happened 25 nm (46 km; 29 mi) southwest of Banyuwangi. The next day she torpedoed and sank the British 8,917 GRT armed cargo ship “City of Manchester” in the Indian Ocean, south of Tjilatjap and finished off with gunfire. Just three of the 157 aboard were rescued, perhaps six initially but killed by Japanese brutality. I-53 was back on 8 March 1942 in Staring Bay, Celebes.

By that stage the high command estimated these boats were too large and too old to be really useful and they were recalled home to be used as training submarines.
Submarine Squadron 4 was disbanded on 10 March 1942. SubDiv 18 was reassigned directly to the Kure Guard Unit and Naval District, starting service as such from 25 March. I-53 collided later with the submarine tender Chōgei in Iyo Nada, Seto Inland Sea in May 1942. On the 20th she was renumbered I-153. On 5 January 1943, I-153 she took part in a submarine camouflage experiment with a new black camouflage scheme. From 26 March to 1 December 1943 she became flagship of her Division. She exchanged officers with I-32 on 10 January 1944. Her division was deactivated on 31 January 1944. I-153 was placed in the 4th reserve, transferred to the Hirao Branch, Ōtake Submarine School as training hulk (meaning she was permanently berthed). She was laid up on 15 August 1945 and surrendered to the Allies postwar, stricken on 30 November. She was sank as a gunnery target by the Royal Australian and Indian Navies (HMAS Quiberon, HMIS Sutlej) in the Inland Sea, on 8 May 1946.

I-54 (1927)

I-54 and IJN Kinugasa in 1930

Ordered as Submarine No.77 she was renamed I-54 on 1 November 1924 before construction started, laid down on 15 November 1924 at Sasebo, launched on 15 March 1926, completed and commissioned on 15 December 1927, attached to the Kure Naval District, Submarine Division 18 (all her career), which was initially as a reserve unit, like her sister I-53 under SubRon 2, 2nd Fleet, Combined Fleet from February 1928 and the Kure Defense Division and District from December 1930. She was attached to SubRon 2, 2nd Fleet from December 1931. At 13:48 on 10 February 1932 she had a steering failure off Kyushu, off the Odate Shima lighthouse while on maneuvers. Speed was lowered to 3 knots but she still accidentally rammed I-55, with her bow cut open and a flooding a compartment but no victim. She was detached and sent to Sasebo for repairs over a week, then placed in reserve at Kure. Until mid-November 1934, her division remained with the Kure Defense Division and then Kure Defense Squadron. She was attached again in SubRon 2 by February 1934.

Her only serious activity when not in reserve was on 29 June 1933 when she departed with I-53 and I-55 with SubDiv 19 in a training cruise to China and Mako (see above), halting at Takao, Formosa and after sailing home, taking part in the fleet review at Yokohama of 25 August. Sources disagrees about her activity afterwards.
She made another cruise on 7 February 1935 with all SubRon 2 boats in the Kuril Islands and back. She left Sasebo on 29 March 1935 for Chinese waters, and on 15 November her unit was transferred from to SubRon 1, 1st Fleet. She was in reserve at Kure from 1 November 1937 to late March 1938 and on 15 November 1939, her division was under SubRon 4, 1st Fleet but she remained in reserve from June to 15 August 1941. On 20 November 1941 she was sent to Samah, Hainan Island, and departed on 1 December to take up positions (Operation E, invasion of British Malaya) in the South China Sea north, Anambas Islands by 7 December.

On the 8th, she was part of a patrol line in northeast of Kuantan, British Malaya. On 14 December, the Dutch submarine HNLMS K XII detected what was likely I-54 by hydrophone. At 11:00 sighted a periscope on her starboard and steered to ram I-54 at 100 meters. Lookouts detected her and I-54 manoeuvered, while K XII abandoned her attempt and broke contact, zigzagging away. I-54 entered Cam Ranh Bay on 20 December but was underway again on the 29th with I-53, being delayed after damage by a heavy gale. Underway on 12 January 1942 she was sent off Singapore, spotted nothing to attack and was back on 21 January.

For her 3rd patrol she departed on 7 February to take part in the invasion of Java and on 9 February she was ordered to the Anambas Islands. On the 13th she went through the Lombok Strait, between Bali and Lombok. She reached the Indian Ocean and moved to the southern entrance of the Sunda Strait (Java-Sumatra) and the Indian Ocean from 20 February 1942. South of the Sunda Strait on 24 February she attacked but missed an unidentified Allied tanker. On 1 March 1942, same on an Allied cargo ship off Tjilatjap. Nevertheless she claimed two Allied merchant ships sunk. Postwar sources credited her either the Dutch GRT motor cargo ship Modjokerto in 1st March, albeit she was seemingly sank by Chikuma. She arrived at Staring Bay, Celebes on 7 March.

On 10 March her sqn. was disbanded, and she was attached to the Kure Guard Unit from 25 March, starting a new carrier as training boat. On 20 May she became I-154. On 1 December 1943 she became flagship in turn of her division. In December she was repainted experimentally dark grey with a bluish hue like the German submarine U-511 purchased in 1943 as Ro-500. She took part in Submarine School tests of paint schemes at Iyo Nada from 5 January 1944, testing effectiveness against detection by warships and aircraft, but this did not worked out. On 31 January her division was was disbanded, she was decommissioned, placed in reserve without crew until 15 August 1945, stricken on 20 November and scuttled by gunfire from HMAS Quiberon and HMIS Sutlej in the Seto Island Sea on May 8, 1946 as part of Operation Bottom.

I-55 (1927)

I-55 in harbor, 1930

Ordered from Kure Naval Arsenal as Submarine No.78 she wa slaid down on 1 April 1924 and renamed I-55 on 1 November, then launched on 2 September 1925, completed and commissioned on 5 September 1927, assigned to the Kure Naval District, SubDiv 18 (see above). In a training exercise on 11 July 1929 she simulated a submerged torpedo attack against Kinugasa but misjudged her position and accidentally collided with the cruiser off Kyushu, 20 nm southwest of Ōdate Shima lighthouse. Her bow plating neeeded repairs. At 13:48 on 10 February 1932 I-54 suffered a steering failure off Kyushu close to Odate Shima lighthouse while on maneuvers, drifted at low speed and accidentally rammed her. Damage was superficial. While her activity is unclear possibly reserve at Kure between detachements to the SubRon 2. By June 1933 she took part in the training cruise off China and Mako, the fleet review at Yokohama on 25 August 1933 and by February 1935 she took part in the training cruise in the Kuril Islands, ending at Sukumo Baybe fore another cruise from Sasebo in March to Chinese waters. While on maneuvers off Kyushu on 10 May 1936, I-55 collided with I-53, only for minor damage to her bow.

On 23 July 1936 she was however badly damaged by a typhoon off Beppu, Kyushu, in fleet exercises and even ran aground in Terajima Channel. Her superstructure was partially dismantled so she could be refloated, towed to Kure from 31 July for long drydocke repairs, in reserve, until 1 October. By November 1939 she was in SubRon 4 like her sisters, and toook part of the legendary Imperial Naval review of 11 October 1940 in Yokohama Bay. By November 1941 she was sent to Samah, Hainan Island and on 1 December departed to take positions for Operation E (Malaya) off Kuantan on 7 December. The next day she was underway to intercept Force Z (Prince of Wales and Repulse) before this was cancelled as both were sunk by G3M “Nell” bombers on 10 December. On the 14th she was perhaps detected and attacked by the Dutch submarine HNLMS K XII (see above). She entered Cam Ranh Bay on 20 December and prepared for a second patrol on 29 December to the Bangka Strait off Sumatra and back on 14 January 1942. Her 3rd patrol from 31 January 1942 was to Lombok Strait in “A Group”. She refuelled in the Anambas Islands on 2 February and proceeded to her patrol area, initially credited with sinking the Dutch 1,937 GRT steamer SS Van Lansberge on 4 February (postwar records: sunk in an air attack).

After Ro-34 ran out of torpedoes after an Allied convoy attack, I-53, I-54, and I-55 were orders on 5 February to join her area. On 7 February, I-55 spotted and surfaced to attack by gunfire the 4,519 GRT Dutch passenger ship “Van Cloon” in the Java Sea. She had to beach herself at Bawean Island. USS Isabel (PY-10) arrived on the scene and rescued 187, then opened fire on I-55 when she surfaced nearby to investigate. I-55 dived but was harrassed by a PBY Catalina. At 21:02 on 13 February, I-55 torpedoed and hit the British 4,799 GRT armed steamer SS Derrymore (two torpedoes) in the Java Sea. She carried 7,000-ton cargo of military stores, ammunition, and six crated Hawker Hurricane Mark II plus 209 RAAF personnel). She sank in 90 minutes north of Jason Rock and Noordwachter Island, loosing 9 RAAF personnel and all its cargo. HMAS Ballarat rescued her entire crew of 36 and 200 RAAF personnel.

On 17 February 1942, I-55 and I-56 were ordered to Staring Bay, Celebes. On 18 February 1942, I-55 she claimed the sinking an Allied merchant ship with gunfire, the 5,804 GRT Norwegian tanker SS Madrono (reported false postwar). She was back at Staring Bay on 21 February. Her dsquadron was disbanded on 10 March 1942 and her uniot reassigned to Kure Naval District from 25 March, she became a training ship, renumbered I-155 from May 1942. She was still part of SubDiv 18 until 1 April 1943 then SubDiv 33, Kure Submarine Squadron from April 1943. Howedver the IJN Headquarters decided to sent her to take part in the the Aleutian Islands campaign, notably to evacuate remaining Japanese forces from Kiska. I-155 sailed from Kure on 22 May 1943 via Yokosuka, Japan on 23 May, Paramushiro (northern Kuril) and assigned to the Kiska Evacuation Force in SubRon 1, Northern District Force, 5th Fleet from 29 May 1943. She was in Paramushiro on 2 June and departed the next day with supplies for Kiska, but heavy seas forced her back. She departed again on 14 June and sailed to Kure for repairs, arrived on 20 June.

Her sortie was aborted and she resumed training duties at Kure. Sources diverged about her units, but she took part in tests camouflage patterns tests in Iyo Nada for the Submarine School with a light gray scheme based on R-500, ex U-511 purchased in 1943. On 31 January 1944 she was reassigned to SubDiv 19, Kure Squadron, laid up without crew. On 23-25 February she tested another camouflage, bluish-gray and black. On 5 May 1944 she collided with the oiler-seaplane carrier IJN Hayasui off Kabuto-jima (Hiroshima Bay). She had a hole of 2 by 1 meter (6 ft 7 in by 3 ft 3 in) to repair. On 20 April 1945 she was reassigned to SubDiv 33 and by April 1945 she was converted as a Kaiten transport (suicide attack torpedo) and to be deployed at Shikoku, her deck gun removed and carrying fittings for two kaiten. On 20 July she was placed in reserve, anchored near the Kure Submarine School until selected for a kaiten mission, recommissioned in early August 1945 and refitted at Ōzushima, scheduled to depart Hirao on 25 August with I-156 for the Shinshu-tai (“Land of Gods Unit”) kaiten group but on 15 August 1945 she was at sea when on 25 August the mission was cancelled and she was recalled to Kure, surrendering to the Allies in September, stricken on 20 November. She was scuttled by gunfire in the Seto Island Sea on May 8, 1946, Operation Bottom.

I-58 (1927)

I-58 underway

I-58 was built at the Yokosuka Naval Arsenal and laid down on 3 December 1924, launched on 3 October 1925, completed and commissioned on 15 May 1928, attached to the Kure Naval District. On 1 April 1929 she entered the newly created SubDiv 19, SubRon 2, 2nd Fleet, Combined Fleet, Kure Defense Division & Naval District from December 1931 but alternated with SubRon 2 in May 1932, albeit in reserve from June, active on 1 December. On 29 June 1933 both divisions were sent for a training cruise off China and Mako via Takao, Formosa and back to Tokyo Bay on 21 August, then the fleet review at Yokohama and in reserve at Kure from November. She sailed to Ryojun, Manchukuo with I-56, I-57, and others for a training cruise off Qingdao and back to Sasebo on 5 October, followed by a reserve at Kure. SubDiv 19 was reassigned to the Kure Guard Squadron on 15 November and SuvDiv 1 from 15 November 1935. She was active by December 1936, Kure Naval District, then 1st Reserve from 7 January 1937 and back on 1 January 1938, 3rd Reserve 15 December 1938, active on 15 November 1939, SubRon 4, 1st Fleet.

While on night maneuvers south of Tokyo Bay on 26 August 1940 (simulated attacks vs capital ships) she had her ballast tanks partially flooded and when making a crash-dive after a first attack, her bridge was not cleared quickly enough and she was flooded. Signalman Hirose Masao, realized the danger and closed the hatch from the outside, drowning but saving the cew. Lt. Soshichi Kitamura was in command on 31 October 1941 and she left Kure on 20 November 1941 for Samah and to support Operation E taking position south of the Malayan Peninsula and the next day off Trengganu. On 9 December I-65 spotted and reported Force Z and I-58 was operating to the north of her but received an inaccurate position due to faulty communications. On 10 December 1941 while surfaced in the South China Sea, 140 nautical miles east of Kuantan, her lookouts spotted Force Z just 660 yards (600 m) off her port bow, Prince of Wales first. She crash-dived, attempted to fire her six torpedoes but the outer door jammed. She fired her five bow torpedoes at Repulse but missed however. If successful, that would have been the first success of an IJN submarine against capital ships. She transmitted a report of their bearing and position at 24 knots and continued to track theem. Sendai received her report and relayed it to Chōkai, flagship of Vice Admiral Jisaburō Ozawa. However I-58 layer lost contact. She entered Cam Ranh Bay on 20 December.

For her second patrol she departed on 28 December with I-56 to the Netherlands East Indies and Surabaya, Java. Then, northwest of Bawean Island at 01:45 on 3 January 1942, she reported sinking the Dutch 7,395 GRT “SS Langkoeas” from Surabaya, bound for Haifa, Palestine, with sugar. A torpedo in her engine room killed 12 men and she finished her off with gunfire as well as the only deployed lifeboat. The nruning sugar soon created a thick smoke visible for dozens of miles. The 79 men managed to escape on the other side of the ship to not be spotted on the other three whaleboats. However I-58 approached at speed and when closing at 220 yards (200 m), her crew opened fire with machine guns, then at 110 yards machine-gunned all 79 men swimming aorund. Three survivors were rescued and interrogated. One was executed with a sword and the others were threw back into the sea. They survived after discovering an empty life raft on 3 January and ended at Bawean, saved by local fishermen, picked up by aviation and sent to be hospitalized at Java.

On 5 January 1942, she narrowly escaped a torpedo from an unidentified submarine while surfaced. On the 9th, surfaced and started with gunfire the Dutch 2,380 GRT merchant ship SS Camphuys before finishing her off with torpedoes west of Bawean Island. USS Paul Jones (DD-230) rescued the survivors. She was back to Cam Ranh Bay on 16 January 1942 but underway again on 7 February 1942. She headed south of Java, passed the Lombok Strait between Bali and Lombok, entered the Indian Ocean on 20 February and while operating south of Tjilatjap on 22 February, she attacked the Dutch 2,982 GRT SS Pijnacker Hordijk, also with gunfire and a torpedo. The master was captured, interrogated and released. On 25 February she fire at the Dutch 7,135 GRT SS Boeroe underway to Perth while in the Sunda Strait but she submerged when a Dutch destroyer escorting two oilers arrived. She managed to later fire two torpedoes at Boeroe and she sank slowly. One source states the entire crew which survived in boats were massacred when I-58 surfaced. On 28 February she torpedoed the 6,735 GRT tanker SS British Judge, in the Indian Ocean, 10 nm (19 km; 12 mi) south of the Sunda Strait but she survived. I-58 ended her patrol at Staring Bay, Celebes on 8 March.

After her squadron was disbanded on 10 March she was reassigned to DesRon 5. She left 3 days later for kure, and on 14 May 1942 to Kwajalein Atoll (as I-158) and arrived on the 24th for the Battle of Midway, departing on 26 May for a 4th war patrol for Operation MI and the Advance Expeditionary Force. He long line of patrol in front of the Hawaiian Islands included I-156, I-157, I-159, I-162, I-165, and I-166. After the defeat on 4 June Vice Admiral Teruhisa Komatsu ordered them to move westward, after which Yamamoto, ordered to interpose the submarines between the retreating Japanese and US carriers. No contact was made and she was back at Kwajalein on 19 June. On the 22th she departed Kwajalein for Kure, arrived on the 30th.

On 10 July her Squadron was disbanded and her division 19 (I-156, I-157, I-158, and I-159) was reassigned to the Kure Naval District while she became a training ship at the local Submarine School until March 1945. In 1943 she tested a new camouflage of light gray based on the recently purchased U-511 (Ro-500) but she had other paint scheme tests in the Seto Inland Sea on 5 January 1944. On 20 April she joined SubDiv 34, 6th Fleet. On 17 March she was shaken by near misses from a B-29 Superfortress raid on the Mitsubishi dockyard in Kobe. While under repair she was fitted to carry two kaiten. In July 1945 she was trained to launch them byt the planned operation was cancelled as she was already underway in DesDiv 15. I-158 surrendered on 2 September 1945 and was scuttled off the Gotō Islands on 1 April 1946 as part of Operation Road’s End.