Japanese submarine I-158

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"Japanese submarine I-58 (1925)" redirects here. For other submarines with the same name, see Japanese submarine I-58.
I-58 at sea
History
Empire of Japan
NameI-58
BuilderYokosuka Naval Arsenal, Yokosuka, Japan
Laid down3 December 1924
Launched3 October 1925
Completed15 May 1928
Decommissioned1 June 1932
Recommissioned1 December 1932
Decommissioned1 November 1933
Recommissionedby 27 September 1934
Decommissionedafter 5 October 1934
Recommissioned1 December 1936
Decommissioned7 January 1937
Recommissioned1 January 1938
Decommissioned15 December 1938
Recommissioned15 November 1939
RenamedI-158 on 20 May 1942
Fate
  • Surrendered 2 September 1945
  • Stricken 30 November 1945
  • Scuttled 1 April 1946
General characteristics
Class and type
Kaidai-class submarine
(KD3A Type)
Displacement
  • 1,829 t (1,800 long tons) surfaced
  • 2,337 t (2,300 long tons) submerged
Length100 m (328 ft 1 in)
Beam8 m (26 ft 3 in)
Draft4.82 m (15 ft 10 in)
Installed power
  • 6,800 bhp (5,100 kW) (diesels)
  • 1,800 hp (1,300 kW) (electric motors)
Propulsion
Speed
  • 20 knots (37 km/h; 23 mph) surfaced
  • 8 knots (15 km/h; 9.2 mph) submerged
Range
  • 10,000 nmi (19,000 km; 12,000 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph) surfaced
  • 90 nmi (170 km; 100 mi) at 3 knots (5.6 km/h; 3.5 mph) submerged
Test depth60 m (197 ft)
Complement60
Armament

I-58, later I-158, was an

Central Pacific in May 1942 to support the fleet during the Battle of Midway in early June 1942. Upon her return to Japan in July 1942, she became a training ship until early 1945 when she was modified to serve as a carrier for kaiten manned suicide attack torpedoes. She surrendered to the Allies at the end of the war and was scuttled
in 1946.

Design and description

The

crewmen.[2]

For surface running, the submarines were powered by two 3,400-

propeller shaft. When they were submerged, a 900-horsepower (671 kW) electric motor drive each propeller. They could reach 20 knots (37 km/h; 23 mph) on the surface and 8 knots (15 km/h; 9.2 mph) submerged. On the surface, the KD3As had a range of 10,000 nautical miles (19,000 km; 12,000 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph); submerged, they had a range of 90 nmi (170 km; 100 mi) at 3 knots (5.6 km/h; 3.5 mph).[3]

The submarines had eight internal 53.3 cm (21 in)

bow and two in the stern. They carried one reload for each tube for a total of 16 torpedoes. They also had one 120 mm (4.7 in) deck gun.[4]

Construction and commissioning

Built by the

laid down on 3 December 1924.[5][6] She was launched on 3 October 1925[5][6] and completed and commissioned on 15 May 1928.[2][5][6]

Service history

Pre-World War II

I-58 at sea, 1927

On the day of her commissioning, I-58 was attached to the Kure Naval District.[5][6] On 1 April 1929, the new Submarine Division 19 was activated in Submarine Squadron 2 in the 2nd Fleet, a component of the Combined Fleet,[7] and she was assigned to the new division that day.[5][6] The division was reassigned to the Kure Defense Division in the Kure Naval District on 1 December 1931,[5] but it returned to Submarine Squadron 2 in the 2nd Fleet on 20 May 1932.[5] I-58 was placed in reserve at Kure, Japan, on 1 June 1932.[5]

I-58 returned to active service on 1 December 1932.

Formosa, on 5 July 1933.[5][8][9][10][11][12] They departed Takao on 13 July 1933 and again trained in Chinese waters before arriving in Tokyo Bay on 21 August 1933.[5][8][9][10][11][12] On 25 August 1933, all six submarines took part in a fleet review at Yokohama, Japan.[5][8][9][10][11][12] I-58 was placed in reserve at Kure again on 1 November 1933.[5][6]

I-58 apparently was back in service in time to depart

Ryojun, Manchukuo, in company with I-56, I-57, and the submarines I-61, I-62, I-64, I-65, I-66, and I-67 for a training cruise off Qingdao, China, which the nine submarines concluded with their arrival at Sasebo on 5 October 1934.[5][11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18] She apparently again went into reserve at Kure sometime after completing this cruise.[5][6] Meanwhile, Submarine Division 19 was reassigned to the Kure Guard Squadron in the Kure Naval District on 15 November 1934[5] and to Submarine Division 1 in the 1st Fleet, a component of the Combined Fleet, on 15 November 1935.[5]

I-58 returned to active service on 1 December 1936,[5][6] and that day Submarine Division 19 was reassigned to the Kure Naval District.[5] The division was placed in the First Reserve in the district on 7 January 1937,[5] but returned to active service in the district on 1 January 1938.[5] The division was placed in Third Reserve in the district on 15 December 1938.[5]

Submarine Division 19 returned to active service on 15 November 1939 with its assignment to Submarine Squadron 4 in the 1st Fleet.[5] Tragedy struck while I-58 was on night maneuvers south of Tokyo Bay on 26 August 1940, taking part in simulated attacks against Combined Fleet capital ships with her ballast tanks partially flooded.[6] She began a crash-dive after completing her final simulated attack, but her bridge party did not clear the bridge quickly enough as she submerged.[6] The last man on the bridge, Signalman Hirose Masao, realized that I-58 was in danger of submerging with her bridge hatch open and flooding, so he closed the hatch from the outside and drowned when I-58 submerged.[6] Submarine Squadron 4 was assigned directly to the Combined Fleet on 15 November 1940.[5]

Malayan Peninsula.[5][6]

World War II

First war patrol

Hostilities began in

Trengganu, British Malaya.[6]

On 9 December 1941, the Japanese submarine

Vice Admiral Jisaburō Ozawa, Commander-in-Chief of the Imperial Japanese Navy′s 1st Southern Expeditionary Fleet.[6] At 06:15 on 10 December 1941, I-58 lost contact with Force Z, but torpedo bombers of the Imperial Japanese Navy′s 22nd Air Flotilla flying from bases in Japanese-occupied French Indochina sank both Prince of Wales and Repulse in the South China Sea that afternoon.[6] I-58 concluded her patrol with her arrival at Cam Ranh Bay in French Indochina on 20 December 1941.[6]

Second war patrol

I-58 departed Cam Ranh Bay on 28 December 1941 in company with I-56 to begin her second war patrol, assigned a patrol area in the

life raft on the morning of 3 January.[26] On 7 January 1942, they drifted ashore on Bawean, where local fishermen found them and summoned help.[6][20] They were driven to Bawean's capital Sangkapoera,[20] from which a Netherlands Naval Aviation Service Catalina flying boat flew them to Java – Batavia[20] or Surabaya,[6] according to different sources – where they were hospitalized.[20]

Early on the morning of 5 January 1942, an unidentified submarine fired a torpedo at I-58 while she was on the surface, but I-58 avoided damage when the torpedo merely grazed her side.[6] On 9 January 1942, I-58 opened gunfire on the Dutch 2,380-gross register ton merchant ship SS Camphuys, then torpedoed and sank her in the Java Sea west of Bawean Island at 04°30′S 111°47′E / 4.500°S 111.783°E / -4.500; 111.783 (Camphuys).[5][6] The United States Navy destroyer USS Paul Jones (DD-230) rescued Camphuys′s survivors.[6] I-58 returned to Cam Ranh Bay on 16 January 1942.[6]

Third war patrol

I-58 began her third war patrol on 7 February 1942, getting underway from Cam Ranh Bay to head for a patrol area in the

Tjilatjap, Java, on 22 February, she attacked the Dutch 2,982-gross register ton passenger ship SS Pijnacker Hordijk with gunfire, then torpedoed and sank her; her crew briefly questioned Pijnacker Hordijk′s master before releasing him.[5][6]

On 25 February 1942, I-58 attacked the Dutch 7,135-gross register ton merchant ship

oilers happened upon the scene, but at 11:30 she fired two torpedoes at Boeroe.[6] Both hit, and Boeroe sank slowly.[6] According to various sources, her entire crew of 70 survived and escaped,[6][27][28][29] but one source claims that all on board died in the sinking and suggests that those who survived the sinking itself may have been massacred by I-58′s crew.[30]

On 28 February 1942, I-58 torpedoed the British 6,735-gross register ton tanker SS British Judge in the Indian Ocean 10 nautical miles (19 km; 12 mi) south of the Sunda Strait at "06°S 105°E / 6°S 105°E / -6; 105.[5][6] The damaged British Judge survived the attack.[5][6] I-58 concluded her patrol with her arrival at Staring Bay on the coast of Celebes on 8 March 1942.[6]

March–May 1942

Submarine Squadron 4 was disbanded on 10 March 1942,[5] and the submarines of Submarine Division 19 – I-56, I-57, and I-58 – were reassigned to Submarine Squadron 5.[5][6] I-58 departed Staring Bay on 13 March 1942 bound for Kure, Japan, where she arrived on 20 March 1942 for repairs.[5][6] With them complete, she got back underway from Kure on 14 May 1942 and set course for Kwajalein Atoll.[6] During her voyage, she was renumbered I-158 on 20 May 1942.[5][6] She arrived at Kwajalein on 24 May 1942.[6]

Fourth war patrol: The Battle of Midway

On 26 May 1942, I-158 departed Kwajalein to conduct her fourth war patrol, operating in support of Operation MI, the planned Japanese invasion of

Vice Admiral Teruhisa Komatsu, ordered the 15 submarines in the Japanese submarine patrol line to move westward.[32]

After the commander-in-chief of the Combined Fleet, Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto, ordered Komatsu to interpose his submarines between the retreating Japanese fleet and the opposing United States Navy aircraft carriers,[32] the Japanese submarines, including I-158, began a gradual movement to the north-northwest, moving at 3 knots (5.6 km/h; 3.5 mph) by day and 14 knots (26 km/h; 16 mph) after dark.[32] I-158 made no contact with enemy forces during the battle,[6][31][32] and returned to Kwajalein on 19 June 1942.[12]

June 1942 – April 1945

On 22 June 1942, I-158 departed Kwajalein bound for Kure, Japan, which she reached on 30 June.[6] On 10 July 1942, Submarine Squadron 5 was disbanded, and Submarine Division 19 – consisting of I-156, I-157, I-158, and I-159 – was reassigned to the Kure Naval District.[5][6] I-158 assumed duties as a training ship at the Kure Submarine School that day, continuing in that role until March 1945.[6]

Submarine Division 19 was reassigned to the Kure Submarine Squadron on 1 December 1943.[6] During December 1943, I-158 was painted in an experimental light gray camouflage scheme based on that of the German submarine U-511, which Japan had purchased from Germany in 1943 and renamed Ro-500.[6] I-158 participated in the first stage of Submarine School tests of the paint scheme in the Iyo Nada in the Seto Inland Sea on 5 January 1944 to determine its value in the waters around Japan, the effectiveness of the camouflage pattern against detection by surface warships and aircraft, its ability to confuse enemy forces attempting to determine the submarine's course and speed, and the durability of the paint.[6]

On 20 April 1944, I-158 was reassigned to Submarine Division 34 in the 6th Fleet.

dockyard at Kobe, Japan.[6]

Kaiten carrier

While under repair after the air raid, I-158 was equipped with fittings to carry two kaiten manned suicide attack torpedoes.[6] During July 1945, the crews of I-156, I-157, I-158, I-159, and I-162 underwent training in launching kaiten against enemy ships in the event of an invasion of Japan.[6]

End of war

On 15 August 1945, I-158 was reassigned to Submarine Division 15 in the 6th Fleet.

navy list on 30 November 1945.[5][6] She moved to Sasebo and in March 1946 was stripped of all usable equipment.[6] The Commander, Naval Activities, Japan, U.S. Navy Vice Admiral Robert H. Griffin, came aboard I-158 to inspect her in March 1946.[6]

Disposal

On 26 March 1946, the U.S. Navy received orders to sink all captured Japanese submarines.

Operation Road's End.[6] She sank at 32°37′N 129°17′E / 32.617°N 129.283°E / 32.617; 129.283 (I-157).[6]

References

Footnotes

  1. ^ Jentschura, Jung & Mickel, p. 170
  2. ^ a b Carpenter & Polmar, p. 93
  3. ^ Chesneau, p. 198
  4. ^ Bagnasco, p. 183
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae af ag ah ai aj ak al am an ao ap I-158 ijnsubsite.com 20 October 2018 Accessed 24 January 2021
  6. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae af ag ah ai aj ak al am an ao ap aq ar as at au av aw ax ay az ba bb bc bd be bf bg bh bi bj bk bl bm bn bo bp bq br bs bt bu bv Hackett, Bob; Kingsepp, Sander (1 October 2017). "IJN Submarine I-158: Tabular Record of Movement". combinedfleet.com. Retrieved 24 January 2022.
  7. ^ Submarine Division 19 ijnsubsite.com Accessed 24 January 2021
  8. ^ a b c I-153 ijnsubsite.com September 19, 2018 Accessed 15 January 2022
  9. ^ a b c I-154 ijnsubsite.com October 11, 2018 Accessed 15 January 2022
  10. ^ a b c I-155 ijnsubsite.com June 10, 2018 Accessed 15 January 2022
  11. ^ a b c d I-156 ijnsubsite.com October 15, 2018 Accessed 17 January 2022
  12. ^ a b c d e I-157 ijnsubsite.com 16 October 2018 Accessed 23 January 2021
  13. ^ I-61 ijnsubsite.com August 24, 2018 Accessed 28 September 2020
  14. ^ "I-162 ex I-62". iijnsubsite.info. 9 November 2018. Retrieved 31 December 2021.
  15. ^ "I-164 ex I-64". iijnsubsite.info. 9 November 2018. Retrieved 31 December 2021.
  16. ^ "I-165 ex I-65". iijnsubsite.info. 11 May 2018. Retrieved 19 February 2022.
  17. ^ "I-166 ex I-66". iijnsubsite.info. 30 August 2018. Retrieved 19 February 2022.
  18. ^ I-67 ijnsubsite.com September 14, 2018 Accessed 28 September 2020
  19. ^ Edwards, p. 11.
  20. ^ a b c d e f Edwards, p. 21.
  21. ^ a b Edwards, p. 16.
  22. ^ Edwards, pp. 16–17.
  23. ^ a b Edwards, p. 17.
  24. ^ Edwards, pp. 17–18.
  25. ^ a b c d e Edwards, p. 18.
  26. ^ Edwards, p. 20.
  27. ^ "Naval Events, February 1942, Part 2 of 2, Sunday 15th – Saturday 28th". Naval History. Retrieved 25 December 2011.
  28. ^ Gill, G. Hermon (1957). Royal Australian Navy 1939-1942. Australia in the War of 1939–1945. Series 2 – Navy. Vol. 1. Canberra: Australian War Memorial. p. 618. Archived from the original on 25 May 2009.
  29. ^ "SS Boeroe (+1942)" Wreck Site Accessed 22 February 2022
  30. ^ Edwards, pp. 22, 230.
  31. ^ a b c Hackett, Bob; Kingsepp, Sander (2016). "IJN Submarine I-162: Tabular Record of Movement". combinedfleet.com. Retrieved 30 July 2020.
  32. ^ a b c d e Hackett, Bob; Kingsepp, Sander (1 May 2016). "IJN Submarine I-156: Tabular Record of Movement". combinedfleet.com. Retrieved 17 January 2022.
  33. ^ Post WW2 Sub.Div 1 ijnsubsite.com Accessed 25 January 2022

Bibliography

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