Japanese submarine I-171
Kurile Islands in June 1943. The auxiliary submarine tender Heian Maru is at left.
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History | |
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Empire of Japan | |
Name | I-71 |
Builder | Kawasaki Kobe Yard, Kobe, Japan |
Laid down | 15 February 1933 |
Launched | 15 August 1934 |
Completed | 24 December 1935 |
Commissioned | 24 December 1935 |
Renamed | I-171, 20 May 1942 |
Fate | Sunk 1 February 1944 |
Stricken | 30 April 1944 |
General characteristics | |
Class and type | KD6 Type, Kadai type submarine |
Displacement |
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Length | 322 ft 10 in (98.4 m) |
Beam | 26 ft 11 in (8.2 m) |
Draught | 15 ft 0 in (4.6 m) |
Propulsion | Twin shaft Kampon 9,000 bhp (6,711 kW)/two stroke diesels |
Speed | |
Range | 14,000 nmi (26,000 km; 16,000 mi)[1] |
Test depth | 230 ft (70 m) |
Complement | 60–84 officers and enlisted |
Armament |
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I-71, later I-171, was a
Construction and commissioning
Built by
Service history
Pre-World War II
Upon commissioning, I-71 was assigned to the Kure Naval District.[2]
As the Imperial Japanese Navy began to deploy in preparation for the impending
World War II
First war patrol
On 23 November 1941, I-69 departed Kwajalein to begin what would become her first war patrol.[2] She received the message "Climb Mount Niitaka 1208" (Japanese: Niitakayama nobore 1208) from the Combined Fleet on 2 December 1941, indicating that war with the Allies would commence on 8 December 1941 Japan time (7 December 1941 in Hawaii).[2]
On 5 December 1941, I-71 conducted a reconnaissance of
finding no U.S. warships there.On 7 December 1941, the submarines of Submarine Squadron 3 operated south of Oahu to intercept any U.S. ships which attempted to sortie from Pearl Harbor during or after the Japanese attack there that day that brought Japan and the United States into World War II.[2] I-71, I-72, and I-73 patrolled between 25 and 50 nautical miles (46 and 93 km; 29 and 58 mi) southeast of Oahu.[2] I-71 was subjected to several depth charge attacks during these operations.[2]
Departing Hawaiian waters, I-71 surfaced off
Second war patrol
On 12 January 1942, I-69 departed Kwajalein along with I-72 and I-73 to begin her second war patrol. The three submarines were assigned to relieve the submarines
February–May 1942
On 18 February 1942, I-71 departed Kwajalein to patrol in defense of Rabaul, which the U.S. Navy's Task Force 11 was approaching with an intention to launch air raids against Japanese forces and bases there.[2] After Task Force 11 lost the element of surprise, however, it withdrew, and I-71 was diverted to a patrol area east of Wake Island.[2] After uneventful operations, she proceeded to Japan, where she arrived on 6 March 1942 at Kure.[2] During her stay at Kure, Submarine Division 20 was disbanded, and she was reassigned to Submarine Division 12.[2]
I-71 got underway from Kure on 15 April 1942 to begin her third war patrol, operating as part of a submarine patrol line with I-72.[3] This patrol also was uneventful, and she concluded it with her arrival at Kwajalein on 10 May 1942.[2] During her stay at Kwajalein, she was renumbered I-171 on 20 May 1942.[2]
Midway operation
On 24 May 1942, I-171 departed Kwajalein to participate in Operation MI, the planned Japanese invasion of
As part of Submarine Squadron 3, I-171 then was ordered to join other units of her squadron — the submarines I-168, I-169, I-174, and I-175 — in the Pacific Ocean between 20°00′N 166°20′W / 20.000°N 166.333°W and 23°30′N 166°20′W / 23.500°N 166.333°W, tasked with intercepting American reinforcements approaching Midway from the main Hawaiian Islands to the southeast.[2] During the Battle of Midway, fought from 4 to 7 June 1942, I-171′s squadron mate I-168 torpedoed the aircraft carrier USS Yorktown (CV-5), but the rest of the patrol line had no impact on the battle, and I-171 saw no action during the battle. The Japanese suffered a decisive defeat and cancelled the invasion of Midway. I-171 concluded her patrol with her arrival at Kwajalein with I-174 and I-175 on 20 June 1942.[2]
Fourth war patrol
On 8 July 1942, I-171 departed Kwajalein on her fourth war patrol, tasked to conduct a reconnaissance of
I-171 departed Truk on 17 August 1942 bound for Japan.[2] She arrived at Kure on 24 August 1942 and underwent an overhaul there.[2]
Aleutians campaign
After the completion of her overhaul, I-171 spent the winter, spring, and much of the summer of 1943 involved in the
In the Aleutians, meanwhile, the Battle of Attu had begun on 11 May 1943 with U.S. landings on Attu Island. On 21 May 1943, with the situation on Attu deteriorating — ultimately the battle there ended on 30 May 1943 with the annihilation of the Japanese garrison — the Japanese Imperial General Headquarters decided to evacuate the isolated garrison on Kiska,[2] and on the same day I-171 departed Yokosuka to begin her sixth war patrol, bound for Kiska.[2] While she was en route, she survived an attack by a U.S. patrol plane.[2] After an otherwise quiet patrol, she returned to Paramushiro on 16 June 1943 and refueled from Teiyō Maru.[2] On 26 June 1943 she set out from Paramushiro for her seventh war patrol, operating with I-175 in the vicinity of Amchitka.[2] This patrol also was uneventful, and she returned to Paramushiro on 3 August 1943.[2]
While I-171 was on patrol, the last Japanese troops were evacuated from Kiska on 28 July 1943. Allied forces did not detect the evacuation and launched a full-scale invasion of unoccupied Kiska in Operation Cottage on 15 August 1943, but Japanese involvement in the Aleutians campaign had ended with the 28 July evacuation. On 5 August 1943, I-171 departed Paramushiro bound for Kure, where she arrived on 10 August 1943.[2] While she was at Kure, Submarine Division 12 was reassigned to Submarine Squadron 3.[2]
Operations from Truk
I-171 got underway from Kure on 17 September 1943 bound for Truk, which she reached on 25 September 1943.
While at Truk during December 1943 and early January 1944, I-169 took torpedoes, ammunition, and stores aboard from the auxiliary submarine tender Heian Maru.[2] On 9 January 1944, she got underway from Truk bound for Rabaul, which she reached on 13 January 1944.[2] She departed Rabaul on 17 January 1944 and proceeded to Gali, New Guinea.[2] She arrived there on 22 January 1944, picked up passengers, and departed the same day for Rabaul, where she arrived on 26 January 1944.[2] On 30 January, she departed Rabaul to make a supply run to the Japanese garrison on Buka Island, carrying rubber supply containers on her deck.[2]
Loss
On 1 February 1944, the U.S. Navy destroyers USS Guest (DD-472) and USS Hudson (DD-475) detected I-171 on the surface on radar 15 nautical miles (28 km; 17 mi) west of Buka Island at a range of 3,500 yards (3,200 m).[2] I-171 submerged, but the two destroyers gained sonar contact on her and both depth charged her, sinking her at 05°37′S 154°14′E / 5.617°S 154.233°E.[2]
The Japanese last heard from I-171 on 1 February 1944.[2] They attempted to contact her unsuccessfully several times on 3 February 1944, and concern for her grew when she did not return to Rabaul as scheduled at 18:00 on 5 February 1944.[2] On 12 March 1944, the Japanese declared her to be presumed lost off Buka Island with the loss of all 91 men on board. On 14 March 1944, U.S. Navy codebreakers intercepted and decrypted a message from the commander of the Southeastern Area Submarine Force which read, "I-171 departed Rabaul January 30, arrived Buka Feb. 2 [blurred number might be 1 or might be 2]. Completed unloading men and cargo and (continued on special transportation duties). Has not been heard from since February 1. According to report of naval force at Buka, an enemy destroyer was (sighted) to west of Buka that date. It is assumed that Captain and all hands died in battle. -----."[2]
I-171 was stricken from the Navy list on 30 April 1944.[2]
Notes
- ^ a b c Jentschura p. 172
- ^ 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 Hackett, Bob; Kingsepp, Sander (2017). "IJN Submarine I-171: Tabular Record of Movement". combinedfleet.com. Retrieved 2 August 2020.
- ^ a b c Hackett, Bob; Kingsepp, Sander (2016). "IJN Submarine I-171: Tabular Record of Movement". combinedfleet.com. Retrieved 2 August 2020.
- ^ Hackett, Bob; Kingsepp, Sander (2018). "IJN Submarine I-121: Tabular Record of Movement". combinedfleet.com. Retrieved 2 August 2020.
- ^ a b Hackett, Bob; Kingsepp, Sander (2014). "IJN Submarine I-123: Tabular Record of Movement". combinedfleet.com. Retrieved 2 August 2020.
- ^ "Midway: The Approach", pacificeagles.com, November 26, 2017.
References
- Hackett, Bob; Kingsepp, Sander (2017). "IJN Submarine I-171: Tabular Record of Movement". combinedfleet.com. Retrieved 2 August 2020.
- 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.