Japanese submarine I-366
History | |
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Name | Submarine No. 5466 |
Builder | Kure Naval Arsenal, Kure, Japan |
Laid down | 26 August 1943 |
Launched | 9 March 1944 |
Renamed | I-366 on 9 March 1944 |
Completed | 3 August 1944 |
Commissioned | 3 August 1944 |
Fate |
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General characteristics | |
Class and type | Type D1 submarine |
Displacement |
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Length | 73.50 m (241 ft 2 in) overall |
Beam | 8.90 m (29 ft 2 in) |
Draft | 4.76 m (15 ft 7 in) |
Propulsion |
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Speed |
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Range | |
Test depth | 75 m (246 ft) |
Boats & landing craft carried | 2 x Daihatsu-class landing craft (removed March–May 1945) |
Capacity | 85 tons freight |
Complement | 55 |
Sensors and processing systems |
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Armament |
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I-366 was an Imperial Japanese Navy Type D1 transport submarine. Completed and commissioned in August 1944, she served in World War II and conducted transport missions between Japan and outlying islands until she was converted into a kaiten suicide attack torpedo carrier. She survived the war, surrendered to Allied forces in 1945, and was scuttled in 1946.
Construction and commissioning
I-366 was
Service history
Upon commissioning, I-366 was attached to the Yokosuka Naval District and was assigned to Submarine Squadron 11 for workups in the Kobe area.[2] She later moved to Kure where one of her diesel engines broke down in early September 1944.[2] Repairs took until early October 1944.[2] With her workups complete, she was reassigned to Submarine Squadron 7 on 2 October 1944,[2] and she arrived at Yokosuka in early November 1944.[2]
Transport missions
At 16:00 on 3 December 1944, I-366 departed Yokosuka bound for
After arriving at Yokosuka, I-366 began a refit, during which a Type 13 air-search radar was installed.[2] As of 1 January 1945, she was part of Submarine Squadron 7 along with the submarines I-361, I-362, I-363, I-367, I-368, I-369, I-370, and I-371.[2]
With her overhaul complete, I-366 departed Yokosuka on 29 January 1945 for her second transport voyage, bound for
On 12 February 1945, I-366 arrived at Truk, where she unloaded 33 tons of fuel and some other cargo.[2] She then headed for Mereyon Island at Woleai in the Caroline Islands, which she reached on 16 February 1945.[2] She unloaded 51 tons of food and ammunition into nine Daihatsus, embarked 42 or 43 passengers (sources disagree), and got back underway, bound for Yokosuka.[2] During her voyage, she sighted an Iwo Jima-bound Allied convoy in late February 1945.[2] She arrived at Yokosuka on 3 March 1945.[2]
Kaiten carrier
Submarine Squadron 7 was deactivated on 20 March 1945 and I-366 was reassigned to Submarine Division 15.[2] Meanwhile, after reaching Yokosuka, I-366 was converted from a transport submarine into a kaiten suicide attack torpedo carrier, the conversion involving the removal of her 140-millimeter (5.5 in) deck gun and Daihatsu-class landing craft and their replacement with fittings allowing her to carry five kaitens on her deck.[2] Unlike some of the other Type D1 submarines, she was not equipped with conventional torpedo tubes.[2]
While I-366 was undergoing conversion, U.S. forces captured advanced bases and anchorages in the
I-366 underwent repairs at the Kure Naval Arsenal in Kure.[2] While she was under repair, a new radar was installed aboard her.[2] By 20 July 1945, her repairs were complete and she was engaged in kaiten training.[2]
By 1 August 1945, I-366 was part of the Tamon Kaiten Group along with the submarines I-47, I-53, I-58, I-363, and I-367.[2] With five kaitens on board, she got underway from Hirao that day bound for a patrol area southeast of Okinawa.[2]
On 11 August 1945, I-366 sighted an Allied convoy 500 nautical miles (930 km; 580 mi) north of
I-366 set course for Japan. While she was en route, she received word on 15 August 1945 that Emperor Hirohito had announced the end of hostilities between Japan and the Allies that day.[2] She arrived at Kure on 18 August 1945[2] and surrendered to the Allies in September 1945.[2]
Final disposition
In October 1945, I-366 moved from Kure to Sasebo,[2] where she was stripped of all valuable materials and equipment.[2] The Japanese struck her from the Navy list on 30 November 1945.[2]
In
Notes
- ISBN 0-87021-459-4p.191
- ^ 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 Hackett, Bob; Kingsepp, Sander (2014). "IJN Submarine I-366: Tabular Record of Movement". combinedfleet.com. Retrieved 18 September 2020.
- ^ Hackett, Bob; Kingsepp, Sander (2014). "IJN Submarine I-367: Tabular Record of Movement". combinedfleet.com. Retrieved 18 September 2020.
Sources
- Hackett, Bob & Kingsepp, Sander. IJN Submarine I-366: Tabular Record of Movement. Retrieved on September 18, 2020.