Japanese submarine I-55 (1943)
| History | |
|---|---|
 Empire of Japan | |
| Name | Submarine No. 628 |
| Builder | |
| Laid down | 15 June 1942 |
| Renamed | I-55 on 1 November 1942 |
| Launched | 20 April 1943 |
| Completed | 20 April 1944 |
| Commissioned | 20 April 1944 |
| Fate | Missing after 13 July 1944 (see text) |
| Stricken | 10 October 1944 |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type | Type C3 submarine |
| Displacement |
|
| Length | 108.7 m (356 ft 8 in) overall |
| Beam | 9.3 m (30 ft 6 in) |
| Draft | 5.1 m (16 ft 9 in) |
| Installed power |
|
| Propulsion |
|
| Speed |
|
| Range |
|
| Test depth | 100 m (330 ft) |
| Crew | 94 |
| Armament |
|
The second I-55 was one of three
Design and description
The Type C3 submarines were derived from the earlier C2 sub-class although with fewer torpedo tubes, an additional deck gun, and less-powerful engines to extend their range. They displaced 2,605 tonnes (2,564 long tons) surfaced and 3,702 tonnes (3,644 long tons) submerged. The submarines were 108.7 meters (356 ft 8 in) long, had a beam of 9.3 meters (30 ft 6 in) and a draft of 5.1 meters (16 ft 9 in). They had a diving depth of 100 meters (330 ft).[1]
For surface running, the boats were powered by two 2,350-
The boats were armed with six internal bow 53.3 cm (21.0 in) torpedo tubes and carried a total of 19
Construction and commissioning
Ordered under the
Service history
Upon commissioning, I-55 was based in the Kure Naval District and assigned to Submarine Squadron 11 in the
While she was at sea on 10 July 1944, I-55 was reassigned to Submarine Division 15 in the Advance Force,[4] and on 13 July she received orders to abort her supply mission to Guam and proceed to Tinian to rescue the staff of the 1st Air Fleet there.[4] She cast the Unpoto container adrift[4] and headed for Tinian. At 00:40 Japan Standard Time on 13 July, she transmitted a message to 6th Fleet Headquarters estimating that she would arrive off Tinian on 15 July.[4] The Japanese never heard from her again.
At 21:20 on 13 July 1944, an American
It remains a matter of dispute as to whether William C. Miller sank I-55 or the submarine
On 15 July 1944, the Imperial Japanese Navy declared I-55 to be presumed lost with all 112 hands off Tinian.[4] She was stricken from the Navy list on 10 October 1944.[4]
Notes
- ^ Bagnasco, p. 192
- ^ Chesneau, p. 201
- ^ a b Carpenter & Dorr, p. 110
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w Hackett, Bob; Kingsepp, Sander (2013). "IJN Submarine I-55: Tabular Record of Movement". combinedfleet.com. Retrieved 22 August 2020.
- ^ Hackett, Bob; Kingsepp, Sander (2015). "IJN Submarine I-155: Tabular Record of Movement". combinedfleet.com. Retrieved 22 August 2020.
- ^ Hackett, Bob; Kingsepp, Sander (2017). "IJN Submarine I-38: Tabular Record of Movement". combinedfleet.com. Retrieved 3 September 2020.
- ^ Naval History and Heritage Command Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships USS Wyman
- ^ Naval History and Heritage Command Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships Reynolds II (DE-42)
References
- Bagnasco, Erminio (1977). Submarines of World War Two. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 0-87021-962-6.
- Boyd, Carl & Yoshida, Akikiko (2002). The Japanese Submarine Force and World War II. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 1-55750-015-0.
- 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.
- Hashimoto, Mochitsura (1954). Sunk: The Story of the Japanese Submarine Fleet 1942 – 1945. Colegrave, E.H.M. (translator). London: Cassell and Company. ASIN B000QSM3L0.
- Stille, Mark (2007). Imperial Japanese Navy Submarines 1941-45. New Vanguard. Vol. 135. Botley, Oxford, UK: Osprey Publishing. ISBN 978-1-84603-090-1.
External links
- Tabular movements of submarine I-55
- warsailors.com Archived 2005-01-06 at the Wayback Machine
