Japanese submarine I-1 facts for kids
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The I-1 was a large submarine that belonged to the Imperial Japanese Navy. It was the first of four submarines in its class, known as the J1 type. This submarine was designed to be a "cruiser submarine," meaning it was big enough to travel long distances and carry powerful weapons. It weighed 2,135 tons when on the surface.
The I-1 was launched in 1924 and officially joined the navy in 1926. It played a role in the Second Sino-Japanese War and later in World War II. During World War II, it supported the attack on Pearl Harbor, patrolled the Indian Ocean, and took part in battles like the Aleutian Islands campaign and the Guadalcanal campaign. In January 1943, while helping with the Japanese evacuation from Guadalcanal, the I-1 was attacked by two Royal New Zealand Navy ships. It was badly damaged and eventually sank near Kamimbo Bay on Guadalcanal.
Contents
| History | |
|---|---|
 Imperial Japanese Navy |
|
| Name | Submarine Cruiser No. 74 |
| Builder | Kawasaki, Kobe, Japan |
| Laid down | 12 March 1923 |
| Launched | 15 October 1924 |
| Renamed | I-1 on 1 November 1924 |
| Completed | Late February 1926 |
| Commissioned | 10 March 1926 |
| Decommissioned | 5 November 1929 |
| Recommissioned | 15 November 1930 |
| Decommissioned | 15 November 1935 |
| Recommissioned | 15 February 1936 |
| Decommissioned | 15 November 1939 |
| Recommissioned | 15 November 1940 |
| Fate | Wrecked 29 January 1943 |
| Stricken | 1 April 1943 |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type | J1 type submarine |
| Displacement |
|
| Length | 320 ft (98 m) |
| Beam | 30 ft (9.1 m) |
| Draught | 16.5 ft (5.0 m) |
| Propulsion | twin shaft MAN 10 cylinder
4 stroke diesels giving 6000 bhp two electric motors of 2600 ehp |
| Speed | 18 kn (33 km/h; 21 mph) (surfaced) 8 kn (15 km/h; 9.2 mph) (submerged) |
| Range | 24,400 nmi (45,200 km; 28,100 mi) at 10 kn (19 km/h; 12 mph) |
| Test depth | 80 m (262 ft) |
| Boats & landing craft carried |
1 x 46 ft (14 m) Daihatsu (added August–September 1942) |
| Complement | 68 officers and men |
| Armament |
|
- First War Patrol
- Second War Patrol
- Repairs and Aleutian Campaign
- Guadalcanal Campaign (1942)
- Final Missions and Loss
The I-1 was built by the Kawasaki Shipbuilding Corporation in Kobe, Japan. Its construction began on March 12, 1923, and it was first called Submarine Cruiser No. 74.
It was launched into the water on October 15, 1924. On November 1, 1924, its name was changed to I-1. The submarine was finished in February 1926. After testing its systems at sea, the Imperial Japanese Navy officially welcomed it into service on March 10, 1926.
I-1 in Service
Early Years and Upgrades
When it was first commissioned, the I-1 was based at the Yokosuka Naval District. It often trained with its sister ship, the I-2, as part of Submarine Division 7. In November 1928, the I-1 accidentally ran aground near Yokosuka during bad weather. It had minor damage and was repaired.
On November 5, 1929, the I-1 was taken out of service for a while. During this time, it received important upgrades. Its German-made diesel engines and batteries were replaced. On November 15, 1930, the I-1 was back in service and rejoined its division.
The submarine was taken out of service again on November 15, 1935, for more upgrades. Its American-made sonar (which uses sound to detect objects underwater) was replaced with a Japanese system. Its conning tower (the raised part where the crew controls the submarine) was also made more streamlined. The I-1 returned to active duty on February 15, 1936.
Second Sino-Japanese War
In July 1937, the Second Sino-Japanese War began. The I-1 and other submarines were sent to Chinese waters in September 1937. They were based in Hong Kong.
Their job was to help with a Japanese blockade of China. This meant they patrolled the coast to stop ships from entering or leaving Chinese ports. In December 1938, Japan removed its submarines from Chinese waters to ease international tensions.
Preparing for World War II
After its service in China, the I-1 underwent more maintenance. Its radio masts were removed. On November 15, 1940, the I-1 was back in active service, joining the 6th Fleet.
In November 1941, the commander of the 6th Fleet told his submarine captains about the upcoming attack on Pearl Harbor. This attack would bring Japan and the United States into World War II. The I-1 had some repairs done, including installing a new radio receiver. It then left Japan on November 23, 1941, heading towards the Hawaiian Islands to join its squadron.
By December 6, 1941, the I-1 was in its patrol area near Oahu. Its orders were to attack any ships leaving Pearl Harbor during or after the attack on December 7.
I-1 in World War II
First War Patrol
On December 7, 1941, the I-1 saw a Japanese reconnaissance plane. In the following days, it was attacked by aircraft several times, but it was not damaged.
On December 30, 1941, the I-1 was ordered to attack the harbor at Hilo on the island of Hawaii. It surfaced after dark and fired ten 140mm rounds from its deck guns. It aimed at a U.S. Navy ship, the USS Hulbert (AVD-6). One shell hit the pier, and another started a fire near the airport. The I-1 then left the area.
The I-1 attacked a transport ship on January 7, 1942, but missed. It later searched for the U.S. Navy aircraft carrier USS Lexington (CV-2) but did not find it. The I-1 returned to Japan on February 1, 1942.
Second War Patrol
In February 1942, the I-1 was sent to the Dutch East Indies (modern-day Indonesia). On February 23, 1942, it began its second war patrol, heading for the Timor Sea and Indian Ocean. Soon after leaving, one of its diesel engines broke down, but it continued its patrol using only one engine.
On March 3, 1942, the I-1 spotted a Dutch cargo ship called Siantar in the Indian Ocean. The I-1 fired a torpedo, but it missed. It then surfaced and used its deck gun to attack the Siantar. The Siantar tried to fight back, but its gun jammed. After many hits, the Siantar caught fire, and its crew abandoned ship. The I-1 fired another torpedo, and the Siantar sank.
On March 9, 1942, the I-1 captured a canoe carrying five Australian Army soldiers. It returned to Japan on March 27, 1942.
Repairs and Aleutian Campaign
Back in Japan, the I-1 had its damaged engine repaired. It also received other upgrades, including a new machine gun and a new rangefinder. On April 18, 1942, the I-1's crew saw American bombers attack targets in Japan during the Doolittle Raid.
In June 1942, the Aleutian Islands campaign began, with Japan occupying islands in Alaska. The I-1 was sent to the Aleutian waters for its fourth war patrol. In July 1942, an American warship attacked the I-1, chasing it for 19 hours before the submarine managed to escape by diving very deep. The I-1 returned to Japan on August 1, 1942.
Guadalcanal Campaign (1942)
The Guadalcanal campaign began on August 7, 1942, when U.S. forces landed on Guadalcanal in the Solomon Islands. The I-1 was modified to carry a waterproofed Daihatsu-class landing craft behind its conning tower. This was to help transport supplies to Japanese forces on the islands.
The I-1 began missions to deliver food and ammunition to Japanese troops on Goodenough Island. On October 3, 1942, it successfully delivered supplies and picked up 71 wounded soldiers. On October 13, 1942, it tried another supply run, but Allied aircraft attacked the landing area. The I-1 had to submerge and leave its landing craft behind.
Later, the I-1 was sent to patrol near San Cristobal island. However, its starboard engine broke down again, forcing it to return to Japan for repairs. It arrived back in Yokosuka on November 20, 1942.
Final Missions and Loss
After repairs, the I-1 left Japan on January 3, 1943, heading for Rabaul. On January 20, 1943, it arrived and loaded rubber containers filled with food for 3,000 men. On January 24, 1943, it departed for Guadalcanal, planning to deliver supplies at Kamimbo Bay.
Allied forces knew Japanese submarines might arrive. On January 29, 1943, two Royal New Zealand Navy minesweeper corvettes, HMNZS Kiwi and HMNZS Moa, were patrolling the area.
The Battle and Sinking
At 8:30 PM on January 29, 1943, the I-1 surfaced off Kamimbo Bay. The Kiwi detected the submarine with its listening gear and then with asdic (a type of sonar). The I-1's lookouts spotted the New Zealand ships and the submarine quickly submerged.
The Kiwi attacked, dropping 12 depth charges. These exploded close to the I-1, causing leaks and damaging its pumps and steering. The submarine began to sink uncontrollably. It went much deeper than its safe limit, and seawater flooded its batteries, releasing dangerous chlorine gas.
Around 9:00 PM, the I-1 surfaced again. It was damaged and listing forward, but it headed for the shore of Guadalcanal to try and beach itself. Its crew manned the deck gun and machine gun. The Kiwi illuminated the I-1 with its searchlight and opened fire. The gunfire hit the I-1's conning tower and bridge, killing its commanding officer and many of the crew there.
The I-1's torpedo officer took command. He prepared the submarine to fight back, sending more gunners to the deck. At 9:20 PM, the Kiwi rammed the I-1 on its port side. The Kiwi then rammed the I-1 a second time, damaging one of its foreplanes. A third ramming by the Kiwi punched a hole in one of the I-1's ballast tanks.
The Kiwi pulled away, and the Moa continued to fire at the I-1. The I-1 kept moving towards Guadalcanal. At 11:15 PM, the I-1 ran aground on Fish Reef, just off the coast of Guadalcanal. The back half of the submarine flooded, and it listed heavily to the side. Sixty-six men abandoned the ship. The I-1 sank, with about 15 feet of its bow sticking out of the water.
Twenty-seven men from the I-1 were killed or went missing in the battle. Sixty-eight survived. The Kiwi lost one crew member, its searchlight operator, who died two days later from a gunshot wound.
Salvage and Demolition Efforts
The Moa inspected the wreck of the I-1 the next morning. It found two survivors and retrieved some charts and what seemed to be the submarine's logbook. Japanese artillery on shore then forced the Moa to leave.
The Japanese feared that secret code materials on the I-1's wreck might be discovered by the Allies. On February 2, 1943, a Japanese team reached the wreck and tried to destroy it using depth charges and demolition charges. They hoped to detonate the torpedoes still inside the submarine. The torpedoes did not explode, and the wreck was not completely destroyed, but it was damaged enough to prevent easy salvage.
On February 10, 1943, Japanese dive bombers attacked the wreck, and one hit it with a 250 kg bomb. The next day, the Japanese submarine I-2 was sent to find and destroy the I-1's wreck, but it failed.
As the Japanese feared, the Allies did investigate the wreck. On February 11, 1943, a U.S. Navy PT boat visited the site. On February 13, U.S. Navy divers from the submarine rescue vessel USS Ortolan (ASR-5) recovered five code books and other important documents. The Japanese Navy decided to change its codes because of this. The U.S. Navy reportedly recovered many secret documents and equipment from the I-1 wreck.
The I-1 was officially removed from the Japanese Navy list on April 1, 1943.
Later Discoveries
In 1968, the main deck gun from the I-1 was salvaged. It was brought to Auckland, New Zealand, and is now on display at the Torpedo Bay Navy Museum.
In 1972, someone looking for valuable metals blew up the front part of the I-1's wreck. Since there were still live torpedoes inside, the explosion destroyed the front third of the submarine. The back two-thirds of the wreck remained mostly intact. The I-1's wreck now lies on a slope, with its bow in about 45 feet of water and its stern in about 90 feet of water.
The I-1's pennant (a long, narrow flag) is on display in the United States at the National Museum of the Pacific War in Fredericksburg, Texas.
Images for kids
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The crew of the U.S. Navy PT boat PT-65 and intelligence personnel inspect the wreck of I-1 on February 11, 1943.
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I-1's gun on display at the Torpedo Bay Navy Museum in Auckland, New Zealand, in June 2012.
See also
In Spanish: I-1 (1926) para niños
