Japanese submarine I-2 facts for kids
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|} The I-2 was a large submarine (called a "cruiser submarine") that served in the Imperial Japanese Navy. It was built in 1926. This submarine played a role in the Second Sino-Japanese War and World War II. During World War II, I-2 helped with the attack on Pearl Harbor. It also patrolled the Indian Ocean, supported a major naval raid, and took part in several important campaigns. These included the Aleutian Islands campaign, the Guadalcanal campaign, and the New Guinea campaign. The I-2 was sunk in April 1944.
Contents
- Early Years (1926–1937)
- Second Sino-Japanese War (1937–1938)
- Preparing for World War II (1938–1941)
- World War II Operations
- First Patrol: Pearl Harbor Support
- Second Patrol: Indian Ocean
- Indian Ocean Raid Support
- Repairs and Upgrades (April–May 1942)
- Third Patrol: Aleutian Islands
- Guadalcanal Supply Missions
- Back to the Aleutians
- New Guinea Campaign and Loss
| History | |
|---|---|
 Imperial Japanese Navy |
|
| Name | Submarine cruiser No. 75 |
| Builder | Kawasaki Shipbuilding Corporation, Kobe, Japan |
| Laid down | 6 August 1923 |
| Renamed | I-2 on 1 November 1924 |
| Launched | 23 February 1925 |
| Completed | 24 July 1926 |
| Commissioned | 24 July 1926 |
| Decommissioned | 15 November 1929 |
| Recommissioned | 15 November 1930 |
| Decommissioned | 1 October 1935 |
| Recommissioned | 1 December 1936 |
| Decommissioned | 15 November 1939 |
| Recommissioned | 31 July 1941 |
| Fate | Sunk 7 April 1944 |
| Stricken | 10 June 1944 |
| Fate | Sunk 7 April 1944 |
| 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) |
| Complement | 68 officers and men |
| Armament |
|
The I-2 was built by the Kawasaki Shipbuilding Corporation in Kobe, Japan. Its construction began on August 6, 1923. At first, it was called Submarine Cruiser No. 75.
On November 1, 1924, while still being built, its name was changed to I-2. The submarine was launched into the water on February 23, 1925. It was officially finished and joined the navy on July 24, 1926.
Service History
Early Years (1926–1937)
After joining the navy, I-2 was sent to the Yokosuka Naval District. It moved from Kobe to Yokosuka in July 1926. On August 1, 1926, I-2 and its sister ship I-1 became part of Submarine Division 7. This division was part of the 2nd Submarine Squadron in the 2nd Fleet.
The submarine was taken out of service on November 15, 1929, for upgrades. Its German-made diesel engines and battery system were replaced. I-2 was put back into service on November 15, 1930.
The I-2 took part in training exercises. For example, on March 29, 1935, it sailed from Sasebo, Japan, with other submarines for training in Chinese waters. They returned to Sasebo on April 4, 1935.
On October 1, 1935, I-2 was again taken out of service for more upgrades. During this time, its American-made sonar was replaced with a Japanese system. Its conning tower was also made smoother. After these changes, I-2 was put back into service on December 1, 1936.
Second Sino-Japanese War (1937–1938)
The Second Sino-Japanese War began on July 7, 1937. In September 1937, I-2 and its squadron were sent to Hong Kong. From there, the submarines helped the Japanese blockade of China. They also patrolled China's central and southern coasts.
The submarines provided distant cover for an operation to move troops to Shanghai, China. To reduce international tensions, Japan pulled its submarines out of Chinese waters in December 1938.
Preparing for World War II (1938–1941)
On November 15, 1939, I-2 was placed in reserve. It underwent another refit, where some equipment was removed and a long-range radio receiver was installed.
On July 31, 1941, I-2 was put back into active service. On November 10, 1941, the commander of the 6th Fleet told his submarine captains about the upcoming attack on Pearl Harbor. This attack would start World War II for Japan and the United States. I-2 left Yokosuka on November 16, 1941, heading for the Hawaiian Islands.
World War II Operations
First Patrol: Pearl Harbor Support
On December 7, 1941, I-2 arrived near Oahu. Its job was to attack any ships leaving Pearl Harbor during or after the attack. On December 30, 1941, I-2 was ordered to attack the harbor at Kahului, Maui. It fired its deck guns at a small merchant ship, but most shots missed.
I-2 was then ordered to search for the U.S. Navy aircraft carrier USS Lexington (CV-2), but it did not find the carrier. It returned to Yokosuka on February 1, 1942.
Second Patrol: Indian Ocean
In February 1942, I-2 was assigned to the Dutch East Indies Invasion Force. It sailed to Palau and then to the Netherlands East Indies. From there, it went into the Indian Ocean.
On March 1, 1942, I-2 attacked two Allied ships. One source says it sank the Dutch merchant ship Parigi. On March 11, 1942, I-2 found the British cargo ship Chilka. I-2 surfaced and fired its deck guns, hitting Chilka 14 times. After 25 minutes, Chilka stopped and surrendered. I-2 allowed the survivors to leave the ship, and Chilka sank. I-2 then went to Penang in Japanese-occupied British Malaya.
Indian Ocean Raid Support
I-2 was ordered to scout the coast of Ceylon and western India. This was to prepare for a big raid by Japanese aircraft carriers. I-2 left Penang on March 22, 1942, to scout Trincomalee in Ceylon. It reported seeing many Allied patrol boats.
On April 7, 1942, I-2 reported sinking an unknown merchant ship. Japanese carrier aircraft then attacked Trincomalee. I-2 left its patrol area on April 10, 1942, and arrived in Singapore on April 15, 1942.
Repairs and Upgrades (April–May 1942)
I-2 left Singapore on April 21, 1942, and arrived at Yokosuka on May 1, 1942, for repairs. During these repairs, its machine gun was replaced, and its rangefinder was updated. Some armor was removed, and an automatic trim system was installed.
Third Patrol: Aleutian Islands
The Aleutian Islands campaign began in June 1942. I-2 headed for the Aleutian waters on June 11, 1942, for its third war patrol. It joined a patrol line in the North Pacific Ocean.
On July 17, 1942, I-2 attacked an unknown Soviet merchant ship with gunfire. However, a U.S. Navy PBY Catalina flying boat forced it to leave. I-2 was ordered back to Japan and arrived at Yokosuka on August 1, 1942, for more repairs.
Guadalcanal Supply Missions
The Guadalcanal campaign began on August 7, 1942. I-2 was sent to help with operations around Guadalcanal. It left Yokosuka on September 8, 1942.
I-2 began making supply runs to Guadalcanal. It often towed a Daihatsu landing craft filled with supplies. On September 27, 1942, it towed a Daihatsu with I-3 to Guadalcanal. It made several more supply runs, delivering important equipment and food.
On October 12, 1942, I-2 sighted an enemy ship and tried to attack but couldn't get into position. It also had problems with its clutch and air conditioning. I-2 returned to Truk on November 3, 1942, for temporary repairs.
In November 1942, I-2 was assigned to more supply missions for Japanese forces on Guadalcanal. It carried food and ammunition and also evacuated sick and wounded personnel.
On December 14, 1942, the U.S. submarine USS Wahoo (SS-238) sighted I-2 and fired torpedoes. Wahoo thought it had sunk I-2. However, I-2 heard explosions (likely premature torpedo detonations) and quickly dove. It survived the attack and continued its journey to Truk. This was only confirmed after the war.
I-2 continued its supply runs to Guadalcanal in January 1943. On January 27, it unloaded 15 tons of cargo but was forced to submerge by enemy boats. The Japanese then began to evacuate Guadalcanal in Operation Ke. I-2 was sent to find the wreck of its sister ship I-1, which had sunk. It tried twice but couldn't find the wreck due to heavy patrols and attacks. I-2 returned to Yokosuka on March 5, 1943, for repairs.
Back to the Aleutians
On April 1, 1943, I-2 was sent back to the Aleutian Islands. The Japanese forces on Attu Island were in trouble. On May 21, 1943, Japan decided to evacuate the troops on Kiska. Submarines were used to carry personnel to Paramushiro in the Kuril Islands.
I-2 left Yokosuka on May 22, 1943, and arrived at Paramushiro on May 27. It then carried ammunition to Kiska, arriving on June 3. It unloaded cargo, took on 42 people, and returned to Paramushiro on June 8.
On June 11, I-2 left again for Kiska with ammunition, mail, and food. On June 16, it almost ran aground in dense fog. On June 17, an Allied warship surprised it and fired, hitting I-2 with a dud shell. I-2 quickly dove and escaped after a seven-hour chase. It arrived at Kiska, dropped off cargo, took on 40 people, and returned to Paramushiro on June 22.
I-2 departed Paramushiro again on June 29, 1943, to provide weather reports near Adak Island. On July 5, an Allied ship detected and depth-charged it, pursuing it for 18 hours. I-2 finally reached its patrol area on July 10. On July 13, an aircraft attacked it while it was recharging batteries, but I-2 submerged without damage.
On July 15, I-2 began its fourth war patrol. It tried to intercept a U.S. Navy group that had attacked Kiska, but thick fog prevented it from seeing the ships. The Japanese finished evacuating Kiska on July 28. I-2 was ordered to attack Amchitka Army Airfield but couldn't find it due to fog. It returned to Paramushiro on August 4 and then to Yokosuka on August 11, 1943.
While being repaired at Yokosuka, I-2 had a minor collision with a breakwater on September 10, 1943. After repairs, it left Yokosuka on October 9 for an anti-shipping patrol. On November 14, 1943, it became the first Japanese submarine to use the Type 92 electric torpedo in combat, claiming to have sunk an Allied transport. On December 1, 1943, it returned to Yokosuka for more repairs and possibly to install a radar detector.
New Guinea Campaign and Loss
On February 1, 1944, I-2 was assigned to support Japanese forces in the New Guinea campaign. It left Yokosuka on March 10, 1944, and arrived at Truk on March 19.
On March 26, 1944, I-2 left for New Britain. It arrived at Kimbe Bay on April 2, unloaded its cargo, and left the same day. It reached Rabaul on April 4, then departed for Truk.
I-2 was underwater in the Bismarck Sea on April 7, 1944. The U.S. destroyer USS Saufley (DD-465) detected it with sonar. Saufley dropped two patterns of depth charges. After the second attack, Saufley′s crew heard two underwater explosions and saw an oil slick on the surface. This marked the end of I-2. It sank with all 111 crew members lost.
On May 4, 1944, the Imperial Japanese Navy officially announced that I-2 was presumed lost. It was removed from the Navy list on June 10, 1944.
