Japanese submarine I-4 facts for kids
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|} The I-4 was a large submarine of the Imperial Japanese Navy. She was part of the J1 type class and was put into service in 1929. This powerful cruiser submarine played a role in the Second Sino-Japanese War and later in World War II. During World War II, she supported the attack on Pearl Harbor. She also patrolled the Indian Ocean, helped with the Indian Ocean raid, and fought in campaigns like the Aleutian Islands campaign, Guadalcanal campaign, and New Guinea campaign. The I-4 was sunk in December 1942.
Contents
- Early Years (1929–1937)
- Second Sino-Japanese War (1937–1938)
- Preparing for World War II (1939–1941)
- World War II Operations
- First Patrol: Pearl Harbor Support
- Second Patrol: Indian Ocean
- Third Patrol: Indian Ocean Raid
- Fourth Patrol: Aleutian Islands
- Guadalcanal Campaign
- Supply Missions
- New Guinea Campaign and Loss
| History | |
|---|---|
 Imperial Japanese Navy |
|
| Name | I-4 |
| Builder | Kawasaki Shipbuilding Corporation, Kobe, Japan |
| Laid down | 17 April 1926 |
| Launched | 22 May 1928 |
| Completed | 24 December 1929 |
| Commissioned | 24 December 1929 |
| Decommissioned | 15 November 1935 |
| Recommissioned | by 27 March 1937 |
| Decommissioned | 15 November 1939 |
| Recommissioned | by 15 November 1940 |
| Decommissioned | 19 October 1941 |
| Recommissioned | 31 October 1941 |
| Fate | Sunk 21 December 1942 |
| Stricken | 1 March 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 m) |
| Propulsion |
|
| 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 November 1942) |
| Complement | 68 officers and men |
| Armament |
|
Building and Joining the Fleet
The I-4 was built by Kawasaki Shipbuilding Corporation in Kobe, Japan. Her construction started on April 17, 1926. She was launched into the water on May 22, 1928. The submarine was officially finished and joined the navy on December 24, 1929.
Service History
Early Years (1929–1937)
After joining the navy, I-4 was based at the Yokosuka Naval District. She was part of Submarine Division 7. Later, she moved to Submarine Division 8 with her sister ship I-3. On June 14, 1932, during a training exercise, I-4 accidentally surfaced in front of the battleship Hyūga. Hyūga quickly turned to avoid a crash. She managed to miss I-4 directly, but her front (bow) scraped the submarine's side. This caused minor damage to Hyūga and showed the dangers of submarine exercises.
Second Sino-Japanese War (1937–1938)
When the Second Sino-Japanese War began in July 1937, I-4 and her squadron were sent to Chinese waters. They operated from a base in Hong Kong. Their job was to support a Japanese blockade of China. They also patrolled the central and southern coasts of China. In August 1937, the submarines helped cover an operation. This operation involved battleships transporting troops to Shanghai, China. Japan later pulled its submarines out of Chinese waters in December 1938. This was done to help reduce international tensions.
Preparing for World War II (1939–1941)
In November 1940, I-4 became part of Submarine Squadron 2. On January 7, 1941, she became the lead ship (flagship) for Submarine Division 8. On November 10, 1941, the commander of the 6th Fleet, Vice Admiral Mitsumi Shimizu, met with his submarine commanders. He told them about the upcoming attack on Pearl Harbor. This attack would start World War II for Japan and the United States. I-4 and other submarines left Yokosuka on November 16, 1941. They were heading for the Hawaiian Islands. On December 2, 1941, they received a secret message. It told them that war with the Allies would begin on December 8, 1941 (Japan time).
World War II Operations
First Patrol: Pearl Harbor Support
On December 7, 1941, the day of the Pearl Harbor attack, I-4 was on patrol near Oahu. Her mission was to scout the area. She was also ordered to attack any ships leaving Pearl Harbor. On December 14, 1941, I-4 attacked the Norwegian merchant ship Hųegh Merchant. She hit the ship with two torpedoes. The ship caught fire and sank. The crew and passengers were rescued by a U.S. Navy ship. I-4 returned to Yokosuka in February 1942.
Second Patrol: Indian Ocean
In February 1942, I-4 was sent to the Dutch East Indies. She then began her second patrol in the Indian Ocean south of Java. On February 28, 1942, she sank an unknown Allied steamship. On March 3, she fired her guns at the Cocos (Keeling) Islands. Her patrol ended on March 8, 1942, when she arrived at Penang in British Malaya.
Third Patrol: Indian Ocean Raid
I-4 left Penang on March 28, 1942. Her mission was to scout the waters near Ceylon and India. This was to prepare for a major Japanese attack called the Indian Ocean raid. On April 6, 1942, I-4 fired torpedoes at the American steamer Washingtonian. Both torpedoes hit, setting the ship on fire. The crew abandoned the ship, and Washingtonian eventually sank. On April 10, I-4 surfaced near Colombo and fired her deck guns at a small Maldivian boat. She heavily damaged the vessel. I-4's patrol ended when she reached Singapore on April 16, 1942.
Fourth Patrol: Aleutian Islands
In June 1942, the Aleutian Islands campaign began. I-4 was sent to the Aleutian Islands area. She patrolled the North Pacific Ocean. Her job was to keep an eye on enemy movements. She stayed on patrol until July 3, 1942. Later, she was ordered back to Japan. She arrived at Yokosuka on August 1, 1942, for maintenance.
Guadalcanal Campaign
The Guadalcanal campaign started in August 1942. I-4 was sent to the Solomon Islands. On September 29, 1942, she spotted the U.S. Navy cargo ship Alhena. Alhena was escorted by a destroyer. I-4 fired two torpedoes. One hit Alhena's rear (stern), causing a large hole and fires. The second torpedo hit but did not explode. Alhena was badly damaged but did not sink. She was later repaired and returned to service.
I-4 continued patrols in the area. On October 14, 1942, she was ordered to fire at an airfield on Espiritu Santo. However, bad visibility prevented her from finding it. She returned to Truk on November 3, 1942. While there, her rear gun was removed. A special mounting was added for a waterproof Daihatsu landing craft. This craft would help her deliver supplies to troops on shore.
Supply Missions
In November 1942, I-4 began urgent supply missions. She carried food and medicine to Japanese forces fighting on Guadalcanal. She made two successful trips to Kamimbo Bay on Guadalcanal. She quickly unloaded her cargo and returned to Rabaul.
New Guinea Campaign and Loss
On December 16, 1942, I-4 left Rabaul for an urgent supply run to Buna, New Guinea. This was to support Japanese forces there. On December 18, she arrived off the Mambare River. While on the surface, two U.S. Navy PT boats, PT-121 and PT-122, found her. The PT boats fired torpedoes, but they missed. I-4 was forced to leave the area. She tried to return later but could not contact the Japanese forces on shore. Her commanding officer decided to cancel the mission and return to Rabaul.
On December 21, 1942, the U.S. submarine Seadragon spotted I-4. I-4 was on the surface near New Ireland, heading north. Seadragon fired three torpedoes. The first two missed or failed. However, the third torpedo hit I-4s rear (stern). This caused a large explosion and smoke. I-4s front (bow) rose straight up, and she sank quickly. All 90 men on board were lost. On January 5, 1943, the Imperial Japanese Navy officially declared I-4 lost. She was removed from the Navy list on March 1, 1943.
