Small submarine class Type C (Japan)

This article describes the Japanese miniature submarine class type C. For the regular submarine class, also called type C, see submarine class type I-16 .

Type c

Ha. 62-76 at Commander Naval Forces Marianas Guam base , 2011

Ship data country  Japan Ship type Small submarine Shipyard Kure and Ourazaki naval shipyards Launch of the type ship 1943 Units built 47

From 1943 length 24.90 m ( Lüa ) width 1.88 m Draft Max. 1.88 m displacement 49.75   crew 3

Machine system machine Above water diesel engine Underwater electric motor Machine performance Diesel: 40 HP Electric: 600 HP propeller 2 (mounted one behind the other in opposite directions)

Mission data submarine Top speed submerged 18.5 kn (34 km / h) Top speed surfaced 6.5 kn (12 km / h)

The submarine class type C ( Japanese. 甲 標的 丙型 [潜水 艦] , kō-hyōteki hei-gata [sensuikan] , "target A, type-C [submarine]") was a mass-produced small - Submarine class of the Imperial Japanese Navy . It emerged from the Type B , which was only built as a prototype in 1942 . In June 1944, this class was the type D detached.

Development history

The first conceptions of the type C class (actually hei from the kō-otsu-hei-tei numbering system ) were presented to the Japanese naval command in 1943. They resulted from the technical and practical experience of the test ship Ha 53 (Type B) and showed hardly any real innovations. All important main dimensions were taken over unchanged from type B. This affected both the crew size of three people, as well as the primary armament, which consisted of two torpedoes lying one above the other in the bow. The range was 350 nautical miles at a cruising speed of 6.5 kn and 120 nautical miles at 4 kn underwater. The relocation of the boats to operational areas that were beyond his reach was carried out by means of the LST I express transporter specially manufactured for this purpose . Once in the area of ​​operation, the boats, which had previously been moored on the deck of the transporters, could be brought into the water using slide rails.

Individual acts of combat are no longer documented due to the war. What is certain, however, is that the Type C boats were used in the Battle of Iwojima and the Battle of Okinawa . Successes that can be ascribed to this type are not known or have not been confirmed by the American side after the war.

A type C boat was converted into a minesheet and was given the designation Type M-Kanamono . Instead of two torpedoes, it could carry four sea mines.

literature

• Harald Fock: Naval small weapons. Manned torpedoes, small submarines, small speedboats, explosives yesterday - today - tomorrow. Nikol, Hamburg 1996, ISBN 3-930656-34-5 , pp. 47-48.