Japanese submarine I-181

Last updated
I-176.jpg
Sister ship I-176 at sea in 1942
History
Naval ensign of the Empire of Japan.svg Empire of Japan
NameSubmarine No. 159
Builder Kure Naval Arsenal, Kure,  Japan
Laid down11 November 1941
RenamedI-81
Launched2 May 1942
RenamedI-181 on 20 May 1942
Completed24 May 1943
FateMissing after 13 January 1944
Stricken30 April 1944
General characteristics
Class and type Kaidai type, KD7-class
Displacement
  • 1,862 t (1,833 long tons) surfaced
  • 2,644 t (2,602 long tons) submerged
Length105.5 m (346 ft 2 in)
Beam8.25 m (27 ft 1 in)
Draft4.6 m (15 ft 1 in)
Installed power
  • 8,000  bhp (5,966 kW) (diesels)
  • 1,800 hp (1,342 kW) (electric motors)
Propulsion
Speed
  • 23 knots (43 km/h; 26 mph) surfaced
  • 8 knots (15 km/h; 9.2 mph) submerged
Range
  • 8,000  nmi (15,000 km; 9,200 mi) at 16 knots (30 km/h; 18 mph) surfaced
  • 50 nmi (93 km; 58 mi) at 5 knots (9.3 km/h; 5.8 mph) submerged
Test depth80 m (262 ft)
Complement86
Armament

I-181 (originally I-81) was an Imperial Japanese Navy Kaidai-type cruiser submarine of the KD7 sub-class commissioned in 1943. During World War II, she conducted two war patrols, rescued the United States Marine Corps ace Gregory "Pappy" Boyington, and took part in the New Guinea campaign before American warships sank her in January 1944.

Contents

Design and description

The submarines of the KD7 sub-class were medium-range attack submarines developed from the preceding KD6 sub-class. They displaced 1,862 metric tons (1,833 long tons) surfaced and 2,644 metric tons (2,602 long tons) submerged. The submarines were 105.5 meters (346 ft 2 in) long, had a beam of 8.25 meters (27 ft 1 in) and a draft of 4.6 meters (15 ft 1 in). They had a diving depth of 80 m (262 ft) and a complement of 86 officers and crewmen. [1]

For surface running, the submarines were powered by two 4,000- brake-horsepower (2,983 kW) diesel engines, each driving one propeller shaft. When submerged each propeller was driven by a 900-horsepower (671 kW) electric motor. The submarines could reach 23 knots (43 km/h; 26 mph) on the surface and 8 knots (15 km/h; 9.2 mph) submerged. On the surface, the KD7s had a range of 8,000 nautical miles (15,000 km; 9,200 mi) at 16 knots (30 km/h; 18 mph); submerged, they had a range of 50 nmi (93 km; 58 mi) at 5 knots (9.3 km/h; 5.8 mph). [2]

The submarines were armed with six internal 53.3 cm (21.0 in) torpedo tubes, all in the bow. They carried one reload for each tube; a total of a dozen torpedoes. They were originally intended to be armed with two twin-gun mounts for the 25 mm (1.0 in) Type 96 anti-aircraft gun, but a 120 mm (4.7 in) deck gun was substituted for one 25 mm mount during construction. [3]

Construction and commissioning

I-181 was laid down as Submarine No. 159 at the Kure Naval Arsenal in Kure, Japan, on 11 November 1941. [4] [5] She later was renamed I-81. [4] She was launched on 2 May 1942 [1] [4] [5] and provisionally attached to the Sasebo Naval District that day. [5] She was renamed I-181 on 20 May 1942, [4] and was both completed and commissioned on 24 May 1943. [1] [4] [5]

Service history

May–September 1943

On the day of her commissioning, I-181 was formally attached to the Sasebo Naval District and assigned to Submarine Squadron 11 in the 1st Fleet, an element of the Combined Fleet, for workups. [4] [5] On 20 August 1943, she was reassigned to Submarine Division 22 in Submarine Squadron 3 in the 6th Fleet, also an element of the Combined Fleet. [4] [5] She departed Kure on 25 August 1943 bound for Truk Atoll in the Caroline Islands, which she reached on 1 September 1943. [4] [5]

First war patrol

On 7 September 1943, I-181 put to sea from Truk to begin her first war patrol, assigned a patrol area off Espiritu Santo in the New Hebrides. [4] [5] While she was on patrol, Submarine Squadron 3 was disbanded on 15 September 1943, and Submarine Division 22 was assigned directly to the 6th Fleet. [4] [5] She moved to the Solomon Islands to patrol in an area off Cape Esperance on the northwestern tip of Guadalcanal. [4] [5] She sighted no enemy ships, and on 30 September 1943 received orders to proceed to a new patrol area in the Torres Strait between southeastern New Guinea and northeastern Australia, which she reached on 2 October 1943. [4] [5] She attacked an Allied convoy twice in the Torres Strait on 14 October 1943, but scored no hits. [5] She concluded her patrol with her return to Truk on 20 October 1943. [4] [5]

Second war patrol

I-181 got underway from Truk for her second war patrol on 11 November 1943, [4] [5] bound for a patrol area off Bougainville in the Solomon Islands. [4] While at sea, she was reassigned to the 8th Fleet, an element of the Southeast Area Fleet, on 12 November 1943. [5] On 26 November 1943, in the aftermath of the Battle of Cape St. George — fought between Japanese and United States Navy destroyers 50 nautical miles (93 km; 58 mi) east of Cape St. George, New Ireland, on 25 November 1943 [5] — she rescued 11 survivors of the destroyer Yūgiri, [4] [5] which the destroyers USS Charles Ausburne (DD-570), USS Claxton (DD-571), and USS Dyson (DD-572) had sunk at 04°44′S154°00′E / 4.733°S 154.000°E / -4.733; 154.000 (Yūgiri) , [5] while the submarine I-177 rescued another 278 Yūgiri survivors. [5] I-181′s patrol concluded with her arrival at Rabaul on New Britain in the Bismarck Archipelago on 29 November 1943. [4] [5]

New Guinea campaign

After her arrival at Rabaul, I-181 was assigned to supply duty in support of Japanese forces fighting on New Guinea in the New Guinea campaign. She set out from Rabaul on her first supply run at 09:30 on 7 December 1943 bound for Sio, New Guinea, [4] [5] with 44 tons of cargo [4] [5] that included two packages of type H ammunition, one package of type U ammunition, four packages of code books, and one package of light globes. [5] She arrived at Sio on 9 December and came under attack by Allied bombers which dropped 15 depth charges, but she crash-dived and avoided damage. [5] She then unloaded her cargo and proceeded to Rabaul, [5] where she arrived at 08:00 on 11 December 1943. [4] [5]

On 14 December 1943, I-181 began her second New Guinea supply run. [4] She unloaded her cargo at Buka on 16 December and got back underway the same day, [5] returning to Rabaul on 18 December 1943. [4] She began her third supply run on 21 December 1943, again bound for Buka, [4] [5] but after arriving at Buka on 22 December was unable to unload her cargo. [5] She returned to Rabaul on 24 December 1943. [4]

I-181 got underway from Rabaul on 28 December 1943 for her fourth supply run, heading for Sio. [4] [5] After delivering the cargo, she received orders to proceed to the waters north of Choiseul in the Solomon Islands to intercept an Allied task force. [4] [5] She did not find the Allied ships, and headed back for Rabaul. During her return voyage, she surfaced in St. George's Channel on 3 January 1944 and rescued the United States Marine Corps 26-kill ace Gregory "Pappy" Boyington, who had been shot down eight hours earlier during a fighter sweep over Rabaul and was injured when he ditched his F4U Corsair about 5 nautical miles (9.3 km; 5.8 mi) off shore. [5] I-181 arrived at Rabaul two hours later. [4] [5] After World War II, Boyington said that the best treatment he received while a prisoner-of-war was during his time aboard I-181. [5]

On 6 January 1944, I-181 began her fifth supply run. [4] [5] She unloaded her cargo at Buka on 7 January [5] and headed back to Rabaul, arriving there on 9 January 1944. [4] [5]

With the commander of Submarine Division 22 and his staff embarked, I-181 departed Rabaul on 13 January 1944 on her sixth supply run in company with the submarine Ro-104, bound for Gali, New Guinea. [4] [5] The Japanese never heard from I-181 again. [5]

Loss

The circumstances of I-181′s loss remain unclear. The Japanese garrison at Gali reported witnessing a running battle in the Vitiaz Strait off Gali on the evening of 16 January 1944 involving I-181 and an unidentified American destroyer and PT boat in which I-181 was depth-charged and sunk with the loss of all on board. [4] [5] A widely reproduced photograph often is alleged to show the wreck of I-181 aground in Kelanoa Harbour on the coast of New Guinea, leading to the assertion by some sources that she ran aground and was destroyed with the loss of all hands during the battle on 16 January 1944, [5] but the photograph actually shows the wreckage of a large towed Japanese supply container destroyed on 24 December 1943 by the U.S. Navy PT boats PT-151 and PT-192 . [5] Some sources claim U.S. Navy aircraft sank I-181 in St. George's Channel on 16 January 1944. [5]

At 23:00 on 18 January 1944, the U.S. Navy PT boat PT-143 detected a target on radar about 27 nautical miles (50 km; 31 mi) bearing 150 degrees True from Gasmata on the south coast of New Britain, and after closing to a range of 200 yards (183 m) in limited visibility identified it as a Japanese "I-61-class" submarine. [6] The submarine submerged and PT-143 dropped two depth charges — set to explode at a depth of 50 feet (15 m) — ahead of the submarine's wake about 25 nautical miles (46 km; 29 mi) bearing 150 degrees True from Gasmata. [6] PT-143′s crew heard a third explosion after the two depth charges detonated, but found no evidence that the depth charges damaged the submarine despite searching a 5-nautical-mile (9.3 km; 5.8 mi) area around the location of the attack until 03:00 on 19 January 1944. [6]

At 03:01 on 21 January 1944, while patrolling 3 nautical miles (5.6 km; 3.5 mi) north of the coast of New Guinea off Weber Point, the PT boats PT-329 , PT-362 and PT-364 detected a target on radar and closed with it, visually identifying it as a large submarine and tentatively describing her as having a flush deck, a conning tower disproportionately long and tall for her length, and no visible deck armament. [7] The submarine submerged when the PT boats closed to 4,500 yards (4,100 m). [7] The PT boats again detected the submarine on radar at 06:06, and it submerged again at a range of 2.75 nautical miles (5.09 km; 3.16 mi). [7] PT-364 dropped one depth charge 4 nautical miles (7.4 km; 4.6 mi) to the north and another 3 nautical miles (5.6 km; 3.5 mi) to the north in an attempt to drive the submerged submarine toward the waiting PT-329 and PT-364, but none of the PT boats gained any further contact on the submarine. [7]

On 1 March 1944, the Imperial Japanese Navy declared I-181 to be presumed lost with all 89 men aboard southwest of New Guinea. [4] [5] The Japanese struck her from the Navy List on 30 April 1944. [4] [5]

Notes

  1. 1 2 3 Carpenter & Polmar, p. 105
  2. ↑ Chesneau, p. 199
  3. ↑ Bagnasco, pp. 183, 186
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 I-181 ijnsubsite.com December 1, 2018 Accessed 17 June 2022
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 Hackett, Bob; Kingsepp, Sander (1 March 2016). "IJN Submarine I-181: Tabular Record of Movement". combinedfleet.com. Retrieved 17 June 2022.
  6. 1 2 3 Lidster, LT(jg) Allen Y., "Report of Action With Enemy Submarine night of 18/19 January 1944," Motor Torpedo Boat Squadron Eight, 20 January 1944
  7. 1 2 3 4 [Everett, C.F., "Action Report, concerning two submarine contacts night of 20/21 January 1944," Motor Torpedo Boat Squadron Twelve, 23 January 1944]

Related Research Articles

I-177 was an Imperial Japanese Navy Kaidai-type cruiser submarine of the KD7 subclass commissioned in 1942. She served during World War II, patrolling off Australia, taking part in the New Guinea campaign, operating in the North Pacific, and participating in the Palau campaign before she was sunk by the destroyer escort USS Samuel S. Miles (DE-183) in 1944, with no survivors.

Ro-34 was a Kaichū type submarine of the K6 sub-class built for the Imperial Japanese Navy. Completed and commissioned in May 1937, she served in World War II, operating in the South China Sea and the Netherlands East Indies, off New Guinea, and in the Solomon Islands. She was sunk in April 1943 during her eleventh war patrol.

I-74, later I-174, was an Imperial Japanese Navy Kaidai type cruiser submarine of the KD6B sub-class commissioned in 1938. During World War II, she took part in the attack on Pearl Harbor, the Battle of Midway, the Guadalcanal campaign, the New Guinea campaign, and the Gilbert and Marshall Islands campaign and operated off Australia before she was sunk during her ninth war patrol in 1944.

Ro-106 was an Imperial Japanese Navy Ro-100-class submarine. Completed and commissioned in December 1942, she served in World War II, operating in the Solomon Islands campaign, New Guinea campaign, and central Pacific Ocean. She was sunk in May 1944 during her eleventh war patrol.

Ro-102 was an Imperial Japanese Navy Ro-100-class submarine. Completed and commissioned in November 1942, she served in World War II, operating in the Solomon Islands, Rabaul, and New Guinea areas. She disappeared in May 1943 during her third war patrol.

I-185 was an Imperial Japanese Navy Kaidai type cruiser submarine of the KD7 sub-class commissioned in 1943. During World War II, she served in the Central and Southwest Pacific Ocean before she was sunk with all hands by an American destroyer in June 1944.

Japanese submarine <i>I-16</i> Type C cruiser submarine

I-16 was one of five Type C cruiser submarines of the C1 sub-class built for the Imperial Japanese Navy, Commissioned in 1940, she deployed a midget submarine for the attack on Pearl Harbor and for an attack on ships at Diego-Suarez in Madagascar, conducted an anti-shipping patrol in the Indian Ocean, and took part in the Guadalcanal campaign, New Guinea campaign, and Bougainville campaign before she was sunk in May 1944.

Japanese submarine <i>I-171</i> 1st class submarine of the Imperial Japanese Navy

I-71, later I-171, was a Kaidai-class cruiser submarine of the KD6 sub-class built for the Imperial Japanese Navy during the 1930s. She served in World War II, and took part in operations supporting the attack on Pearl Harbor, the Battle of Midway, and the Aleutian Islands campaign. She was sunk on1 February 1944 after being detected on the surface by U.S. Navy destroyers off Buka Island.

I-2 was an Imperial Japanese Navy J1 type cruiser submarine commissioned in 1926. She served in the Second Sino-Japanese War and World War II. During the latter conflict she operated in support of the attack on Pearl Harbor, conducted anti-shipping patrols in the Indian Ocean, supported the Indian Ocean raid, and took part in the Aleutian Islands campaign, the Guadalcanal campaign, Operation Ke, and the New Guinea campaign before she was sunk in April 1944.

Japanese submarine <i>I-6</i> Imperial Japanese Navy J2 type submarine

I-6 was an Imperial Japanese Navy J2 type submarine commissioned in 1935. She was a large cruiser submarine that served in the Second Sino-Japanese War and World War II. During the latter conflict she operated in support of the attack on Pearl Harbor, torpedoed the aircraft carrier USS Saratoga (CV-3), conducted anti-shipping patrols in the Indian Ocean and South Pacific Ocean, and took part in the Aleutian Islands campaign and New Guinea campaign before she was sunk in June 1944.

I-32 was an Imperial Japanese Navy B1 type submarine. Completed and commissioned in 1942, she served in World War II, operating in the Pacific Ocean and Indian Ocean and supporting Japanese forces in the New Guinea campaign and the Guadalcanal campaign before she was sunk in March 1944.

I-36 was an Imperial Japanese Navy B1 type submarine. Completed and commissioned in 1942, she served in World War II, operating in the Guadalcanal campaign, New Guinea campaign, Aleutian Islands campaign, and the Marshall Islands. She finished the war as a kaiten manned suicide attack torpedo carrier, operating against Allied ships at Ulithi Atoll and in the Philippine Sea. The only submarine of her class to survive the war, she surrendered to the Allies in September 1945 after the end of the war and was scuttled by the United States Navy in 1946.

I-38 was an Imperial Japanese Navy B1 type submarine. Completed and commissioned in 1943, she served in World War II, operating on supply missions in the New Guinea campaign and the Solomon Islands campaign, and conducting war patrols in the Solomons, off the Mariana Islands, and in the Philippine Sea before she was sunk in November 1944.

Ro-36 was an Imperial Japanese Navy Kaichū type submarine of the K6 sub-class. Completed and commissioned in May 1943, she served in World War II, conducting four war patrols in the Pacific Ocean before she was sunk in June 1944.

Ro-42 was an Imperial Japanese Navy Kaichū type submarine of the K6 sub-class. Completed and commissioned in August 1943, she served in World War II and was sunk in June 1944 during her third war patrol.

Ro-100 was an Imperial Japanese Navy Ro-100-class submarine. Completed and commissioned in September 1942, she served in World War II, operating in the Solomon Islands, Rabaul, and New Guinea areas. She sank in November 1943 when she struck a mine during her seventh war patrol.

Ro-104 was an Imperial Japanese Navy Ro-100-class submarine. Completed and commissioned in February 1943, she served in World War II, operating in the Aleutian Islands campaign, New Guinea campaign, and Solomon Islands campaign before she was sunk in May 1944 during her tenth war patrol.

Ro-105 was an Imperial Japanese Navy Ro-100-class submarine. Completed and commissioned in March 1943, she served in World War II, operating in the Aleutian Islands campaign, New Guinea campaign, and Solomon Islands campaign and in the vicinity of Truk, Rabaul, and the Admiralty Islands before she was sunk in May 1944 during her fourth war patrol.

Ro-108 was an Imperial Japanese Navy Ro-100-class submarine. Completed and commissioned in April 1943, she served in World War II, operating in the Solomon Islands campaign, the New Guinea campaign — during which she sank the United States Navy destroyer USS Henley (DD-391) — and off the Admiralty Islands. She was sunk in May 1944 during her fifth war patrol.

Ro-109 was an Imperial Japanese Navy Ro-100-class submarine. Completed and commissioned in April 1943, she served in World War II, operating off the Solomon Islands, New Guinea, the Admiralty Islands, Truk, the Philippine Islands, and Okinawa. She was sunk in April 1945 during her tenth war patrol.

References

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.