Service history
Upon commissioning, I-367 was attached to the Sasebo Naval District and was assigned to Submarine Squadron 11 for workups. [2] With her workups complete, she was reassigned to Submarine Squadron 7 on 15 October 1944, joining the submarines I-361, I-362, I-363, I-366, I-368, I-369, I-370, and I-371. [2]
Transport missions
On 31 October 1944, I-367 departed Yokosuka bound for Marcus Island on her first transport mission, carrying 61 metric tons of food and ammunition. [2] She arrived at Marcus Island on 6 November 1944 and returned to Yokosuka, which she reached on 12 November 1944. [2] She departed Yokosuka on 4 December 1944 for her second transport voyage, heading for Wake Island with a cargo of 81 tons of food ammunition. [2] She reached Wake on 17 December 1944, unloaded her cargo, got back underway, and returned to Yokosuka on 1 January 1945. [2]
Kaiten carrier
Submarine Squadron 7 was deactivated on 20 March 1945 and I-367 was reassigned to Submarine Division 15. [2] Meanwhile, after reaching Yokosuka she was converted at Yokosuka Navy Yard from a transport submarine into a kaiten suicide attack torpedo carrier, the conversion involving the removal of her 140-millimeter (5.5 in) deck gun and Daihatsu-class landing craft and their replacement with fittings allowing her to carry five kaitens on her deck. [3] Her conversion was completed in late April 1945. [2]
First kaiten mission
While I-367 was undergoing conversion, U.S. forces captured advanced bases and anchorages in the Kerama Islands southwest of Okinawa between 26 and 29 March 1945, [2] and the Battle of Okinawa began when U.S. forces landed on Okinawa itself on 1 April 1945. [2] I-366 and I-367 were designated the Shimbu ("God's Warriors") Kaiten Group, [2] and on 1 May 1945 I-367 moved to the kaiten base at Otsujima to load kaitens so she could deploy to attack Allied ships supporting the fighting on Okinawa. [2] Off Otsujima, she conducted kaiten exercises on 2 and 3 May and a test dive with kaitens aboard on 4 May 1945. [2] On 5 May 1945 — Boys' Day in Japan — she got underway for a patrol area northwest of Saipan flying the traditional Boy's Day koinobori (carp streamer) from the radio antenna on her conning tower. [2] I-366 suffered damage when she struck a magnetic mine off Hikari on 6 May 1945 and could not deploy, so I-367 became the only submarine to patrol as part of the Shimbu Group. [2]
Between 15 and 19 May 1945 — during which she arrived in her patrol area southeast of Okidaitojima and 450 nautical miles (830 km; 520 mi) northwest of Saipan on 17 May 1945 — I-367 made sound contact on Allied vessels four times, but each time was unable to close for an attack. [2] She was east of Okinawa on 27 May 1945 when she sighted a four-ship convoy made up of vessels of United States Navy Service Squadron 6. [2] Three of I-367′s kaitens were defective — two with malfunctioning rudders and one with engine trouble — but from a position on the convoy's port beam, she launched her other two kaitens. [2] The fleet tug USS Sioux (ATF-75) sank one of the kaitens with fire from a Bofors 40 mm gun. [2] I-367 claimed two merchant ships sunk and some reports claimed that the destroyer escort USS Gilligan (DE-508) suffered damage in a kaiten attack on 27 May, but in fact the convoy suffered no damage from I-367′s attack and Gilligan′s damage was inflicted by a kamikaze . [2]
I-367 set course for Japan, arriving at Otsujima on 4 June 1945 to disembark her remaining kaitens and kaiten pilots. [2] She then proceeded to Kure, arriving there on 5 June 1945. [2]
Second kaiten mission
On 19 July 1945, I-367 was part of the TamonKaiten Group along with the submarines I-47, I-53, I-58, I-363, and I-366. [2] With five kaitens on board, she got underway from the kaiten base at Otsujima that day bound for a patrol area 400 nautical miles (740 km; 460 mi) southeast of Okinawa. [2] She made no contacts during her patrol. [2] She was off the Bungo Strait on her return voyage to Japan when she received word on 15 August 1945 that Emperor Hirohito had announced the end of hostilities between Japan and the Allies that day. [2] She arrived at Otsujima later that day and disembarked her kaiten pilots, [2] then headed for Kure, which she reached on 16 August 1945. [2] She surrendered to the Allies in September 1945. [2]
I-58 was a Japanese B3 type cruiser submarine that served in the final year of World War II. Her only significant wartime success came with a conventional torpedo attack upon USS Indianapolis on 30 July 1945. She was modified to carry Kaiten manned torpedoes, making several attacks that inflicted minor damage in exchange for every Kaiten launched being sunk. The submarine surrendered in September 1945, and was later scuttled by the United States Navy.
I-159, originally I-59, was an Imperial Japanese Navy Kaidai-class cruiser submarine of the KD3B sub-class in commission from 1930 to 1945. During World War II, she made two war patrols in the Indian Ocean, took part in the Battle of Midway, and served as a training submarine before ending the war as a kaiten suicide attack torpedo carrier. She surrendered at the end of the war and was scuttled in 1946.
I-55, later renumbered I-155, was an Imperial Japanese Navy Kaidai-class cruiser submarine of the KD3A sub-class commissioned in 1927. Early in World War II, she supported Japanese forces in the invasion of Malaya and the Dutch East Indies campaign before assuming training duties in Japan, interrupted briefly in 1943 by her participation in the Aleutian Islands campaign. She became a kaiten manned suicide attack torpedo carrier in 1945 before surrendering at the end of the war. She was scuttled in 1946.
I-57, later I-157, was an Imperial Japanese Navy Kaidai-class cruiser submarine commissioned in 1929. During World War II, she supported Japanese forces during the invasion of Malaya in December 1941, the Dutch East Indies campaign in early 1942, and the Battle of Midway in June 1942. She then served on training duties — except for a brief period of participation in the Aleutian Islands campaign in 1943 — until she was converted into a kaiten manned suicide attack torpedo carrier in 1945. She surrendered to the Allies at the end of the war in 1945 and was scuttled in 1946.
I-48 was the last of three Type C cruiser submarines of the C2 sub-class built for the Imperial Japanese Navy. Commissioned in September 1944, she operated as a kaiten manned suicide attack torpedo carrier during World War II and was sunk in January 1945.
I-47 was the second of three Type C cruiser submarines of the C2 sub-class built for the Imperial Japanese Navy. Commissioned in July 1944, she operated as a kaiten manned suicide attack torpedo carrier during the final year of World War II. Surrendered at the end of the war, she was scuttled by the United States Navy in 1946.
The second I-53 was the second of three Type C cruiser submarines of the C3 sub-class built for the Imperial Japanese Navy. Commissioned in February 1944, she operated primarily as a kaiten manned suicide attack torpedo carrier during the final year of World War II and sank the destroyer escort USS Underhill (DE-682). Surrendered at the end of the war, she was scuttled by the United States Navy in 1946.
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-43 was an Imperial Japanese Navy Type B2 submarine. Completed and commissioned in 1943, she served in World War II and was sunk during her first deployment in February 1944.
The second I-56 was an Imperial Japanese Navy Type B3 submarine. Completed and commissioned in June 1944, she served in the late stages of World War II and took part in the Philippines campaign at the time of the Battle of Leyte Gulf. She then operated as a kaiten suicide attack torpedo carrier, including during the Battle of Okinawa, before she was lost in April 1945.
I-44 was an Imperial Japanese Navy Type B2 submarine. Completed and commissioned in January 1944, she served in the late stages of World War II, she conducted war patrols in the Pacific Ocean as a conventional submarine before she was converted into a kaiten suicide attack torpedo carrier. She then conducted kaiten operations during the Battle of Iwo Jima and the Battle of Okinawa before she was sunk in April 1945.
I-45 was an Imperial Japanese Navy Type B2 submarine. Completed and commissioned in December 1943, she served in World War II, patrolling in the Pacific Ocean and taking part in the Marianas campaign, the Philippines campaign, and the Battle of Leyte Gulf before she was sunk in October 1944.
I-368 was an Imperial Japanese Navy Type D1 transport submarine. Completed and commissioned in August 1944, she served in World War II and was converted into a kaiten suicide attack torpedo carrier in January 1945. She was sunk in February 1945 while operating during the Battle of Iwo Jima.
I-361 was an Imperial Japanese Navy Type D1 transport submarine. Completed and commissioned in May 1944, she served in World War II and conducted transport missions between Japan and Wake Island until she was converted into a kaiten suicide attack torpedo carrier 1945. She was sunk during her first kaiten mission in May 1945.
I-363 was an Imperial Japanese Navy Type D1 transport submarine. Completed and commissioned in July 1944, she served in World War II and conducted transport missions between Japan and outlying islands until she was converted into a kaiten suicide attack torpedo carrier. She survived the war, but sank after striking a mine in the weeks immediately following its conclusion.
I-366 was an Imperial Japanese Navy Type D1 transport submarine. Completed and commissioned in August 1944, she served in World War II and conducted transport missions between Japan and outlying islands until she was converted into a kaiten suicide attack torpedo carrier. She survived the war, surrendered to Allied forces in 1945, and was scuttled in 1946.
I-372 was an Imperial Japanese Navy Type D1 transport submarine. Completed and commissioned in November 1944, she served in World War II and was sunk in July 1945.
Ro-46 was an Imperial Japanese Navy Kaichū type submarine of the K6 sub-class. Completed and commissioned in February 1944, she served in World War II, including operations related to the Marianas campaign, the Philippines campaign, and the Battle of Okinawa. She disappeared in April 1945 during her fifth war patrol.
Ro-49 was an Imperial Japanese Navy Kaichū type submarine of the K6 sub-class. Completed and commissioned in May 1944, she served in World War II and patrolled off the Philippines and the Ryukyu Islands. She was lost during her third war patrol sometime in late March or April 1945.
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.
Japan
