Service history
Upon commissioning, I-370 was attached to the Sasebo Naval District and was assigned to Submarine Squadron 11 for workups. [2] In January 1945, she was converted from a transport submarine into a kaiten suicide attack torpedo carrier, the conversion involving the removal of her 140-millimeter (5.5 in) and Daihatsu-class landing craft and their replacement with fittings allowing her to carry five kaitens on her deck, [2] as well as the installation of Type 22 surface-search radar. [2] On 10 January 1945, she and the submarine I-368 took part in simulated kaiten attacks against towed targets in the Seto Inland Sea that lasted 15 days. [2]
The Battle of Iwo Jima began on 19 February 1945 when U.S. forces landed on Iwo Jima. [2] The Japanese formed the ChihayaKaiten Group, made up of I-370, I-368, and the submarine I-44, with orders to proceed to the waters off Iwo Jima and attack American ships there. [2] On 21 February 1945, I-370 got underway from the kaiten base at Hikari and set course for Iwo Jima, where she was expected to begin kaiten attacks on 26 February 1945. [2]
I-370 was on the surface just after dawn on 26 February 1945 preparing to launch all five of her kaitens to attack nine empty American transports steaming from Iwo Jima to Saipan when one of their escorts, the United States Navy destroyer escort USS Finnegan (DE-307), detected her on radar. [2] Finnegan closed the range. [2] Eight minutes after Finnegan detected I-370, I-370 crash-dived and broke radar contact with Finnegan, but at 0659 Finnegan acquired I-370 on sonar. [2] Finnegan launched an unsuccessful Hedgehog attack, followed by a pattern of 13 depth charges set to explode deep. [2] She launched another Hedgehog attack, then dropped a pattern of 13 depth charges set for medium depth at around 10:00. [2] At around 10:05, Finnegan′s crew heard a deep rumbling sound, then observed air bubbles reaching the surface followed by an explosion. [2]
It marked the end of I-370, sunk with the loss of all 84 men on board — her entire crew of 79 and all five embarked kaiten pilots — at 22°44′N141°26′E / 22.733°N 141.433°E / 22.733; 141.433 (I-370) . [2] She was both the first submarine of the Chihaya Group and the first transport submarine converted into a kaiten carrier to be lost. [2] A fuel oil slick at the scene of her sinking eventually covered an area of 4 by 2 nautical miles (7.4 by 3.7 km; 4.6 by 2.3 mi). [2]
On 6 March 1945, the Japanese ordered I-370 to return to Japan, but she never acknowledged the order. [2] On 14 March 1945, the Imperial Japanese Navy declared I-370 to be presumed lost with all hands off Iwo Jima. [2] She was stricken from the Navy list on 10 April 1945. [2]
USS Haggard (DD-555) was a Fletcher-class destroyer of the United States Navy named for Captain Haggard of the Louisa, who fought in the Quasi-War.
USS England (DE-635), a Buckley-class destroyer escort of the United States Navy, was named in honor of Ensign John C. England (1920–1941), who was killed in action aboard the battleship Oklahoma during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on 7 December 1941. Her sinking of six Japanese submarines in twelve days is a feat unparalleled in the history of antisubmarine warfare.
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-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.
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-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-362 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 outlying islands until she was sunk in January 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-367 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-43 was an Imperial Japanese Navy Kaichū type submarine of the K6 sub-class. Completed and commissioned in December 1943, she served in World War II and was sunk in February 1945 during her fifth war patrol.
Ro-48 was an Imperial Japanese Navy Kaichū type submarine of the K6 sub-class. Completed and commissioned in March 1944, she served in World War II and was sunk in July 1944 during her first 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.
Japan
