Upon commissioning, I-39 was attached formally to the Yokosuka Naval District and assigned to Submarine Squadron 11 for work-ups.[2] With those completed, she was reassigned to Submarine Division 14 in Submarine Squadron 8 in the Submarine Advance Force on 20 July 1943.[2] She departed Yokosuka on 21 July 1943 and arrived at Truk on 27 July 1943.
First war patrol
On 2 August 1943, I-39 set out from Truk on her first war patrol, with a patrol area in the New Hebrides.[2] She was depth-charged briefly by a destroyer north of Espiritu Santo on 7 August 1943, and on 29 August 1943 two destroyers sighted and pursued her, but she suffered no damage in either encounter.[2]
On 2 September 1943, I-39 sighted a convoy of three transports escorted by four destroyers.[2] She fired two torpedoes, both of which exploded close astern of the attack transportUSSFuller, which was carrying the New Zealand Army′s 3rd Division from Port Vila on Efate to Point Cruz on Guadalcanal.[2] A destroyer attempted a counterattack, but failed to locate I-39.[2] On 10 September, I-39 sighted an unescorted transport heading toward Espiritu Santo at 09:50, but could not get within torpedo range of her.[2] On 11 September I-39 sighted another unescorted transport east of Espiritu Santo at 05:05 and two transports escorted by a destroyer at 18:10, but made no attacks.[2]
While returning to Truk, I-39 suffered damage when she was depth-charged on 25 September 1943.[2] She reached Truk on 27 September 1943 and underwent repairs there.[2]
Second war patrol
The Gilbert and Marshall Islands campaign began on 20 November 1943 with the U.S. invasion of Tarawa and of Makin in the Gilbert Islands.[2] On 21 November 1943, I-39 received orders to proceed to Tarawa along with the submarines I-19, I-35, I-169, and I-175.[2] With a Yokosuka E14Y1 (Allied reporting name "Glen") floatplane aboard, she got underway from Truk on her second war patrol that day, with an assigned patrol area southwest of Tarawa.[2] She reported on 24 November 1943 that she was approaching her patrol area,[2] and on 25 November — the same day she was reassigned to Submarine Division 2 in Submarine Squadron 1[2] — she reported that she had arrived in her patrol area.[2] The Japanese never heard from her again.[2]
Loss
On 26 November 1943, the battleshipUSSMassachusetts was steaming 80 nautical miles (150km; 92mi) southwest of Tarawa as part of Task Group 50.2, when she detected a surface target 9 nautical miles (17km; 10mi) to the southwest on radar at 22:52.[2] At 23:02 the destroyer USSBoyd was detached to investigate.[2] She detected a surfaced submarine on radar at 23:20 and closed with it.[2] She lost radar contact, apparently when the submarine submerged, but Boyd then located the submarine with her sonar.[2] She dropped two patterns of depth charges, and heard a loud underwater explosion 15 minutes after the last attack at 00°31′N172°16′E / 0.517°N 172.267°E / 0.517; 172.267 (I-39).[2] On the morning of 27 November 1943, planes from the aircraft carrierUSSEnterprise flew over the area and reported a large oil slick on the surface.[2] It marked the end of a Japanese submarine.[2]
The submarine probably was I-39,[2] although it is possible that Boyd sank I-40, which also disappeared in the Tarawa area around the same time.[3] An alternative account claims that the destroyer escortUSSGriswold sank I-39 off Koli Point, Guadalcanal, on 23 December 1943,[2] although that location lies outside I-39′s patrol area[2] and the date is four weeks after she last transmitted a message,
On 20 February 1944, the Imperial Japanese Navy declared I-39 to be presumed lost with her entire crew of 96 in the Gilbert Islands area.[2] She was stricken from the Navy list on 30 April 1944.[2]
Milanovich, Kathrin (2021). "The IJN Submarines of the I 15 Class". In Jordan, John (ed.). Warship 2021. Oxford, UK: Osprey Publishing. pp.29–43. ISBN978-1-4728-4779-9.
I-11 was an Imperial Japanese Navy Type A1 submarine that served during World War II. Designed as a submarine aircraft carrier and submarine squadron flagship, she was commissioned in 1942. She participated in the Guadalcanal campaign and patrolled off Australia, New Caledonia, and the Ellice Islands before she disappeared in 1944 during her sixth war patrol. She badly damaged the Royal Australian Navy light cruiser HMAS Hobart in 1943.
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.
I-182 was am Imperial Japanese Navy Kaidai-type cruiser submarine of the KD7 sub-class commissioned in 1943. During World War II, she was lost in 1943 while on her first war patrol.
I-75, later I-175, 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 Aleutian Islands campaign, and the Gilbert and Marshall Islands campaign and operated off Australia, before she was sunk in 1944 during her tenth war patrol. She is best known for sinking the United States Navy escort carrier USS Liscome Bay on 24 November 1943.
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.
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 in February 1944.
I-20 was one of five Type C cruiser submarines of the C1 sub-class built for the Imperial Japanese Navy. During World War II, she operated as the mother ship for a midget submarine during the attack on Pearl Harbor and the attack of Diego-Suarez, conducted war patrols in the Pacific Ocean and Indian Ocean, and served in the Guadalcanal campaign and New Guinea campaign. She was last heard from on 31 August 1943.
I-35 was an Imperial Japanese Navy B1 type submarine. Completed and commissioned in 1942, she served in World War II, operating in the Aleutian Islands campaign and the Battle of Tarawa before she was sunk in November 1943.
I-40 was an Imperial Japanese Navy Type B2 submarine. Completed and commissioned in 1943, she served in World War II and disappeared after departing for her first war patrol in November 1943.
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-42 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 war patrol in March 1944.
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.
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-365 was an Imperial Japanese Navy Type D1 transport submarine. Completed and commissioned in August 1944, she served in World War II and was sunk while returning from her first transport mission in November 1944.
Ro-37 was an Imperial Japanese Navy Kaichū type submarine of the K6 sub-class. Completed and commissioned in June 1943, she served in World War II and was sunk during her second war patrol in January 1944.
Ro-38 was an Imperial Japanese Navy Kaichū type submarine of the K6 sub-class. Completed and commissioned in July 1943, she served in World War II and was sunk in November 1943 during her first war patrol.
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-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.
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