Japanese submarine I-61

Last updated
I61.jpg
History
Naval ensign of the Empire of Japan.svg Empire of Japan
NameI-61
Builder Mitsubishi Kobe Yard, Kobe,  Japan
Laid down15 November 1926
Launched12 November 1927
Completed6 April 1929
Commissioned6 April 1929
Decommissioned11 January 1932
Recommissioned1 June 1934
Decommissioned15 November 1939 or 20 March 1940
Recommissioned15 April 1940 or 15 November 1940
Fate
  • Sunk in collision 2 October 1941
  • Refloated 20 January 1942 or in February 1942
  • Scrapped 1942
Stricken1 April 1942
General characteristics
Class and typeKD4 Type, Kadai type submarine
Displacement
  • 1,635 (1,720 maximum) tons surfaced
  • 2,300 tons submerged
Length97.70 m (320 ft 6 in)
Beam7.80 m (25 ft 7 in)
Draught4.83 m (15 ft 10 in)
Propulsion
Speed
  • 20 knots (37 km/h; 23 mph) diesel
  • 8.5 knots (15.7 km/h; 9.8 mph) electric
Range
  • Surface: 10,800  nmi (20,000 km; 12,400 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph) [1]
  • Submerged: 60  nmi (110 km; 69 mi) at 3 knots (5.6 km/h; 3.5 mph)
Test depth60 m (197 ft)
Complement58 officers and enlisted
Armament

I-61 was a Kaidai-class cruiser submarine of the KD4 sub-class built for the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) during the 1920s. She sank in an October 1941 collision, [2] just prior to Japan's entry into World War II.

Contents

Construction and commissioning

The first unit of the KD4 sub-class, I-61 was built by Mitsubishi at Kobe, Japan. Her keel was laid on 15 November 1926 and she was launched on 12 November 1927. She was completed on 6 April 1929.

Service history

Upon completion, I-61 was assigned to the Sasebo Naval District. [3] On 24 April 1929, she and her sister ship, the submarine I-62, combined to form Submarine Division 29, [3] [4] [5] [6] in which I-61 spent her entire career. [3] The division was attached to the Sasebo Naval District. [3]

Submarine Division 29 was reassigned to Submarine Squadron 1 in the 1st Fleet in the Combined Fleet on 1 December 1930. [3] I-61 apparently was decommissioned and placed in reserve on 11 January 1932, [6] and was transferred to the Sasebo Defense Division in the Sasebo Naval District on 10 November 1932, [3] and then to Submarine Squadron 2 in the 2nd Fleet in the Combined Fleet on 15 November 1933. [3] She was recommissioned on 1 June 1934. [3] On 27 September 1934, she departed Ryojun, Manchukuo, in company with I-62 and the submarines I-56 , I-57 , I-58 , I-64, I-65 , I-66 , and I-67 for a training cruise off Qingdao, China. [3] [4] [7] [8] [9] [10] [11] [12] [13] The nine submarines completed the cruise with their arrival at Sasebo on 5 October 1934. [3] [4] [7] [8] [9] [10] [11] [12] [13]

On 7 February 1935, I-61 departed Sasebo in company with the other eight submarines of Submarine Squadron 2 — I-53 , I-54 , I-55 , I-59 , I-60, I-62 , I-63, and I-64 — for a training cruise in the Kuril Islands. [3] [4] [10] [14] [15] [16] [17] [18] [19] The cruise concluded with their arrival at Sukumo Bay on 25 February 1935. [3] [4] [10] [14] [15] [16] [17] [18] [19] The nine submarines departed Sasebo on 29 March 1935 to train in Chinese waters, returning to Sasebo on 4 April 1935. [3] [4] [10] [14] [15] [16] [17] [18] [19] On 15 November 1935, Submarine Division 29 was reassigned to the Sasebo Defense Squadron in the Sasebo Naval District. [3]

On 1 December 1936, I-61 again was assigned to Submarine Squadron 2 in the 2nd Fleet, [3] and on 15 December 1938 she was reassigned to the Submarine School at Kure. [3] On 11 March 1939, I-61 suffered damage in a collision with the Japanese destroyer Yakaze off Mitajiri, Japan. [3] [5] Her Submarine School service ended when she was decommissioned and transferred to the Third Reserve in the Sasebo Naval District; [3] sources claim that this took place both on 15 November 1939 [3] and on 20 March 1940. [3] [6]

On either 15 April 1940 or 15 November 1940, [3] I-61 was recommissioned, and on 15 November 1940 she was reassigned to Submarine Squadron 5 in the Combined Fleet. [3] On 8 January 1941, she collided with the gunboat Kōshū Maru south of Cape Ashizuki, Japan. [3] [5]

Loss

On 2 October 1941, with the commander of Submarine Division 29 on board, I-61 departed Sasebo with the submarine tender Rio de Janeiro Maru bound for a fleet gathering point at Murokusumi in Yamaguchi Prefecture. In the Koshiki Channel that evening, the Japanese gunboat Kiso Maru mistook a red light she saw I-61 displaying aft of Rio de Janeiro Maru for that of a smaller vessel and misjudged her passing distance behind I-61. She collided with I-61 around 23:21. I-61 sank quickly, with the loss of all 71 men on board. [2] [5] [20]

On 20 January 1942 or in February 1942, [3] I-61′s wreck was refloated, and it was sold for scrapping in 1942. I-61 was struck from the naval register on 1 April 1942.

Related Research Articles

Japanese ship names follow different conventions from those typical in the West. Merchant ship names often contain the word maru at the end, while warships are never named after people, but rather after objects such as mountains, islands, weather phenomena, or animals.

Japanese warship <i>Chōgei Maru</i>

Chōgei Maru was a passenger gunship active during Japan's Boshin War.

I-124, originally named Submarine Minelayer No. 52 and then named I-24 from before her launch until June 1938, was an I-121-class submarine of the Imperial Japanese Navy that served during the Second Sino-Japanese War and World War II. During the latter conflict, she operated in support of the Japanese invasion of the Philippines and was sunk during anti-shipping operations off Australia in January 1942.

Japanese destroyer <i>Yakaze</i> Destroyer of the Imperial Japanese Navy

The Japanese destroyer Yakaze was one of 15 Minekaze-class destroyers built for the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) during the late 1910s. A decade later, the ship served as a plane guard. During the Pacific War, she was initially as the mother ship for a remotely controlled target ship and then became a radio-controlled target ship herself in 1942. Although she was badly damaged in mid-1945, Yakaze survived the war and was scrapped in 1948.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nagasaki incident</span> 1886 riot of Chinese sailors in Japan

The Nagasaki incident, also known as the Nagasaki―Qing Navy Incident (長崎清国水兵事件) was an incident took place on August 13, 1886 during the Beiyang Fleet visit to Nagasaki, Japan. Some Chinese sailors violated military discipline when they went ashore for shopping, went to local brothels and drank and made troubles. As a result, they clashed with the Japanese police. A Japanese policeman was stabbed and seriously injured, and a Chinese sailor was slightly injured. In February 1887, the two sides reached an agreement under the mediation of the British and German ministers. Both parties compensated the dead and injured persons of the other party.

Japanese submarine <i>I-55</i> (1925) Imperial Japanese Navy Kaidai-class cruiser submarine of the KD3A sub-class

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.

Japanese submarine <i>I-54</i> (1926)

I-54, later I-154, was an Imperial Japanese Navy Kaidai-class cruiser submarine of the KD3A sub-class commissioned in 1927. During World War II, she condcuted three war patrols, supporting Japanese forces during the invasion of Malaya in December 1941 and the Dutch East Indies campaign in early 1942, then was assigned to training duties until she was decommissioned in 1944. She was scuttled in 1946.

Japanese submarine <i>I-53</i> (1925)

I-53, later I-153, later I-153, was an Imperial Japanese Navy Kaidai-class cruiser submarine of the KD3A sub-class commissioned in 1927. During World War II, she supported Japanese forces during the invasion of British Malaya in December 1941 and the Dutch East Indies campaign in early 1942. She served as a training submarine until she was hulked in January 1944. She surrendered to the Allies at the end of the war in 1945. She was either scuttled in 1946 or scrapped in 1948.

Japanese submarine <i>I-51</i>

I-51, previously Project S22 and Submarine No. 44, was a submarine in commission in the Imperial Japanese Navy from 1924 to 1938. Although not a successful design, she was the lead vessel and prototype of the Japanese Kaidai-class submarines which served in World War II. The Japanese also used her for early experiments in the development of submarine aircraft carriers.

I-52, later I-152, was the second prototype of the Kaidai-class submarine of the Imperial Japanese Navy. Commissioned in 1925, she became a training ship in 1935 and was decommissioned in 1942 during the early months of the Pacific campaign of World War II. She subsequently served as the stationary training hulk Haikan No. 14 and was scrapped after the war.

I-62, later I-162, was a Kaidai-class cruiser submarine of the KD4 sub-class built for the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) during the 1920s and completed in 1930. She served throughout World War II, supporting the Japanese invasion of Malaya, taking part in the Battle of Midway, carrying out diversionary operations in support of the evacuation of Japanese forces from Guadalcanal, and conducting war patrols in the Indian Ocean. Late in the war, she became involved in supporting and training for kaiten suicide attack torpedo operations. She surrendered to the Allies at the end of the war in 1945, and the United States Navy scuttled her in 1946.

Japanese submarine <i>I-64</i> Kaidai-class cruiser submarine

I-64 was an Imperial Japanese Navy Kaidai-class cruiser submarine of the KD4 sub-class commissioned in 1930. During World War II, she supported the Japanese invasion of Malaya and conducted war patrols in the Indian Ocean before she was sunk in May 1942 while deploying to take part in the upcoming Battle of Midway. Just after her loss, and before her loss became known to the Japanese, she was renumbered I-164.

I-67 was a Kaidai-type cruiser submarine of the Imperial Japanese Navy. A KD5 sub-class boat, she sank in a training accident in 1940.

JDS Narushio (SS-569) was the fourth boat of theUzushio-class submarines. She was commissioned on 28 September 1973.

Shonan Maru No. 7 was a Japanese whaling ship that was requisitioned by the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War II and converted into an auxiliary subchaser.

JS <i>Hakugei</i> Taigei-class attack submarine

JS Hakugei (SS-514), "White Sperm Whale", is the second boat of the Taigei-class attack submarine of Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force. The submarine was ordered from Kawasaki Heavy Industries in 2018 and laid down on 25 January 2019 at Kobe, Japan. Hakugei was launched on 14 October 2021. She was commissioned in March 2023.

Japanese seaplane tender <i>Notoro</i> Japanese seaplane tender

Notoro (能登呂) was an oiler of the Imperial Japanese Navy commissioned in 1920, which was rebuilt in 1924 into a seaplane tender and in 1941 back into an oiler. She participated in the First Shanghai Incident in 1932 and the Second Sino-Japanese War since 1937. In the fall of 1941, she was rebuilt back into an oiler. On 9 January and 20 September 1943, she was damaged by US Navy submarines but returned to service after repairs. On 29 June 1944, she was hit by two torpedoes launched by submarine USS Flasher. During repairs in Singapore Notoro was again damaged on 5 November 1944, this time by B-29 bombers. No further repairs were made until the end of the war and she was probably scrapped in 1947.

Cha-214 or No. 214 was a No.1-class auxiliary submarine chaser of the Imperial Japanese Navy that served during World War II.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Teragaki Izō</span> Japanese Vice Admiral (1857–1938)

Teragaki Izō was a Vice Admiral of the Imperial Japanese Navy. During the Russo-Japanese War, he commanded the Japanese battleship Shikishima during the Battle of Tsushima as a Commander.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tadamichi Kamaya</span> Japanese admiral (1862–1939)

Tadamichi Kamaya, also known as Kamaya Chūdō was a Japanese Vice Admiral and Banker of the First Sino-Japanese War and the Russo-Japanese War. He was known for commanding the Sado Maru during the Battle of Tsushima and was the chairman of the Asahi Shinkin Bank in his later years.

References

Footnotes

  1. ↑ もしくは10ktで10,000海里（『写真 日本の軍艦 第12巻 潜水艦』p57の表より）(in Japanese)
  2. 1 2 [#昭和天皇実録八巻]493頁(伊号潜水艦沈没事件)この脚注はこのページ上で2回使用されています。(in Japanese)
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 I-61 ijnsubsite.com August 24, 2018 Accessed 28 September 2020
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "I-162 ex I-62". iijnsubsite.info. 9 November 2018. Retrieved 31 December 2021.
  5. 1 2 3 4 『ハンディ版 日本海軍艦艇写真集19巻』72頁。この脚注はこのページ上で4回使用されています。(in Japanese)
  6. 1 2 3 『艦長たちの軍艦史』428頁。この脚注はこのページ上で3回使用されています。(in Japanese)
  7. 1 2 I-156 ijnsubsite.com October 15, 2018 Accessed 17 January 2021
  8. 1 2 I-157 ijnsubsite.com 16 October 2018 Accessed 23 January 2021
  9. 1 2 I-158 ijnsubsite.com 20 October 2018 Accessed 24 January 2021
  10. 1 2 3 4 5 "I-164 ex I-64". iijnsubsite.info. 9 November 2018. Retrieved 31 December 2021.
  11. 1 2 "I-165 ex I-65". iijnsubsite.info. 11 May 2018. Retrieved 19 February 2022.
  12. 1 2 "I-166 ex I-66". iijnsubsite.info. 30 August 2018. Retrieved 19 February 2022.
  13. 1 2 I-67 ijnsubsite.com September 14, 2018 Accessed 28 September 2020
  14. 1 2 3 I-153 ijnsubsite.com September 19, 2018 Accessed 15 January 2021
  15. 1 2 3 I-154 ijnsubsite.com October 11, 2018 Accessed 15 January 2021
  16. 1 2 3 I-155 ijnsubsite.com June 10, 2018 Accessed 15 January 2021
  17. 1 2 3 I-159 ijnsubsite.com September 1, 2018 Accessed 9 January 2022
  18. 1 2 3 "I-60". iijnsubsite.info. 1 September 2018. Retrieved 2 January 2022.
  19. 1 2 3 "I-63". iijnsubsite.info. 24 August 2018. Retrieved 2 January 2022.
  20. ↑ 『日本海軍の潜水艦 - その系譜と戦歴全記録』103頁。(in Japanese)

Bibliography

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.