Japanese submarine I-201
| History | |
|---|---|
 Empire of Japan | |
| Name: | I-201 |
| Builder: | Kure Naval Arsenal |
| Launched: | 1944 |
| Completed: | 2 February 1945 |
| Fate: | Scuttled, 1946 |
| Status: | Sunk in 2,600 ft (792 m) off Oahu, Hawaii |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type: | I-201-class submarine |
| Displacement: |
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| Length: | 79 m (259 ft 2 in) |
| Beam: | 5.8 m (19 ft 0 in) |
| Draft: | 5.4 m (17 ft 9 in) |
| Installed power: |
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| Propulsion: | |
| Speed: |
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| Range: |
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| Test depth: | 110 m (360 ft) |
| Complement: | 31 |
| Armament: |
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The Japanese submarine I-201 was the name ship of her class of high-speed submarines built for the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) during World War II.
Design and description
The I-201-class submarines were derived from the experimental high-speed Submarine No.71. They displaced 1,312 tonnes (1,291 long tons) surfaced and 1,473 tonnes (1,450 long tons) submerged. The submarines were 79 meters (259 ft 2 in) long, had a beam of 5.8 meters (19 ft 0 in) and a draft of 5.4 meters (17 ft 9 in). The boats were the deepest-diving Japanese submarines of the war and had a diving depth of 110 m (360 ft).[1]
For surface running, the boats were powered by two 1,375-brake-horsepower (1,025 kW) diesel engines, each driving one propeller shaft. When submerged each propeller was driven by a 2,500-horsepower (1,864 kW) electric motor. They could reach 15.2 knots (28.2 km/h; 17.5 mph) on the surface and 19 knots (35 km/h; 22 mph) underwater. On the surface, the I-201s had a range of 5,800 nautical miles (10,700 km; 6,700 mi) at 14 knots (26 km/h; 16 mph); submerged, they had a range of 135 nmi (250 km; 155 mi) at 3 knots (5.6 km/h; 3.5 mph). They were fitted with a schnorkel to allow them to run their diesels while underwater.[2]
The boats were armed with four internal bow 53.3 cm (21.0 in) torpedo tubes. They carried a total of 10 torpedoes. They were also armed with two single mounts for 25 mm (0.98 in) anti-aircraft guns.[3]
Construction and career
I-201 was captured at the end of the war by American forces. After examination of her design, the boat was sunk off Oahu in 1946. It was discovered in 2009 by the Hawaii Undersea Research Laboratory.[4]
Notes
- ↑ Carpenter & Dorr, p. 116
- ↑ Chesneau, p. 202
- ↑ Bagnasco, p. 195
- ↑ Fountain, Henry (November 12, 2009). "2 Japanese Subs Are Found in Waters Off Hawaii". New York Times. New York: The New York Times Company. Retrieved 12 November 2009.
References
- Bagnasco, Erminio (1977). Submarines of World War Two. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 0-87021-962-6.
- Carpenter, Dorr B. & Polmar, Norman (1986). Submarines of the Imperial Japanese Navy 1904–1945. London: Conway Maritime Press. ISBN 0-85177-396-6.
- Chesneau, Roger, ed. (1980). Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1922–1946. Greenwich, UK: Conway Maritime Press. ISBN 0-85177-146-7.
- Hackett, Bob; Kingsepp, Sander (2012). "IJN Submarine I-201: Tabular Record of Movement". combinedfleet.com. Retrieved 1 March 2012.
- Rohwer, Jürgen (2005). Chronology of the War at Sea 1939-1945: The Naval History of World War Two (Third Revised ed.). Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 1-59114-119-2.
