I-52-class submarine
Cargo submarine of the Imperial Japanese Navy
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Cruiser submarines Type C modified (巡潜丙型改潜水艦, Junsen Hei-gata kai sensuikan) (Type C2), also called I-52-class submarine (伊五十二型潜水艦, I-go-jū-ni-gata sensuikan) were operated by the Imperial Japanese Navy, designed and built by Mitsubishi Corporation, between 1943 and 1944, as cargo carriers.
| Class overview | |
|---|---|
| Builders | Mitsubishi |
| Operators |  Imperial Japanese Navy |
| Preceded by | Type C submarine |
| Built | 1942–1944 |
| In commission | 1943–1945 |
| Planned | 20 |
| Completed | 3 |
| Lost | 2 |
| General characteristics | |
| Displacement |
|
| Length | 356 ft 6 in (108.66 m) |
| Beam | 30 ft 6 in (9.30 m) |
| Draft | 16 ft 9 in (5.11 m) |
| Propulsion |
|
| Speed |
|
| Range | 21,000 nmi (39,000 km) at 16 kn (30 km/h) |
| Test depth | 100 m (330 ft) |
| Complement | 94 officers and men |
| Armament |
|
The Japanese constructed only three of these during World War II, although twenty were planned.[1]
- I-52 was laid down on 18 March 1942, and she was commissioned on 28 December 1943 into the 11th Submarine Squadron. After training in Japan she was selected for a Yanagi (exchange) mission to Germany. She was sunk on 24 June 1944 by aircraft from USS Bogue (CVE-9) 800 mi (1,300 km) southwest of the Azores. Her cargo consisted of rubber, gold, quinine, and Japanese engineers to Germany.
- I-53 survived the war, but she was scuttled by the US Navy off the Gotō Islands in 1946.
- I-55 was sunk after three months in commission by destroyer USS Gilmer and destroyer escort USS William C. Miller off Saipan on 14 July 1944.