Lindberg/Hawk 2009 - Krick

46
Submarines
70817 Imperial Japanese Navy Submarine C-1 (class) I-20 and the HA-20 Midget Submarine
The first shots of the Pacific War began when the USS
Ward sank the HA-20 with a shot from its 3” guns three
hours prior to the Pearl Harbor attack. Five mother subs
and their midgets where lying in wait at the entrance of
Pearl Harbor on December 7th, 1941. The mother ships
Commissioned in 1944, the I-53, one of three in its
class, was launched in 1943 from Kure Naval Dockyard.
C3 boats were fitted with inferior engines due to
wartime shortages, resulting in a reduced surface speed
of 17.75 knots and 6.5 knots submerged; however, additional
fuel tanks made it possible for long-range cruises.
A Japanese version of a snorkel was first used on these
class subs.
I-16, I-18, I-20, I-22, I-24 all launched their midgets to go
into Pearl Harbor and sink ships. All were sunk except
HA-24, which grounded at Hickam Field Beach and was
salvaged and used as a US Bond drive incentive in
America. Its pilot was the first Japanese prisoner of war.
70818 Imperial Japanese Navy Submarine C-3 (class) I-53 with Kaiten “Kamikaze” Torpedoes
With modifications, the I-53 was converted into a
kaiten carrier in November, 1945. Initially, four kaiten
could be carried, later it was increased to five. I-53 carried
19 torpedoes with six each 21” torpedo tubes on the bow.
On July 24, 1945, in the Philippine Sea, a kaiten of
the I-53 sank the Navy destroyer Escort USS Underhill
(DE 682), the only warship sunk from this type of
weapon. I-53 survived the war, and was scuttled by the
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