The I-201-class submarines (伊二百一型潜水艦, I-ni-hyaku-ichi-gata sensuikan) were submarines of the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War II. These submarines were of advanced design, built for high underwater speed, and were known as Sentaka-Dai type submarine (潜高大型潜水艦, Sen-Taka-Dai-gata sensuikan, "Submarine High speed-Large type") or Sentaka type submarine (潜高型潜水艦, Sen-Taka-gata sensuikan, "Submarine High speed type"). The type name, was shortened to Suichū Kōsoku Sensuikan Ō-gata (水中高速潜水艦大型, Underwater High speed Submarine Large type).[1]
An unidentified I-201-class submarine in the vicinity of Kure, Japan, in October 1945.
They were one of the fastest submarine class built during World War II, second only to Walter Type XVII closed-cycle powered submarines. Twenty-three units were ordered from the Kure Naval Arsenal under the 1943 construction program. Due to the deteriorating war situation, only eight boats were laid down, and only three, numbered I-201, I-202 and I-203, were completed before the end of the war. None of them saw operational use.
In 1938 the Imperial Japanese Navy constructed an experimental high-speed submarine for evaluation purposes, which was designated Vessel Number 71 (第71号艦) for security purposes. Based on previous experience with high-speed, short-range midget submarines, Number 71 displaced only 230 tons surfaced with a length of 140 ft (43 m). She could attain a submerged speed of over 21 kn (39 km/h; 24 mph), making her the fastest submarine of her day. The results gained from experiments with Number 71 formed the basis for the I-201 class submarines.[2]
DesignEdit
General arrangements and sections of the type I-201 class submarine.
By late 1942 it had become apparent to the IJN that conventional submarines were unable to survive the new ASW techniques coming into service, such as radar, HF/DF, sonar, and new depth charge projectors. New submarines were required, with a higher underwater than surface speed, quick-diving capability, quiet underwater running, and a high underwater operational radius.
The IJN General Staff made an official request for high-speed submarines in October 1943 and among the ships planned in 1944 to be constructed in 1945 were 23 "underwater high speed submarines" (Sen taka) temporarily designated "Ships No. 4501–4523".
The General Staff's final requirements were stated in Order No. 295 dated 29 October 1943 to the Navy Technical Department. These included an underwater speed of 25 kn (46 km/h; 29 mph) which was reduced to 20 kn (37 km/h; 23 mph) for practical reasons. Nevertheless, they were the fastest operational submarines of World War II, outpacing even the German Type XXI.[3]
To meet the requirement for high underwater speed the designers had to:
Adopt a single-hull structure
Locate the main ballast tank higher than previous submarines to give a higher center of gravity and improve dynamic stability
Give the pressure hull and casing a highly streamlined form
Fit large horizontal control surfaces at the stern instead of the more usual bow-mounted dive planes; this improved directional stability and may have decreased turbulence-induced drag.[4]
Reduce the crew and crew accommodation to provide battery space; the Sen-Taka was designed for a crew of 31, compared to that the similar-sized Sen-Chu (54), and the Kai Dai 1 (60) Types (in practice the SenTaka needed a crew of 50 when it became operational, leading to an unforeseen habitation problem).
Restrict the armament, also to save space; the Sen-Taka had the same torpedo outfit as the smaller Sen-Chu 2nd class submarine, and just half that of the comparable Kaidai 1st class submarine. Also the Sen-Taka had no deck gun, and the AA armament carried had to be held in retractable mounts, requiring hull space, in order to meet the streamlining requirement.
The I-201 class bore little resemblance to earlier I-boats, which were optimized for long range and high surfaced speed. By contrast, the I-201 emphasized submerged performance. It featured powerful electric motors, streamlined all-welded hulls, and a large capacity battery consisting of 4,192 cells. The maximum underwater speed of 19 knots (35 km/h) was double that of contemporary American designs. The I-201s, like other Japanese submarines of the period,[5] were also equipped with a crude snorkel, allowing underwater diesel operation while recharging batteries.
I-201 displaced 1,291 tons surfaced and 1,451 tons submerged. It had a test depth of 360 feet (110 m). Armament consisted of four 53 cm (21 in) torpedo tubes and 10 Type 95torpedoes. The two 25 mm anti-aircraft guns were housed in retractable mounts to maintain streamlining. The submarine was designed for mass production, with large sections prefabricated in factories and transported to the slip for final assembly.
FateEdit
Two submarines, I-201 and I-203, were seized and inspected by the US Navy at the end of the hostilities. They were part of a group of four captured submarines, including the giant I-400 and I-401, which were sailed to Hawaii by US Navy technicians for further inspection.
On 26 March 1946, the US Navy decided to scuttle these captured Japanese submarines to prevent the technology from falling into the hands of the Soviet Union. On 5 April 1946, I-202 was scuttled in Japanese waters. On 21 May 1946, I-203 was torpedoed and sunk by submarine USS Caiman off the Hawaiian Islands. On 23 May 1946, I-201 was torpedoed and sunk by USS Queenfish. The Hawaii Undersea Research Laboratory found the wreck of the I-201 near Hawaii using submersible craft in 2009.[6]
Lengerer, Hans (2006). "The High-Speed Submarines of the I 201 Class". Warship. Chrysalis Books. 28: 59–77.
Stille, Mark; Tony Bryan (2007). Imperial Japanese Navy Submarines 1941-45. Osprey Publishing. ISBN978-1-84603-090-1.
Stille, Mark. Imperial Japanese Navy Submarines 1941-45. Osprey, 2007.
"Rekishi Gunzō"., History of Pacific War Vol.17 I-Gō Submarines, Gakken (Japanese publishing company), January 1998, ISBN4-05-601767-0
The Maru Special, Japanese Naval Vessels No.132, Japanese submarines I, Ushio Shobō (Japanese publishing company), February 1988
External linksEdit
Submarines of the Imperial Japanese Navy
August 25, 2023
class, submarine, 伊二百一型潜水艦, hyaku, ichi, gata, sensuikan, were, submarines, imperial, japanese, navy, during, world, these, submarines, were, advanced, design, built, high, underwater, speed, were, known, sentaka, type, submarine, 潜高大型潜水艦, taka, gata, sensuika. The I 201 class submarines 伊二百一型潜水艦 I ni hyaku ichi gata sensuikan were submarines of the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War II These submarines were of advanced design built for high underwater speed and were known as Sentaka Dai type submarine 潜高大型潜水艦 Sen Taka Dai gata sensuikan Submarine High speed Large type or Sentaka type submarine 潜高型潜水艦 Sen Taka gata sensuikan Submarine High speed type The type name was shortened to Suichu Kōsoku Sensuikan Ō gata 水中高速潜水艦大型 Underwater High speed Submarine Large type 1 Sentaka I 202 at high surface speedClass overviewBuildersKure Naval ArsenalOperators Imperial Japanese NavyPreceded byI 400 class submarineSubclassesI 201 class Project No S563 I 207 class Project No S56BBuilt1945In service1945In commission1945Planned23Completed3Scrapped3General characteristicsTypeSubmarineDisplacement1 290 t 1 270 long tons 1 420 short tons surfaced 1 503 t 1 479 long tons 1 657 short tons submergedLength79 m 259 ft overall 59 2 m 194 ft pressure hullBeam5 8 m 19 ft pressure hull 9 2 m 30 ft max across stern finsHeight7 m 23 ft keel to main deck PropulsionDiesel electric 2 MAN Mk 1 diesel マ式1号ディーゼル Ma Shiki 1 Gō diesel build by Kawasaki and Mitsubishi 2 750 hp 2 050 kW 4 electric motors 5 000 hp 3 700 kW at 600 rpm 2 shaftsSpeed15 75 knots 29 17 km h surfaced 19 knots 35 km h submergedRange15 000 nmi 28 000 km at 6 knots 11 km h 7 800 nmi 14 400 km at 11 knots 20 km h 5 800 nmi 10 700 km at 14 knots 26 km h Submerged 135 nmi 250 km at 3 knots 5 6 km h Test depth110 m 360 ft Complement31 plan approx 50 actual Armament4 533 mm 21 in bow torpedo tubes 10 Type 95 torpedoes 2 Type 96 25 mm AA gunsAn unidentified I 201 class submarine in the vicinity of Kure Japan in October 1945 They were one of the fastest submarine class built during World War II second only to Walter Type XVII closed cycle powered submarines Twenty three units were ordered from the Kure Naval Arsenal under the 1943 construction program Due to the deteriorating war situation only eight boats were laid down and only three numbered I 201 I 202 and I 203 were completed before the end of the war None of them saw operational use Contents 1 Background 2 Design 3 Fate 4 Boats in class 5 Influences 6 In fiction 7 See also 8 Notes 9 References 10 External linksBackground EditIn 1938 the Imperial Japanese Navy constructed an experimental high speed submarine for evaluation purposes which was designated Vessel Number 71 第71号艦 for security purposes Based on previous experience with high speed short range midget submarines Number 71 displaced only 230 tons surfaced with a length of 140 ft 43 m She could attain a submerged speed of over 21 kn 39 km h 24 mph making her the fastest submarine of her day The results gained from experiments with Number 71 formed the basis for the I 201 class submarines 2 Design Edit General arrangements and sections of the type I 201 class submarine By late 1942 it had become apparent to the IJN that conventional submarines were unable to survive the new ASW techniques coming into service such as radar HF DF sonar and new depth charge projectors New submarines were required with a higher underwater than surface speed quick diving capability quiet underwater running and a high underwater operational radius The IJN General Staff made an official request for high speed submarines in October 1943 and among the ships planned in 1944 to be constructed in 1945 were 23 underwater high speed submarines Sen taka temporarily designated Ships No 4501 4523 The General Staff s final requirements were stated in Order No 295 dated 29 October 1943 to the Navy Technical Department These included an underwater speed of 25 kn 46 km h 29 mph which was reduced to 20 kn 37 km h 23 mph for practical reasons Nevertheless they were the fastest operational submarines of World War II outpacing even the German Type XXI 3 To meet the requirement for high underwater speed the designers had to Adopt a single hull structure Locate the main ballast tank higher than previous submarines to give a higher center of gravity and improve dynamic stability Give the pressure hull and casing a highly streamlined form Make the conning tower as small as possible Replace fixed deck guns with retractable mounts housed in shuttered recesses when submerged Use steel plates for the upper deck rather than wood Install underwater charging system snorkel Fit large horizontal control surfaces at the stern instead of the more usual bow mounted dive planes this improved directional stability and may have decreased turbulence induced drag 4 Reduce the crew and crew accommodation to provide battery space the Sen Taka was designed for a crew of 31 compared to that the similar sized Sen Chu 54 and the Kai Dai 1 60 Types in practice the SenTaka needed a crew of 50 when it became operational leading to an unforeseen habitation problem Restrict the armament also to save space the Sen Taka had the same torpedo outfit as the smaller Sen Chu 2nd class submarine and just half that of the comparable Kaidai 1st class submarine Also the Sen Taka had no deck gun and the AA armament carried had to be held in retractable mounts requiring hull space in order to meet the streamlining requirement The I 201 class bore little resemblance to earlier I boats which were optimized for long range and high surfaced speed By contrast the I 201 emphasized submerged performance It featured powerful electric motors streamlined all welded hulls and a large capacity battery consisting of 4 192 cells The maximum underwater speed of 19 knots 35 km h was double that of contemporary American designs The I 201s like other Japanese submarines of the period 5 were also equipped with a crude snorkel allowing underwater diesel operation while recharging batteries I 201 displaced 1 291 tons surfaced and 1 451 tons submerged It had a test depth of 360 feet 110 m Armament consisted of four 53 cm 21 in torpedo tubes and 10 Type 95 torpedoes The two 25 mm anti aircraft guns were housed in retractable mounts to maintain streamlining The submarine was designed for mass production with large sections prefabricated in factories and transported to the slip for final assembly Fate EditTwo submarines I 201 and I 203 were seized and inspected by the US Navy at the end of the hostilities They were part of a group of four captured submarines including the giant I 400 and I 401 which were sailed to Hawaii by US Navy technicians for further inspection On 26 March 1946 the US Navy decided to scuttle these captured Japanese submarines to prevent the technology from falling into the hands of the Soviet Union On 5 April 1946 I 202 was scuttled in Japanese waters On 21 May 1946 I 203 was torpedoed and sunk by submarine USS Caiman off the Hawaiian Islands On 23 May 1946 I 201 was torpedoed and sunk by USS Queenfish The Hawaii Undersea Research Laboratory found the wreck of the I 201 near Hawaii using submersible craft in 2009 6 Boats in class EditSub class Boat Boat Builder Laid down Launched Completed Decommissioned FateI 201 Pr S563 4501 I 201 7 Kure Naval Arsenal 1 March 1944 22 July 1944 2 February 1945 30 November 1945 Sunk as a target off the Hawaiian Islands by USS Queenfish on 23 May 19464502 I 202 1 May 1944 2 September 1944 12 February 1945 30 November 1945 Scuttled by U S Navy off Gotō Islands on 5 April 19464503 I 203 1 June 1944 20 September 1944 29 May 1945 30 November 1945 Sunk as a target off the Hawaiian Islands by USS Caiman on 21 May 19464504 I 204 1 August 1944 16 December 1944 90 complete sunk by air raid on 22 June 1945 salvaged and scrapped at Kure February May 19484505 I 205 4 September 1944 15 February 1945 80 complete sunk by air raid on 28 July 1945 salvaged and scrapped at Kure May August 19484506 I 206 27 October 1944 26 March 1945 85 complete construction stopped on 26 March 1945 scrapped at Kure October 1946 January 1947I 207 Pr S56B 4507 I 207 27 December 1944 20 complete construction stopped on 17 April 1945 scrapped at Kure April May 19464508 I 208 17 February 1945 5 complete construction stopped on 17 April 1945 scrapped at Kure April May 1946 with I 207 8 4509 4523 Constructions were not started until the end of the war Influences EditThe I 201 design and technology influenced Japanese Maritime Self Defense Force JDS Oyashio 1959 In fiction EditA refurbished I 203 is used by the characters in the film Hell and High Water 1954 See also EditGerman Type XXI submarine Ha 201 class submarine Vessel Number 71 JDS Oyashio SS 511 Notes Edit The 潜高大 read as Sentaka Dai but the 高速 read as Kō soku and 大型 read as Ō gata in Japanese Stille p 38 Stille Mark Imperial Japanese Navy Submarines 1941 45 Osprey 2007 p 38 Lengerer p 62 Stille p 35 amp passim Henry Fountain November 14 2009 2 Sunken Japanese Subs Are Found Off Hawaii New York Times Retrieved November 14 2009 伊号第201潜水艦 I Gō Dai 201 Sensuikan The same shall apply hereinafter Lengerer p 75References EditLengerer Hans 2006 The High Speed Submarines of the I 201 Class Warship Chrysalis Books 28 59 77 Stille Mark Tony Bryan 2007 Imperial Japanese Navy Submarines 1941 45 Osprey Publishing ISBN 978 1 84603 090 1 Stille Mark Imperial Japanese Navy Submarines 1941 45 Osprey 2007 Rekishi Gunzō History of Pacific War Vol 17 I Gō Submarines Gakken Japanese publishing company January 1998 ISBN 4 05 601767 0 The Maru Special Japanese Naval Vessels No 132 Japanese submarines I Ushio Shobō Japanese publishing company February 1988External links EditThe Transpacific voyage of the I 400 Submarines of the Imperial Japanese Navy Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title I 201 class submarine amp oldid 1059455594, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
