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Japanese submarines are primarily developments of German World War I U-boats. The range of types varies from the older RO coastal classes to the long-range I types, some of which may be equipped to carry a collapsible plane or midget submarine.
HyperWar: Axis Submarine Manual (ONI 220-M)
(includes table with length, tonnage, armament and tube data for the above)
A distinctive feature of the Japanese submarine fleet was the large numbers of submarines equipped to carry seaplanes or midget submarines. The Japanese began experimenting with submarine seaplanes as early as 1923, and these experiments reached their culmination with the Third Naval Replenishment Plan (1937). This called for the construction of three classes of submarines by October 1941, to be formed into balanced long-range attack groups. The A1s were intended to direct scouting operations by B1and C1 class submarines, the former specialized to locate targets and the latter to carry out attacks. The A1s and B1s would carry seaplanes to assist in their command and reconnaissance roles, while the C1s carried midget submarines to join in their attacks. However, the only time the complete attack groups operated in a manner that much resembled this prewar plan was in the attack on Pearl Harbor
The remainder (i.e. most) of the Japanese submarine fleet was divided into coastal defense (Ro), cruiser (Junsen) and fleet (Kaidai) submarines of various classes. Junsen or cruiser submarines were designed to have great range and large torpedo loadouts, for individual long-range patrol and independent reconnaissance missions in distant waters. They differed from the faster fleet submarines in that these, the Kadai, were intended to operate in flottillas in conjujnction with the surface fleet. The Ro were smaller coastal defense boats. The Japanese had a definite advantage in their excellent submarine torpedo, the Type 95, which was vastly superior to the miserable American Mark 14.
Crews had excellent night binoculars, giving them the same early advantage over the Allies in night actions as their surface forces, but this advantage eroded as the Japanese fell behind on radar development. Japanese submarines started receiving radar only in 1944. A few Japanese submarines were fitted with schnorkels. Originally invented by the Dutch in 1935 as the snuiver, and fitted to all Dutch submarines by 1939, the schnorkel was a tubular air pipe that could be extended out of the water by a submerged submarine to allow its diesel engines to run underwater. This significantly increased the stealth of the submarine, but the Allies learned to detect the schorkels on German U-boats visually and by radar (it kicked up a large "feather" of water) and so the Japanese version proved to have little tactical significance.
The Pacific War Online Encyclopedia: Submarines (SS)
(includes overview of all individual classes, with links to class pages)
HyperWar: Axis Submarine Manual (ONI 220-M)
(includes table with length, tonnage, armament and tube data for the above)
A distinctive feature of the Japanese submarine fleet was the large numbers of submarines equipped to carry seaplanes or midget submarines. The Japanese began experimenting with submarine seaplanes as early as 1923, and these experiments reached their culmination with the Third Naval Replenishment Plan (1937). This called for the construction of three classes of submarines by October 1941, to be formed into balanced long-range attack groups. The A1s were intended to direct scouting operations by B1and C1 class submarines, the former specialized to locate targets and the latter to carry out attacks. The A1s and B1s would carry seaplanes to assist in their command and reconnaissance roles, while the C1s carried midget submarines to join in their attacks. However, the only time the complete attack groups operated in a manner that much resembled this prewar plan was in the attack on Pearl Harbor
The remainder (i.e. most) of the Japanese submarine fleet was divided into coastal defense (Ro), cruiser (Junsen) and fleet (Kaidai) submarines of various classes. Junsen or cruiser submarines were designed to have great range and large torpedo loadouts, for individual long-range patrol and independent reconnaissance missions in distant waters. They differed from the faster fleet submarines in that these, the Kadai, were intended to operate in flottillas in conjujnction with the surface fleet. The Ro were smaller coastal defense boats. The Japanese had a definite advantage in their excellent submarine torpedo, the Type 95, which was vastly superior to the miserable American Mark 14.
Crews had excellent night binoculars, giving them the same early advantage over the Allies in night actions as their surface forces, but this advantage eroded as the Japanese fell behind on radar development. Japanese submarines started receiving radar only in 1944. A few Japanese submarines were fitted with schnorkels. Originally invented by the Dutch in 1935 as the snuiver, and fitted to all Dutch submarines by 1939, the schnorkel was a tubular air pipe that could be extended out of the water by a submerged submarine to allow its diesel engines to run underwater. This significantly increased the stealth of the submarine, but the Allies learned to detect the schorkels on German U-boats visually and by radar (it kicked up a large "feather" of water) and so the Japanese version proved to have little tactical significance.
The Pacific War Online Encyclopedia: Submarines (SS)
(includes overview of all individual classes, with links to class pages)
