Japanese submarine I-13

The Japanese submarine I-13 was a Type AM submarine built for the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) during World War II.

History
Empire of Japan
Name: I-13
Laid down: 4 February 1943
Launched: 30 November 1943
Commissioned: 16 December 1944
In service: 1945
Fate: Sunk, 16 July 1945
General characteristics
Class and type: Type AM submarine
Displacement:
  • 3,661 tonnes (3,603 long tons) surfaced
  • 4,838 tonnes (4,762 long tons) submerged
Length: 113.7 m (373 ft 0 in) overall
Beam: 11.7 m (38 ft 5 in)
Draft: 5.9 m (19 ft 4 in)
Installed power:
Propulsion:
Speed:
  • 16.75 knots (31.02 km/h; 19.28 mph) surfaced
  • 5.5 knots (10.2 km/h; 6.3 mph) submerged
Range:
  • 21,000 nmi (39,000 km; 24,000 mi) at 16 knots (30 km/h; 18 mph) surfaced
  • 60 nmi (110 km; 69 mi) at 3 knots (5.6 km/h; 3.5 mph) submerged
Test depth: 100 m (330 ft)
Crew: 108
Armament:
Aircraft carried: 2 × Aichi M6A Seiran floatplane
Aviation facilities: 1 × catapult

Design and description

The Type AM submarines were versions of the preceding A2 class with the command facilities replaced by an enlarged aircraft hangar fitted for a pair of Aichi M6A1 floatplane bombers.[1] They displaced 3,661 tonnes (3,603 long tons) surfaced and 4,838 tonnes (4,762 long tons) submerged. The submarines were 113.7 meters (373 ft 0 in) long, had a beam of 11.7 meters (38 ft 5 in) and a draft of 5.9 meters (19 ft 4 in). They had a diving depth of 100 meters (330 ft).[2]

For surface running, the boats were powered by two 2,200-brake-horsepower (1,641 kW) diesel engines, each driving one propeller shaft. When submerged each propeller was driven by a 300-horsepower (224 kW) electric motor. They could reach 16.75 knots (31.02 km/h; 19.28 mph) on the surface and 5.5 knots (10.2 km/h; 6.3 mph) underwater.[3] On the surface, the AMs had a range of 21,000 nautical miles (39,000 km; 24,000 mi) at 16 knots (30 km/h; 18 mph); submerged, they had a range of 60 nmi (110 km; 69 mi) at 3 knots (5.6 km/h; 3.5 mph).[4]

The boats were armed with six internal bow 53.3 cm (21.0 in) torpedo tubes and carried a total of a dozen torpedoes. They were also armed with a single 140 mm (5.5 in)/40 deck gun and two triple and one single mount for 25 mm (1 in) Type 96 anti-aircraft guns.[4]

The aircraft hangar was enlarged to accommodate two aircraft. It was offset to the right of, and was faired into the base of, the conning tower which protruded over the left side of the hull. A single catapult was positioned on the forward deck. Two folding cranes on the forward deck were used to recover the floatplanes.[4]

Construction and career

The submarine was built at the Kawasaki shipyard in Kobe. I-13 was lost in the Pacific at some point after 11 July 1945, the date of her departure from Japan for Truk. It is possible she was sunk during an anti-submarine warfare operation on 16 July 1945 by aircraft from the escort carrier USS Anzio and the destroyer escort Lawrence C. Taylor.[5]

Notes
  1. Layman & McLaughlin, p. 176
  2. Bagnasco, p. 189
  3. Chesneau, p. 200
  4. Carpenter & Dorr, p. 110
  5. Boyd & Yoshida, p. 209

References
  • Bagnasco, Erminio (1977). Submarines of World War Two. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 0-87021-962-6.
  • Boyd, Carl & Yoshida, Akikiko (2002). The Japanese Submarine Force and World War II. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 1-55750-015-0.
  • 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.
  • Hashimoto, Mochitsura (1954). Sunk: The Story of the Japanese Submarine Fleet 1942 – 1945. Colegrave, E.H.M. (translator). London: Cassell and Company. ASIN B000QSM3L0.
  • Layman, R.D. & McLaughlin, Stephen (1991). The Hybrid Warship:The Amalgamation of Big Guns and Aircraft. London: Conway Maritime Press. ISBN 0-85177-555-1.
  • Stille, Mark (2007). Imperial Japanese Navy Submarines 1941-45. New Vanguard. 135. Botley, Oxford, UK: Osprey Publishing. ISBN 978-1-84603-090-1.
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