View source for Type B1 submarine

{{Short description|1st-class Japanese submarine subtype}}
{|{{Infobox ship begin}}
{{Infobox ship image
|Ship image=I-26 Japanese submarine.jpg
|Ship caption=''I-26''
}}
{{Infobox ship class overview
|Name=B1 class
|Builders=
|Operators=[[File:Naval Ensign of Japan.svg|20px|Japanese Navy Ensign]]Imperial Japanese Navy
|Class before=[[Junsen type submarine#Junsen III (I-7 class)|Type J3 submarine]]
|Class after=[[Type B submarine#Type-B Mod.1 (I-40 class)|Type B2 submarine]]
|Subclasses=
|Cost=
|Built range=
|In service range=
|In commission range=
|Total ships building=
|Total ships planned=
|Total ships completed=18
|Total ships lost=17
|Total ships scrapped=1
}}
{{Infobox ship characteristics
|Hide header=
|Header caption=
|Ship class=[[Cruiser submarine]]
|Ship displacement=*{{Convert|2589|LT|t|0|disp=flip}} surfaced
*{{Convert|3654|LT|t|0|disp=flip}} submerged
|Ship length={{convert|108.7|m|ftin|abbr=on}} overall
|Ship beam= {{convert|9.3|m|ftin|abbr=on}}
|Ship draft={{convert|5.1|m|ftin|abbr=on}}
|Ship power=*{{convert|12400|bhp|lk=in|abbr=on}} (diesel)
*{{convert|2000|hp|abbr=on}} ([[electric motor]])
|Ship propulsion=*[[Diesel-electric]]
*2 × [[diesel engine]]
*1 × electric motor
|Ship speed=*{{convert|23.5|kn|lk=in}} surfaced
*{{convert|8|kn}} submerged
|Ship range=*{{convert|14000|nmi|abbr=on|lk=in}} at {{convert|16|kn}} surfaced
*{{convert|96|nmi|abbr=on}} at {{convert|3|kn}} submerged
|Ship crew=94
|Ship test depth={{convert|100|m|ft|abbr=on}}
|Ship armament=*6 × bow {{convert|533|mm|in|0|abbr=on}} [[torpedo tubes]]
*1 × [[14 cm/40 11th Year Type naval gun|{{convert|14|cm|in|1|abbr=on}}]] [[deck gun]]
*2 × single [[Type 96 25 mm AT/AA Gun|{{convert|25|mm|in|0|abbr=on}} Type 96]] [[anti-aircraft gun]]s
|Ship aircraft=1 × [[floatplane]]
|Ship aircraft facilities=1 × [[Aircraft catapult|catapult]]
|Ship notes=
}}
|}
The {{nihongo|'''Type B1 submarine'''|巡潜乙型潜水艦|Junsen Otsu-gata sensuikan|lit. "Cruiser submarine type B"}}, also called {{nihongo|'''''I-15''-class submarine'''|伊一五型潜水艦|I-jū-go-gata sensuikan}} was the first group of boats of the [[Type B submarine|Type B]] [[cruiser submarine]]s built for the [[Imperial Japanese Navy]] (IJN) during the 1940s. In total 20 were built, starting with {{ship|Japanese submarine|I-15||2}}, which gave the series their alternative name.
==Design and description==
The Type B submarines were derived from the earlier KD6 sub-class of the {{sclass|Kaidai|submarine|4}} and were equipped with an aircraft to enhance their scouting ability. They [[Displacement (ship)|displaced]] {{Convert|2589|LT|t|0|disp=flip}} surfaced and {{Convert|3654|LT|t|0|disp=flip}} submerged. The submarines were {{convert|108.7|m|ftin|sp=us}} long, had a [[beam (nautical)|beam]] of {{convert|9.3|m|ftin|sp=us}} and a [[draft (hull)|draft]] of {{convert|5.1|m|ftin|sp=us}}. They had a diving depth of {{convert|100|m|ft|sp=us}}.<ref name=b4>Bagnasco, p. 189</ref>
For surface running, the boats were powered by two {{convert|6200|bhp|lk=in|0|adj=on}} [[diesel engine]]s, each driving one [[propeller shaft]]. When submerged each propeller was driven by a {{convert|1000|hp|0|adj=on}} [[electric motor]]. They could reach {{convert|23.6|kn|lk=in}} on the surface and {{convert|8|kn}} underwater.<ref name=c5>Chesneau, p. 200</ref> On the surface, the ''B1''s had a range of {{convert|14000|nmi|lk=in}} at {{convert|16|kn}}; submerged, they had a range of {{convert|96|nmi|abbr=on}} at {{convert|3|kn}}.<ref name=cd3/>
The boats were armed with six internal bow {{convert|53.3|cm|in|1|abbr=on|sp=us}} [[torpedo tube]]s and carried a total of 17 [[torpedo]]es. They were also armed with a single [[14 cm/40 11th Year Type naval gun|{{convert|140|mm|in|abbr=on}}/40]] [[deck gun]] and two single mounts for [[Type 96 25 mm AT/AA Gun|{{convert|25|mm|in|0|abbr=on}} Type 96]] [[anti-aircraft gun]]s.<ref name=cd3>Carpenter & Dorr, p. 102</ref> In the Type Bs, the aircraft [[hangar]] was faired into the base of the [[conning tower]]. A single [[Aircraft catapult|catapult]] was positioned on the forward deck. Late in the war, some of the submarines had their aircraft hangar removed, to replace it with an additional 14&nbsp;cm gun. In 1944, ''I-36'' and ''I-37'' had their aircraft hangar and catapult removed so that they could carry four [[Kaiten]] manned torpedoes, with ''I-36'' later being further modified to carry six.<ref name=cd3/>
==Service==
The series was rather successful, especially at the beginning of the war.
*{{ship|Japanese submarine|I-17||2}} shelled an oil field up the beach from [[Santa Barbara, California|Santa Barbara]] and damaged a pump house in Elwood in February 1942. She was sunk by the New Zealand trawler [[HMNZS Tui (T234)|''Tui'']] and two US Navy aircraft off [[Noumea]] on 19 August 1943.
*On 15 September 1942 {{ship|Japanese submarine|I-19||2}} fired six torpedoes at the aircraft carrier [[USS Wasp (CV-7)|USS ''Wasp'']], three of which hit the carrier and sank her. The three remaining torpedoes went on for several thousand meters and hit another carrier force,{{citation needed|date=August 2017}} damaging the battleship [[USS North Carolina (BB-55)|USS ''North Carolina'']] and sinking the destroyer [[USS O'Brien (DD-415)|USS ''O'Brien'']]. ''I-19'' was sunk with depth charges by {{USS|Radford|DD-446|6}}<ref name=USNChron>{{cite book |url= https://archive.org/details/TheOfficialChronologyOfTheUSNavyInWorldWarII |title= The official chronology of the U.S. Navy in World War II |chapter= Chapter V: 1943 |chapter-url= http://www.ibiblio.org/hyperwar/USN/USN-Chron/USN-Chron-1943.html |first= Robert |last= Cressman |location= Annapolis, Maryland |publisher= Naval Institute Press |year= 2000 |isbn= 978-1-55750-149-3 |oclc= 41977179 |access-date= 2012-09-14 |url-access= registration }}</ref> on 25 November 1943.
*{{ship|Japanese submarine|I-25||2}} conducted one of the few attacks on the continental United States in September 1942. A year later she was sunk by destroyer [[USS Patterson (DD-392)|USS ''Patterson'']] off the [[New Hebrides]] on 3 September 1943.
*{{ship|Japanese submarine|I-26||2}} sank the [[US Army]] chartered merchant ship [[SS Cynthia Olson|SS ''Cynthia Olson'']] about 1,000 miles{{clarify|date=August 2017}}<!--nautical miles?--> northeast of Pearl Harbor on 7 December 1941, causing 35 fatalities. She also crippled the aircraft carrier {{USS|Saratoga|CV-3|6}} with one torpedo hit (out of six fired) on 31 August 1942. On 13 November 1942, she sank the cruiser [[USS Juneau (CL-52)|USS ''Juneau'']]. She was sunk off [[Leyte (island)|Leyte]] in October 1944.
*{{ship|Japanese submarine|I-27||2}} Between June 1942 and February  1944, she sank several ships including:  [[SS Iron Crown]] near Gabo Island, [[SS Fort Mumford|SS ''Fort Mumford'']] and [[SS Montanan|SS ''Montanan'']] in the Indian Ocean, [[Liberty ship]] SS ''Sambridge'',<!--where?--> and the [[SS Khedive Ismail|SS ''Khedive Ismail'']] near the Maldives on February 12, 1944. Following her last success, she was sunk by escorting British warships.
*{{ship|Japanese submarine|I-29||2}} was used to conduct personnel, gold, and technology exchanges with [[Germany]] during WW2. Her most famous [[Yanagi missions|''Yanagi'']] mission was the successful transfer on 26 April 1943 off the coast of [[Mozambique]], [[Africa]], and safe return to Japan from [[German submarine U-180|German ''U-180'']] with Netaji [[Subhas Chandra Bose]], leader of the Indian Independence Movement and [[Indian National Army]] who was going from Berlin to Tokyo, and his Adjutant, [[Abid Hasan (diplomat)|Abid Hasan]], while two Japanese naval officers sent to study U-boat construction and 2 tons of gold were transferred to ''U-180'' as Japanese payment for German wartime technology. Both submarines returned safely to their bases.
*{{ship|Japanese submarine|I-39||2}} on 12 September 1943, torpedoed the 205&nbsp;ft fleet tug [[USS Navajo (AT-64)|USS ''Navajo'']] en route from [[Pago Pago]] towing a gas barge.
===Losses===
[[File:I-15.jpg|thumb|420px|Japanese B1-type ''I-15'' submarine on initial sea trials 15 September 1940 with integral aircraft hangar visible]]
*{{ship|Japanese submarine|I-15||2}} was sunk off San Cristobol on 2 November 1942 by destroyer {{USS|McCalla|DD-488|6}}.
*{{ship|Japanese submarine|I-19||2}} was sunk by {{USS|Radford|DD-446|6}} 25 November 1943
*{{ship|Japanese submarine|I-21||2}} made her final report on 27 November 1943, off the [[Gilbert Islands]], following which she was never heard from again.<ref name=boyd>{{cite book | last = Boyd | first = Carl |author2=Akihiko Yoshida | title = The Japanese Submarine Force and World War II | publisher = Naval Institute Press | date = 2002 | isbn = 1-55750-015-0}}</ref> At least one source attributes her sinking to aircraft from escort carrier {{USS|Chenango|CVE-28|6}} on 29 November 1943.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Rohwer|first1=Jürgen|last2=Hümmelchen|first2=Gerhard|title=Chronology of the War at Sea, 1939–1945: the Naval History of World War Two|date=2005|publisher=Naval Institute Press|location=Annapolis, Md.|isbn=9781591141198|page=289|edition=3. rev.|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=TpDlFI453RcC}}</ref>
*{{ship|Japanese submarine|I-23||2}} was lost in February 1942, following a final report made from off [[Oahu]].
*{{ship|Japanese submarine|I-25||2}} was sunk by {{USS|Patterson|DD-392|6}} on 25 August 1943.{{cn|date=February 2023}}
*{{ship|Japanese submarine|I-27||2}} was sunk by the British destroyers {{HMS|Paladin|G69|6}} and {{HMS|Petard|G56|6}} off Addu Atoll on 12 February 1944 after it had sunk the [[troopship]] {{SS|Khedive Ismail||6}} with the loss of about 1,300 lives. She was first rammed by ''Paladin'' then torpedoed by ''Petard''.<ref name=boyd/>
*{{ship|Japanese submarine|I-28||2}} was sunk by submarine {{USS|Tautog|SS-199|6}} south of [[Chuuk Lagoon|Truk]] on 17 May 1942.
*{{ship|Japanese submarine|I-29||2}} was sunk by {{USS|Sawfish||6}} in [[Balintang Channel]] on 26 July 1944.
*{{ship|Japanese submarine|I-30||2}} was the first Japanese submarine to reach Europe under the [[Submarines of the Imperial Japanese Navy#Yanagi missions|''Yanagi'']] missions, but she was sunk by a mine off [[Singapore]] on 13 October 1942.
*{{ship|Japanese submarine|I-31||2}} was sunk by destroyers {{USS|Edwards|DD-619|6}} and {{USS|Frazier|DD-607|6}} off [[Attu Island|Attu]] on 12 May 1943.
*{{ship|Japanese submarine|I-32||2}} was sunk by the destroyer escort {{USS|Manlove|DE-36|6}} and the subchaser {{USS|Canastota|PC-1135|6}} south of [[Wotje]] on 24 March 1944.
*{{ship|Japanese submarine|I-33||2}} was lost during sea trials in the [[Seto Inland Sea|Inland Sea]] on 13 June 1944.
*{{ship|Japanese submarine|I-34||2}} was sunk by submarine {{HMS|Taurus|P399|6}} off [[Penang]] on 13 November 1943.
*{{ship|Japanese submarine|I-35||2}} was sunk by destroyers {{USS|Meade|DD-602|6}} and {{USS|Frazier|DD-607|6}} off [[Tarawa Atoll|Tarawa]] on 23 November 1943.<ref>[http://www.defence.gov.au/sydneyii/EXP/EXP.001.0065.pdf report of the sinking of I-35], [[Department of Defence (Australia)]], undated [[World War II]], accessed 24 April 2010</ref>
*{{ship|Japanese submarine|I-37||2}} was sunk by destroyer escorts {{USS|Conklin|DE-439|6}} and {{USS|McCoy Reynolds|DE-440|6}} off [[Leyte (island)|Leyte]] on 19 November 1944.
*{{ship|Japanese submarine|I-38||2}} was sunk by destroyer {{USS|Nicholas|DD-449|6}} near [[Yap]] on 12 November 1944.
*{{ship|Japanese submarine|I-39||2}} was sunk by destroyer {{USS|Boyd|DD-544|6}} in the [[Gilberts]] on 26 November 1943.
Altogether the Type B submarines (B1, [[Type B submarine#Type-B Mod.1 (I-40 class)|B2]], and [[Type B submarine#Type-B Mod.2 (I-54 class)|B3]] combined) are credited with sinking 56 merchant ships for a total of 372,730&nbsp;tonnes, about 35% of all merchant shipping sunk by Japanese submarines during the war.
All B1 type submarines were lost during the conflict, except for ''{{ship|Japanese submarine|I-36||2}}'', which was scuttled off [[Gotō Islands]] by the [[US Navy]] on 1 April 1946.
==See also==
* [[Type B submarine]]
==Notes==
{{Reflist|30em}}
==References==
*{{cite book|last=Bagnasco |first=Erminio |title=Submarines of World War Two |year=1977 |publisher=Naval Institute Press |location=Annapolis, Maryland |isbn=0-87021-962-6}}
*{{cite book|last1=Boyd|first1=Carl|last2=Yoshida|first2=Akikiko|title=The Japanese Submarine Force and World War II|date=2002|publisher=Naval Institute Press|location=Annapolis, Maryland|isbn=1-55750-015-0|name-list-style=amp}}
*{{cite book|last1=Carpenter|first1=Dorr B.|last2=Polmar|first2=Norman|title=Submarines of the Imperial Japanese Navy 1904–1945|year=1986|publisher=Conway Maritime Press|location=London|isbn=0-85177-396-6|name-list-style=amp}}
*{{cite book|title=Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1922–1946|editor1-last=Chesneau|editor1-first=Roger|publisher=Conway Maritime Press|location=Greenwich, UK|year=1980|isbn=0-85177-146-7}}
*{{cite book|last=Hashimoto|first=Mochitsura|others=Colegrave, E.H.M. (translator)|title=Sunk: The Story of the Japanese Submarine Fleet 1942 – 1945|publisher=Cassell and Company|location=London|year=1954|id=ASIN B000QSM3L0}}
*{{cite book |last1=Milanovich |first1=Kathrin |editor1-last=Jordan |editor1-first=John |title=Warship 2021 |date=2021 |publisher=Osprey Publishing |location=Oxford, UK |isbn=978-1-4728-4779-9 |chapter=The IJN Submarines of the I 15 Class|pages=29–43}}
*{{cite book|last=Stille|first=Mark|title=Imperial Japanese Navy Submarines 1941-45| series =New Vanguard|volume=135|year=2007|publisher=Osprey Publishing|location=Botley, Oxford, UK|isbn=978-1-84603-090-1}}
{{B1 type submarine}}
{{Imperial Japanese Navy}}
[[Category:Submarine aircraft carriers]]
[[Category:Submarine classes]]
[[Category:Type B1 submarines| ]]