IJN
Type A midget submarine
Built
1938
Kure, Japan
Dimensions
78 | 6
Tons
46
Armament
Two torpedoes
December 1941
Justin Taylan 2006
Pilot Ensign Kazuo Sakamaki (POW)
Crew PO2C Inagaki Kiyoshi (KIA)
Grounded December 7, 1941
Mission History
One of five midget subs attached to five I-class "mother"
submarines (I-16, I-18, I-20, I-22 and I-24) to be launched 5-6 hours
before the aerial attack, within a few miles of Pearl Harbor to penetrate
Pearl Harbor, navigate submerged, counterclockwise around
Ford Island, escape and meet up with their mother subs 7 miles west
of Lanai Island.
In November-December 1941, this sub transported aboard I-24 to Pearl Harbor. Launched on December 7, 1941, it became grounded near Waimanalo, Oahu due to a malfunctioning gyro compass, preventing it from participating in the attack. Sakamaki was the first Japanese POW captured by the United States during the Pacific War. The other crew member, was drowned after the grounding.
Salvage and Display
Dubbed "Midget C" as the third sub encountered by USN, Ha-19
was salvaged and later sent to the United States' mainland, where she
was featured at War Bond drives throughout the country. After the end
of World War II she was exhibited at Key West, Florida. Begining in
1991, Ha-19 became part of the collection at the Nimitz Museum.
To this day, four of the five original midget submarines attacking Pearl Harbor have been found.
