IJN
Type A midget submarine
Dimensions
78 | 6
Tons
46
Crew
2
Ensign Yokoyama
Armament
Two torpedoes
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
the harbor. They would then navigate submerged, counterclockwise around
Ford Island, escape and meet up with their mother subs 7 miles west
of Lanai Island. To this day, four of the five original midget submarines
attacking Pearl Harbor have been found.
Sunk by Gunfire
Discovered at 6:45 am on December 7, 1941. Caught trying to enter Pearl
Harbor behind a cargo ship. Sited by the USS Ward, it was shot
through the conning tower and then depth charged. The Ward saw the midget sub lifted out of the water by
depth charges and hits from its 4" gun.
Search & Discovery
After looking for 15 years, beginning with the 1988 Navy / National Park
Service submerged cultural resources survey of Pearl Harbor, the Hawaii Undersea Research
Labratory discovered the wreck on August 28, 2002, during a routine training dive in
submersibles Pisces IV and V. Discovered perfectly preserved in aproximatly
1,200' of water 3-4 miles off Pearl Harbor.
Its exact location is being kept secret and discussions between the
US and Japanese goverment about what, if anything to do with this historic
wreck site.
