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The second I-55 was one of three Type C cruiser submarines of the C3 sub-class built for the Imperial Japanese Navy. Commissioned in April 1944, she was lost in July 1944 while taking part in the Marianas campaign during World War II.
| History | |
|---|---|
 Empire of Japan | |
| Name | Submarine No. 628 |
| Builder | Kure Navy Yard, Kure, Hiroshima |
| Laid down | 15 June 1942 |
| Renamed | I-55 on 1 November 1942 |
| Launched | 20 April 1943 |
| Completed | 20 April 1944 |
| Commissioned | 20 April 1944 |
| Fate | Missing after 13 July 1944 (see text) |
| Stricken | 10 October 1944 |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type | Type C3 submarine |
| Displacement |
|
| Length | 108.7 m (356 ft 8 in) overall |
| Beam | 9.3 m (30 ft 6 in) |
| Draft | 5.1 m (16 ft 9 in) |
| Installed power |
|
| Propulsion |
|
| Speed |
|
| Range |
|
| Test depth | 100 m (330 ft) |
| Crew | 94 |
| Armament |
|
The Type C3 submarines were derived from the earlier C2 sub-class although with fewer torpedo tubes, an additional deck gun, and less-powerful engines to extend their range. They displaced 2,605 tonnes (2,564 long tons) surfaced and 3,702 tonnes (3,644 long tons) submerged. The submarines were 108.7 meters (356 ft 8 in) long, had a beam of 9.3 meters (30 ft 6 in) and a draft of 5.1 meters (16 ft 9 in). They had a diving depth of 100 meters (330 ft).[1]
For surface running, the boats were powered by two 2,350-brake-horsepower (1,752 kW) diesel engines, each driving one propeller shaft. When submerged each propeller was driven by a 600-horsepower (447 kW) electric motor. They could reach 17.7 knots (32.8 km/h; 20.4 mph) on the surface and 6.5 knots (12.0 km/h; 7.5 mph) underwater.[2] On the surface, the C3s had a range of 27,000 nautical miles (50,000 km; 31,000 mi) at 12 knots (22 km/h; 14 mph); submerged, they had a range of 105 nmi (194 km; 121 mi) at 3 knots (5.6 km/h; 3.5 mph).[3]
The boats were armed with six internal bow 53.3 cm (21.0 in) torpedo tubes and carried a total of 19 torpedoes. They were also armed with two 140 mm (5.5 in)/40 deck guns and one twin mount for 25 mm (1 in) Type 96 anti-aircraft guns.[3]
Ordered under the Additional Naval Armaments Supplement Programme and built at the Kure Naval Arsenal at Kure, Japan, I-55 was laid down on 15 June 1942 with the name Submarine No. 628.[4] On 1 November 1942, she was provisionally attached to the Kure Naval District and numbered I-55;[4] she was the second Japanese submarine of that number, the first I-55 having been renumbered I-155 on 20 May 1942.[5] Launched on 20 April 1943,[4] she was completed and commissioned one year later, on 20 April 1944.[4]
Upon commissioning, I-55 was based in the Kure Naval District and assigned to Submarine Squadron 11 in the 6th Fleet.[4] In late June 1944, she was selected for conversion to carry Special Naval Weapon No. 8, a version of the Fu-Go balloon bomb that could be launched at sea, the conversion involving the installation of hydrogen and balloon-launching equipment.[4] Meanwhile, however, the Combined Fleet had activated Operation A-Go for the defense of the Mariana Islands on 13 June 1944, and the Marianas campaign had begun with the U.S. invasion of Saipan on 15 June.[4] Before her conversion could begin, I-55 got underway from Kure on 30 June 1944,[4] called at Yokosuka from 1 to 6 July 1944,[4] and then departed for Guam towing an Unpoto gun container,[4] a 70-foot (21.3 m) sled that could carry up to 15 tons of cargo, usually in the form of three Type 96 15-centimeter (5.9 in) howitzers and ammunition for them.[6]
While she was at sea on 10 July 1944, I-55 was reassigned to Submarine Division 15 in the Advance Force,[4] and on 13 July she received orders to abort her supply mission to Guam and proceed to Tinian to rescue the staff of the 1st Air Fleet there.[4] She cast the Unpoto container adrift[4] and headed for Tinian. At 00:40 Japan Standard Time on 13 July, she transmitted a message to 6th Fleet Headquarters estimating that she would arrive off Tinian on 15 July.[4] The Japanese never heard from her again.
At 21:20 on 13 July 1944, an American patrol plane spotted a Japanese submarine submerging in the Philippine Sea 78 nautical miles (144 km; 90 mi) off Saipan′s Rorogattan Point.[4] The submarine′s position was reported to a United States Navy hunter-killer group, which detached the high-speed transport USS Gilmer (APD-11) and destroyer escort USS William C. Miller (DE-259) to hunt it down.[4] The two ships arrived at the submarine′s last reported position at 00:22 on 14 July 1944 and began their search.[4] Seven hours later, William C. Miller picked up a sound contact at a range of 1,700 yards (1,600 m) and approached the contact at 15 knots (28 km/h; 17 mph). She began her attack at 07:26 by dropping a pattern of 13 depth charges, followed by a second pattern of 13 depth charges at 07:52. At 0804, her crew observed pieces of wood rising to the surface about 500 yards (460 m) ahead on William C. Miller′s starboard bow, then heard a heavy underwater explosion at 08:05 that shook the ship, followed by bubbles rising to the surface that made the water appear to boil.[4] William C. Miller dropped a third pattern of 13 depth charges at 0806, sinking the submarine.[4] An oil slick and debris covered the surface, and William C. Miller steamed into the slick and recovered pieces of cork insulating material, splintered wooden decking, and a seaman's cap at 15°18′N 144°26′E.[4]
It remains a matter of dispute as to whether William C. Miller sank I-55 or the submarine Ro-48.[4] The destroyer escorts USS Wyman (DE-38) and USS Reynolds (DE-42) also have received credit for sinking I-55 in an antisubmarine action on 28 July 1944.[7][8]
On 15 July 1944, the Imperial Japanese Navy declared I-55 to be presumed lost with all 112 hands off Tinian.[4] She was stricken from the Navy list on 10 October 1944.[4]
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