I-351-class submarine

I-352 on 23 January 1948

The was a class of tanker/transport submarines built for the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) during World War II. The IJN called this type of submarine . The type name, was shortened to . The IJN designed these submarines to support flying boats in forward areas. By the time the first submarine was finished, this capability was no longer needed and she was converted into a tanker. That boat, , was sunk on the return leg of her second voyage in 1945; the second boat, I-352, was destroyed by an American air raid before she was completed. Four additional submarines were planned, but were cancelled before they were laid down.

Design and description

The I-351-class submarines were ordered under the 5th Fleet Replenishment Program of 1942 to support IJN flying boats in areas where there were no shore facilities and seaplane tenders could not operate. They were designed to support up to three flying boats with fuel, ammunition, water and even replacement aircrew.

These submarines had a length of overall, a beam of and a draft of . They displaced on the surface and submerged. They had a diving depth of and a crew of 77 officers and enlisted men plus accommodations for 13 aircrew.

The boats had two propellers, each of which was driven by a diesel engine as well as a electric motor. This arrangement gave the I-351-class submarines a maximum speed of while surfaced and submerged. They had a range of at while on the surface and at while submerged. This gave them an endurance of 60 days.

File:Bridge of IJN submarine I-351 in 1945.jpg

I-351's conning tower, 1945

The boats were equipped with four torpedo tubes in the bow and they carried four torpedoes. For surface combat they were designed to carry one deck gun, but this was unavailable when the submarines were under construction and three Type 3 mortars were substituted. The submarines were fitted with seven 25 mm Type 96 anti-aircraft guns, in two twin and three single mounts.

The I-351-class submarines were initially equipped to carry of aviation gasoline, of fresh water, and either sixty bombs or 30 bombs and 15 aircraft torpedoes. Four of the torpedoes could be replaced by an equal number of reload torpedoes for the submarine.

Boats

Boat #	Name	Builder	Launched	Completed	Fate
655		Kure Naval Arsenal	24 February 1944	28 January 1945	Sunk by , 14 July 1945
656	I-352		23 April 1944		Sunk in air raid, 22 June 1945
657	I-353				Cancelled, 1943
730, 731, 732					Cancelled, 1942

Construction and service

Only I-351 and I-352 were actually laid down, the other four submarines were cancelled before their keels were laid.

I-351 was modified before completion into an oil tanker. The boat made one round trip from Singapore, carrying of aviation fuel, and was sunk on the return leg of her second trip in the South China Sea at coordinates by the American submarine on 14 July 1945. I-352 was 90 percent complete when she was destroyed during an air raid by Boeing B-29 heavy bombers on 22 July.