Two Sunken Japanese Submarines Found Off Hawaii

Ponca City, We love you writes "The NY Times reports that two World War II Japanese submarines, including one meant to carry aircraft for attacks on American cities, have been found in deep water off Hawaii where they were sunk in 1946. Specifically designed for a stealth attack on the US East Coast — perhaps targeting Washington, DC and New York City — the 'samurai subs' were fast, far-ranging, and some carried folding-wing aircraft. Five Japanese submarines were captured by American forces at the end of the war and taken to Pearl Harbor for study, then towed to sea and torpedoed, probably to avoid having to share any of their technology with the Russian military. One of the Japanese craft, the I-201, was covered with a rubberized coating on the hull, an innovation intended to make it less apparent to sonar or radar; it was capable of speeds of about 20 knots while submerged, making it among the fastest diesel submarines ever made. The other, the I-14, much larger and slower, was designed to carry two small planes, Aichi M6A Seirans that could be brought onto the deck and launched by a catapult. The submarines were meant to threaten the United States directly, but none of the attacks occurred because the subs were developed too late in the war, and American intelligence was too good. 'It's very moving to see objects like this underwater,' says Hans Van Tilburg of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, 'because it's a very peaceful environment, but these subs were designed for aggression.'"

Comments

Tour a sub.

[palegray.net]

Speaking as a guy who's spent time on modern boats, anyone who can get the opportunity to tour a submarine should do so without delay. It's awesome to see photos, but it's even better when you seen the insides at work.

Re:Tour a sub.

[TheModelEskimo]

You can organize a tour group and get a tour of Bangor in Washington State. I went as a Boy Scout and it was an amazing trip. We toured a huge active-service nuclear missile sub and I believe our troop exhausted that particular sub's supply of soft-serve ice cream within about 20 minutes. :-) It was amazing to walk around and touch the big vertical missile tubes, too. Ever since then I've been fascinated with submarines.

And, looking at my gut, I'm guessing the soft-serve experience did something to me as well.

Re:Wha?

[chrisj_0]

some nerds like history.

Re:Wha?

[Thud457]

Well, it's a teaser. It always amazes me at how advanced the Germans and Japanese were in some things, and just how arrogant and stupid the Americans were. (Of course the same could be said for all participants, but as victors, the Americans wrote the history after the war.)

American Generals refused to believe the early reports of the speed and agility of the Zero. British Generals refused to fund the development of the jet engine until the Germans fielded theirs.

Now I learn that the Japanese were playing with submarine stealth technology.

Lots of good stuff for geeks; just gotta do your homework and not wait to be spoonfed.

Yet the countries with the advanced high-tech military hardware still fell to the swarming hordes that out-produced them materially. A lesson the US probably should keep in mind going into the 21st century.