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Japanese submarine I-61

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History
Empire of Japan
NameI-61
BuilderMitsubishi Kobe Yard, Kobe, Japan
Laid down15 November 1926
Launched12 November 1927
Completed6 April 1929
Commissioned6 April 1929
Decommissioned11 January 1932
Recommissioned1 June 1934
Decommissioned15 November 1939 or 20 March 1940
Recommissioned15 April 1940 or 15 November 1940
Fate
  • Sunk in collision 2 October 1941
  • Refloated 20 January 1942 or in February 1942
  • Scrapped 1942
Stricken1 April 1942
General characteristics
Class and typeKD4 Type, Kadai type submarine
Displacement
  • 1,635 (1,720 maximum) tons surfaced
  • 2,300 tons submerged
Length97.70 m (320 ft 6 in)
Beam7.80 m (25 ft 7 in)
Draught4.83 m (15 ft 10 in)
Propulsion
Speed
  • 20 knots (37 km/h; 23 mph) diesel
  • 8.5 knots (15.7 km/h; 9.8 mph) electric
Range
  • Surface: 10,800 nmi (20,000 km; 12,400 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph)[1]
  • Submerged: 60 nmi (110 km; 69 mi) at 3 knots (5.6 km/h; 3.5 mph)
Test depth60 m (197 ft)
Complement58 officers and enlisted
Armament

I-61 was a Kaidai-class cruiser submarine of the KD4 sub-class built for the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) during the 1920s. She sank in an October 1941 collision,[2] just prior to Japan's entry into World War II.

Construction and commissioning

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The first unit of the KD4 sub-class, I-61 was built by Mitsubishi at Kobe, Japan. Her keel was laid on 15 November 1926 and she was launched on 12 November 1927. She was completed on 6 April 1929.

Service history

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Upon completion, I-61 was assigned to the Sasebo Naval District.[3] On 24 April 1929, she and her sister ship, the submarine I-62, combined to form Submarine Division 29,[3][4][5][6] in which I-61 spent her entire career.[3] The division was attached to the Sasebo Naval District.[3]

Submarine Division 29 was reassigned to Submarine Squadron 1 in the 1st Fleet in the Combined Fleet on 1 December 1930.[3] I-61 apparently was decommissioned and placed in reserve on 11 January 1932,[6] and was transferred to the Sasebo Defense Division in the Sasebo Naval District on 10 November 1932,[3] and then to Submarine Squadron 2 in the 2nd Fleet in the Combined Fleet on 15 November 1933.[3] She was recommissioned on 1 June 1934.[3] On 27 September 1934, she departed Ryojun, Manchukuo, in company with I-62 and the submarines I-56, I-57, I-58, I-64, I-65, I-66, and I-67 for a training cruise off Qingdao, China.[3][4][7][8][9][10][11][12][13] The nine submarines completed the cruise with their arrival at Sasebo on 5 October 1934.[3][4][7][8][9][10][11][12][13]

On 7 February 1935, I-61 departed Sasebo in company with the other eight submarines of Submarine Squadron 2 — I-53, I-54, I-55, I-59, I-60, I-62, I-63, and I-64 — for a training cruise in the Kuril Islands.[3][4][10][14][15][16][17][18][19] The cruise concluded with their arrival at Sukumo Bay on 25 February 1935.[3][4][10][14][15][16][17][18][19] The nine submarines departed Sasebo on 29 March 1935 to train in Chinese waters, returning to Sasebo on 4 April 1935.[3][4][10][14][15][16][17][18][19] On 15 November 1935, Submarine Division 29 was reassigned to the Sasebo Defense Squadron in the Sasebo Naval District.[3]

On 1 December 1936, I-61 again was assigned to Submarine Squadron 2 in the 2nd Fleet,[3] and on 15 December 1938 she was reassigned to the Submarine School at Kure.[3] On 11 March 1939, I-61 suffered damage in a collision with the Japanese destroyer Yakaze off Mitajiri, Japan.[3][5] Her Submarine School service ended when she was decommissioned and transferred to the Third Reserve in the Sasebo Naval District;[3] sources claim that this took place both on 15 November 1939[3] and on 20 March 1940.[3][6]

On either 15 April 1940 or 15 November 1940,[3] I-61 was recommissioned, and on 15 November 1940 she was reassigned to Submarine Squadron 5 in the Combined Fleet.[3] On 8 January 1941, she collided with the gunboat Kōshū Maru south of Cape Ashizuki, Japan.[3][5]

Loss

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On 2 October 1941, with the commander of Submarine Division 29 on board, I-61 departed Sasebo with the submarine tender Rio de Janeiro Maru bound for a fleet gathering point at Murokusumi in Yamaguchi Prefecture. In the Koshiki Channel that evening, the Japanese gunboat Kiso Maru mistook a red light she saw I-61 displaying aft of Rio de Janeiro Maru for that of a smaller vessel and misjudged her passing distance behind I-61. She collided with I-61 around 23:21. I-61 sank quickly, with the loss of all 71 men on board.[2][5][20]

On 20 January 1942 or in February 1942,[3] I-61′s wreck was refloated, and it was sold for scrapping in 1942. I-61 was struck from the naval register on 1 April 1942.

References

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Footnotes

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  1. ^ もしくは10ktで10,000海里（『写真 日本の軍艦 第12巻 潜水艦』p57の表より）(in Japanese)
  2. ^ a b [#昭和天皇実録八巻]493頁(伊号潜水艦沈没事件)この脚注はこのページ上で2回使用されています。(in Japanese)
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x I-61 ijnsubsite.com August 24, 2018 Accessed 28 September 2020
  4. ^ a b c d e f "I-162 ex I-62". iijnsubsite.info. 9 November 2018. Retrieved 31 December 2021.
  5. ^ a b c d 『ハンディ版 日本海軍艦艇写真集19巻』72頁。この脚注はこのページ上で4回使用されています。(in Japanese)
  6. ^ a b c 『艦長たちの軍艦史』428頁。この脚注はこのページ上で3回使用されています。(in Japanese)
  7. ^ a b I-156 ijnsubsite.com October 15, 2018 Accessed 17 January 2021
  8. ^ a b I-157 ijnsubsite.com 16 October 2018 Accessed 23 January 2021
  9. ^ a b I-158 ijnsubsite.com 20 October 2018 Accessed 24 January 2021
  10. ^ a b c d e "I-164 ex I-64". iijnsubsite.info. 9 November 2018. Retrieved 31 December 2021.
  11. ^ a b "I-165 ex I-65". iijnsubsite.info. 11 May 2018. Retrieved 19 February 2022.
  12. ^ a b "I-166 ex I-66". iijnsubsite.info. 30 August 2018. Retrieved 19 February 2022.
  13. ^ a b I-67 ijnsubsite.com September 14, 2018 Accessed 28 September 2020
  14. ^ a b c I-153 ijnsubsite.com September 19, 2018 Accessed 15 January 2021
  15. ^ a b c I-154 ijnsubsite.com October 11, 2018 Accessed 15 January 2021
  16. ^ a b c I-155 ijnsubsite.com June 10, 2018 Accessed 15 January 2021
  17. ^ a b c I-159 ijnsubsite.com September 1, 2018 Accessed 9 January 2022
  18. ^ a b c "I-60". iijnsubsite.info. 1 September 2018. Retrieved 2 January 2022.
  19. ^ a b c "I-63". iijnsubsite.info. 24 August 2018. Retrieved 2 January 2022.
  20. ^ 『日本海軍の潜水艦 - その系譜と戦歴全記録』103頁。(in Japanese)

Bibliography

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  • 海軍歴史保存会『日本海軍史』第7巻、第9巻、第10巻、第一法規出版、1995年。(in Japanese)
  • 勝目純也『日本海軍の潜水艦 - その系譜と戦歴全記録』大日本絵画、2010年。(in Japanese)
  • 宮内庁編『昭和天皇実録　第八　昭和十五年至昭和十七年』東京書籍株式会社、2016年3月。ISBN 978-4-487-74408-4。(in Japanese)
  • 外山操『艦長たちの軍艦史』光人社、2005年。 ISBN 4-7698-1246-9 (in Japanese)
  • 雑誌「丸」編集部『写真 日本の軍艦 第12巻 潜水艦』光人社、1990年。ISBN 4-7698-0462-8 (in Japanese)
  • 雑誌「丸」編集部『ハンディ版 日本海軍艦艇写真集19巻』潜水艦伊号、光人社、1997年。(in Japanese)
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