Japanese submarine I‑26 was a B1‑type cruiser submarine of the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) that saw service during World War II. Commissioned in 1940, I‑26 operated in the Pacific theater, taking part in several notable actions before being sunk in 1944.
Design and construction
- Class and type: B1‑type cruiser submarine (also known as the I‑15 class).
- Builder: Kawasaki Shipbuilding Corporation, Kobe, Japan.
- Laid down: 15 April 1939.
- Launched: 25 November 1939.
- Commissioned: 30 June 1940.
- Displacement: Approximately 2,600 t surfaced, 3,600 t submerged.
- Dimensions: Length 108.7 m; beam 9.3 m; draft 5.1 m.
- Propulsion: Diesel engines for surface running and electric motors for submerged operation, giving a surface speed of about 23 kn and a submerged speed of roughly 8 kn.
- Armament: Six 533 mm torpedo tubes (four bow, two stern) with a complement of 17 torpedoes; one 140 mm deck gun; and anti‑aircraft machine guns.
Service history
Pre‑war and early war
Following commissioning, I‑26 was assigned to the Kure Naval District and conducted training exercises in Japanese home waters.
Pearl Harbor
During the attack on Pearl Harbor on 7 December 1941, I‑26 launched a Type A midget submarine as part of the IJN’s coordinated assault on the harbor. The midget sub failed to achieve any confirmed hits and was subsequently lost.
Pacific operations
- January 1942: While patrolling off the Hawaiian Islands, I‑26 torpedoed the United States Navy aircraft carrier USS Saratoga on 31 January, inflicting damage that required extensive repairs but did not sink the vessel.
- Mid‑1942 to 1943: I‑26 conducted commerce‑raiding missions throughout the South Pacific, sinking several Allied merchant vessels and supporting Japanese naval operations in the Solomon Islands and New Guinea areas.
Later service
Throughout 1943 the submarine continued patrols in the Central Pacific, engaging both military and merchant targets. Operational records indicate that I‑26 survived multiple depth‑charge attacks and continued to function effectively as a long‑range cruiser submarine.
Loss
I‑26 was lost on 16 July 1944 while on a patrol east of the Mariana Islands. United States Navy surface vessels, supported by aircraft, detected the submarine and executed a coordinated depth‑charge attack that resulted in its sinking. All hands were lost.
Legacy
I‑26 is remembered as one of the more active Japanese cruiser submarines of the war, noted for its participation in the Pearl Harbor attack and for damaging a major US carrier early in the conflict. Its operational record reflects the broader strategic use of long‑range submarines by the IJN for both fleet support and commerce raiding.
