Despite the successes of the I-19 in the war, Japan was never able to connect these victories with a larger strategy for defeating the Americans and their allies.
Japan’s role in the Second World War was truly outsized, considering it was such a small, resource-strapped nation in the Northern Pacific. Yet it was a truly gruesome foe to the Allies, and had a high degree of lethal technologies—any of which, had Tokyo possessed the ability to scale them, would have proven decisive in the Pacific Theater against the Americans.
One such system that wreaked havoc on the United States military in the Pacific was Japan’s I-19 submarine.
Understanding the I-19 Submarine
The I-19 was a B1-Type submarine in the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN). Designed in the 1930s as part of Japan’s effort to build a formidable long-range submarine fleet capable of supporting its imperial ambitions across the Pacific, it more than lived up to the ambitions of its designers over the course of the war. Laid down on March 15, 1938, at the Mitsubishi Heavy Industries shipyard in Kobel, the I-19 was launched on September 16, 1938, and commissioned into service on April 28, 1941—only months before Japan officially entered WWII.
Japan’s B1-type submarines were among the largest and most advanced of their time, reflecting Japan’s focus on offensive naval operations.
I-19 was a behemoth, displacing 2,584 tons when submerged. It was equipped with six forward-facing torpedo tubes and carried a complement of seventeen torpedoes, including the highly effective Type 95, an oxygen-powered torpedo with range of 7.5 miles at 45 knots (51 miles) per hour. The submarine’s diesel-electric propulsion plant allowed it to reach speeds of 23.5 knots, or 27 mph, on the surface and eight knots (9.2 mph) when submerged.
The IJN’s I-19 submarine had an operational range exceeding 16,000 miles, making it a great submarine for the vast maritime expanses of the Pacific.
The I-19 also carried a Yokosuka E14Y floatplane in a watertight hangar, enabling reconnaissance missions to extend its strategic reach. With a crew of 94, the submarine was a floating fortress designed both for combat and intelligence-gathering.
Entering service shortly after Pearl Harbor, I-19 participated in Japan’s early offensives across the Pacific against the Allies. Its most celebrated moment, however, came on September 15, 1942, during the Guadalcanal Campaign, a pivotal struggle for control of the Solomon Islands.
The I-19 Conducted the Deadliest Torpedo Attack in World War II
Under the command of Lieutenant Commander Takakazu Kinashi, the I-19 was patrolling south of San Cristobal Island when it encountered a U.S. Navy group known as Task Force 18 centered around the aircraft carrier USS Wasp, which was escorting troop transports to reinforce Guadalcanal.
Kinashi fired a spread of six Type 95 torpedoes from a range of about 1,000 yards. Three torpedoes struck the Wasp, igniting fuel and ammunition stores and causing catastrophic damage. After the crew was unable to contain the fires, the carrier was abandoned and later scuttled by U.S. destroyers—marking a major loss for the American fleet at a critical juncture.
Remarkably, though, the remaining torpedoes from the salvo continued their run—striking the destroyer USS O’Brien, which later sank, and damaging the battleship USS North Carolina, forcing it to withdraw for repairs. This single attack—often dubbed the most damaging of the entire war—demonstrated the I-19’s lethality and Kinashi’s skill, temporarily disrupting U.S. naval operations in the whole region.
I-19 went on to support Japanese efforts to counter Allied advanced in the Pacific, including conducting operations near the Fijian and Aleutian Islands.
The I-19 Met a Watery End
The submarine’s luck ultimately ran out on November 25, 1943, when it was detected by the American destroyer USS Radford off Makin Island in the Gilbert Islands. After a prolonged depth-charge attack, the I-19 was sunk with all hands lost, ending its two-year combat career.
Despite the successes of the I-19 in the war, Japan was never able to connect these victories with a larger strategy for defeating the Americans and their allies. Japan enjoyed multiple tactical victories of the kind that the I-19 became famous (or infamous) for.
Yet, never once could the Japanese military convert these tactical gains into victory for their entire war effort. So, the I-19 goes down as an extraordinary blip on the radar of defeat for Japan rather than being a decisive turning point for Japan’s war efforts.
About the Author: Brandon J. Weichert
Brandon J. Weichert, a Senior National Security Editor at The National Interest as well as a contributor at Popular Mechanics, who consults regularly with various government institutions and private organizations on geopolitical issues. Weichert’s writings have appeared in multiple publications, including the Washington Times, National Review, The American Spectator, MSN, the Asia Times, and countless others. His books include Winning Space: How America Remains a Superpower, Biohacked: China’s Race to Control Life, and The Shadow War: Iran’s Quest for Supremacy. His newest book, A Disaster of Our Own Making: How the West Lost Ukraine is available for purchase wherever books are sold. He can be followed via Twitter @WeTheBrandon.
Image: Wikimedia Commons.
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