Japanese Submarine I-58

The Japanese submarine I-58 was the IJN submersible vessel that torpedoed and sank the American cruiser USS Indianapolis on July 30, 1945, at the end of World War II. She belonged to the B3 Type class of cruiser submarines, the first of which, the I-54, had been launched in May 1943. The I-58 was launched on October 9, 1943, and she was commissioned for service with the Imperial Japanese Navy on September 7, 1944. She was armed with four Kaiten and fourteen Type-95 torpedoes that were fired through 533-mm tubes. The Type-95 was a conventional torpedo fitted with a 405-kg warhead, while the Kaiten was a manned, kamikaze torpedo, which was used by every Japanese sub at the end of this armed conflict.

The I-58 submarine had been laid down on December 26, 1942 at the Yokosuka Naval Arsenal, and launched on October 9, 1943. During the construction of the boat, her 14 cm/40 11th Year Type naval gun was removed to make room for the four Kaiten manned kamikaze torpedoes. The submarine was finally completed on September 7, 1944; Lieutenant Mochitsura Hashimoto was appointed commander of this Japanese boat. After intensive training, the I-58 was assigned to the 15th Submarine Division on December 4, 1944. A few days later she was assigned to the Kongo ("Diamond") group, with I-36, I-47, I-48, I-53 and I-56, to attack five US fleet anchorages with Kaiten torpedoes.

After the American invasion of Iwo Jima in February 1945, I-58 and I-36 joined the Shimbu group which was formed to counterattack American forces, but they did not succeed. On July 30, 1945, I-58 sank USS Indianapolis (CA-35) with three Type 95 torpedoes, with about 40% of the surviving crew being eaten by sharks. Because the cruiser was not zig-zagging, her captain was held accountable for the ship's loss. With the help of I-58's skipper, his name was finally cleared in 2000. Thus, she was a prime player in one of the most controversial episodes in US naval history. I-58 survived the war only to be scuttled in April 1946.

Specifications

Type: B3 Type cruiser submarine

Displacement: 2,607 tons (surfaced); 2,365 tons (submerged)

Length: 108.7 m

Beam: 9.3 m

Draft: 5.2 m

Propulsion System: two 4,700-sHP diesel engines, driving two shafts; two 1,200-HP electric motors.

Maximum Speed: 17.75 knots (surfaced); 6.5 knots (submerged)

Range: 21,000 nautical miles

Crew: 94

Armament: six 533-mm launching tubes, with 14 Type-95 torpedoes, and four Kaitens.

Above, the IJN submarine I-58 in late 1943.

Lt. M. Hashimoto, the commander of the I-58.

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Frigate (warship)

A frigate was a fast, three-masted, square-rigged warship, which was used by European and American navies in the 18th and 19th century. Bristling with guns, this naval vessel was second in size after a ship of the line. Frigates had two gun decks with a total of up to 60 guns. Not only were they very stable seagoing craft but they also surpassed ships of the line in speed. Therefore, they were generally used for cruising and reconnaissance. In the mid-19th century, steam frigates appeared, both wheel-driven and propeller-driven; they were made of wood, iron, or a combination of both. Some frigates had armor plating and were called ironclad frigates. Steam frigates were used by the warring parties during the Crimean War (1853–56) and the American Civil War (1861–65).

During World War II, frigates were warships of a transitional type, being in size between light cruisers and destroyers (USA) or the analogous patrol vessels (Great Britain). During that armed conflict, they were used for antisubmarine and anti-aircraft defense in formations of warships and in convoys of transport ships. Frigates in the US Navy had a displacement of 3,500–5,000 tons and a speed of approximately 35 knots (65 km/hr). They were armed with two all-purpose 127-mm cannons, four automatic guns of 76 and 20 mm, four torpedo launchers, and four depth-charge launchers. Frigates in the British Navy had a displacement of up to 2,500 tons and lighter armament. Thus, they were larger and a corvette. The frigate was designed and produced to the same mercantile construction standards (scantlings) as the corvette, allowing manufacture by yards unused to warship construction. It was introduced as a solution to some of the shortcomings inherent in the Flower-class corvette design, which had limited armament and was not fit for open sea navigation.

Modern frigates are specially designed and built ships used for locating, tracking, and destroying nuclear submarines at sea and for protecting aircraft carriers from naval, aircraft, and rocket attack. Frigates in the US Navy have a displacement of up to 6,000 tons, a speed of 34 knots (63 km/hr), and a range of 8,000 nautical miles. They are armed with long- and short-range anti-ship missiles as well as surface-to-air missiles, conventional torpedoes, naval drones, and naval artillery— usually one 127-mm all-purpose automatic cannon and two 76-mm antiaircraft guns. They have a crew of 350–370 men. Today, the British Royal Navy has sixteen Type-23 frigates; the Russian Navy is equipped with 14 modern frigates, with the Admiral Gorshkov class frigates being the latest ones to be launched, while the US Navy has only two frigates, the  Constellation class.

Above,  a  modern Type-23 frigate of the Royal Navy.

A daguerreotype photograph of a French frigate in the docks of Brest taken around 1870.

A painting of a British frigate in Sydney Harbour in the first half of the 19th century.

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Dunkerque-Class Battleship

The Dunkerque-class battleship was one of a series of two French fast battleships, which were commissioned right before World War II. They had originally been designed in 1928 as battlecruiser (Croiseur de Bataille de 35,000t). However, after the lead ship of the class (Le Dunkerque) was laid down in 1932, the original plan was redesigned during its construction, giving her better armor protection, especially at the belt, and more powerful main guns. The reason for this change was the emergence of the German Deutschland-class heavy cruisers. Thus, these French capital ships were the answer to Germany's 'pocket battleships' as the Royal Navy referred to them. Launched in 1936, Le Strasbourg was the second warship of the class.

The intended role of the Dunkerque class battleships was the protection of the French merchant shipping in time of war from German raiders, specifically the Deutschland class panzerschiffe. The Le Dunkerque was launched in 1935 and commissioned in 1937, while Le Strasbourg was commissioned in 1938. They were both deployed in the Atlantic at the start of World War II, where they took part in operations to catch and destroy the Deutschland and Graf Spee. This was precisely the type of hunt they had been designed for. In April 1940, one month before the German Invasion of France, they were both transferred to the Mediterranean Theater and they moored in the naval base of Mers-el-Kebir.

When France surrendered to Germany and the pro-German Vichy Government was set up, Great Britain demanded the total surrender of the French Fleet. When the Vichy Government rejected this demand, the Royal Navy attacked the French Fleet in the Mediterranean. As a result, Dunkerque was first hit and damaged by British 380-mm guns; then she would be further damaged in an air attack. However, Dunkerque was repaired and, in November 1942, she returned to Toulon, where she joined her sister Strasbourg. Shortly after her arrival, both ships were scuttled on November 27, 1942, but Strasbourg would be later recovered and repaired by the Italian Navy only to be sunk during an Allied air raid on August 18, 1944.

Technical Description

The propulsion system of the Dunkerque class battleship consisted of four Parsons geared turbines, which were fed by six boilers. These turbines drove four shafts, generating a total of 112,500 sHP. The ships had a high speed (29.5 knots) and heavy armament of eight 13-in (330-mm) main guns, which were mounted in two quadruple turrets located on fore deck but 90 feet apart to avoid them being put out of action by a single hit. Within the turrets, the guns were mounted in pairs, with each pair elevating together to a maximum of 35°, at which they had a range of 38 km (32,800 yards). The ships belt were protected by 240-mm thick armor. The main mast and bridge was located amid ship, while the exhaust funnel was situated behind the main mast.

Specifications

Type: battleship

Displacement: 26,500 tons; 35,500 tons (full-loaded)

Length: 214.5 m (703.8 ft)

Beam: 31.1 m (103 ft)

Draft: 9.6 m (31.5 ft)

Propulsion: four Parsons geared steam turbines, with four shafts and six boilers.

Maximum Speed: 29.5 knots

Range: 7,500 nautical miles (13,900 km)

Complement: 1,400 sailors and officers

Armament: eight 330-mm (13-inch) naval guns; sixteen 130-mm (5.1-inch) guns.

Above, the Le Dunkerque battleship in 1939.

The Strasbourg in the Mediterranean in April 1940.

The Le Dunkerque in 1938.

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Portland-class Heavy Cruiser

A Portland class heavy cruiser was one of two large and fast warships which were built for the US Navy between 1930 and 1932. They were the USS Indianapolis (CA-35) and the USS Portland (CA-33). Both of them would see combat action in the Pacific Theater of Operation of World War II. However, only the second one survived the war, as USS Indianapolis would be sunk by the Japanese submarine I-58 on July 30, 1945, with one torpedo. This class of heavy cruisers had been preceded by the Northampton class, which comprised six warships. Thus, the new vessels were slightly longer (610-ft long compared to the 600 feet of their predecessors). They also had further improvements to the armor protection.

The two Portland class heavy cruisers saw intense naval combat action throughout the war in the Pacific. Having been commissioned on February 23, 1933, USS Portland (CA-33) was assigned to Task Force 17. During her first serious military engagement, she was hit by three air-launched torpedoes, which failed to explode, at the Battle of Santa Cruz Islands in October 1942. However, she would be less fortunate at Guadalcanal, when she was hit by a destroyer-launched torpedo and severely damaged on November 13, 1942. After being repaired, she returned to duty and took part in the Gilbert and Marshall Islands campaigns. After the war, Portland was in reserve for many years until 1959, the year she was scrapped.

The USS Indianapolis had been commissioned in November 1932. When the United States entered the war, she was assigned to Task Force 11 as an escort of carrier USS Saratoga (CV-3). After participating in the Aleutian Islands campaign, she was transferred to the 5th Fleet, becoming the flagship of Vice Admiral Raymond A. Spruance.  In November 1943, she took part of the Gilbert Islands campaign and the invasion of Tarawa. Just before the end of the war, she sailed alone to Tinian, Mariana Islands, on a secret mission, without escort, as she had been assigned to carry critical components of the first atomic bomb that would be dropped on Hiroshima. After successfully completing the mission, USS Indianapolis was attacked and hit by the Japanese submarine I-58 on July 30, 1945. She sank an hour later and most of her crew were eaten by sharks.

Specifications

Type: heavy cruiser

Displacement: 10,258 tons, standard; 12,755 tons, full loaded.

Length: 185.9 m (610 feet)

Beam: 20.1 m (66 feet)

Draft: 6.4 m (21 feet)

Propulsion: four Parsons geared turbines, with four shafts, supplied by eight boilers, generating 107,000 sHP.

Maximum Speed: 32.7 knots (60.6 km/h or 37.6 mph)

Range: 13,000 nautical miles (14,960 miles)

Complement: 900 men (on the day she was sunk)

Armor: 58-mm-thick on belt.

Armament: nine 203-mm (8-inch) naval guns set up in three triplet turrets; eight 127-mm (5-inch) guns.

Above, USS Portland (CA-33) being repaired in drydock in late 1942, after being damaged off the coast of Guadalcanal.

USS Indianapolis (CA-35) in late 1932 after completion.

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Petr Velikiy (ironclad)

Petr Velikiy was an ironclad-type warship, which was in service with the Imperial Russian Navy from 1877 to 1921. She was designed by Admiral Andrei A. Popov and built under his direction. She was propelled by steam engines but also by sails. She was laid down in St. Petersburg's shipyards in 1869, launched in 1872, and commissioned in 1877. Her water displacement was 10,100 tons. This ironclad ship could cruise at the maximum speed of 28 km per hour (16 knots). Her range was 6,700 km (3,600 miles), sailing at 11 knots. The main artillery consisted of four 305-mm naval guns mounted in two twin turrets, and its armor was up to 356 mm in thickness.

At the time Petr Velikiy had entered service with the Russian Navy, she was one of the fastest warships in the world. She was able to attack enemy shipping both in open sea and threaten enemy ports. However, by 1904, the year of the Russo-Japanese War, she had already become an obsolete warship as she had been permanently assigned to the Baltic Fleet. The ship's hull was subdivided by one centerline longitudinal, nine transverse and two wing watertight bulkheads. The machinery was built by the Scottish firm Baird Works for the price of 1,019,000 rubles. The two steam engines were fed by twelve boilers, whose combustion gases were exhausted through one funnel. She was fitted with three sail masts.

In terms of its performance, the Petr Velikiy was the first big Russian oceangoing ironclad to surpass the ships of foreign navies, and it became the prototype of the squadron armorclads of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. In 1906, she became an artillery training ship. When the October Revolution broke out, the crew of the Petr Velikiy warship actively participated in the revolutionary movement of 1917 and the ensuing civil war. The armorclad became a submarine tender after the Ice Campaign of the Baltic Fleet of 1918 and a ship of a training detachment of the Baltic Fleet in December 1918. It was dropped from the navy lists after the Civil War.

Specifications

Type: ironclad warship

Displacement:10,100 tons; 10,600 tons (full-loaded)

Length: 101.7 m (333 feet, 8 inches)

Beam: 19.2 m (63 feet)

Draft: 7.5 m (24 feet, 9 inches)

Propulsion System: 2 horizontal-return steam engines, with two shafts, fed by 12 rectangular boilers, generating 8,258 sHP.

Maximum Speed: 16 knots

Range: 6,700 km (3,600 miles)

Armor: 356 mm on belt.

Armament: four 305-mm naval guns in two twin turrets; six 4-pounder (84-mm) guns.

Complement: 441 officers and sailors

Petr Velikiy around 1903.

A lithographic image of the ironclad Petr Velikiy.

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Ironclad (Warship)

The ironclad warship was a major type of armored vessel in the second half of the 19th century and the early 20th. It preceded the battleship and it had a hybrid propulsion system, which consisted of both steam engine and sails. It was fitted with strong, iron plates on the sides of hull as armor protection. It was armed with either an artillery turret mounting one heavy caliber naval gun and/or a row of muzzle-loading guns that fired from gunports in the upper hull. Ironclads were the biggest and strongest ships of the navy at that time and were used in naval battles with enemy armored ships and in operations against coastal fortresses. The idea of plating ships of the major types with armor had originated a long time ago. But it was only after the Battle of Sinope (1853), in which a Russian squadron under the command of Admiral P. S. Nakhimov destroyed the Turkish fleet with incendiary bombs, that the necessity of replacing wooden sailing ships with iron ships equipped with steam engines became a conviction shared by all navies. The construction of warships with iron hulls led to the wide use of armor to protect the thin iron side and deck from artillery shells.

The ironclad was developed from ships of the Monitor type, which were first used in 1862 in the Civil War in North America. Monitors were usually armed with two heavy caliber cannon (up to 280 mm) placed on a revolving armored turret and had a very low but carefully assigned freeboard. Subsequent development included an increase in the caliber, in the number of cannon, and in the height of freeboard. In Russia the first big ironclad ship, Petr Velikiy, was laid down in 1869 and launched in 1872. It had a water displacement of 10,100 tons and was considered the most powerful and sea-worthy ironclad of its time. In the Russian Navy a distinction was made between squadron ironclads (for battles on the open sea) and coast defense ironclads (for action in inshore regions). Potemkin, which became famous through its participation in the Revolution of 1905-07, was a type of squadron ironclad. One of the mightiest squadron ironclads was the Andrei Pervozvannyi (laid down in 1905, launched in 1906; water displacement, 17,400 tons: speed, 18 knots; four 305-mm guns of the main caliber; side armor, 70-216 mm).

A typical coast defense ironclad warship was the Admiral Seniavin (commissioned in 1896; water displacement, 4,790 tons; speed, 16 knots; four 254-mm guns of the main caliber; side armor, 152-254 mm). The experience of the Russo-Japanese War of 1904-05 revealed that the number of guns of the main caliber was insufficient, that the calibers of the auxiliary artillery varied too much, that the armor plating of the ironclads was too weak, and that their ability to survive was too poor. Therefore the construction of ironclads was discontinued after the Russo-Japanese War; many navies of the world began building battleships instead. In some navies, mainly in the Scandinavian countries, a small number of ironclads were retained until the end of World War II and in the Swedish Navy, until the middle of the 1950’s. Several ironclads, for example in the Norwegian Navy, participated in combat action in offshore regions at the beginning of World War II.

HMS Achilles, the second ironclad warship in service with the Royal Navy.

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Monitor (warship)

A monitor was a type of warship designed and built in the United States of America in the second half of the 19th century.  Technically, they were small ironclad vessels armed with one or two big-caliber guns mounted in an armored casemate or turret. They were specially designed for coastal bombardment. Thus, they were shallow-draft warships, which were able to sail along close to the sea coastline and river shores. The first one of this type of ship was the USS Monitor, which had been conceived by the Swedish engineer John Ericsson in 1861. This small ironclad vessel first saw combat action at the Battle of Hampton Roads in March 1862, during the American Civil War.

The USS Monitor was a most important milestone in warship development. It was laid down and built at the Continental Iron Works, in New York, and she was completed and commissioned on February 25, 1862. She undertook her famous but inconclusive duel with the Confederate ironclad CSS Virginia in Hampton Roads on March 9, 1862. The USS Monitor would founder under tow on December 31, 1862, with the loss of sixteen of her forty-nine strong crew. Meanwhile, a new and improved type of monitor was already in production; the USS Passaic, which would be completed between November 1862 and April 1863. She would usher in the Passaic-class of ten monitor-type ships.

Characteristics

The hull of the Passaic was essentially a 200-ft-long iron ''raft'', 46-ft wide, and 5-ft deep, from which a slab-sided lower hull was suspended; it was made of iron. The lower hull was somewhat smaller than the ''raft'', with the ''overhang'' serving as a fender to provide protection for the lower hull and rudder from an enemy ship ramming. The original main armament comprised two Dahlgren, smooth-bore, muzzle-loading cannons; one 381-mm and the other 280-mm caliber. Both cannons were mounted side-by-side in a large cylindrical turret, with an internal diameter of 21 feet.

Specifications (USS Passaic)

Type: monitor warship

Number in class: 10

Displacement: 1,875 tons

Length: 70 m (200 feet)

Beam: 14 m (46 feet)

Draft: 3.2 m (10.5 feet)

Propulsion: one Ericsson, vibrating lever, steam engine, with one shaft, fed by two boilers, generating 320 iHP.

Speed: 7 knots

Armament: two Dahlgren smoothbore guns, one 381-mm (15-inch) and the 280-mm (11-inch) caliber.

Compliment: 75 men

Above, the USS Passaic, which was an improved version of the Monitor. Notice the round turret, with her guns trained to starboard.

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