Kairyu class submarine
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 A Kairyu "Sea Dragon" in the Aburatsubo inlet. |
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| Class overview | |
|---|---|
| Operators: |  Japan |
| Planned: | 760 |
| Completed: | 200-213 (sources vary) |
| Active: | 0 |
| General characteristics | |
| Type: | Kairyu (海龍 "Sea Dragon") class midget submarine |
| Displacement: | 19.24 tonnes |
| Length: | 56'11" (7.35m) |
| Beam: | 4'3" (1.30m) |
| Height: | 4'3" (1.30m) |
| Propulsion: | Surface: 85 HP gasoline engine Submerged: 80 HP electric engine |
| Speed: | Surface speed: 7 knots Submerged speed: 10 knots |
| Range: | 450 nautical miles (830 km) at 5 knots surfaced 36 nautical miles (70 km) at 3 knots submerged |
| Complement: | 2 |
| Armament: | 2 x 475mm torpedoes and a 600kg explosive charge |
The Kairyu (海龍 "Sea Dragon") was a class of midget submarines of the Imperial Japanese Navy, designed in 1943-1944, and produced from the beginning of 1945. These submarines were meant to meet the invading American Naval forces upon their anticipated approach of Tokyo.
[edit] History
Over 760 of these submarines were planned and by August 1945 about 213 had been manufactured. Most of them were constructed at the Yokosuka shipyard. These submarines had a two-man crew and were fitted with 2 torpedoes along with a 600kg explosive charge intended to be used on a suicide mission.
Most of the Kairyu submarines were based at Yokosuka to defend the entrance of Tokyo Bay in the event of a United States invasion of mainland Japan. Some of these subs were also stationed in the Moroiso and Aburatsubo inlets on the southern tip of the Miura peninsula where a training school had also been set-up.
Due to Japan's surrender on August 1945, after the atomic bombing of Nagasaki and Hiroshima, none of these submarines ever saw action.
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