Japanese submarine ''I-180'' (originally ''I-80'') was a ''Kaidai'' type (''KD7'' sub-class)

cruiser submarine A cruiser submarine was a very large submarine designed to remain at sea for extended periods in areas distant from base facilities. Their role was analogous to surface cruisers, cruising distant waters, commerce raiding, and scouting for the batt ...

of the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War II. Ordered in 1939 under the

4th Naval Armaments Supplement Programme The was one of the armaments expansion plan of the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN). Background In 1939, the IJN started new naval armaments expansion plan. It extended to 80 warships and 75 Naval Air Groups by 1.6 billion JPY. Table of vessels No ...

, she was laid down at the Yokosuka Naval Arsenal on 17 April 1941 as ''I-80''. Launched on 7 February 1942, she was renumbered ''I-180'' on 20 May 1942, and completed on 15 January 1943.

Service history

At the end of March 1943, with her sister ships ''I-177'' and ''I-178'', ''I-180'' departed from Truk to patrol off the east coast of Australia. There she torpedoed and sank the Australian merchant ship on 29 April 1943, the Norwegian merchant ship on 5 May 1943, and damaged the Australian merchant vessels ''Ormiston'' and ''Caradale'' on 12 May 1943. In mid-July 1943 ''I-180'' was diverted from her patrol to

Kolombangara Kolombangara (sometimes spelled ''Kulambangara'') is an island in the New Georgia Islands group of the nation state of Solomon Islands in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. The name is from a local language, a rough translation of its meaning is ...

in the Solomon Islands, arriving in the aftermath of the battle and rescuing 21 survivors from the light cruiser . On 12 October 1943, the Allies launched an air offensive against Rabaul, with 349 aircraft attacking the port and airfields. During the attack ''I-180'' sustained a direct hit which wrecked her superstructure and prevented her from diving. She sailed on the surface back to Sasebo for repairs and was operational again early the next year. In late March 1944 she sailed from Ominato to patrol off the Aleutian Islands. On 19 April she sank the liberty ship SS ''John Straub'', and almost certainly also sank the Soviet cargo ship ''Pavlin Vinogradov'' on 22 April. Late on 25 April, she was detected while surfaced by the destroyer escort southwest of Chirikof Island. The submarine promptly crash dived, and over the next three hours ''Gilmore'' laid down three barrages of Mark 10 " Hedgehog" anti-submarine mortar shells without result, and then two patterns of

depth charge A depth charge is an anti-submarine warfare (ASW) weapon. It is intended to destroy a submarine by being dropped into the water nearby and detonating, subjecting the target to a powerful and destructive Shock factor, hydraulic shock. Most depth ...

s, before finally seeing a heavy underwater explosion at 01:12 on 26 April at . On 20 May 1944 ''I-180'' was presumed lost with all hands, and on 10 July 1944 was removed from the Navy List.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:I-180 1942 ships Ships built by Yokosuka Naval Arsenal World War II submarines of Japan Kaidai-class submarines Japanese submarines lost during World War II Warships lost in combat with all hands Submarines lost with all hands Maritime incidents in April 1944