The Type 97 was a diameter torpedo used by the

Imperial Japanese Navy The Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN; Kyūjitai: Shinjitai: ' 'Navy of the Greater Japanese Empire', or ''Nippon Kaigun'', 'Japanese Navy') was the navy of the Empire of Japan from 1868 to 1945, when it was dissolved following Japan's surrender ...

during World War II. Intended for use with Japan's ''Kō-hyōteki''-class midget submarines, the torpedo was based on the 24-inch diameter Type 93 "Long Lance" used by Japanese surface vessels, but redesigned to meet the smaller 18-inch physical dimensions of the midgets' two torpedo tubes. Larger Japanese submarines were armed with the 21-inch

Type 95 torpedo The Type 95 torpedo was a torpedo used by submarines of the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War II. The Type 95 was based on the Type 93 torpedo ( ''Long Lance''); its mod 1 had a smaller and mod 2 had a larger warhead size than the Type 9 ...

. It was not a great success. Its first operational use was in the

attack on Pearl Harbor The attack on Pearl HarborAlso known as the Battle of Pearl Harbor was a surprise military strike by the Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service upon the United States against the naval base at Pearl Harbor in Honolulu, Territory of Hawaii, j ...

, after which it was modified as the Type 97 Special, sometimes known as the Type 98. It had a warhead and a range of at .

Type 97 Special

Four Type 97 Special torpedoes were fired during the Japanese midget submarine raid on Sydney Harbour in the early hours of June 1, 1942. Two were fired by the midget ''M-24'' and aimed at the American heavy cruiser USS ''Chicago'', then tied to the No 2. buoy at Garden Island in Sydney Harbour.Grose, Peter (2007). ''A Very Rude Awakening'', pgs 123, 139 Both missed. One struck the harbour wall beneath the depot ship HMAS ''Kuttabul'', sinking the converted ferry and killing 19 Australian and 2 British sailors aboard.Elbourne, LEUT Sean (2006). ''Wonderful Kuttabul'' The second failed to arm, and ran harmlessly aground at Garden Island.Grose, Peter (2007). ''A Very Rude Awakening'', p 143 The remaining two were fired in Sydney Harbour by the midget ''M-21''. The timing of their firing and their target, if any, are unknown. ''M-21'' had been rammed and depth charged by HMAS ''Yandra'' at the entrance to Sydney Harbour around 2300 on May 31, but managed to recover sufficiently to enter the harbour at 03:01 on June 1. ''M-21'' was eventually cornered and sunk at 05:15 on June 1 in Taylors Bay inside Sydney Harbour. When the wreck was raised on June 4, both torpedoes had been fired. However the bow caps covering the torpedo tubes failed to drop clear, instead remaining caught in the buckled bow cage of the submarine. The No. 1 torpedo travelled approximately three feet clear of the tube before jamming. The No. 2 torpedo travelled before it too jammed.

References

Bibliography

* * {{WWIIJapaneseNavalWeapons Torpedoes of Japan World War II weapons of Japan Attack on Pearl Harbor