''I-27'' was a

submarine A submarine (or sub) is a watercraft capable of independent operation underwater. It differs from a submersible, which has more limited underwater capability. The term is also sometimes used historically or colloquially to refer to remotely op ...

of 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 ...

which saw service during the Pacific Campaign of

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

. ''I-27'' was commissioned at

Sasebo, Japan is a core city located in Nagasaki Prefecture, Japan. It is also the second largest city in Nagasaki Prefecture, after its capital, Nagasaki. On 1 June 2019, the city had an estimated population of 247,739 and a population density of 581 persons p ...

on February 24, 1942.

Service history

On 31 May 1942, ''I-27'' launched midget submarine ''M-14'' as the leading submarine for the attack on Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. On June 4, 1942, while en route Whyalla-Newcastle was torpedoed and sunk 44 miles SSW of

Gabo Island Gabo Island is a island located off the coast of eastern Victoria, Australia, between Mallacoota and Cape Howe on the border with New South Wales. It is separated from the mainland by a wide channel; access is available by arranged flights an ...

by ''I-27''. Thirty eight of her forty two crew were lost, with the survivors being picked up by SS ''Mulbera''. On March 20, 1943, was torpedoed and sunk in the

Indian Ocean The Indian Ocean is the third-largest of the world's five oceanic divisions, covering or ~19.8% of the water on Earth's surface. It is bounded by Asia to the north, Africa to the west and Australia to the east. To the south it is bounded by th ...

() by ''I-27''. The sole survivor of this sinking made no comment as to the fate of the crew, although some publications suggest that they may have been killed by the crew of ''I-27''. There is no conclusive evidence either way, but there is also no evidence of ''I-27'' taking such action on other occasions. On June 3, 1943, ''I-27'' torpedoed and sank SS ''Montanan'' in the Indian Ocean. Five of ''Montanan''s crew were killed and 58 were rescued. On July 5, 1943 ''I-27'' torpedoed and sank the ''Alcoa Protector'', sailing as part of convoy PA44 in the Gulf of Oman. The turbine engines of this ship were later salvaged and used to propel the Great Lakes freighter ''Kinsman Independent''. On November 8, 1943, ''I-27'' sank the

Liberty ship Liberty ships were a class of cargo ship built in the United States during World War II under the Emergency Shipbuilding Program. Though British in concept, the design was adopted by the United States for its simple, low-cost construction. Mass ...

SS ''Sambridge''. The survivors made it safely to lifeboats and the ship's captain, Captain H. Scurr, was taken prisoner. A burst of machine-gun fire was heard by the survivors, but its reason is unknown as Scurr was eventually freed from Changi prison camp at the end of the war.Shipping Company Losses of the Second World War, Ian M Malcolm, The History Press, 2013, , 9780750953719 The submarine torpedoed and sank the

Allied An alliance is a relationship among people, groups, or states that have joined together for mutual benefit or to achieve some common purpose, whether or not explicit agreement has been worked out among them. Members of an alliance are called ...

steamship near the

Maldives Maldives (, ; dv, ދިވެހިރާއްޖެ, translit=Dhivehi Raajje, ), officially the Republic of Maldives ( dv, ދިވެހިރާއްޖޭގެ ޖުމްހޫރިއްޔާ, translit=Dhivehi Raajjeyge Jumhooriyyaa, label=none, ), is an archipelag ...

on February 12, 1944, killing 1,297 passengers and crew. After the attack, ''I-27'' attempted to hide under ''Khedive Ismail''s survivors who were floating in the water. Nevertheless, the

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies. ** Britishness, the British identity and common culture * British English, ...

destroyers and located the submarine and destroyed it with

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, ramming, and

torpedo A modern torpedo is an underwater ranged weapon launched above or below the water surface, self-propelled towards a target, and with an explosive warhead designed to detonate either on contact with or in proximity to the target. Historically, su ...

es at . Ninety-nine of ''I-27''s crew were killed. One survivor was captured by the British.

Notes

Bibliography

* * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:I-027 Type B1 submarines Ships built by Sasebo Naval Arsenal 1940 ships World War II submarines of Japan Japanese submarines lost during World War II World War II shipwrecks in the Indian Ocean Maritime incidents in February 1944