Japanese submarine I-59
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''I-159'', originally ''I-59'', was an
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 surrend ...
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 bat ...
of the KD3B sub-class in commission from 1930 to 1945. During
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 opposing ...
, she made two war patrols 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 t ...
, took part in the
Battle of Midway The Battle of Midway was a major naval battle in the Pacific Theater of World War II that took place on 4–7 June 1942, six months after Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor and one month after the Battle of the Coral Sea. The U.S. Navy under ...
, and served as a
training Training is teaching, or developing in oneself or others, any skills and knowledge or fitness that relate to specific useful competencies. Training has specific goals of improving one's capability, capacity, productivity and performance. I ...
submarine before ending the war as a ''
kaiten were crewed torpedoes and suicide craft, used by the Imperial Japanese Navy in the final stages of World War II. History In recognition of the unfavorable progress of the war, towards the end of 1943 the Japanese high command considered s ...
'' suicide attack
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, s ...
carrier. She surrendered at the end of the war and was
scuttled Scuttling is the deliberate sinking of a ship. Scuttling may be performed to dispose of an abandoned, old, or captured vessel; to prevent the vessel from becoming a navigation hazard; as an act of self-destruction to prevent the ship from being ...
in 1946.


Design and description

The submarines of the KD3B sub-class were essentially repeats of the preceding KD3A sub-class with minor modifications to improve
seakeeping Seakeeping ability or seaworthiness is a measure of how well-suited a watercraft is to conditions when underway. A ship or boat which has good seakeeping ability is said to be very seaworthy and is able to operate effectively even in high sea stat ...
. They displaced surfaced and submerged. The submarines were long, had a beam of and a
draft Draft, The Draft, or Draught may refer to: Watercraft dimensions * Draft (hull), the distance from waterline to keel of a vessel * Draft (sail), degree of curvature in a sail * Air draft, distance from waterline to the highest point on a vesse ...
of . The boats had a diving depth of Carpenter & Polmar, p. 93 For surface running, the submarines were powered by two
diesel engine The diesel engine, named after Rudolf Diesel, is an internal combustion engine in which ignition of the fuel is caused by the elevated temperature of the air in the cylinder due to mechanical compression; thus, the diesel engine is a so-ca ...
s, each driving one
propeller shaft A drive shaft, driveshaft, driving shaft, tailshaft (Australian English), propeller shaft (prop shaft), or Cardan shaft (after Girolamo Cardano) is a component for transmitting mechanical power and torque and rotation, usually used to connect ...
. When submerged each propeller was driven by a
electric motor An electric motor is an electrical machine that converts electrical energy into mechanical energy. Most electric motors operate through the interaction between the motor's magnetic field and electric current in a wire winding to generate for ...
. They could reach on the surface and underwater. On the surface, the KD3Bs had a range of at ; submerged, they had a range of at .Chesneau, p. 198 The submarines were armed with eight internal
torpedo tube A torpedo tube is a cylindrical device for launching torpedoes. There are two main types of torpedo tube: underwater tubes fitted to submarines and some surface ships, and deck-mounted units (also referred to as torpedo launchers) installed aboa ...
s, six in the bow and two in the stern. They carried one reload for each tube, a total of 16
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, s ...
es. They were also armed with one
deck gun A deck gun is a type of naval artillery mounted on the deck of a submarine. Most submarine deck guns were open, with or without a shield; however, a few larger submarines placed these guns in a turret. The main deck gun was a dual-purpose ...
.Bagnasco, p. 183


Construction and commissioning

The submarine was
laid down Laying the keel or laying down is the formal recognition of the start of a ship's construction. It is often marked with a ceremony attended by dignitaries from the shipbuilding company and the ultimate owners of the ship. Keel laying is one o ...
on 25 March 1927 at the
Yokosuka Naval Arsenal was one of four principal naval shipyards owned and operated by the Imperial Japanese Navy, and was located at Yokosuka, Kanagawa prefecture on Tokyo Bay, south of Yokohama. History In 1866, the Tokugawa shogunate government established the ...
in
Yokosuka is a city in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. , the city has a population of 409,478, and a population density of . The total area is . Yokosuka is the 11th most populous city in the Greater Tokyo Area, and the 12th in the Kantō region. The city ...
, Japan.I-159 ijnsubsite.com September 1, 2018 Accessed 9 January 2021
/ref> Both launched and numbered ''I-59'' on 25 March 1929, she was completed and commissioned on 31 March 1930.


Service history


Pre-World War II

On the day of her completion and commissioning, ''I-59'' was attached to the
Kure Naval District was the second of four main administrative districts of the pre-war Imperial Japanese Navy. Its territory included the Inland Sea of Japan and the Pacific coasts of southern Honshū from Wakayama to Yamaguchi prefectures, eastern and northern K ...
and assigned to Submarine
Division Division or divider may refer to: Mathematics *Division (mathematics), the inverse of multiplication *Division algorithm, a method for computing the result of mathematical division Military *Division (military), a formation typically consisting ...
28. On 1 December 1930, the division was assigned to Submarine
Squadron Squadron may refer to: * Squadron (army), a military unit of cavalry, tanks, or equivalent subdivided into troops or tank companies * Squadron (aviation), a military unit that consists of three or four flights with a total of 12 to 24 aircraft, ...
2 in the
2nd Fleet The United States Second Fleet is a numbered fleet in the United States Navy responsible for the East Coast of the United States, East Coast and Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean. The Fleet was established following World War II. In Septemb ...
, a component of the
Combined Fleet The was the main sea-going component of the Imperial Japanese Navy. Until 1933, the Combined Fleet was not a permanent organization, but a temporary force formed for the duration of a conflict or major naval maneuvers from various units norm ...
. The division was reassigned to Submarine Squadron 1 in the 1st Fleet, also a component of the Combined Fleet, on 1 December 1932. The division was transferred to the Sasebo Defense Division in the Sasebo Naval District on 15 November 1933, and ''I-59'' was decommissioned and placed in
reserve Reserve or reserves may refer to: Places * Reserve, Kansas, a US city * Reserve, Louisiana, a census-designated place in St. John the Baptist Parish * Reserve, Montana, a census-designated place in Sheridan County * Reserve, New Mexico, a US vi ...
that day. While she was in reserve, her division was reassigned on 11 December 1933 to the Sasebo Guard Division in the Sasebo Naval District. During 1934, ''I-59'' returned to active service, and on 15 November 1934 her division began another stint in Submarine Squadron 2 in the 2nd Fleet. On 7 February 1935 ''I-59'' got underway from Sasebo along with the other eight submarines of Submarine Squadron 2 — '' I-53'', '' I-54'', ''
I-55 Interstate 55 (I-55) is a major Interstate Highway in the central United States. As with most primary Interstates that end in a five, it is a major cross-country, north–south route, connecting the Gulf of Mexico to the Great Lakes. The h ...
'', , , , and — for a training cruise in the
Kuril Islands The Kuril Islands or Kurile Islands (; rus, Кури́льские острова́, r=Kuril'skiye ostrova, p=kʊˈrʲilʲskʲɪjə ɐstrɐˈva; Japanese: or ) are a volcanic archipelago currently administered as part of Sakhalin Oblast in the ...
.I-153 ijnsubsite.com September 19, 2018 Accessed 15 January 2021
/ref>
/ref>
/ref>
/ref>
/ref>
/ref> The cruise concluded with their arrival at Sukumo Bay on 25 February 1935. The nine submarines departed Sasebo on 29 March 1935 to train in Chinese waters, returning to Sasebo on . On 15 November 1935, Submarine Division 28 was reassigned for a second tour of duty in Submarine Squadron 1 in the 1st Fleet. ''I-59'' apparently had been decommissioned again by November 1936. Recommissioned by early 1937, ''I-59'' put to sea from Sasebo with ''I-60'' and ''I-63'' on 27 March 1937 for a training cruise in the vicinity of
Tsingtao Qingdao (, also spelled Tsingtao; , Mandarin: ) is a major city in eastern Shandong Province. The city's name in Chinese characters literally means " azure island". Located on China's Yellow Sea coast, it is a major nodal city of the One Belt ...
, China. They concluded it with their arrival at
Ariake Bay The is a body of salt water surrounded by Fukuoka, Saga, Nagasaki, and Kumamoto Prefectures, all of which lie on the island of Kyūshū in Japan. It is the largest bay in Kyūshū. Its deepest point is only about 50 meters (165 ft) deep, and ...
on 6 April 1937. Submarine Division 28 was reassigned to the Sasebo Defense Squadron in the Sasebo Naval District on 1 December 1937, but returned to duty with Submarine Squadron 1 in the 1st Fleet on 15 December 1938. From 6 to 29 January 1941, ''I-60'' temporarily relieved ''I-59'' as the flagship of Submarine Division 28. Again relieved of flagship duty later in 1941, ''I-59'' resumed her role as division flagship on 3 December 1941.


World War II


December 1941–January 1942

''I-59'' was undergoing overhaul at Kobe, Japan, when the
war in the Pacific The Pacific War, sometimes called the Asia–Pacific War, was the theater of World War II that was fought in Asia, the Pacific Ocean, the Indian Ocean, and Oceania. It was geographically the largest theater of the war, including the vast ...
began with the Japanese
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 ...
,
Hawaii Hawaii ( ; haw, Hawaii or ) is a state in the Western United States, located in the Pacific Ocean about from the U.S. mainland. It is the only U.S. state outside North America, the only state that is an archipelago, and the only state ...
, on 7 December 1941 (8 December on the other side of the International Date Line in Japan). She got underway from Kobe on 31 December 1941 in company with ''I-60'', bound for
Davao City Davao City, officially the City of Davao ( ceb, Dakbayan sa Dabaw; ), is a first class highly urbanized city in the Davao Region, Philippines. The city has a total land area of , making it the largest city in the Philippines in terms of lan ...
on
Mindanao Mindanao ( ) ( Jawi: مينداناو) is the second-largest island in the Philippines, after Luzon, and seventh-most populous island in the world. Located in the southern region of the archipelago, the island is part of an island group of ...
in the
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. The two submarines arrived at Davao on 5 January 1942 and refueled there. While at Davao, relieved ''I-59'' as flagship of Submarine Division 28 on 9 January 1942.


First war patrol

On 10 January 1942, ''I-59'' departed Davao City in company with ''I-60'' to begin her first war patrol. The two submarines proceeded to the
Banda Sea The Banda Sea ( id, Laut Banda, pt, Mar de Banda, tet, Tasi Banda) is one of four seas that surround the Maluku Islands of Indonesia, connected to the Pacific Ocean, but surrounded by hundreds of islands, including Timor, as well as the Halma ...
south of the Sunda Islands, off the
Celebes Sulawesi (), also known as Celebes (), is an island in Indonesia. One of the four Greater Sunda Islands, and the world's eleventh-largest island, it is situated east of Borneo, west of the Maluku Islands, and south of Mindanao and the Sul ...
in the Netherlands East Indies, and along with the other submarines of Submarine Squadron 5 — , , , and — covered the Japanese landings at
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and
Manado Manado () is the capital city of the Indonesian province of North Sulawesi. It is the second largest city in Sulawesi after Makassar, with the 2020 Census giving a population of 451,916 distributed over a land area of 162.53 km2.Badan Pusa ...
in northern Celebes, which began on 11 January. On 13 January, ''I-59'' parted company with ''I-60'' and proceeded to a patrol area 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 t ...
off
Christmas Island Christmas Island, officially the Territory of Christmas Island, is an Australian external territory comprising the island of the same name. It is located in the Indian Ocean, around south of Java and Sumatra and around north-west of the ...
. ''I-59'' sank the Norwegian 4,184- gross register ton
cargo Cargo consists of bulk goods conveyed by water, air, or land. In economics, freight is cargo that is transported at a freight rate for commercial gain. ''Cargo'' was originally a shipload but now covers all types of freight, including trans ...
steamer off
Flying Fish Cove Flying Fish Cove ( zh, 飛魚灣, ms, Pantai Ikan Terbang) is the capital city and main settlement of Australia's Christmas Island. Although it was originally named after British survey-ship '' Flying-Fish'', many maps simply label it "The Set ...
on Christmas Island on 20 January 1942, hitting ''Eidsvold'' with the sixth
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, s ...
she fired. On 25 January, she conducted a
periscope A periscope is an instrument for observation over, around or through an object, obstacle or condition that prevents direct line-of-sight observation from an observer's current position. In its simplest form, it consists of an outer case with ...
reconnaissance of Sabang on the coast of Sumatra to ascertain whether any Allied
warship A warship or combatant ship is a naval ship that is built and primarily intended for naval warfare. Usually they belong to the armed forces of a state. As well as being armed, warships are designed to withstand damage and are usually faster ...
s were there. Finding none, she torpedoed and sank an unidentified British
merchant ship A merchant ship, merchant vessel, trading vessel, or merchantman is a watercraft that transports cargo or carries passengers for hire. This is in contrast to pleasure craft, which are used for personal recreation, and naval ships, which are ...
and took some of its crew
prisoner A prisoner (also known as an inmate or detainee) is a person who is deprived of liberty against their will. This can be by confinement, captivity, or forcible restraint. The term applies particularly to serving a prison sentence in a prison. ...
. She concluded her patrol with her arrival at Penang in Japanese-occupied British Malaya on 26 January 1942.


Second war patrol

''I-59'' got underway from Penang on 21 February 1942 for her second war patrol, assigned a patrol area in the Indian Ocean southwest of Sumatra. At 23:35 on 1 March 1942, she was west of Sumatra when she torpedoed the Dutch 1,035-gross register ton passenger ship , bound from
Padang Padang () is the capital and largest city of the Indonesian province of West Sumatra. With a Census population of 1,015,000 as of 2022, it is the 16th most populous city in Indonesia and the most populous city on the west coast of Sumatra. Th ...
, Sumatra, to
Colombo Colombo ( ; si, කොළඹ, translit=Koḷam̆ba, ; ta, கொழும்பு, translit=Koḻumpu, ) is the executive and judicial capital and largest city of Sri Lanka by population. According to the Brookings Institution, Colombo m ...
, Ceylon, carrying about 500 people — mostly British military personnel and a large number of civilians — fleeing British Malaya and the Netherlands East Indies as the Japanese advanced. ''Rooseboom''
capsize Capsizing or keeling over occurs when a boat or ship is rolled on its side or further by wave action, instability or wind force beyond the angle of positive static stability or it is upside down in the water. The act of recovering a vessel fro ...
d and sank quickly at , leaving about 135 survivors behind, 80 of them aboard a
lifeboat Lifeboat may refer to: Rescue vessels * Lifeboat (shipboard), a small craft aboard a ship to allow for emergency escape * Lifeboat (rescue), a boat designed for sea rescues * Airborne lifeboat, an air-dropped boat used to save downed airmen ...
designed to hold 28 and the rest clinging to debris in the water., pp. 491, 552–553.. The Dutch steamer rescued two people from the water nine days later, and only four of those aboard the lifeboat survived to reach Sipora off Sumatra 30 days after ''Rooseboom'' put to sea. Among those lost were British Army
Brigadier Brigadier is a military rank, the seniority of which depends on the country. In some countries, it is a senior rank above colonel, equivalent to a brigadier general or commodore, typically commanding a brigade of several thousand soldiers. I ...
Archibald Paris, Lieutenant Colonel
Gordon Thorne Gordon Calthrop Thorne (3 March 1897 – 2 March 1942) was an English first-class cricketer and British Army officer. Serving for most of his military career with the Royal Norfolk Regiment, Thorne saw action in the First World War from 1916 t ...
, and Sergeant Percy Saunders, the latter two notable athletes of the era. ''I-59'' returned to Penang on 12 March 1942.


March–May 1942

On 22 March 1942, ''I-59'' departed Penang bound for Sasebo, which she reached on 1 April 1942. While she was in Japan, Submarine Division 28 was disbanded and she was assigned to Submarine Division 19 on 10 April 1942. She left Japan on 19 May 1942, departing
Kure is a port and major shipbuilding city situated on the Seto Inland Sea in Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan. With a strong industrial and naval heritage, Kure hosts the second-oldest naval dockyard in Japan and remains an important base for the Japan ...
and setting course for Kwajalein Atoll. During her voyage, she was renumbered ''I-159'' on 20 May 1942. She arrived at Kwajalein on 26 May 1942.


Third war patrol: The Battle of Midway

Assigned along with the submarines , , , , , and to Submarine Squadron 5 in the 6th Fleet′s Advance Expeditionary Force to support Operation MI, the planned Japanese invasion of Midway Atoll in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands, ''I-159'' got underway from Kwajalein on 30 May 1942 for her third war patrol. Submarine Squadron 5 deployed in the
Pacific Ocean The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean (or, depending on definition, to Antarctica) in the south, and is bounded by the contin ...
between and . The Japanese suffered a decisive defeat on 4 June 1942 during the
Battle of Midway The Battle of Midway was a major naval battle in the Pacific Theater of World War II that took place on 4–7 June 1942, six months after Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor and one month after the Battle of the Coral Sea. The U.S. Navy under ...
, and that day the commander-in-chief of the 6th Fleet, Vice Admiral
Teruhisa Komatsu Marquis was an admiral in the Imperial Japanese Navy in World War II. Born as HIH Kitashirakawa-no-miya Teruhisa, as the younger son of HIH Prince Kitashirakawa Yoshihisa, his title was devolved from royal status that that of the ''kazoku'' p ...
, ordered the 15 submarines in the Japanese submarine patrol line to move westward. After the commander-in-chief of the Combined Fleet, Admiral
Isoroku Yamamoto was a Marshal Admiral of the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) and the commander-in-chief of the Combined Fleet during World War II until he was killed. Yamamoto held several important posts in the IJN, and undertook many of its changes and reor ...
, ordered Komatsu to interpose his submarines between the retreating Japanese fleet and the opposing
United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...
aircraft carriers, the Japanese submarines, including ''I-159'', began a gradual movement to the north-northwest, moving at by day and after dark. ''I-159'' made no contact with enemy forces during the battle and returned to Kwajalein on 21 June 1942.


Training duties

''I-159'' departed Kwajalein on 22 June 1942 and proceeded to Kure, Japan, which she reached on 1 July 1942. On 10 July 1942, Submarine Squadron 5 was disbanded, and Submarine Division 19 — consisting of ''I-156'', ''I-157'', ''I-158'', and ''I-159'' — was reassigned to the Kure Guard Force in the
Kure Naval District was the second of four main administrative districts of the pre-war Imperial Japanese Navy. Its territory included the Inland Sea of Japan and the Pacific coasts of southern Honshū from Wakayama to Yamaguchi prefectures, eastern and northern K ...
, and ''I-159'' assumed duty as a
training Training is teaching, or developing in oneself or others, any skills and knowledge or fitness that relate to specific useful competencies. Training has specific goals of improving one's capability, capacity, productivity and performance. I ...
submarine. On 18 July 1943, ''I-158'' relieved ''I-159'' as flagship of Submarine Division 19, and on 1 December 1943 the division was reassigned to the Kure Submarine Squadron in the Kure Naval District. On 25 December 1943 and again on 26 December 1943, ''I-159'' called at Tokuyama, Japan, to refuel at the Tokuyama Fuel Depot, in each case departing the same day. On 5 January 1944, she took part in the first stage of submarine
camouflage Camouflage is the use of any combination of materials, coloration, or illumination for concealment, either by making animals or objects hard to see, or by disguising them as something else. Examples include the leopard's spotted coat, the b ...
pattern experiments in the Iyo Nada in the Seto Inland Sea conducted by the Naval Submarine School, with the "No. 5" camouflage scheme — probably a greenish-gray pattern — painted on her hull and the sides of her conning tower. Later in January 1944, she tested the Type 2 magnetic influence exploder for
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 ...
es. From 23 to 25 February 1944, she participated in the second stage of the camouflage pattern experiments, this time with the No. 5 pattern also applied to her wooden deck.


''Kaiten'' carrier

Submarine Division 19 was abolished on 20 April 1945 and ''I-159''′s training duties came to an end that day as she was assigned to Submarine Division 34 in the 6th Fleet. In May 1945 she underwent conversion at the
Kure Naval Arsenal was one of four principal naval shipyards owned and operated by the Imperial Japanese Navy. History The Kure Naval District was established at Kure, Hiroshima in 1889, as the second of the naval districts responsible for the defense of the Ja ...
to carry two ''
kaiten were crewed torpedoes and suicide craft, used by the Imperial Japanese Navy in the final stages of World War II. History In recognition of the unfavorable progress of the war, towards the end of 1943 the Japanese high command considered s ...
'' piloted suicide attack torpedoes, and she subsequently transported ''kaiten'' to future ''kaiten'' bases on
Shikoku is the smallest of the four main islands of Japan. It is long and between wide. It has a population of 3.8 million (, 3.1%). It is south of Honshu and northeast of Kyushu. Shikoku's ancient names include ''Iyo-no-futana-shima'' (), '' ...
and Kyushu. In July 1945, the crews of ''I-156'', ''I-157'', ''I-158'', ''I-159'', and ''I-162'' underwent training to launch ''kaiten'' during an anticipated Allied invasion of Japan. Due to the danger of Allied air attacks on Kure, ''I-159'' moved to
Maizuru is a city in Kyoto Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 78,644 in 34817 households and a population density of 230 persons per km². The total area of the city is . Geography Maizuru is located in northern Kyoto Pref ...
on
Honshu , historically called , is the largest and most populous island of Japan. It is located south of Hokkaidō across the Tsugaru Strait, north of Shikoku across the Inland Sea, and northeast of Kyūshū across the Kanmon Straits. The island se ...
′s east coast in August 1945. On 6 August, she was assigned along with the submarines , , and ''I-156'' to the ''Shinshu-tai'' ("Land of Gods Unit") ''kaiten'' group, scheduled to depart Japan in mid-August 1945 to conduct attacks on Allied ships. ''I-159'' was still in port at Maizuru on 11 August 1945 when Iwo Jima-based
United States Army Air Forces The United States Army Air Forces (USAAF or AAF) was the major land-based aerial warfare service component of the United States Army and ''de facto'' aerial warfare service branch of the United States during and immediately after World War II ...
P-51 Mustang fighter aircraft
strafed Strafing is the military practice of attacking ground targets from low-flying aircraft using aircraft-mounted automatic weapons. Less commonly, the term is used by extension to describe high-speed firing runs by any land or naval craft such ...
her, puncturing her main ballast tanks in three places. She transferred to the ''kaiten'' base at
Hirao is a town located in Kumage District, Yamaguchi Prefecture, Japan. As of 2016, the town has an estimated population of 12,643 and a density of . The total area is . Geography Neighbouring municipalities * Yanai * Kaminoseki * Tabuse ...
at the southern end of Honshu after makeshift repairs. On 15 August 1945, she was reassigned to Submarine Division 15 in the 6th Fleet along with ''I-36'', , ''I-157'', and other submarines. Later on 15 August 1945, ''I-159'' was at Hirao when
Emperor An emperor (from la, imperator, via fro, empereor) is a monarch, and usually the sovereignty, sovereign ruler of an empire or another type of imperial realm. Empress, the female equivalent, may indicate an emperor's wife (empress consort), ...
Hirohito announced in a radio broadcast that hostilities between Japan and the Allies had ceased. Misunderstanding him, the submarine crews continued to prepare for their ''Shinshu-tai'' sortie, and ''I-159'' embarked two ''kaiten'' and their pilots. At 12:00 on 16 August, she departed Hirao — the only submarine to get underway for the ''Shinshu-tai'' sortie — with orders to attack
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shipping in the
Vladivostok Vladivostok ( rus, Владивосто́к, a=Владивосток.ogg, p=vɫədʲɪvɐˈstok) is the largest city and the administrative center of Primorsky Krai, Russia. The city is located around the Golden Horn Bay on the Sea of Japan, c ...
area and any Allied ships attempting to interfere with her. She passed through the Seto Inland Sea and the
Bungo Strait The is a strait separating the Japanese islands of Kyushu and Shikoku. It connects the Pacific Ocean and the Seto Inland Sea on the western end of Shikoku. The narrowest part of this channel is the Hōyo Strait. In the English-speaking worl ...
and proceeded submerged toward Ōsumi Strait.


End of war

On 17 August 1945, ''I-159'' was off
Miyazaki Prefecture is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located on the island of Kyūshū. Miyazaki Prefecture has a population of 1,073,054 (1 June 2019) and has a geographic area of 7,735 Square kilometre, km2 (2,986 sq mi). Miyazaki Prefecture borders ...
on Kyushu when she received word from Hirao that hostilities had ended. She made port at Aburatsu, Kyushu, that day and destroyed all of her secret documents there. On 18 August, she got back underway and proceeded to Hirao. She surrendered to Allied forces in September 1945.


Disposal

''I-159'' moved to Sasebo in October 1945 and was stripped of all useful equipment, and the Japanese struck her from the
Navy list A Navy Directory, formerly the Navy List or Naval Register is an official list of naval officers, their ranks and seniority, the ships which they command or to which they are appointed, etc., that is published by the government or naval autho ...
on 30 November 1945. She was among a number of Japanese submarines
scuttled Scuttling is the deliberate sinking of a ship. Scuttling may be performed to dispose of an abandoned, old, or captured vessel; to prevent the vessel from becoming a navigation hazard; as an act of self-destruction to prevent the ship from being ...
by the
United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...
off the Goto Islands in Operation Road's End on 1 April 1946, the U.S. Navy
submarine tender A submarine tender is a type of depot ship that supplies and supports submarines. Development Submarines are small compared to most oceangoing vessels, and generally do not have the ability to carry large amounts of food, fuel, torpedoes, and ...
towing Towing is coupling two or more objects together so that they may be pulled by a designated power source or sources. The towing source may be a motorized land vehicle, vessel, animal, or human, and the load being anything that can be pulled. Th ...
her to her scuttling site and sinking her with gunfire.


References


Further reading

* * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:I-159 1929 ships Ships built by Yokosuka Naval Arsenal World War II submarines of Japan Kaidai-class submarines Ships of the Battle of Midway Scuttled vessels Maritime incidents in 1946 Shipwrecks in the Pacific Ocean