IJN U-Boote

[GerritJ9]

Those disappointed by the lack of AI and playable IJN subs in SH4, despair not!
THe IJN received the following U-Boote from Germany during WW2:
1) U-181, type IXD2 taken over by Japan after Germany's surrender in May 1945. Renumbered I-501 on July 15th 1945, surrendered at Singapore August 1945, scuttled Feb. 12th 1946.
2) U-195, type IXD1 taken over by Japan in May 1945 and renumbered I-506 on JUly 15th 1945, surrendered at Soerabaja August 1945 and scrapped in 1947.
3) U-219, type XB minelayer converted for transport duties with cargo storage spaces in her pressure hull. Taken over by Japan in May 1945, renumbered I-505 July 15th 1945, surrendered at Batavia August 1945 and scrapped 1947.
4) U-511, type IXC transferred to Japan in 1943, handed over at Kure August 1943, commisioned as RO.500 September 16 1943, mainly used for experimental purposes. Surrendered at Maizuru in August 1945 and scuttled in Gulf of Maizuru on April 30th 1946.
5) U-862, type IXD2 taken over with U-181 and renumbered I-502, surrendered at Singapore August 1945 and scuttled off Singapore February 12th 1946.
6) U-1224, type IXC40 commissioned by IJN as RO-501 at Kiel in 1943, sunk by USS Francis M. Robinson (DE) 400 miles SSW of Azores on May 31st 1944 while on passage to the Far East.

Also taken over by Japan in May 1945 were two ex-Italian submarines, UIT-24 and UIT-25. These became I-503 and I-504 respectively.

So, there are now two playable IJN subs available- the IXD2s U-181 and U-862, plus TM's AI type IX!
"All" that is now required are a Japanese speechpack and Japanese crewmembers!

[JU_88]

I dont suppose it would be too difficult to model and import an actual IJN boat, just getting the blue prints/ scematics for an acurate build is hard

[GerritJ9]

Depends on your modelling skills.......... mine are absolutely nil! But at least we have a playable option now, though I will be the first to admit it is far from perfect.

[AkbarGulag]

It would be great to see it done, but don't forget, that only gives you 3 months to actually use those subs as the Japanese. Great for single scenario's though.

[GerritJ9]

To be quite honest, I don't know whether the IJN even used any of them operationally. Given the IJN's state at that time (May 1945), I doubt it. First of all, they would have to compile crews for them. And then, they would have to work up before departing on ops- and by the time they might have been ready, the Emperor had signed on the dotted line.
As a footnote to history, I wonder what happened to the German crews after Germany's surrender- were they interned by the Japanese, repatriated through neutrals..........?????????

[Torplexed]

Originally Posted by GerritJ9

To be quite honest, I don't know whether the IJN even used any of them operationally. Given the IJN's state at that time (May 1945), I doubt it. First of all, they would have to compile crews for them. And then, they would have to work up before departing on ops- and by the time they might have been ready, the Emperor had signed on the dotted line.
As a footnote to history, I wonder what happened to the German crews after Germany's surrender- were they interned by the Japanese, repatriated through neutrals..........?????????

The combined fleet site gives this summary of U-181 /I-501 final weeks. I imagine the other interned German crews pretty much went through the same routine.

6 May 1945: The Surrender of Germany:

Vice Admiral Fukudome Shigeru (former CO of NAGATO), Commander, 13th Area Fleet, three other admirals and staff officers arrive by automobile alongside Freiwald's U-181 and KK Heinrich Timm's U-862. Fukudome informs Freiwald, Dommes and Timm they are being interned since Germany capitulated. The German officers are invited to a festive dinner, "in European style", where Fukudome thanks them for their war effort.

At about 1600, trucks arrive and disembark armed Japanese troops alongside the U-boats. The DKM's swastika ensigns are lowered from the U-Boats and replaced by the IJN's battle flags. During four patrols, the U-181 sank 27 ships for a total of 138,779-tons. Later, she is overhauled by the No. 101 Navy Repair Unit at Seletar.

June 1945:
The U-boats' crews and base personnel are trucked to an ex-British rubber plantation at Batu Pahat in southern Malaya for internment.

15 July 1945:
Seletar. The U-181 is commissioned in the IJN as the I-501 and assigned to Fukudome's 13th Area Fleet. I-501 is operationally capable of conducting war patrols. The submarine's former German crew is divided into two 30-man strong parties tasked with teaching handling of the U-boat to the Japanese.

The Japanese plan to use the I-501 for training in late August, then for a transportation run to the Andaman Islands and later send her to Japan to have her torpedo tubes remodeled to accommodate IJN torpedoes. The Japanese crew of the I-501 starts a working-up course under German supervision.

16 August 1945: The Surrender of Japan:
Seletar. The Japanese surrender to the Royal Navy. The I-501 and the I-502 are moored next to the damaged cruiser MYOKO in the Johore Strait.

30 November 1945:
Removed from the Navy List. Under British supervision, her former German crew strips the I-501 of all her valuable parts.

http://www.combinedfleet.com/I-501.htm

[Torplexed]

Originally Posted by JU_88

I dont suppose it would be too difficult to model and import an actual IJN boat, just getting the blue prints/ scematics for an acurate build is hard

Yeah. Aside from a few midget subs and kaiten parked at museums there are no surviving I-Boats to use as visual reference like the devs did with German and American subs. Modelling the interior in particular would be difficult.