The diesel-electric attack submarine was surfacing when it impacted the 51,000-ton commercial vessel off the Japanese coast.
The Soryu, which has a surfaced displacement of approximately 2,900 tons and a length of just over 275 feet, scraped the hull of the commercial vessel as it was surfacing, according to the Japanese Ministry of Defense.
Unconfirmed reports suggest the cargo ship was the bulk carrier Ocean Artemis, which departed the Chinese city of Qingdao on Friday and was headed for Okayama Prefecture in western Japan. With a gross weight of around 51,000 tons and a length of 750 feet, the Ocean Artemis is registered in Hong Kong and was transporting iron ore.
