SUBSIM Radio Room Forums - View Single Post - New IJN topedoes including Kaiten and mk28 on US side

keltos01 · 04-15-08, 09:50 AM

Commander Mochitsura Hashimoto interrogation in box 13 of Submarine/Undersea Warfare Division, Series III, Operational Archives Branch, Naval Historical Center :
http://www.history.navy.mil/faqs/faq30-8.htm
18. [Question] Did you have torpedoes aboard equipped with exploders of any other type? Why didn't you use them?

[Answer] There were no torpedoes of any other exploder-type aboard. All were combination magnetic and impact, except the KAITENS which were impact only.

60. [Question] Under what conditions were human torpedoes used? How many did each submarine carry? Was the operator expendable?

[Answer] Human torpedoes were used if target was out of range of other torpedoes and sometimes in order to avoid detection. Big subs carried 6 human torpedoes; 300-Type carried 3; I-Type carried 2. The operator was 100% expendable. KAITENS were about 1/3 successful. Hashimoto's only success with them was on the I-58 which sank a U.S. escort carrier (converted) near Guam in January 1945. He observed through the periscope that one hit out of the four launched.

04-15-08, 09:50 AM	#9
keltos01 Silent Hunter Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Milan Italy Posts: 4,999 Downloads: 114 Uploads: 18	Kaiten operations Commander Mochitsura Hashimoto interrogation in box 13 of Submarine/Undersea Warfare Division, Series III, Operational Archives Branch, Naval Historical Center : http://www.history.navy.mil/faqs/faq30-8.htm 18. [Question] Did you have torpedoes aboard equipped with exploders of any other type? Why didn't you use them? [Answer] There were no torpedoes of any other exploder-type aboard. All were combination magnetic and impact, except the KAITENS which were impact only. 60. [Question] Under what conditions were human torpedoes used? How many did each submarine carry? Was the operator expendable? [Answer] Human torpedoes were used if target was out of range of other torpedoes and sometimes in order to avoid detection. Big subs carried 6 human torpedoes; 300-Type carried 3; I-Type carried 2. The operator was 100% expendable. KAITENS were about 1/3 successful. Hashimoto's only success with them was on the I-58 which sank a U.S. escort carrier (converted) near Guam in January 1945. He observed through the periscope that one hit out of the four launched.