2 Japanese Subs Are Found in Waters Off Hawaii

[Torplexed]

Interesting stuff. The primary reason there are no existing I-Boats today is that the remaining examples were all scuttled by the USN.

Another was the condition of the vessels: they were filthy — they had been crawling with rats when captured — and generally unreliable.

Yeah...I've read US ships had to moor well upwind of captured Japanese subs, the sanitary conditions on board at the end of the war were so poor.

[Catfish]

Hello,
from the OFF forum - one of the makers of the "Over Flanders Fields" sim is actually part of the team that found those, and made a documentary about those subs.

There is a National Geographic Channel special on November 17,
9 PM entitled "Hunt for the Samurai Subs".

http://channel.nationalgeographic.co...-4577/Overview

Quote from Polovski:

" ... Terry Kerby who heads the Deep Sea Operations at the Hawaii University Reasearch Lab (HURL). Terry is affectionately known to us as Makai and has done some amazing work on OFF: BHaH. He is responsible for skinning the DFW C.IV/V, Pfalz D.III, Alb D.II, Fokker Dr.1 and worked with me on the Fokker D.VII series of aircraft skins as well.

The show will focus on exploring deep into the Pacific Ocean off the coat of Oahu Island to seek out the I-400 and I-401 class Japaneese attack subs. These two submaries are recorded as the worlds largest Diesel powered craft ever to be built at a jaw-dropping 400+ feet long each. They allowed the for the storage of 3 dive bomber type floatation aircraft to be released from a hanger built into the conning tower. The plan for these subs was to attack a major U.S. naval base in the Pacific. But these subs were promptly handed over to the US Navy shortly after Japan signed the documents declaring surrender and ending WWII. The subs were then tested and inspected by the US Navy and scuttled shortly afterward when Russian Scientists demanded access to them.

The show will bring you up and close with computer generated models of the original submarine designs, re-enactments, and actual footage from the subs piloted by Terry. Nat Geo will take you on board the main support vessel that carries the subs across the ocean to the diving site as well... so we'll get to see what life is like for Terry out at sea. Like any other show Nat Geo does, this one promises to be outstanding! ..."


Just a reminder ;-)

Greetings,
Catfish

[Oberon]

Christ, when you think about it...that's only about 150 ft shorter than a Typhoon...
Rubber coated hulls as well

[geetrue]

The first US Navy inspectors after the war was over of these I boats said that the head just had a place for the feet and a couple of holes in the floor ... yuck!

[Jimbuna]

Originally Posted by geetrue

The first US Navy inspectors after the war was over of these I boats said that the head just had a place for the feet and a couple of holes in the floor ... yuck!

Now we know why they were slanty eyed......all that 'holding it in'

[Platapus]

Trivia question:

The I-401 was the longest non-nuclear Submarine built at 120M.

What was the longest US non-nuclear Submarine built?

[Jimbuna]

Originally Posted by Platapus

Trivia question:

The I-401 was the longest non-nuclear Submarine built at 120M.

What was the longest US non-nuclear Submarine built?

USS Argonaut

[Platapus]

Originally Posted by jimbuna

USS Argonaut

Excellent!!!

I was afraid the answer would be the Narwhal/Nautilus which were big, but 6 meters shorter than the Argonaut

You rock!