Submarine I-19
Open the military map伊号第十九潜水艦
Submarine
Type B1 submarine that on September 15, 1942 fired one of the most devastating torpedo salvos in naval history, sinking USS Wasp, destroying USS O'Brien, and damaging USS North Carolina with a single spread of six torpedoes. Sunk by USS Radford near Makin Island in November 1943.
- Armament
- 53cm魚雷発射管6門（魚雷17本）、14cm砲1門、25mm機銃2門、水上偵察機1機
- Fate
- Sunk by submarine
History
IJN I-19 was a Type B1 (I-15 class) submarine built by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries at Kobe and commissioned in April 1941. She was armed with six forward torpedo tubes, a 140mm deck gun, and carried a Yokosuka E14Y floatplane for reconnaissance. The submarine could reach 23.5 knots on the surface and had a range of 14,000 nautical miles at 16 knots.
Her most famous action occurred on September 15, 1942, during the Guadalcanal Campaign. Under Lieutenant Commander Takakazu Kinashi, I-19 sighted the American carrier task force and fired a spread of six Type 95 oxygen-powered torpedoes. Three of the six torpedoes struck USS Wasp (CV-7), igniting explosions that forced her abandonment and sinking with 193 dead. The other three torpedoes continued on their track for miles: one struck the destroyer USS O'Brien (DD-415), which foundered a month later on her way home for repairs, and another damaged the battleship USS North Carolina (BB-55). This single torpedo salvo from one submarine caused the loss of a fleet carrier, a destroyer, and put a battleship out of action — arguably the most effective submarine torpedo attack in the Pacific War.
I-19 continued operations until November 25, 1943, when she was detected on the surface near Makin Island by the destroyer USS Radford (DD-446). Radford attacked with depth charges, sinking I-19 with all 105 hands.
Related sites (4)
- Built34.680, 135.188
Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Kobe Shipyard — laid down March 15, 1938; launched September 16, 1939
- Homeport35.283, 139.667
Yokosuka Naval District — I-19 was attached to Yokosuka on completion (28 April 1941) and returned there for docking and repairs
- Battle-12.420, 164.130
Southeast of the Solomon Islands (USS Wasp sank at about 12°25′S 164°08′E) — on September 15, 1942, I-19 fired the six-torpedo salvo that sank USS Wasp, fatally damaged USS O'Brien and damaged USS North Carolina
- Sunk3.167, 171.917
50 nautical miles west of Makin Island, Gilbert Islands (approx. 3°10'N 171°55'E) — sunk by USS Radford on November 25, 1943