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Ships · Japan · 1940-1945

Type A Ko-hyoteki-class Midget Submarine

midget submarine

The Ko-hyoteki class were two-man midget submarines, roughly 24 meters long and carrying two 450mm torpedoes, designed to be carried close to an enemy anchorage by a mother submarine before attacking on battery power. Five were launched against Pearl Harbor on 7 December 1941, where one was captured with its pilot and is now displayed in Texas, and three attacked Sydney Harbour on the night of 29-30 May 1942, sinking the depot ship HMAS Kuttabul and killing 21 sailors. Around 216 boats were built across four variants (Types A-D); their extremely short range and low survivability meant they achieved only sporadic successes for the loss of nearly every crew that used them offensively.

Wikipedia

displacement46 long tons submerged
length23.9 m
range100 nmi at 2 knots
produced~216 (all variants)

Pacific

Ko-hyoteki class submarine grounded in the surf on Oahu after the Attack on Pearl Harbor, December 1941.
Ko-hyoteki class submarine grounded in the surf on Oahu after the Attack on Pearl Harbor, December 1941.photographer not identified. US Military. · Public domain · source
USS Current lifting midget sub from Hawaii in July 1960
USS Current lifting midget sub from Hawaii in July 1960 · Public domain · source
HA-8, Japanese midget submarine, Submarine Force Library & Museum, Groton, Connecticut Identified at http://www.hnsa.org/ships/ha8.htm
HA-8, Japanese midget submarine, Submarine Force Library & Museum, Groton, Connecticut Identified at http://www.hnsa.org/ships/ha8.htmCarol M. Highsmith · Public domain · source
The stern of HA-8 Japanese midget submarine (Type A No. 8)
The stern of HA-8 Japanese midget submarine (Type A No. 8)Z22 · CC BY-SA 3.0 · source