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Japanese minisub wreck.


Pzkpfw-e

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Unusual photo, did you go there yourself?

 

Afraid not, found it on some guy's Flickr account.

 

There are a few more of it around.

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Looks like it hasn't floated for a long time!

 

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Second sub.

 

Other bits of hardware litter the island.

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As to how it got so far ashore, a tsunami wouldn't be out of the question in that area. There may also be some sort of launch cradle under it, no buried or rusted away.

Edited by Pzkpfw-e
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Pzkpfw-e

........a tsunami wouldn't be out of the question in that area.

It actually seems to be in some sort of cutting made by a tractor. The holes in the casing look like cannon -so possibly set up as target post war. Good stuff anyway.
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The really BIG hole (blown outwards from the inside) beneath the conning tower is where the main 'self-demolition' charge was located.

 

One of the three that attacked Sydney Harbour, Australia was blown open in the same position, but the blast effect was different. I'd say the one pictured had the charge go off in the position it is in now, ie out of the water. The one from Sydney Harbour was detonated under water (by the crew, who remained with the sub...)

 

These are an incredibly cramped vessel with no 'reloads': the 2 x torpedo tubes are 'muzzle loaded' before entering the water. There is also a complete(ish) one on display at the Nimitz Museum in Fredericksburg (sp?) Texas. The US captured one hours before Pearl harbour, and the USS Ward (I think) sank one, also just before Pearl Harbour. The technical report about the captured one is fascinating. See the book 'First Shot' for a really good analysis of the Minisub component of the attack on Pearl Harbour.

 

Mike C

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  • 3 years later...

Photo #: SC 189261

 

Three Japanese Type A Midget Submarines

 

Wrecked by demolition charges, at a former Japanese base on Kiska Island, Aleutians, 7 September 1943.

U.S. soldiers are examining the submarines and facilities.

Note winch in the foreground.

Photographed by Lt. James.

 

Photograph from the Army Signal Corps Collection in the U.S. National Archives.s189261.jpg

 

Thought you might like this. found it last year.

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Photo #: SC 189261

 

Three Japanese Type A Midget Submarines

 

Wrecked by demolition charges, at a former Japanese base on Kiska Island, Aleutians, 7 September 1943.

U.S. soldiers are examining the submarines and facilities.

Note winch in the foreground.

Photographed by Lt. James.

 

Photograph from the Army Signal Corps Collection in the U.S. National Archives.[ATTACH=CONFIG]98386[/ATTACH]

 

Thought you might like this. found it last year.

 

now that's an amazing picture ....shame it's not from the other side so we could see if it's the same sub ? ..fantastic pic anyways :)

I've always fancied visiting the Aleutian Islands ...........AFTB did a big feature on them many years ago and there's lots of abandoned wreckage and installations to see (there used to be even more until the US decided they'd better have a bit of a tidy up in the early '80s I think it was)

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