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NavSource Online: Submarine Photo Archive

Japanese Supply Submarines

Introduction courtesy of Darryl Baker

Japanese Supply Submarines at Mare Island in June and July 1945. There was no info on this boat in the shipyard logs. I spent several days trying to identify them. The boat appears to be about 140' long which eliminates a lot the Japanese subs. It could be a Ha-class boat, but I found nothing on the web indicating that any of them made the trip east and the few photos of the Ha-class don't match this one. I now think she is a Japanese Army Supply Sub. The army built 26 of them Yu-1, Yu-1001 & Yu-3 classes.
The 8 June 1945 issue of Mare Island's newspaper "The Grapevine" indicates that the subject sub was "280-ton Japanese cargo-carrying Submarine" and was "137 feet long". The article goes to describe the sub as crudly built with no interior bulkheads, two six cylinder diesel engine and a periscope which operated by counterweights. The scope could only be raised 3 feet.
The 22 June 1945 issue of Mare Island's newspaper "The Grapevine" identifies the sub as the Yu-3 and the shipyard was offering tours and sell parts of the submarine to sell war bonds.

Size	Image Description	Source
319k	A Japanese sub possibly of the *Yu-3* class tied up to the pier at Mare Island Navy Yard, 5 June 1945.	Official USN photo # 4270-45, courtesy of Darryl Baker.
280k	Curious onlookers line the pier for a sneak a peak at Japanese sub, possibly of the *Yu-3* class at Mare Island Navy Yard, 5 June 1945.	Official USN photo # 4271-45, courtesy of Darryl Baker.
205k	Broadside view of a Japanese sub, possibly of the *Yu-3* class at Mare Island Navy Yard, 5 June 1945.	Official USN photo # 4272-45, courtesy of Darryl Baker.
286k	Interior of a Japanese sub, possibly of the *Yu-3* class at Mare Island Navy Yard, 7 July 1945.	Official USN photo # 5164-45, courtesy of Darryl Baker.
292k	Spacious interior of a Japanese sub, possibly of the *Yu-3* class at Mare Island Navy Yard, 7 July 1945. A sign labeled "Main Control Compartment" is hanging to the left of the smiling man at what might be the diving planes.	Official USN photo # 5165-45, courtesy of Darryl Baker.

Additional Resources and Web Sites of Interest
Full Fathom Five, U.S. Submarine War Against Japan
Imperial Japanese Navy Page

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This page is created and maintained by Darryl Baker & Michael Mohl,
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