World War II Database

1.  David Stubblebine says:
10 Feb 2009 08:30:34 PM

This mini-sub was restored and is now on display at the Japanese Naval Academy at Eta Jima, Japan.

2. GarandFan says:
12 Feb 2009 02:37:09 PM

My Dad took us down to the sub yards at Pearl Harbor a couple of days after this vessel was recovered. A Saturday morning, no one around. The two torpedoes still jutting from the front. Never did find out if they found any human remains aboard.

3. Donald Maxwell E5 says:
1 Jun 2012 10:02:11 AM

brings back memories I stoodwatch for sometime on this two man sub in 1960. It was placed on barge and towed back to Japan for a memorial.
I did see some sake bottles and shoes in the
conn. tower. thanks for the pictures.

4. Mike Reed says:
23 Sep 2016 02:07:29 PM

One day in the early 1960's, when I was a boy my brother and I were walking along the docks at the U.S. Naval Base in Yokosuka, Japan when we noticed this midget sub sitting on the deck of a vessel. We yelled to some sailors on deck asking if we could come aboard to look at the sub and we were thrilled when permission was granted. We climbed all over the submarine examining the rusty hull and checkiing for openings that would allow us to get a look inside. The best view was from the forward section where the two torpedoes had been removed by slicing off the entire bow of. The opening was loosely covered with a screen which gave us a good view of the control room with the helm wheel only a few yards back. The contents were in place and darkend with rust and some barnacles but everything appeared untouched and in place. Part of a crew member's shoe could be seen close by. When I knocked loose some coral attached to the conning tower in an attempt to climb around it, we were told to go ashore. I must have been ten or eleven at the time but like most Navy brats in Japan at the time, I was very aware of the role of the midget subs at Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941 and fully appreciated the privilege we were given to climb all over such an important piece of WWII history. It is something I will never forget.