Japanese submarine I-29
Encyclopedia
I-29, code-named Matsu (松, Japanese for "pine tree"), was a B1 type submarine
of the Imperial Japanese Navy
used during World War II
on two secret missions with Germany, during one of which she was sunk.
The keel of I-29 was laid on 29 September 1940 at the Yokosuka Naval Yard
, and she was commissioned on 27 February 1942, into the 14th submarine squadron under the command of Lieutenant Commander (later Captain) Izu Juichi (伊豆壽市).
' Tripartite Pact
to provide for an exchange of personnel, strategic materials and manufactured goods between Germany, Italy and Japan. Initially, cargo ships made the exchanges, but when that was no longer possible submarines were used.
Only four other submarines had attempted this trans-oceanic voyage during World War II: I-30
(April 1942), I-8
(June 1943), I-34
(October 1943) and the German submarine U-511 (August 1943). Of these, I-30 was sunk by a mine
and I-34 by the British submarine Taurus
. Later, the famous Japanese submarine I-52 would also share their fate.
in New Guinea
(Operation Mo
), and also in the futile search for Task Force 16, that launched the Doolittle Raid
on Tokyo
in April 1942.
I-29's reconnaissance of Sydney harbour on the 23rd May 1942 resulted in the Japanese midget submarine
attack on Sydney Harbour
.
with a cargo that included two tons of gold. She met Fregattenkapitän Werner Musenberg's Type IXD-1 U-boat, U-180
on 26 April 1943 off the coast of Mozambique
.
During this meeting that lasted over 12 hours due to bad weather, the two Axis
submarines swapped some very interesting passengers. U-180 transferred Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose
, a leader of the Indian Independence Movement
who was going from Berlin
to Tokyo, and his Adjutant, Abid Hasan
. I-29 in turn transferred two Japanese Navy personnel who were to study U-boat building techniques in Germany: Commander (later Rear Admiral, posthumously) Emi Tetsushiro, and Lieutenant Commander (later Captain, posthumously) Tomonaga Hideo (who is later connected with the German submarine, U-234
). Both submarines returned safely to their bases. I-29 landed her important passengers at Sabang harbour on an isolated We island located to the north of Sumatra
on 6 May 1943, instead of Penang, to avoid detection by British spies.
, France
under star Japanese submarine Commander Takakazu Kinashi
. At Singapore
she was loaded with 80 tons of raw rubber, 80 tons of tungsten, 50 tons of tin, 2 tons of zinc, and 3 tons of quinine, opium and coffee.
In spite of Allied
Ultra
decrypts of her mission, I-29 managed to reach Lorient 11 March 1944. On her way she was refueled twice by German vessels. Also, she had three close brushes with Allied aircraft tracking her signals. Of special note is the attack of six RAF aircraft including two Tse-tse De Havilland Mosquito
fighters equipped with 57 mm cannons from the No. 248 RAF Squadron off Cape Peñas, Bay of Biscay
43.66°N 5.85°W, and the protection provided to her during the entry into Lorient by the Luftwaffe's only Long Range Maritime Fighter Unit, V Gruppe/Kampfgeschwader 40 using Ju-88s. At least one Ju-88 was shot down by British fighters over Spanish waters.
She left Lorient 16 April 1944 for the long voyage home with a cargo of 18 passengers, torpedo boat engines, Enigma
coding machines, radar components, a Walter HWK 509A rocket engine, and Messerschmitt Me 163
& Messerschmitt Me 262
blueprints for the development of the rocket plane Mitsubishi J8M
. After an uneventful trip she arrived at Singapore in 14 July 1944, disembarking her passengers, though not the cargo.
, Japan, she was attacked at Balintang Channel
, Luzon Strait
near the Philippines
by Commander W. D. Wilkins' "Wildcats" submarine taskforce consisting of Tilefish
, Rock
and Sawfish
, using Ultra
signal intelligence. During the evening of 26 July 1944, she was spotted by Sawfish which fired four torpedoes at her. Three hit the I-29, which sank immediately at 20.10°N 121.55°E. Only one of her crewmen survived.
Among the dead was I-29's Commanding Officer, Commander Takakazu Kinashi
, Japan's highest-scoring submarine "ace". Earlier in the war, as skipper of I-29's sister ship I-19, Kinashi torpedoed and sank the U.S. aircraft carrier USS Wasp
and damaged both the battleship USS North Carolina
and the destroyer USS O'Brien
during the same attack. O'Brien later sank as a result of the torpedo damage and North Carolina was under repair at Pearl Harbor until November 16, 1942, a notable achievement that is still considered to this day to be the most effective torpedo salvo ever fired in naval history. Kinashi was honored by a rare 2-rank posthumous promotion to Rear Admiral.
B1 type submarine
The Type B1 submarine were the most numerous submarine class of the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War II...
of the Imperial Japanese Navy
Imperial Japanese Navy
The Imperial Japanese Navy was the navy of the Empire of Japan from 1869 until 1947, when it was dissolved following Japan's constitutional renunciation of the use of force as a means of settling international disputes...
used during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
on two secret missions with Germany, during one of which she was sunk.
Type B Submarines
This was the most numerous class of Japanese submarines - almost 20 were built, of which only one (I-36) survived. These boats were fast, had a long range, and carried a seaplane, launched via a forward catapult.The keel of I-29 was laid on 29 September 1940 at the Yokosuka Naval Yard
Yokosuka, Kanagawa
is a city located in Kanagawa, Japan. As of 2010, the city had an estimated population of 419,067 and a population density of 4,160 people per km². It covered an area of 100.62 km²...
, and she was commissioned on 27 February 1942, into the 14th submarine squadron under the command of Lieutenant Commander (later Captain) Izu Juichi (伊豆壽市).
Yanagi missions
These were missions enabled under the Axis PowersAxis Powers
The Axis powers , also known as the Axis alliance, Axis nations, Axis countries, or just the Axis, was an alignment of great powers during the mid-20th century that fought World War II against the Allies. It began in 1936 with treaties of friendship between Germany and Italy and between Germany and...
' Tripartite Pact
Tripartite Pact
The Tripartite Pact, also the Three-Power Pact, Axis Pact, Three-way Pact or Tripartite Treaty was a pact signed in Berlin, Germany on September 27, 1940, which established the Axis Powers of World War II...
to provide for an exchange of personnel, strategic materials and manufactured goods between Germany, Italy and Japan. Initially, cargo ships made the exchanges, but when that was no longer possible submarines were used.
Only four other submarines had attempted this trans-oceanic voyage during World War II: I-30
Japanese submarine I-30
I-30 was a Type B1 submarine of the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War II. After operating in the Indian Ocean she participated in a Yanagi mission, aimed at connecting Japan and Nazi Germany by submarine. She was the first Japanese submarine to reach Europe, arriving at Lorient, France in...
(April 1942), I-8
Japanese submarine I-8
The Japanese submarine I-8 was a World War II Junsen Type J-3 Imperial Japanese Navy submarine, famous for completing a technology exchange mission to German-occupied France and back to Japan in 1943....
(June 1943), I-34
Japanese submarine I-34
I-34 was a Kaidai Junsen Type B1 class submarine of the Imperial Japanese Navy. During World War II, while on a Yanagi mission between Japan and Germany carrying strategic raw material and information, she was sunk by the British submarine HMS Taurus using Ultra intelligence.-Commissioning:Her keel...
(October 1943) and the German submarine U-511 (August 1943). Of these, I-30 was sunk by a mine
Naval mine
A naval mine is a self-contained explosive device placed in water to destroy surface ships or submarines. Unlike depth charges, mines are deposited and left to wait until they are triggered by the approach of, or contact with, an enemy vessel...
and I-34 by the British submarine Taurus
HMS Taurus (P399)
HMS Taurus was a Second World War British T class submarine, built by Vickers Armstrong, Barrow.-As HMS Taurus:The submarine was laid down on the 30th of September 1941, and launched on 27 June 1942. She served in the Mediterranean and the Pacific Far East during the Second World War...
. Later, the famous Japanese submarine I-52 would also share their fate.
Missions
I-29 participated in missions supporting the attack on Port MoresbyPort Moresby
Port Moresby , or Pot Mosbi in Tok Pisin, is the capital and largest city of Papua New Guinea . It is located on the shores of the Gulf of Papua, on the southeastern coast of the island of New Guinea, which made it a prime objective for conquest by the Imperial Japanese forces during 1942–43...
in New Guinea
New Guinea
New Guinea is the world's second largest island, after Greenland, covering a land area of 786,000 km2. Located in the southwest Pacific Ocean, it lies geographically to the east of the Malay Archipelago, with which it is sometimes included as part of a greater Indo-Australian Archipelago...
(Operation Mo
Operation Mo
Operation Mo or the Port Moresby Operation was the name of the Japanese plan to take control of the Australian Territory of New Guinea during World War II as well as other locations in the South Pacific with the goal of isolating Australia and New Zealand from their ally the United States...
), and also in the futile search for Task Force 16, that launched the Doolittle Raid
Doolittle Raid
The Doolittle Raid, on 18 April 1942, was the first air raid by the United States to strike the Japanese Home Islands during World War II. By demonstrating that Japan itself was vulnerable to American air attack, it provided a vital morale boost and opportunity for U.S. retaliation after the...
on Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
in April 1942.
I-29's reconnaissance of Sydney harbour on the 23rd May 1942 resulted in the Japanese midget submarine
Midget submarine
A midget submarine is any submarine under 150 tons, typically operated by a crew of one or two but sometimes up to 6 or 8, with little or no on-board living accommodation...
attack on Sydney Harbour
Attack on Sydney Harbour
In late May and early June 1942, during World War II, submarines belonging to the Imperial Japanese Navy made a series of attacks on the cities of Sydney and Newcastle in New South Wales, Australia...
.
First exchange
In April 1943, I-29 was tasked with a Yanagi mission. She was commanded by Captain Masao Teraoka, submarine flotilla commander — indicating the importance of the trip. She left PenangPenang
Penang is a state in Malaysia and the name of its constituent island, located on the northwest coast of Peninsular Malaysia by the Strait of Malacca. It is bordered by Kedah in the north and east, and Perak in the south. Penang is the second smallest Malaysian state in area after Perlis, and the...
with a cargo that included two tons of gold. She met Fregattenkapitän Werner Musenberg's Type IXD-1 U-boat, U-180
Unterseeboot 180
German submarine U-180 was a Type IXD1 transport U-boat of the German Kriegsmarine which served in World War II.Her keel was laid down on 25 February 1941 at AG Weser yard in Bremen, and was launched on 10 December 1941. Stripped of torpedo armament the Type IXD1's were designated as transport...
on 26 April 1943 off the coast of Mozambique
Mozambique
Mozambique, officially the Republic of Mozambique , is a country in southeastern Africa bordered by the Indian Ocean to the east, Tanzania to the north, Malawi and Zambia to the northwest, Zimbabwe to the west and Swaziland and South Africa to the southwest...
.
During this meeting that lasted over 12 hours due to bad weather, the two Axis
Axis Powers
The Axis powers , also known as the Axis alliance, Axis nations, Axis countries, or just the Axis, was an alignment of great powers during the mid-20th century that fought World War II against the Allies. It began in 1936 with treaties of friendship between Germany and Italy and between Germany and...
submarines swapped some very interesting passengers. U-180 transferred Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose
Subhash Chandra Bose
Subhas Chandra Bose known by name Netaji was an Indian revolutionary who led an Indian national political and military force against Britain and the Western powers during World War II. Bose was one of the most prominent leaders in the Indian independence movement and is a legendary figure in...
, a leader of the Indian Independence Movement
Indian independence movement
The term Indian independence movement encompasses a wide area of political organisations, philosophies, and movements which had the common aim of ending first British East India Company rule, and then British imperial authority, in parts of South Asia...
who was going from Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
to Tokyo, and his Adjutant, Abid Hasan
Abid Hasan
Abid Hasan Safrani, born Zain-al-Abdin Hasan, was an officer of the Indian National Army and later, after 1947, an Indian diplomat.Born to an anti-colonialist family in Hyderbad, Abid Hasan was brought-up in India and later went to Germany to train as an Engineer...
. I-29 in turn transferred two Japanese Navy personnel who were to study U-boat building techniques in Germany: Commander (later Rear Admiral, posthumously) Emi Tetsushiro, and Lieutenant Commander (later Captain, posthumously) Tomonaga Hideo (who is later connected with the German submarine, U-234
Unterseeboot 234
German submarine U-234 was a Type XB U-boat of the German Kriegsmarine during World War II.Her first and only mission into enemy territory consisted of the attempted delivery of uranium oxide and other German advanced weapons technology to the Empire of Japan...
). Both submarines returned safely to their bases. I-29 landed her important passengers at Sabang harbour on an isolated We island located to the north of Sumatra
Sumatra
Sumatra is an island in western Indonesia, westernmost of the Sunda Islands. It is the largest island entirely in Indonesia , and the sixth largest island in the world at 473,481 km2 with a population of 50,365,538...
on 6 May 1943, instead of Penang, to avoid detection by British spies.
Second exchange
On December 17, 1943, I-29 was dispatched on a second Yanagi mission, this time to LorientLorient
Lorient, or L'Orient, is a commune and a seaport in the Morbihan department in Brittany in north-western France.-History:At the beginning of the 17th century, merchants who were trading with India had established warehouses in Port-Louis...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
under star Japanese submarine Commander Takakazu Kinashi
Takakazu Kinashi
-Notes:...
. At Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
she was loaded with 80 tons of raw rubber, 80 tons of tungsten, 50 tons of tin, 2 tons of zinc, and 3 tons of quinine, opium and coffee.
In spite of Allied
Allies
In everyday English usage, allies are people, groups, or nations that have joined together in an association for mutual benefit or to achieve some common purpose, whether or not explicit agreement has been worked out between them...
Ultra
Ultra
Ultra was the designation adopted by British military intelligence in June 1941 for wartime signals intelligence obtained by "breaking" high-level encrypted enemy radio and teleprinter communications at the Government Code and Cypher School at Bletchley Park. "Ultra" eventually became the standard...
decrypts of her mission, I-29 managed to reach Lorient 11 March 1944. On her way she was refueled twice by German vessels. Also, she had three close brushes with Allied aircraft tracking her signals. Of special note is the attack of six RAF aircraft including two Tse-tse De Havilland Mosquito
De Havilland Mosquito
The de Havilland DH.98 Mosquito was a British multi-role combat aircraft that served during the Second World War and the postwar era. It was known affectionately as the "Mossie" to its crews and was also nicknamed "The Wooden Wonder"...
fighters equipped with 57 mm cannons from the No. 248 RAF Squadron off Cape Peñas, Bay of Biscay
Bay of Biscay
The Bay of Biscay is a gulf of the northeast Atlantic Ocean located south of the Celtic Sea. It lies along the western coast of France from Brest south to the Spanish border, and the northern coast of Spain west to Cape Ortegal, and is named in English after the province of Biscay, in the Spanish...
43.66°N 5.85°W, and the protection provided to her during the entry into Lorient by the Luftwaffe's only Long Range Maritime Fighter Unit, V Gruppe/Kampfgeschwader 40 using Ju-88s. At least one Ju-88 was shot down by British fighters over Spanish waters.
She left Lorient 16 April 1944 for the long voyage home with a cargo of 18 passengers, torpedo boat engines, Enigma
Enigma machine
An Enigma machine is any of a family of related electro-mechanical rotor cipher machines used for the encryption and decryption of secret messages. Enigma was invented by German engineer Arthur Scherbius at the end of World War I...
coding machines, radar components, a Walter HWK 509A rocket engine, and Messerschmitt Me 163
Messerschmitt Me 163
The Messerschmitt Me 163 Komet, designed by Alexander Lippisch, was a German rocket-powered fighter aircraft. It is the only rocket-powered fighter aircraft ever to have been operational. Its design was revolutionary, and the Me 163 was capable of performance unrivaled at the time. Messerschmitt...
& Messerschmitt Me 262
Messerschmitt Me 262
The Messerschmitt Me 262 Schwalbe was the world's first operational jet-powered fighter aircraft. Design work started before World War II began, but engine problems prevented the aircraft from attaining operational status with the Luftwaffe until mid-1944...
blueprints for the development of the rocket plane Mitsubishi J8M
Mitsubishi J8M
The Mitsubishi J8M Shūsui was a Japanese World War II rocket-powered interceptor aircraft closely based on the German Messerschmitt Me 163 Komet.Built as a joint project for both the Navy and the Army Air Services, it was designated J8M...
. After an uneventful trip she arrived at Singapore in 14 July 1944, disembarking her passengers, though not the cargo.
Sinking
On her way back to KureKure, Hiroshima
is a city in Hiroshima prefecture, Japan.As of October 1, 2010, the city has an estimated population of 240,820 and a population density of 681 persons per km². The total area is 353.74 km².- History :...
, Japan, she was attacked at Balintang Channel
Balintang Channel
The Balintang Channel is the small waterway that separates the Batanes and Babuyan Islands, both of which belong to the Philippines, in the Luzon Strait....
, Luzon Strait
Luzon Strait
The Luzon Strait is the strait between the island country of Taiwan and Luzon island of the Philippines. The strait thereby connects the Philippine Sea to the South China Sea in the western Pacific Ocean....
near the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
by Commander W. D. Wilkins' "Wildcats" submarine taskforce consisting of Tilefish
USS Tilefish (SS-307)
USS Tilefish , a Balao-class submarine, was the only ship of the United States Navy to be named for the tilefish, a large, yellow-spotted deepwater food fish....
, Rock
USS Rock (SS-274)
USS Rock , a Gato-class submarine, was a ship of the United States Navy to be named for the rock, a striped bass found in the Chesapeake Bay region and elsewhere along the Atlantic Coast....
and Sawfish
USS Sawfish (SS-276)
USS Sawfish , a Gato-class submarine, was a ship of the United States Navy named for the sawfish, a viviparous ray which has a long flat snout with a row of toothlike structures along each edge...
, using Ultra
Ultra
Ultra was the designation adopted by British military intelligence in June 1941 for wartime signals intelligence obtained by "breaking" high-level encrypted enemy radio and teleprinter communications at the Government Code and Cypher School at Bletchley Park. "Ultra" eventually became the standard...
signal intelligence. During the evening of 26 July 1944, she was spotted by Sawfish which fired four torpedoes at her. Three hit the I-29, which sank immediately at 20.10°N 121.55°E. Only one of her crewmen survived.
Among the dead was I-29
Takakazu Kinashi
-Notes:...
, Japan's highest-scoring submarine "ace". Earlier in the war, as skipper of I-29
USS Wasp (CV-7)
USS Wasp was a United States Navy aircraft carrier. The eighth Navy ship of that name, she was the sole ship of her class. Built to use up the remaining tonnage allowed to the U.S. for aircraft carriers under the treaties of the time, she was built on a reduced-size version of the Yorktown-class...
and damaged both the battleship USS North Carolina
USS North Carolina (BB-55)
USS North Carolina was the lead ship of her class of battleship and the fourth in the United States Navy to be named in honor of this U.S. state. She was the first new-construction U.S. battleship to enter service during World War II, participating in every major naval offensive in the Pacific...
and the destroyer USS O'Brien
USS O'Brien (DD-415)
USS O'Brien was a World War II-era Sims-class destroyer in the service of the United States Navy, named in honor of Captain Jeremiah O'Brien and his five brothers, Gideon, John, William, Dennis and Joseph, who captured the HMS Margaretta on 12 June 1775 during the American revolution.The O’Brien...
during the same attack. O'Brien later sank as a result of the torpedo damage and North Carolina was under repair at Pearl Harbor until November 16, 1942, a notable achievement that is still considered to this day to be the most effective torpedo salvo ever fired in naval history. Kinashi was honored by a rare 2-rank posthumous promotion to Rear Admiral.
Additional reading
- Miller, Vernon. Analysis of Japanese Submarine Losses to Allied Submarines in World War II, Merriam Press Original Publication, 36 pgs.
- Boyd, Carl and Akihiko Yoshida. The Japanese Submarine Force and World War II., Annapolis: Naval Institute Press, 1995
- Jenkins, David. Battle Surface!: Japan's Submarine War Against Australia, 1942-44. Milsons Point and London: Random House, 1992
- Goss, Chris. Bloody Biscay: The Story of the Luftwaffe's Only Long Range Maritime Fighter Unit, V Gruppe/Kampfgeschwader 40, and its Adversaries, 1942-1944. Manchester, England: Crecy Publishing, 1997, ISBN 0-947554-62-9, 254 pgs.
- Clay Blair" Hitler's U-Boats War The Hunted 1942-1945
External links
- Photo of 1/48 scale replica of I-29
- Blueprints of B-1 class Japanese submarine
- Accomplishments of the USS Sawfish
- I-29 pictures of crew stay in France taken by Kriegsmarine. Album pinched by a GI in Lorient in 1945 and found circa 1994 in an Hawaii flea market (French)courtesy www.lazaloeil.com
- View a 1942 german propaganda newsreel on arrival in Lorient and stay of I-30 which inaugurated the Yanagi missions to Europe Courtesy www.lazaloeil.com
