Japanese submarine I-60

Sister ship I-56 in harbor, 1930
History
Empire of Japan
Name:	I-60
Builder:	Sasebo Naval Arsenal
Laid down:	10 October 1927
Launched:	24 April 1929
Completed:	24 December 1929
Fate:	Sunk by HMS Jupiter, 17 January 1942
General characteristics
Class and type:	Kaidai-class submarine (KD3B Type)
Displacement:	1,829 t (1,800 long tons) surfaced 2,337 t (2,300 long tons) submerged
Length:	101 m (331 ft 4 in)
Beam:	8 m (26 ft 3 in)
Draft:	4.9 m (16 ft 1 in)
Installed power:	6,800 bhp (5,100 kW) (diesels) 1,800 hp (1,300 kW) (electric motors)
Propulsion:	Diesel-electric 2 × diesel engines 2 × electric motors
Speed:	20 knots (37 km/h; 23 mph) surfaced 8 knots (15 km/h; 9.2 mph) submerged
Range:	10,000 nmi (19,000 km; 12,000 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph) surfaced 90 nmi (170 km; 100 mi) at 3 knots (5.6 km/h; 3.5 mph) submerged
Test depth:	60 m (200 ft)
Complement:	60
Armament:	8 × 533 mm (21 in) torpedo tubes (6 bow, 2 stern) 1 × 120 mm (4.7 in) deck gun

The Japanese submarine I-60 was a Kaidai-class cruiser submarine of the KD3B sub-class built for the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) during the 1920s. The boat supported Japanese forces during the Dutch East Indies campaign in early 1942 until she was sunk by a British destroyer on 17 January.

Design and description

The submarines of the KD3B sub-class were essentially repeats of the preceding KD3A sub-class with minor modifications to improve seakeeping. They displaced 1,829 metric tons (1,800 long tons) surfaced and 2,337 metric tons (2,300 long tons) submerged. The submarines were 101 meters (331 ft 4 in) long, had a beam of 8 meters (26 ft 3 in) and a draft of 4.9 meters (16 ft 1 in). The boats had a diving depth of 60 m (200 ft) and a complement of 60 officers and crewmen.^[1]

For surface running, the boats were powered by two 3,400-brake-horsepower (2,535 kW) diesel engines, each driving one propeller shaft. When submerged each propeller was driven by a 900-horsepower (671 kW) electric motor. They could reach 20 knots (37 km/h; 23 mph) on the surface and 8 knots (15 km/h; 9.2 mph) underwater. On the surface, the KD3Bs had a range of 10,000 nautical miles (19,000 km; 12,000 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph); submerged, they had a range of 90 nmi (170 km; 100 mi) at 3 knots (5.6 km/h; 3.5 mph).^[2]

The boats were armed with eight internal 53.3 cm (21.0 in) torpedo tubes, six in the bow and two in the stern. They carried one reload for each tube; a total of 16 torpedoes. The submarines were also armed with one 120 mm (4.7 in) deck gun for combat on the surface.^[3]

Construction and career

Built by the Sasebo Naval Arsenal, I-60 was laid down on 10 October 1927,^[4] launched on 24 April 1929 and completed on 25 December 1929.^[1] The boat was refitting in late 1941 and did not conduct her first war patrol until 10 January 1942 when she departed Davao City, the Philippines, to search for Allies ships south of the Sunda Strait.^[4] In the course of this mission, I-60 was sunk by the British destroyer HMS Jupiter.^[5]

Notes

1. Carpenter & Polmar, p. 93
2. Chesneau, p. 198
3. Bagnasco, p. 183
4. Hackett & Kingsepp
5. PacificWrecks.com. "Pacific Wrecks". www.pacificwrecks.com. Retrieved 2016-04-19.

References

• Bagnasco, Erminio (1977). Submarines of World War Two. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 0-87021-962-6.
• Carpenter, Dorr B. & Polmar, Norman (1986). Submarines of the Imperial Japanese Navy 1904–1945. London: Conway Maritime Press. ISBN 0-85177-396-6.
• Chesneau, Roger, ed. (1980). Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1922–1946. Greenwich, UK: Conway Maritime Press. ISBN 0-85177-146-7.
• Hackett, Bob & Kingsepp, Sander (2013). "IJN Submarine I-60: Tabular Record of Movement". combinedfleet.com. Retrieved 6 November 2015.
• Jentschura, Hansgeorg; Jung, Dieter & Mickel, Peter (1977). Warships of the Imperial Japanese Navy, 1869–1945. Annapolis, Maryland: United States Naval Institute. ISBN 0-87021-893-X.

Coordinates: 06°19′30″S 104°49′20″E / 6.32500°S 104.82222°E