Japanese I-400 Class Submarine
Submersible Seaplane Carriers.
Specially built to attack the Panama Canal.
Five were built, three launched, none served the original purpose.
The Book Cover. Assembly Underway.
The Japanese built five (three were launched) giant, seaplane carrying submarines. One made a trip around the Horn of Africa to Germany. Another was converted as a tanker. A submarine fleet was formed intending its aircraft to torpedo the Gatun Locks, Panama Canal, but was diverted to attack the US anchorage at Ulithi just as the war ended. The I-400 series submarine had an energy absorbing skin, snorkel, radar, degaussing, and a range of 1-1/2 times around the world and four months duration.
At Sea.
Two submarines hulls were welded together with a waterproof compartment on deck for three disassembled torpedo bombers.
Hanger deck is a watertight compartment.
Each plane to be assembled on deck.
Two I-400s tied up to tender.
Three I-400s tied up to tender.
Coming home
This picture seems too perfect,
It might be a model.
Aichi M6AI Seiran . Specially build for torpedo bombing of the strategic Panama Canal.
Three carried by each submarine. Tthe wings and tail folded for storage and the floats were removeable.
Photo courtesy of Roger Connor.
Aichi, builder of the D3A "Val" carrier bomber and the late-war B7A "Grace" torpedo bomber, also build the
E13S "Jake" long range reconnaissance seaplane that flew at Pearl
Harbor and to Kamikaze. A specially designed version was purpose-built for the I-400 class submarine to carry an aerial torpedo to attack the strategic Gatun Locks to stop
the flow of ships and supplies from the Atlantic needed to fight in the Pacific.
About half of the Japanese fleet submarines at the start of the war carried a single scouting aircraft, 42 subs.
One from I-25 dropped incendiary bombs in Sept'42 to start forest fires in Oregon, fortunately during a wet period.
The AM class of two subs, I-13, I-14 could carry two aircraft.
These photos were selected from the many by Google picture search.
The associated web pages and credits were not identified.
Return to: WW2 Menu About this page: I-400 - Japanese I-400 Class of submarine aircraft carrier.
Last updated on May 5, 2010 -- add notes on other Japanese aircraft carrying subs.
January 25, 2007 -- original
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