Japanese submarine I-67

History
Empire of Japan
Name	I-67
Builder	Mitsubishi Kobe Yard, Kobe, Japan
Laid down	14 October 1929
Launched	7 April 1931
Completed	8 August 1932
Commissioned	8 August 1932
Decommissioned	1 December 1937
Recommissioned	?
Fate	Sank 29 August 1940
Stricken	1 November 1940
General characteristics
Class and type	Template:Sclass- (KD5 Type)
Displacement	1,732 tonnes (1,705 long tons) surfaced 2,367 tonnes (2,330 long tons) submerged
Length	97.7 m (320 ft 6 in)
Beam	8.2 m (26 ft 11 in)
Draft	4.7 m (15 ft 5 in)
Installed power	6,000 bhp (4,500 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 8.25 knots (15.28 km/h; 9.49 mph) submerged
Range	10,800 nmi (20,000 km; 12,400 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph) surfaced 60 nmi (110 km; 69 mi) at 3 knots (5.6 km/h; 3.5 mph) submerged
Test depth	70 m (230 ft)
Complement	75
Armament	6 × 533 mm (21 in) torpedo tubes (4 bow, 2 stern) 1 × 120 mm (4.7 in) deck gun 1 × 13.2 mm (0.52 in) anti-aircraft machinegun

I-67 was a Kaidai-type cruiser submarine of the Imperial Japanese Navy. A KD5 sub-class boat, she sank in a training accident in 1940.

Design and description

The submarines of the KD5 sub-class were improved versions of the preceding KD4 sub-class. They displaced 1,732 tonnes (1,705 long tons) surfaced and 2,367 tonnes (2,330 long tons) submerged. The submarines were 97.7 meters (320 ft 6 in) long, had a beam of 8.2 meters (26 ft 11 in) and a draft of 4.7 meters (15 ft 5 in). The boats had a diving depth of 75 m (246 ft)

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 KD5s had a range of 10,800 nautical miles (20,000 km; 12,400 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph); submerged, they had a range of 60 nmi (110 km; 69 mi) at 3 knots (5.6 km/h; 3.5 mph).

The boats were armed with six internal 53.3 cm (21.0 in) torpedo tubes, four in the bow and two in the stern. They carried a total of 14 torpedoes. They were also armed with one 100 mm (3.9 in) deck gun for combat on the surface, as well as a 13.2 mm (0.52 in) anti-aircraft machinegun.

Construction and commissioning

I-67 was built by Mitsubishi at Kobe, Japan. Her keel was laid on 14 October 1929 and she was launched on 7 April 1931. She was completed and commissioned on 8 August 1932.

Service history

Upon commissioning, I-67 was assigned to the Kure Naval District. When the submarine I-66 was commissioned on 10 November 1932, I-67 and I-66 combined to form Submarine Division 30. I-67 was decommissioned and placed in reserve on 1 December 1937.

Later reactivated, I-67 on 29 August 1940 was in the Pacific Ocean off the southern coast of Minamitorishima taking part in a Combined Fleet exercise with the commander of Submarine Division 30 and an exercise judge on board in addition to her crew of 89. When a seaplane from the seaplane carrier Mizuho approached, I-67 practiced a crash dive to avoid a mock attack by the plane. She never resurfaced, and sank with the loss of all 91 men on board. On 25 September 1940, the Imperial Japanese Navy officially declared all on board to be dead, and I-67 was stricken from the Navy list on 1 November 1940.

The cause of I-67′s loss remains unknown. During the post-accident investigation, the crew of Mizuho′s seaplane said they believed that they saw I-67 submerge with a rear hatch still open. Investigators concluded that if she had submerged with the hatch open, rapid flooding would have occurred and caused her to sink quickly by the stern.

References

• 雑誌「丸」編集部『ハンディ版 日本海軍艦艇写真集19巻』潜水艦伊号、光人社、1997年。(in Japanese)
• 勝目純也『日本海軍の潜水艦 - その系譜と戦歴全記録』大日本絵画、2010年。(in Japanese)
• 海軍歴史保存会『日本海軍史』第7巻、第9巻、第10巻、第一法規出版、1995年。(in Japanese)
• 外山操『艦長たちの軍艦史』光人社、2005年。 ISBN 4-7698-1246-9 (in Japanese)
• 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. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |lastauthoramp= ignored (|name-list-style= suggested) (help)
• Chesneau, Roger, ed. (1980). Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1922–1946. Greenwich, UK: Conway Maritime Press. ISBN 0-85177-146-7.
• Rohwer, Jürgen (2005). Chronology of the War at Sea 1939–1945: The Naval History of World War Two (Third Revised ed.). Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 1-59114-119-2.