Japanese mini-sub (?) plans

[mvmhm]

I'd given a tour of our historic Chapels a couple months ago, and one of the people came back today with these blue prints his father took from a factory in Sasebo, Japan at the end of WWII..his Dad had been a PO2, but he didn't know what his rate was...he said his Dad told him he worked on torpedoes on a sub tender, some code breaking machines at Mare Island, and was in Sasebo looking for intel docos....there's some mouse damage but overall they're in good shape. There's 4 sets of blue prints which are roughly 2 X 3 feet, and portions of a manual that looks like it has electrical specs in it.

 

At one time the family had a sword, rifle and some other war trophies, but they've been sold over the years.

 

 

Mark sends

[mvmhm]

...blueprints

[mvmhm]

...markings on the covers....

[mvmhm]

I forgot to add,he served aboard the tender USS Nereus:

 

"After shakedown in the fall of 1945, the new submarine tender departed 15 December for Japan by way of Pearl Harbor. Arriving Sasebo early in 1946, she stripped 39 Japanese submarines of all usable equipment and material before they were towed to sea for scuttling. US Marine demolition crews then sank the submarines with explosive charges in Operation "Roads End" 1 and 2 April."

 

 

Mark sends

[gfryman]

Very cool, thanks for sharing!

[1SG_1st_Cav]

Sub Group Two in Groton, CT has one those Mini-subs on display.

[sundance]

That's interesting that they scuttled subs; I've read that things like tanks and planes were rendered harmless and then scrapped so the metal could be used to help revitalize Japanese industry.

[JDK]

Very cool bringback item!

 

JD

[TomP]

Very cool!

 

One of the blue prints is marked for the I-59 (later renamed the I-159): See here for history on this submarine:

 

http://www.combinedfleet.com/I-159.htm

 

 

 

Tom

[TheMariner]

Very cool bring back, i have never seen Japanese sub blueprints for sale!!!

[mvmhm]

Very cool!

 

One of the blue prints is marked for the I-59 (later renamed the I-159): See here for history on this submarine:

 

http://www.combinedfleet.com/I-159.htm

 

 

 

Tom

 

Neat! Thanks for the information!

 

 

Mark sends

[gwb123]

I was going to say without translating some of the dimensions it would be difficult to say what size sub you were looking at.

 

Congrats on the positive ID.