Подводные лодки типа «И-201» Императорского флота Японии

Class of submarines of the Imperial Japanese Navy

The I 201 class submarines (伊二百一型潜水艦) were submarines of the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War II. These submarines were of advanced design, built for high underwater speed, and were known as Sentaka Dai type submarine (潜高大型潜水艦) or Sentaka type submarine (潜高型潜水艦). The type name, was shortened to Suichū Kōsoku Sensuikan Ō gata (水中高速潜水艦大型). They were one of the fastest submarine class built during World War II, second only to Walter Type XVII closed cycle powered submarines. Twenty three units were ordered from the Kure Naval Arsenal under the 1943 construction program. Due to the deteriorating war situation, only eight boats were laid down, and only three, numbered I 201, I 202 and I 203, were completed before the end of the war. None of them saw operational use.

In 1938 the Imperial Japanese Navy constructed an experimental high speed submarine for evaluation purposes, which was designated Submarine No.71 (Vessel Number 71) for security purposes. Based on previous experience with high speed, short range midget submarines, Number 71 displaced only 230 tons surfaced with a length of 140 feet (43 m). She could attain a submerged speed of over , making her the fastest submarine of her day. The results gained from experiments with Number 71 formed the basis for the I 201 class submarines.

Two submarines, I 201 and I 203, were seized and inspected by the US Navy at the end of the hostilities. They were part of a group of four captured submarines, including the giant and I 401, which were sailed to Hawaii by US Navy technicians for further inspection. On 26 March 1946, the US Navy decided to scuttle these captured Japanese submarines to prevent the technology from falling into the hands of the Soviet Union. On 5 April 1946, I 202 was scuttled in Japanese waters. On 21 May 1946, I 203 was torpedoed and sunk by submarine Caiman off the Hawaiian Islands. On 23 May 1946, I 201 was torpedoed and sunk by Queenfish. The Hawaii Undersea Research Laboratory found the wreck of the I 201 near Hawaii using submersible craft in 2009.

Sub class Boat # Boat Builder Laid down Launched Completed Decommissioned FateI 201(Pr. S563) 4501 Japanese submarine I 201 Kure Naval Arsenal 1 March 1944 22 July 1944 2 February 1945 30 November 1945 Sunk as a target off the Hawaiian Islands by USS Queenfish on 23 May 1946 4502 Japanese submarine I 202 1 May 1944 2 September 1944 12 February 1945 30 November 1945 Scuttled by U. S. Navy off Gotō Islands on 5 April 1946 4503 Japanese submarine I 203 1 June 1944 20 September 1944 29 May 1945 30 November 1945 Sunk as a target off the Hawaiian Islands by USS Caiman on 21 May 1946 4504 I 204 1 August 1944 16 December 1944 90% complete, sunk by air raid on 22 June 1945, salvaged and scrapped at Kure February–May 1948 4505 I 205 4 September 1944 15 February 1945 80% complete, sunk by air raid on 28 July 1945, salvaged and scrapped at Kure May–August 1948 4506 I 206 27 October 1944 26 March 1945 85% complete, construction stopped on 26 March 1945, scrapped at Kure October 1946 January 1947I 207(Pr. S56B) 4507 I 207 27 December 1944 20% complete, construction stopped on 17 April 1945, scrapped at Kure April–May 1946 4508 I 208 17 February 1945 5% complete, construction stopped on 17 April 1945, scrapped at Kure April–May 1946 with I 207 4509 4523 Constructions were not started until the end of the war.

The I 201 design and technology influenced Japanese Maritime Self Defense Force JDS Oyashio (1959).

A refurbished I 203 is used by the characters in the film Hell and High Water (1954).