Японская подводная лодка KD6 типа "Кадай": История службы (I-68)

Imperial Japanese Navy Kadai class cruiser submarine of the KD6 sub class
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Submarine Division 12 was assigned to Submarine Squadron 2 in the 2nd Fleet, a component of the Combined Fleet, on 15 November 1935. The three submarines departed Mako in the Pescadores Islands on 4 August 1936 for a training cruise in the Amoy area off China, returning to Mako on 6 September 1936. On 11 October 1940, I 68 was one of 98 Imperial Japanese Navy ships that gathered along with more than 500 aircraft on the Japanese coast at Yokohama Bay for an Imperial fleet review — the largest fleet review in Japanese history — in honor of the 2,600th anniversary of the enthronement of the Emperor Jimmu, Japan's legendary first emperor. I 68 was decommissioned and placed in reserve on 19 October 1940. or 2 Sources disagree on the subsequent sequence of events: One claims that a U. S. Navy PBY Catalina flying boat attacked I 168 while she was on the surface that day, forcing her to submerge, and that she received orders to intercept and sink Yorktown after resurfacing, I 168 sank the only two ships the U. S. Navy lost during the battle, and at the time Yorktown was the largest ship sunk by a submarine during the Pacific campaign of World War II.

During I 168′s stay at Sasebo, the Guadalcanal campaign began on 7 August 1942 with United States Marine Corps landings on Guadalcanal in the southeastern Solomon Islands. With her repairs complete, I 168 departed Sasebo on 31 August 1942 and proceeded to the Japanese base at Truk Atoll in the Caroline Islands to support Japanese forces in the campaign. Sources do not describe her activities over the next two months, but she arrived at Kure, Japan, on 18 November 1942 and was drydocked there for repairs. After completion of her repairs, I 168 got underway from Kure on 15 December 1942 and made for Truk, which she reached on 22 December 1942. She then moved to the Japanese anchorage in the Shortland Islands, from which she departed carrying 15 tons of cargo for Japanese forces on Guadalcanal. She arrived at Guadalcanal on 1 January 1943 and unloaded 60 percent of her cargo before two Allied patrol boats forced her to withdraw and head back to the Shortlands. She made an overnight stop at the Shortlands anchorage on 3–4 January 1943, called at Truk from 7 to 8 January, and then proceeded to Kure, Japan, where she arrived on 14 January 1943 to undergo repairs.

While I 168 was at Kure, she was assigned to the Northern District Force to support Japanese forces on Attu and Kiska in the Aleutian Islands during the Aleutian Islands campaign. She got underway from Kure on 22 February 1943, called at Yokosuka from 25 February to 5 March 1943, and then proceeded to Paramushiro in the northern Kuril Islands, which she reached on 10 March 1943. On 13 March 1943, I 168 departed Paramushiro on her first Aleutians supply run, carrying ammunition bound for Attu and Kiska. She arrived at Holtz Bay on the northeast coast of Attu on 15 March, unloaded part of her cargo, and then got back underway to proceed to Kiska. She was on the surface off the entrance to Holtz Bay at 17:27 Yankee Time when the U. S. submarine S 32, which misidentified her as an "Japanese submarine I 1 class" submarine, fired three torpedoes at her at S 32′s crew heard a muffled explosion and her sound operator reported that I 168′s propeller noises stopped, but in fact all three torpedoes missed, and S 32′s commanding officer continued to observe I 168 until 17:36, when he lost sight of her. Many accounts incorrectly identified S 32′s target as the submarine Japanese submarine Ro 103, which was operating thousands of miles to the south in the Rabaul area at the time. I 168 arrived at Kiska on 17 March 1943 and discharged the rest of her cargo of ammunition cargo, as well as 6 tons of provisions. She then put back to sea to conduct a war patrol south of Amchitka. The patrol was uneventful, and on 1 April 1943 I 168 returned to Kiska. She embarked sick personnel of the Kiska garrison and the ground personnel of the 452nd Naval Air Group and then headed for Paramushiro, where she arrived on 4 April 1943. I 168 got back underway from Paramushiro on 10 April 1943 to carry ammunition and mail to Attu and Kiska. She stopped at Attu on 12 April to unload cargo, then put back to sea. She again called at Attu from 14 to 16 April 1943 and embarked several staff officers before heading for Kiska, which she reached on 19 April 1943. After unloading her cargo, she headed for Japan, and arrived at Yokosuka on 9 May 1943. She resumed her assignment to Submarine Squadron 3 that day.

I 168 underwent repairs at Yokosuka. After their completion, she departed Kure on 12 July 1943, called at Truk from 22 to 25 July, and then put back to sea and set course for Rabaul on New Britain in the Bismarck Archipelago. At dusk on 27 July 1943, she transmitted a routine report from the Isabel Strait. The Japanese never heard from her again.

As dusk fell on 27 July 1943, I 168 sighted the U. S. submarine Scamp on the surface in the Steffen Strait near New Hanover Island and fired a torpedo at Scamp. Scamp sighted the incoming torpedo, went ahead full, and crash dived, submerging to 220 feet (67 m). After the Japanese torpedo passed overhead, Scamp rose to periscope depth and sighted I 168 on the surface. Scamp fired four torpedoes at I 168 at 18:12, sinking her in the Bismarck Sea off New Hanover Island at with the loss of all 97 men on board. On 10 September 1943, the Imperial Japanese Navy declared I 168 to be presumed lost with all hands in the area of north of Rabaul. The Japanese removed her from the navy list on 15 October 1943.