Submarine I-58

I-58

Country	Japan
Ship Class	Type B3-class Submarine
Builder	Yokosuka Naval Arsenal
Laid Down	26 Dec 1942
Launched	9 Oct 1943
Commissioned	7 Sep 1944
Decommissioned	1 Apr 1946
Sunk	2 Apr 1946
Displacement	2,140 tons standard
Length	356 feet
Machinery	Two diesel engines
Power Output	9,400 shaft horsepower
Speed	15 knots
Aircraft	1 seaplane
Submerged Speed	7 knots

Contributor: C. Peter Chen

ww2dbaseI-58, a 2140-ton "B(3) Type" submarine, was built at Yokosuka, Japan. Completed in September 1944, she was modified in 1945 to carry the "Kaiten" manned torpedo. Her captain, Lieutenant Commander Mochitsura Hashimoto, did not get a chance to attack an enemy ship until 30 Jul 1945, when she ran across the unescorted heavy cruiser Indianapolis between the Marianas and the Philippines. After confirming the Indianapolis as a hostile warship (though misidentifying her as a battleship), Hashimoto launched six conventional torpedos toward the American cruiser. Each torpedo carried 1,210 pounds of explosives. Two of them scored hits, and sank the Indianapolis within minutes. Due to a series of miscommunication and blunders by the US Navy, the sinking of the Indianapolis went unnoticed for several days before a rescue effort was launched. Of the approximately 900 men who survived the explosions and the sinking, only 316 survived the shark-infested waters of the Pacific with little food and no water to tell the tale.

ww2dbaseAt the end of the war, I-58 was surrendered to the United States. She was scuttled off Goto, Japan, on 1 Apr 1946.

ww2dbaseSources: In Harm's Way, Naval Historical Center

Last Major Revision: Aug 2005

Submarine I-58 Interactive Map

Photographs

I-53 and I-58 at Kure, Japan, 16 Oct 1945

I-58 being prepared for scuttling, off Sasebo, Japan, 1 Apr 1946

I-58 Operational Timeline

1 Jan 1945	Five Japanese submarines departed Inland Sea, Japan with Kaiten submarines aboard. I-36 sailed for Ulithi in the Caroline Islands, I-48 for Hollandia in New Guinea, I-53 for Palau Islands, I-56 for the Admiralty Islands, and I-58 for Guam in the Mariana Islands.
12 Jan 1945	Kaiten submarines launched by Japanese submarines I-36, I-53, I-56, and I-58 struck targets at Ulithi in the Caroline Islands, Palau Islands, Admiralty Islands, and Guam in the Mariana Islands, respectively. The motherships reported 18 sinkings total, but actual damage done was far less and no ship was sunk.
29 Jul 1945	Japanese submarine I-58 sank cruiser USS Indianapolis with two hits from Type 95 torpedoes; USS Indianapolis' prior order to maintain radio silence resulted in a 2-day delay in realizing she was lost.
18 Aug 1945	I-58 arrived at Kure, Japan.
1 Apr 1946	The US Navy conducted a mass scuttling of captured enemy warships. Twenty-one surviving giant Japanese submarines (including the infamous I-58) were among the vessels destroyed.

Did you enjoy this article or find this article helpful? If so, please consider supporting us on Patreon. Even $1 per month will go a long way! Thank you.

Share this article with your friends:

Facebook
Reddit
Twitter

Stay updated with WW2DB:

RSS Feeds

Posting Your Comments on this Topic

Your Name
Your Email
	Your email will not be published
Comment Type
Your Comments

Notes:

1. We hope that visitor conversations at WW2DB will be constructive and thought-provoking. Please refrain from using strong language. HTML tags are not allowed. Your IP address will be tracked even if you remain anonymous. WW2DB site administrators reserve the right to moderate, censor, and/or remove any comment. All comment submissions will become the property of WW2DB.

2. For inquiries about military records for members of the World War II armed forces, please see our FAQ.

Search WW2DB

World War II Database

I-58