The submarines of the KD7 sub-class were medium-range attack submarines developed from the preceding KD6 sub-class. They displaced 1,862 metric tons (1,833 long tons) surfaced and 2,644 metric tons (2,602 long tons) submerged. The submarines were 105.5 meters (346 ft 2 in) long and had a beam of 8.25 meters (27 ft 1 in) and a draft of 4.6 meters (15 ft 1 in). They had a diving depth of 80 m (262 ft) and a complement of 86 officers and crewmen.[1]
For surface running, the submarines were powered by two 4,000-brake-horsepower (2,983 kW) diesel engines, each driving one propeller shaft. When submerged, each propeller was driven by a 900-horsepower (671 kW) electric motor. The submarines could reach 23 knots (43 km/h; 26 mph) on the surface and 8 knots (15 km/h; 9.2 mph) submerged. On the surface, the KD7s had a range of 8,000 nautical miles (15,000 km; 9,200 mi) at 16 knots (30 km/h; 18 mph); submerged, they had a range of 50 nmi (93 km; 58 mi) at 5 knots (9.3 km/h; 5.8 mph).[2]
The submarines were armed with six internal 53.3 cm (21.0 in) torpedo tubes, all in the bow. They carried one reload for each tube, a total of 12 torpedoes. They were originally intended to be armed with two twin-gun mounts for the 25 mm (1.0 in) Type 96anti-aircraft gun, but a 120 mm (4.7 in)deck gun was substituted for one 25 mm mount during construction.[3]
I-182 departed Sasebo, Japan, on 8 August 1943 bound for Truk Atoll in the Caroline Islands, which she reached on 15 August 1943.[4][5] She got underway from Truk on 22 August 1943[4][5] to begin her first war patrol, assigned a patrol area in the vicinity of Espiritu Santo[4] in the New Hebrides.[4][5] She did not return from her patrol.
Loss
The exact circumstances of I-182′s loss remain unknown. I-182 and the submarine I-20 both were patrolling in the vicinity of the New Hebrides at the time, and neither returned.[5][6]United States Navy forces reported two successful antisubmarine attacks off Espiritu Santo in early September 1943.[5][6]
The first action took place on 1 September 1943, when the destroyer USS Wadsworth(DD-516), operating as part of a hunter-killer group, began a search for a reported Japanese submarine off Espiritu Santo at 10:55.[5] After searching on a north-south axis, she picked up a strong sonar contact at 13:00,[5] and dropped a pattern of ten depth charges set to explode at an average depth of 150 feet (46 m).[5] The attack produced no signs of success, so Wadsworth commenced a second attack, with her depth charges set for an average of 250 feet (76 m).[5] The submarine turned to port just before Wadsworth launched the depth charges, then headed south before turning northeast, creating an underwater wake that degraded Wadsworth′s sonar detection capability.[5]Wadsworth made several attack runs without dropping depth charges before firing a deep pattern set to explode at an average depth of 425 feet (130 m).[5] This resulted in a very large air bubble rising to the surface, but no other sign of a submarine in distress.[5]Wadsworth continued to pursue the submarine, which maneuvered to create more underwater turbulence in an attempt to defeat Wadsworth′s sonar.[5]Wadsworth dropped a final pattern of ten depth charges set to explode at an average depth of 250 feet (76 m), then turned east and opened the range.[5] A PBY Catalinaflying boat reported debris and a 400-by-600-yard (370 by 550 m) oil slick that smelled like diesel fuel on the surface just south of the location of Wadsworth′s final attack.[5] Wooden debris also was sighted on the surface at 15°38′S166°57′E / 15.633°S 166.950°E / -15.633; 166.950.[5]
The second action occurred on 3 September 1943, when the destroyer USS Ellet(DD-398) conducted a sweep for a reported Japanese submarine off Espiritu Santo.[6]Ellet picked up a radar contact at a range of 13,000 yards (11,900 m) at 19:35, closed to a range of about 5,000 yards (4,600 m), and challenged the unseen contact with a visual signal.[6] After Ellet received no reply, she illuminated the area with star shells.[6] The target disappeared from radar at a range of 3,400 yards (3,100 m), but Ellet then picked up a sonar contact at a range of 3,000 yards (2,700 m).[6] Between 20:12 and 20:38 Ellet conducted a series of depth charge attacks.[6] She lost sonar contact at 20:59, and at dawn on 4 September 1943 a large oil slick and debris were sighted on the surface at 13°10′S165°28′E / 13.167°S 165.467°E / -13.167; 165.467.[6]
The submarines Wadsworth and Ellet sank remain unidentified.[5][6] It seems likely that one of them was I-182 and the other I-20.[6][5]
On 15 September 1943, the Japanese sent I-182 orders to return to Truk, but she did not acknowledge the signal.[5] On 22 October 1943, the Imperial Japanese Navy declared I-182 lost with her entire crew of 87 men off Espiritu Santo.[4][5] The Japanese struck her from the Navy list on 1 December 1943.[4]
Bagnasco, Erminio (1977). Submarines of World War Two. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN0-87021-962-6.
Carpenter, Dorr B. & Polmar, Norman (1986). Submarines of the Imperial Japanese Navy 1904–1945. London: Conway Maritime Press. ISBN0-85177-396-6.
Chesneau, Roger, ed. (1980). Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1922–1946. Greenwich, UK: Conway Maritime Press. ISBN0-85177-146-7.
Jentschura, Hansgeorg; Jung, Dieter & Mickel, Peter (1977). Warships of the Imperial Japanese Navy, 1869–1945. Annapolis, Maryland: United States Naval Institute. ISBN0-87021-893-X.
Empire of Japan
