Japanese submarine I-174

History
Empire of Japan
Name:	I-74
Ordered:	1934
Builder:	Sasebo Naval Arsenal
Laid down:	16 October 1934
Launched:	28 March 1938
Commissioned:	15 August 1938
Renamed:	I-174, 1942
Struck:	10 June 1944
Fate:	Sunk by aircraft attack, 12 April 1944
General characteristics
Class and type:	Kaidai type (KD6B Type)
Displacement:	1,839 tonnes (1,810 long tons) surfaced 2,605 tonnes (2,564 long tons) submerged
Length:	105 m (344 ft 6 in)
Beam:	8.2 m (26 ft 11 in)
Draft:	4.57 m (15 ft 0 in)
Installed power:	9,000 bhp (6,700 kW) (diesels) 1,800 hp (1,300 kW) (electric motors)
Propulsion:	Diesel-electric 2 × diesel engines 2 × electric motors
Speed:	23 knots (43 km/h; 26 mph) surfaced 8 knots (15 km/h; 9.2 mph) submerged
Range:	10,000 nmi (19,000 km; 12,000 mi) at 16 knots (30 km/h; 18 mph) surfaced 65 nmi (120 km; 75 mi) at 3 knots (5.6 km/h; 3.5 mph) submerged
Test depth:	75 m (246 ft)
Complement:	70
Armament:	6 × 533 mm (21 in) torpedo tubes (4 bow, 2 stern) 1 × 120 mm (4.7 in) deck gun 2 × single 13.2 mm (0.52 in) anti-aircraft machinegun

The Japanese submarine I-174 (I-74, until 20 May 1942) was a Kaidai type of cruiser submarine of the KD6B sub-class, built for the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) during the mid-1930s.

Design and description

The submarines of the KD6B sub-class were essentially repeats of the preceding KD6A sub-class. They displaced 1,814 tonnes (1,785 long tons) surfaced and 2,605 tonnes (2,564 long tons) submerged. The submarines were 105 meters (344 ft 6 in) long, had a beam of 8.2 meters (26 ft 11 in) and a draft of 4.57 meters (15 ft 0 in). The boats had a diving depth of 75 m (246 ft)^[1]

For surface running, the boats were powered by two 4,500-brake-horsepower (3,356 kW) diesel engines, each driving one propeller shaft. When submerged each propeller was driven by a 900-horsepower (671 kW) electric motor. They could reach 23 knots (43 km/h; 26 mph) on the surface and 8 knots (15 km/h; 9.2 mph) underwater.^[2] On the surface, the KD3Bs had a range of 10,000 nautical miles (19,000 km; 12,000 mi) at 16 knots (30 km/h; 18 mph); submerged, they had a range of 65 nmi (120 km; 75 mi) at 3 knots (5.6 km/h; 3.5 mph).^[3]

The boats were armed with six internal 53.3 cm (21.0 in) torpedo tubes, four in the bow and two in the stern. They carried a total of 14 torpedoes. They were also armed with one 120 mm (4.7 in) deck gun for combat on the surface and two 13.2 mm (0.52 in) anti-aircraft machineguns.^[3]

Construction and career

She completed eight war patrols during the Pacific War. She attacked Convoy GP55 on 16 June 1943. During her ninth war patrol, she was sunk near Truk on 12 April 1944 by a United States Navy B-24 Liberator patrol aircraft.

Notes

1. Carpenter & Polmar, p. 96
2. Chesneau, p. 198
3. Bagnasco, p. 183

References

• Bagnasco, Erminio (1977). Submarines of World War Two. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 0-87021-962-6.
• Carpenter, Dorr B. & Polmar, Norman (1986). Submarines of the Imperial Japanese Navy 1904–1945. London: Conway Maritime Press. ISBN 0-85177-396-6.
• Chesneau, Roger, ed. (1980). Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1922–1946. Greenwich, UK: Conway Maritime Press. ISBN 0-85177-146-7.
• Hackett, Bob & Kingsepp, Sander (2001). "HIJMS Submarine I-174: Tabular Record of Movement". Combinedfleet.com.
• Rohwer, Jürgen (2005). Chronology of the War at Sea 1939-1945: The Naval History of World War Two (Third Revised ed.). Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 1-59114-119-2.
• Stevens, David (1993). "I-174 : The Last Japanese Submarine off Australia". Journal of the Australian War Memorial (Canberra: Australian War Memorial) (22). ISSN 0729-6274.