Japanese submarine I-63

Sister ship I-56 in harbor, 1930
History
Empire of Japan
Name:	I-63
Builder:	Sasebo Naval Arsenal
Launched:	28 September 1928
Completed:	20 December 1928
Fate:	Sunk in collision 2 February 1939 Raised January 1940 and Scrapped
General characteristics
Class and type:	Kaidai-class submarine (KD3B Type)
Displacement:	1,829 t (1,800 long tons) surfaced 2,337 t (2,300 long tons) submerged
Length:	101 m (331 ft 4 in)
Beam:	8 m (26 ft 3 in)
Draft:	4.9 m (16 ft 1 in)
Installed power:	6,800 bhp (5,100 kW) (diesels) 1,800 hp (1,300 kW) (electric motors)
Propulsion:	Diesel-electric 2 × diesel engines 2 × electric motors
Speed:	20 knots (37 km/h; 23 mph) surfaced 8 knots (15 km/h; 9.2 mph) submerged
Range:	10,000 nmi (19,000 km; 12,000 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph) surfaced 90 nmi (170 km; 100 mi) at 3 knots (5.6 km/h; 3.5 mph) submerged
Test depth:	60 m (200 ft)
Complement:	60
Armament:	8 × 533 mm (21 in) torpedo tubes (6 bow, 2 stern) 1 × 120 mm (4.7 in) deck gun

The Japanese submarine I-63 was a Kaidai-class cruiser submarine of the KD3B sub-class built for the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) during the 1920s. She was sunk in an accidental collision with her sister ship I-60 with the loss of most of her crew in early 1939. The wreck was salvaged the next year and scrapped.

Design and description

The submarines of the KD3B sub-class were essentially repeats of the preceding KD3A sub-class with minor modifications to improve seakeeping. They displaced 1,829 metric tons (1,800 long tons) surfaced and 2,337 metric tons (2,300 long tons) submerged. The submarines were 101 meters (331 ft 4 in) long, had a beam of 8 meters (26 ft 3 in) and a draft of 4.9 meters (16 ft 1 in). The boats had a diving depth of 60 m (200 ft) and a complement of 60 officers and crewmen.^[1]

For surface running, the boats were powered by two 3,400-brake-horsepower (2,535 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 20 knots (37 km/h; 23 mph) on the surface and 8 knots (15 km/h; 9.2 mph) underwater. On the surface, the KD3Bs had a range of 10,000 nautical miles (19,000 km; 12,000 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph); submerged, they had a range of 90 nmi (170 km; 100 mi) at 3 knots (5.6 km/h; 3.5 mph).^[2]

The boats were armed with eight internal 53.3 cm (21.0 in) torpedo tubes, six in the bow and two in the stern. They carried one reload for each tube; a total of 16 torpedoes. They were also armed with one 120 mm (4.7 in) deck gun for combat on the surface.^[3]

Construction and career

Built by the Sasebo Naval Arsenal, I-63 was launched on 28 September 1927 and completed on 20 December 1928.^[1] On 2 February 1939, the boat was sunk when she was accidentally rammed by her sister ship I-60 in the Bungo Strait, off Kyushu, killing 81 aboard. Her captain and six crewmen were rescued. The wreck was salvaged in January 1940 and scrapped in Kure.^[4][5]

Notes

1. Carpenter & Polmar, p. 93
2. Chesneau, p. 198
3. Bagnasco, p. 183
4. Jentschura, Jung & Mickel, p. 170
5. Chesneau, Roger, Conwayʼs All the Worldʼs Fighting Ships 1922-1946', New York: Mayflower Books, 1980, ISBN 0-8317-0303-2, p. 198.

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.
• Jentschura, Hansgeorg; Jung, Dieter & Mickel, Peter (1977). Warships of the Imperial Japanese Navy, 1869–1945. Annapolis, Maryland: United States Naval Institute. ISBN 0-87021-893-X.