- Japanese submarine I-34
"I-34" was a "Kaidai Junsen" Type B1 class submarine of the
Imperial Japanese Navy . DuringWorld War II , While on a "Yanagi" mission between Japan and Germany carrying strategic raw material and knowledge, she was sunk by the British submarine HMS "Taurus" usingUltra intelligence.Commissioning
Her keel was laid down at the Sasebo Dockyards on
1 January 1941 and she was launched on24 September 1941 , commissioned and assigned to the Kure Naval District on31 August 1942 . Commander Tatsushi Irie (入江達) took over her command in March 1943.During early 1943 she took part in supply missions and the eventual evacuation of the garrison of
Kiska in theAleutian Islands .On
15 September 1943 she was assigned to a "Yanagi" (exchange) mission toLorient ,France . She arrived inSingapore on22 October 1943 to take on passengers and cargo for her mission."I-34" loaded a cargo of raw rubber bales,
tungsten , tin,quinine , medicinalopium and samples of the Japanese weapons. She departed forPenang to load passengers on11 November 1943 . Due to a delay in loading of the cargo, her passengers opted to meet her at Penang, thus saving them from death.Unknown to Commander Irie or the crew, her movements were being tracked by
Ultra intelligence, and a British submarine was sent to sink her.inking
She was spotted running on the surface in a rain squall by the British submarine, HMS "Taurus" (commanded by veteran Captain Mervyn R. G. "Dillinger" Wingfield, DSO, DSC) on
13 November 1943 in theMalacca Straits , convert|30|nmi|km|0 off the coast of Penang at 07:30."Taurus" fired a salvo of six
torpedo es of which one struck "I-34" below theconning tower , and she sank in 100 feet (30 m) of water at coord|05|17|N|100|05|E|. Of her 94 crew, only 14 survived to be picked up by a local junk."I-34" was removed from the Imperial Japanese Navy list in January 1944. Her wreck was salvaged in 1962.
Commanding Officers
Chief Equipping Officer - Cmdr. Kinzo Tonozuka -
20 May 1942 -31 August 1942 Cmdr. Kinzo Tonozuka -
31 August 1942 -20 March 1943 Cmdr. Tatsushi Irie -
20 March 1943 -13 November 1943 (KIA)See also
* Her more famous sister ship, "I-52".
References
* [http://navalhistory.flixco.info/H/148871/8330/a0.htm]
Further reading
* Miller, Vernon J. "Analysis of Japanese Submarine Losses to Allied Submarines in World War II", Merriam Press, 36pgs, ISBN 1-57638-161-7
* Gibson, Lt John F., RNVR. "Dark Seas Above", Gloucester:Tempus Publishing, 2000, ISBN 0-7524-2018-6 (Author was the Navigation Officer of the "HMS Taurus")
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