laststandonzombieisland

Some 80 years ago this week, Operation Road’s End saw the U.S. Navy deep-six no less than five large, captured Imperial Japanese Navy submarines off Hawaii.

These included I-203, sunk by USS Caiman (SS-323) on 21 May; I-201 by USS Queenfish (SS-393) on 23 May; I-14 by USS Bugara (SS-331) on 28 May; I-401 by USS Cabezon (SS-334) on 31 May, and I-400 by USS Trumpetfish (SS-425).

An amazing color film exists of this operation.

Video description via NARA:

Sinking of Japanese sub I 201, 5/23/46, by USS Queenfish: 1) MS Japanese submarine exploding on surface after being hit by torpedoes from USS Queenfish, large column of smoke and water rising into air. 2) LS GV periscope shot showing Japanese submarine on surface, torpedo track in foreground. Japanese submarine exploding after being hit by a torpedo. MV. 3) MCU DA bow of US submarine, torpedo track in background, Japanese sub exploding in background. 4) LS DA AV Japanese submarine on the surface of the water exploding, a large column of water and smoke rising into the air after the Japanese sub has been hit by a torpedo from a US submarine. 5) LS DA AV large oil slick.

Sinking of Japanese sub I-14, 5/28/46, by USS Bugara: 1) MCU DA stern of US sub. 2) LS Japanese sub exploding, a large column of water and black smoke rising into the air. 3) MCU DA stern of US sub, torpedo track in background, large column of water and smoke rising into air, US flag in foreground. MV. 4) LS DA AV Japanese sub on surface. 5) LS DAAV Japanese sub exploding after being hit by a torpedo from a US sub. A large column of water and smoke rising into the air, a Japanese submarine sinking, leaving a large oil slick on the water. MV.

Sinking of Japanese sub I-401, 5/31/46, by USS Cabezon, SS 334: 1) LS Japanese sub on surface. 2) MCU DA stern of US sub as it fires torpedo, follow through of track to Japanese sub showing sub exploding, large column of water rising into air. MV. 3) LS DA AV Japanese sub on surface exploding, white spray and smoke rising from surface after Japanese sub has been hit by a torpedo from a US sub. 4) LS DA AV Japanese sub sinking, leaving a large oil slick on the water.

Sinking of Japanese submarine I-441, 5/31/46, by US submarine: 1) LS Japanese sub exploding after being hit by a torpedo from a US sub. MV. 2) LS DA AV Japanese sub on surface exploding after being hit by a torpedo from a US sub. MV.

Sinking of Japanese sub I-400 by USS Trumpet Fish: 1) LS Japanese sub exploding after being hit by a torpedo fired from US sub; exploding. MV. 2) LS DA AV torpedo tracks showing same hitting Japanese sub, the Japanese sub exploding after being hit by torpedoes from a US sub. MV. 3) NCY DA Stern of US submarine after firing torpedoes at Japanese sub, Japanese sub exploding after being hit by torpedoes from US sub. MV. 4) LS DA AV large slicks on water about sub after being hit; also, large explosions. 5) MCU DA stern of US submarine; Japanese submarine exploding in the background.

This followed up on the sinking of 24 captured IJN boats still capable of sailing on their own power assembled at “Point Deep Six” in Japan in April 1946 by demo charges and gunfire from the sub tender USS Nereus (AS-17) and the destroyer USS Everette F. Larson (DD-830). Those boats were I-36, I-47, I-53, I-58, I-156, I-157, I-158, I-159, I-162, I-366, I-367, I-402, RO-50, HA-103, HA-105, HA-106, HA-107, HA-108, HA-109, HA-111, HA-201, HA-202, HA-203 and HA-208.

As further detailed by Combined Fleet:

General MacArthur’s Report recorded by October 1946, all captured Japanese submarines (a total of 15,1) had been disposed of. The Report quotes a June 1949 in the Tokyo “Pacific Stars and Stripes” newspaarticle per article dated that when the IJN disposal task was, stating 42 submarines had been scrapped, and a further 104 had been sunk. Thus, in addition to the disposal of the 49 IJN submarines that surrendered, some 100 other submarines were subjected to the disposal process as outlined in the Potsdam Protocol.