The was a class of submarine in the

Imperial Japanese Navy The Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN; Kyūjitai: Shinjitai: ' 'Navy of the Greater Japanese Empire', or ''Nippon Kaigun'', 'Japanese Navy') was the navy of the Empire of Japan from 1868 to 1945, when it was dissolved following Japan's surrender ...

(IJN), which served during the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

. The ''Type-A'' submarines were built to take a role of the command ships for submarine squadrons. For this reason they had equipment for a headquarters, better radio facilities and a floatplane.

Class variants

The ''Type-A'' submarines were divided into four classes: * * * * . The ''5094th vessel'' class boats were not built and remained only a design.

''Type-A'' (''I-9'' class)

Project number S35Ja. Their design was based on the ''Junsen III'' (''I-7'' class). Three boats were built in 1938-42 under the Maru 3 Programme (Boat # 35 - 36) and Maru 4 Programme (Boat # 138). *Boats in class

''Type-A Mod.1'' (''I-12'' class)

Project number S35B. Five boats were planned under the Maru Tsui Programme (Boat # 620 - 621) and the Kai-Maru 5 Programme (Boat # 5091 - 5093). They were equipped with less powerful diesel engines which shortened the time needed to build them. Only one boat, , was completed to the original design. The ''I-13'' and the later boats were converted to a new submarine class (''I-13'' class), because the number of ''I-400'' class boats was reduced. *Boats in class

''Type-A Mod.2'' (''I-13'' class)

Project number S35C. Four boats were planned under the Maru Tsui Programme (Boat # 621) and the Kai-Maru 5 Programme (Boat # 5091 - 5093). However, four boats were converted to new submarine class (''I-13'' class), because a number of submarines of the ''I-400'' class were cancelled. They had a large hangar and were equipped with bulges to be able to operate 2 × special Aichi M6A1 ''Seiran'' attack bombers. The headquarters institutions were removed. *Boats in class

''V21 Type''

Project number S48. Three boats were planned under the Kai-Maru 5 Programme. However, all boats were cancelled in late 1943, because the IJN turned its attention to the construction of in 1945. *Boats in class

Characteristics

Footnotes

Bibliography

*, ''History of Pacific War Vol.17 "I-Gō Submarines"'',

Gakken is a Japanese publishing company founded in 1947 by Hideto Furuoka, which also produces educational toys. Their annual sales is reported at ¥ 90 billion ($789 million US). Gakken publishes educational books and magazines and produces other ...

(Japan), January 1998, *Rekishi Gunzō, ''History of Pacific War Vol.63 "Documents of IJN submarines and USN submarines"'', Gakken (Japan), January 2008, *Rekishi Gunzō, ''History of Pacific War Extra, "Perfect guide, The submarines of the Imperial Japanese Forces"'', Gakken (Japan), March 2005, *Model Art Extra No.537, ''Drawings of Imperial Japanese Naval Vessels Part-3'', Model Art Co. Ltd. (Japan), May 1999, Book code 08734-5 *The Maru Special, ''Japanese Naval Vessels No.13, "Japanese submarines I-13 class and I-400 class"'', Ushio Shobō (Japan), July 1977, Book code 8343-7 *The Maru Special, ''Japanese Naval Vessels No.31, "Japanese Submarines I"'', Ushio Shobō (Japan), September 1979, Book code 68343-31 *

Senshi Sōsho The , also called the , is the official military history of Imperial Japan's involvement in the Pacific War from 1937 to 1945. The task of compiling the official account of the Japanese involvement in World War II began in October 1955 with the op ...

Vol.88 ''Naval armaments and war preparation (2), "And after the outbreak of war"'', Asagumo Simbun (Japan), October 1975