Japanese submarine I-20

History
Empire of Japan
NameSubmarine No. 46
BuilderMitsubishi Kobe Yard, Kobe
Laid down16 November 1937
RenamedI-20
Launched25 January 1939
Completed26 September 1940
Commissioned26 September 1940
FateLost after 31 August 1943
Stricken1 December 1943
General characteristics
Class and typeType C1 submarine
Displacement
  • 2,595 tonnes (2,554 long tons) surfaced
  • 3,618 tonnes (3,561 long tons) submerged
Length109.3 m (358 ft 7 in) overall
Beam9.1 m (29 ft 10 in)
Draft5.3 m (17 ft 5 in)
Installed power
Propulsion
Speed
  • 23.5 knots (43.5 km/h; 27.0 mph) surfaced
  • 8 knots (15 km/h; 9.2 mph) submerged
Range
  • 14,000 nmi (26,000 km; 16,000 mi) at 16 knots (30 km/h; 18 mph) surfaced
  • 60 nmi (110 km; 69 mi) at 3 knots (5.6 km/h; 3.5 mph) submerged
Test depth100 m (330 ft)
Crew95
Armament
NotesFitted to carry 1 × Type A midget submarine

I-20 was one of five Type C cruiser submarines of the C1 sub-class built for the Imperial Japanese Navy. During World War II, she operated as the mother ship for a midget submarine during the attack on Pearl Harbor and the attack of Diego-Suarez, conducted war patrols in the Pacific Ocean and Indian Ocean, and served in the Guadalcanal campaign and New Guinea campaign. She was last heard from on 31 August 1943.