Submarine Mission

[Wellgunde]

Imperial General Headquarters
Navy Directive No. 322
26 Jan 44

Directive to: Koga, C in C, Combined Fleet

The Commander in Chief of the Combined Fleet will dispatch the submarine I-52 to Europe on a special mission to leave Japan in early March and scheduled to return in early September.
A separate directive will be issued in regard to the above special duty.

Chief of the Naval General Staff
Nagano Osami

[fontessa]

Good morning Wellgunde:

Navy Directive No. 322 is 大海指第322号 Dai Kai Shi Dai 322 Gou. Although it was substantially an order, it took the form of a directive. Because only the Emperor could give orders to the Army and the Navy.

There were five dispatches of the submarines to Germany.

■ I-30 by Navy Directive No. 77
- Departed Penang on 20 April, 1942
- Arrived at Lorient on August 5th
- Departed there on August 22nd
- Sunk at Singapore by a mine on October 13th

■ I-8 by Navy Directive No. 232
- Departed Kure on 1 June, 1943
- Arrived at Brest on August 31th
- Departed there on October 5th
- Arrived at Kure on December 21st
She was the only submarine went and came back to all the passage.

■ I-34 by Navy Directive No. 273
- Departed Kure on 13 September, 1943
- Sunk by HMS Taurus torpedo attack at Strait of Malacca on November 13th

■ I-29 by Navy Directive No. 273
- Departed Kure on 5 November, 1943
- Arrived at Lorient on 11 March, 1944
- Departed there on April 16th
- Sunk by U.S.S. Sawfish’s torpedo attack at Bashi Channel on July 26th
She carried design documents for Me163 and Me262.
Only a part of the above was transported from Singapore to Japan by air.
Shusui and Kikka were designed and made basing on the above.

■ I-52 by Navy Directive No. 322
- Departed Kure on 10 March 1944
- Sunk by escort carrier Bogue’s Avengers attack in the Atlantic Ocean on June 24th

fontessa

[Wellgunde]

Thank you, fontessa.