The Pacific War Online Encyclopedia: K5 Class, Japanese

Submarines (original) (raw)

Tonnage

700 tons standard
940 tons surfaced

Dimensions

234'7" by 22' by 13'
71.50m by 6.71m by 3.96m

Maximum speed

19 knots surfaced
8.2 knots submerged

Dive

To 245 feet (75 m)

Complement

Armament

4 21" torpedotubes (10 torpedoes)
1 3"/40 AA gun
2 13mm/76 machine gun

Machinery

2-shaft diesel (2900 hp) or electric (1200 hp)

Range

8000 nautical miles (14,800 km) at 12 knots surfaced
4500 nautical miles (8300 km) at 20 knots surfaced
90 nautical miles (167 km) at 3.5 knots submerged

The K5s were short-ranged (RO) submarines designed as prototypes for wartime mass production. The Japanese designated them as Navy medium type submarines (Kaigun-shiki Chūgata Sensuikan). Resembling the British Uclass, and completed in 1935-1937, they showed considerable promise, particularly in their sea keeping. They used improved diesel engines that gave them good surfaced speed.