I-52-class submarine

The Type C3 submarine (巡潜丙型改潜水艦, Junsen Hei-gata kai sensuikan, "Cruiser submarine type C modified"), also called I-52-class submarine (伊五十二型潜水艦, I-go-jū-ni-gata sensuikan) were operated by the Imperial Japanese Navy, designed and built by Mitsubishi Corporation, between 1943 and 1944, as cargo carriers.

A photo of a I-52 submarine, taken from a book by The Navy Association of Japan

Class overview
Builders	Mitsubishi
Operators	Imperial Japanese Navy
Preceded by	Type C submarine
Built	1942–1944
In commission	1943–1945
Planned	20
Completed	3
Lost	2
General characteristics
Displacement	2,095 tonnes standard 2,564 tonnes surfaced 3,644 tonnes submerged
Length	356 ft 6 in (108.66 m)
Beam	30 ft 6 in (9.30 m)
Draft	16 ft 9 in (5.11 m)
Propulsion	Diesel-electric 2 diesels, 4,700 hp (3.5 MW) surfaced Electric motors, 1,200 hp (895 kW) submerged
Speed	17.75 knots (32.87 km/h) surfaced 6.5 knots (12 km/h) submerged
Range	21,000 nmi (39,000 km) at 16 kn (30 km/h)
Test depth	100 m (330 ft)
Complement	94 officers and men
Armament	2 × 140 mm (5.5 in)/40 calibre deck gun 6 × 533 mm (21 in) torpedo tubes (bow) 19 × Type 95 torpedoes

The Japanese constructed only three of these during World War II, although twenty were planned.

• I-52 was laid down on 18 March 1942, and she was commissioned on 28 December 1943 into the 11th Submarine Squadron. After training in Japan she was selected for a Yanagi (exchange) mission to Germany. She was sunk on 24 June 1944 by aircraft from USS Bogue (CVE-9) 800 mi (1,300 km) southwest of the Azores. Her cargo consisted of rubber, gold, quinine, and Japanese engineers to Germany.
• I-53 survived the war, but she was scuttled by the US Navy off the Gotō Islands in 1946.
• I-55 was sunk after three months in commission by destroyer USS Gilmer and destroyer escort USS William C. Miller off Saipan on 14 July 1944.

See also

• Cruiser submarine