Ha-19 (midget submarine)

Ha-19 (midget submarine) was a Imperial Japanese Navy Type A *Kō-hyōteki*-class midget submarine that participated in the attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. Intended to penetrate the harbor and launch its torpedoes at major United States Navy capital ships, the vessel failed in its mission and was captured intact, becoming one of the first pieces of enemy hardware recovered by the United States during World War II. Its subsequent examination provided Allied intelligence with critical insights into Japanese midget submarine technology and tactics.

Design and specifications

The *Ha-19* was a Type A Kō-hyōteki-class submarine, a class of secret vessels designed for stealthy, close-range attacks in confined waters like anchorages. With a submerged displacement of 46 tons, it measured 78.5 feet in length and was powered by a 600-horsepower electric motor, allowing a top submerged speed of 23 knots. Its primary armament consisted of two 450-mm torpedoes, mounted in forward-facing tubes, intended to be fired at close range against high-value targets such as battleships or aircraft carriers. The vessel required a crew of two, a pilot and a navigator, and had extremely limited endurance, designed for one-way missions often launched from a larger fleet submarine acting as a mother ship.

Service history

*Ha-19* was constructed in 1938 at the Kure Naval Arsenal, a major shipbuilding center for the Imperial Japanese Navy. It was one of several midget submarines assigned to the Special Attack Unit for the planned Hawaiian Operation. Prior to the attack on Pearl Harbor, it underwent intensive training with its mother submarine, the I-24 (submarine), and its two-man crew, Ensign Kazuo Sakamaki and Petty Officer Second Class Kiyoshi Inagaki. The operational plan called for five midget submarines to be launched from modified Type C1 submarines approximately 10 nautical miles from the entrance to Pearl Harbor under cover of darkness.

Attack on Pearl Harbor

In the early hours of December 7, 1941, *Ha-19* was launched from the I-24 (submarine) but immediately encountered critical problems. Its gyrocompass failed repeatedly, causing the vessel to run aground on a reef and become entangled in anti-submarine nets outside the harbor entrance. After desperate efforts to free the submarine, including reversing its motor, Ensign Kazuo Sakamaki lost control, and the craft eventually washed ashore on the eastern coast of Oahu near Bellows Field. Sakamaki became unconscious and was captured, making him the first prisoner of war taken by the United States in the Pacific War.

Capture and examination

The beached *Ha-19* was discovered by American forces on December 8, 1941. Its capture was a significant intelligence windfall for the Office of Naval Intelligence and other Allied agencies. The submarine was thoroughly examined by technical teams from the United States Navy and scientists, revealing details about Japanese welding techniques, battery technology, and torpedo mechanisms. This analysis, combined with interrogations of Kazuo Sakamaki, provided the Allies of World War II with their first concrete understanding of the capabilities and limitations of the Imperial Japanese Navy's secret midget submarine force.

Postwar fate and display

After the war, *Ha-19* was not scrapped but instead preserved as a historical artifact. It was initially displayed at Key West and other locations before coming under the care of the Admiral Nimitz Foundation. Today, the submarine is a centerpiece exhibit at the National Museum of the Pacific War in Fredericksburg, Texas, the hometown of Fleet Admiral Chester W. Nimitz. Its preservation serves as a tangible relic of the opening engagement of the Pacific War and a symbol of the failed Japanese naval strategy at Pearl Harbor.

Category:Midget submarines Category:World War II submarines of Japan Category:Attack on Pearl Harbor