Japanese submarine I-12
Encyclopedia
The submarine I-12 was a Japanese A2 type submarine. She was built at the Kawasaki's shipyard in Kobe.
.
The I-12 torpedoed and sank the Liberty ship
John A. Johnson
, on 30 October 1944. I-12, after ramming and sinking the lifeboats and rafts, then machine-gunned the 70 survivors in the water, killing 10. A Pan American Airways plane spotted the John A. Johnson's remaining men soon thereafter, and the USS Argus
recovered them at 21:35 on 30 October. The Argus disembarked the men at San Francisco on 3 November.
and the USS Rockford
teamed up to sink the I-12 10 days after the sinking of the John A. Johnson
, on 13 November 1944.
The Ardent and the frigate Rockford were escorting a six-ship convoy midway between Honolulu and the United States. At 12:32, Ardent's sonar
picked up a submarine
contact. Ardent attacked first at 12:41, firing a 24-charge "hedgehog
" pattern, and again at 12:46 with a second "hedgehog" pattern. Rockford left her escort station to assist, and fired her first barrage of rockets from her "hedgehog" at 13:08; two explosions followed, before an underwater detonation rocked the ship. Ardent carried out two more attacks and the frigate
dropped 13 depth charges to administer the coup de grace. The resulting explosions caused a loss of all contact with the I-12.
Wreckage recovered on the scene—deck planks, ground cork
covered with diesel oil, a wooden slat from a vegetable crate with Japanese writing and advertisements on it, pieces of varnished mahogany
inscribed in Japanese
, and a piece of deck planking containing Japanese builders' inscriptions—indicated a definite "kill".
Wartime service
The I-12 sailed from the Inland Sea on 4 October 1944 to disrupt American shipping between the west coast and the Hawaiian IslandsHawaiian Islands
The Hawaiian Islands are an archipelago of eight major islands, several atolls, numerous smaller islets, and undersea seamounts in the North Pacific Ocean, extending some 1,500 miles from the island of Hawaii in the south to northernmost Kure Atoll...
.
The I-12 torpedoed and sank the Liberty ship
Liberty ship
Liberty ships were cargo ships built in the United States during World War II. Though British in conception, they were adapted by the U.S. as they were cheap and quick to build, and came to symbolize U.S. wartime industrial output. Based on vessels ordered by Britain to replace ships torpedoed by...
John A. Johnson
John A. Johnson
John A. Johnson may refer to:*John Albert Johnson, Minnesota Governor*John Alvin Johnson , U.S. lawyer and businessman*John A. Johnson, Minnesota State Legislator*Jack Johnson , John Arthur Johnson, boxer...
, on 30 October 1944. I-12, after ramming and sinking the lifeboats and rafts, then machine-gunned the 70 survivors in the water, killing 10. A Pan American Airways plane spotted the John A. Johnson's remaining men soon thereafter, and the USS Argus
USS Argus (PY-14)
USS Argus was a patrol yacht that saw service in the United States Navy during World War II. Named for the Argus , she was the second U.S...
recovered them at 21:35 on 30 October. The Argus disembarked the men at San Francisco on 3 November.
Sinking
The USS ArdentUSS Ardent (AM-340)
The second USS Ardent was a in the United States Navy.Ardent was originally laid down as HMS Buffalo , for the Royal Navy on 20 February 1943 at Alameda, California, by the General Engineering & Drydock Co.; rescheduled for delivery to the United States Navy; renamed Ardent and redesignated...
and the USS Rockford
USS Rockford (PF-48)
USS Rockford , a , was the only ship of the United States Navy to be named for Rockford, Illinois.Rockford, projected as PG-156, was laid down on 28 August 1943 as PF-48 by Consolidated Steel Corporation, Los Angeles, California; launched on 27 September 1943, sponsored by Mrs. Harry L. Crotzer;...
teamed up to sink the I-12 10 days after the sinking of the John A. Johnson
John A. Johnson
John A. Johnson may refer to:*John Albert Johnson, Minnesota Governor*John Alvin Johnson , U.S. lawyer and businessman*John A. Johnson, Minnesota State Legislator*Jack Johnson , John Arthur Johnson, boxer...
, on 13 November 1944.
The Ardent and the frigate Rockford were escorting a six-ship convoy midway between Honolulu and the United States. At 12:32, Ardent's sonar
Sonar
Sonar is a technique that uses sound propagation to navigate, communicate with or detect other vessels...
picked up a submarine
Submarine
A submarine is a watercraft capable of independent operation below the surface of the water. It differs from a submersible, which has more limited underwater capability...
contact. Ardent attacked first at 12:41, firing a 24-charge "hedgehog
Hedgehog (weapon)
The Hedgehog was an anti-submarine weapon developed by the Royal Navy during World War II, that was deployed on convoy escort warships such as destroyers to supplement the depth charge. The weapon worked by firing a number of small spigot mortar bombs from spiked fittings...
" pattern, and again at 12:46 with a second "hedgehog" pattern. Rockford left her escort station to assist, and fired her first barrage of rockets from her "hedgehog" at 13:08; two explosions followed, before an underwater detonation rocked the ship. Ardent carried out two more attacks and the frigate
Frigate
A frigate is any of several types of warship, the term having been used for ships of various sizes and roles over the last few centuries.In the 17th century, the term was used for any warship built for speed and maneuverability, the description often used being "frigate-built"...
dropped 13 depth charges to administer the coup de grace. The resulting explosions caused a loss of all contact with the I-12.
Wreckage recovered on the scene—deck planks, ground cork
Cork (material)
Cork is an impermeable, buoyant material, a prime-subset of bark tissue that is harvested for commercial use primarily from Quercus suber , which is endemic to southwest Europe and northwest Africa...
covered with diesel oil, a wooden slat from a vegetable crate with Japanese writing and advertisements on it, pieces of varnished mahogany
Mahogany
The name mahogany is used when referring to numerous varieties of dark-colored hardwood. It is a native American word originally used for the wood of the species Swietenia mahagoni, known as West Indian or Cuban mahogany....
inscribed in Japanese
Japanese language
is a language spoken by over 130 million people in Japan and in Japanese emigrant communities. It is a member of the Japonic language family, which has a number of proposed relationships with other languages, none of which has gained wide acceptance among historical linguists .Japanese is an...
, and a piece of deck planking containing Japanese builders' inscriptions—indicated a definite "kill".