Japanese submarine I-183

Sister ship I-176 at sea, 1942
History
Empire of Japan
Name:	I-183
Builder:	Kawasaki Dockyard Co., Kobe
Laid down:	26 December 1941, as I-83
Launched:	21 January 1943
Completed:	3 October 1943
Renamed:	1942, as I-182
Struck:	30 August 1944
Fate:	Sunk by USS Pogy, 29 April 1944
General characteristics
Class & type:	Kaidai type, KD7-class
Displacement:	1,862 t (1,833 long tons) surfaced 2,644 t (2,602 long tons) submerged
Length:	105.5 m (346 ft 2 in)
Beam:	8.25 m (27 ft 1 in)
Draft:	4.6 m (15 ft 1 in)
Installed power:	8,000 bhp (6,000 kW) (diesels) 1,800 hp (1,300 kW) (electric motors)
Propulsion:	Diesel-electric 2 × diesel engines 2 × electric motors
Speed:	23 knots (43 km/h; 26 mph) surfaced 8 knots (15 km/h; 9.2 mph) submerged
Range:	8,000 nmi (15,000 km; 9,200 mi) at 16 knots (30 km/h; 18 mph) surfaced 50 nmi (93 km; 58 mi) at 5 knots (9.3 km/h; 5.8 mph) submerged
Test depth:	80 m (260 ft)
Complement:	86
Armament:	6 × 533 mm (21 in) torpedo tubes (all bow) 1 × 120 mm (4.7 in) deck gun 1 × twin 25 mm (1.0 in) Type 96 AA gun

The Japanese submarine I-183 (originally I-83) was a Kaidai type cruiser submarine of the KD7 sub-class built for the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) during the 1940s. She was sunk with all hands by an American submarine in mid-1944.

Design and description

The submarines of the KD7 sub-class were medium-range attack submarines developed from the preceding KD6 sub-class. They displaced 1,862 metric tons (1,833 long tons) surfaced and 2,644 metric tons (2,602 long tons) submerged. The submarines were 105.5 meters (346 ft 2 in) long, had a beam of 8.25 meters (27 ft 1 in) and a draft of 4.6 meters (15 ft 1 in). The boats had a diving depth of 80 m (260 ft) and a complement of 86 officers and crewmen.

For surface running, the boats were powered by two 4,000-brake-horsepower (2,983 kW) diesel engines, each driving one propeller shaft. When submerged each propeller was driven by a 900-horsepower (671 kW) electric motor. They could reach 23 knots (43 km/h; 26 mph) on the surface and 8 knots (15 km/h; 9.2 mph) underwater. On the surface, the KD7s had a range of 8,000 nautical miles (15,000 km; 9,200 mi) at 16 knots (30 km/h; 18 mph); submerged, they had a range of 50 nmi (93 km; 58 mi) at 5 knots (9.3 km/h; 5.8 mph).

The boats were armed with six internal 53.3 cm (21.0 in) torpedo tubes, all in the bow. They carried one reload for each tube; a total of a dozen torpedoes. They were originally intended to be armed with two twin-gun mounts for the 25 mm (1.0 in) Type 96 anti-aircraft gun, but a 120 mm (4.7 in) deck gun for combat on the surface was substituted for one 25 mm mount during construction.

Construction and career

Built by the Kawasaki Dockyard Co. at their shipyard in Kobe, the boat was laid down on 26 December 1941 as I-83 and renamed I-183 in 1942. She was launched on 21 January 1943 and completed on 3 October 1943. The boat was sunk with the loss of all 92 officers and crewmen aboard by the submarine USS Pogy on 29 April 1944 south of the Bungo Strait at . I-183 was stricken from the Navy List on 10 August 1944.