Recognition Guide Warships of the Second World War
Kriegsmarine — Submarine

Japanese submarine I-505

Type X submarine minelayer (converted to auxiliary transport submarine and tanker in 1944)

Displacement
1,735 long tons (1,763 t)
Length
89.8 m (294.6 ft)
Beam
9.2 m (30.2 ft)
Speed
17 knots (31.5 km/h, 19.6 mph)
Complement
52
Main gun
105 mm (4.1 in)

Service

  1. Kriegsmarine as U-21912 December 1942 — 5 May 1945875 days of the war
  2. Imperial Japanese Navy as I-50515 July 1945 — 3 February 194649 days of the war
Type X submarine minelayer (converted to auxiliary transport submarine and tanker in 1944) Particulars
Name
I-505
Builder
Germaniawerft, Kiel
Ordered
6 August 1940
Laid down
31 May 1941
Launched
6 October 1942
Commissioned
12 December 1942
Fate
Surrendered at Jakarta, August 1945; sunk, 3 February 1946 (1946)
Status
Wreck

Specifications

Displacement, surfaced
1,735 long tons (1,763 t)
Displacement, submerged
2,143 long tons (2,177 t)
Length
89.8 m (294.6 ft) OA
Beam
9.2 m (30.2 ft)
Draught
4.71 m (15.5 ft)
Speed
17 knots (31.5 km/h, 19.6 mph)
Range
18,450 nmi (34,169 km)
Complement
52
Main gun
105 mm (4.1 in)

I-505 was a submarine of the Type X submarine minelayer (converted to auxiliary transport submarine and tanker in 1944) in service with the Kriegsmarine. Germaniawerft, Kiel laid her keel on 31 May 1941. Launched on 6 October 1942, she entered service on 12 December 1942.

She was one of nine ships of her class.

The boat displaced 1,735 long tons surfaced and 2,143 long tons submerged. She measured 89.8 m (295 ft) long with a beam of 9.2 m (30 ft). Her designed speed was 17 knots, and she carried a complement of 52.

Her main battery was one 105 mm (4.1 in) guns.

She served with the Kriegsmarine as U-219 until 5 May 1945. She then passed to the Imperial Japanese Navy, serving as I-505 from 15 July 1945. She was in commission for 924 days of the Second World War.

She was sunk on 3 February 1946, at 6°31′S 104°54′E. The wreck survives.

Written from the harvested record. Every figure above is sourced; the wording is this site's own.

Armament and machinery

Armament and machinery
Propulsion
  • 2 × supercharged GW F 46 a 9 pu 9 cylinder, four-stroke diesel engines, 4800 PS
  • 2 × AEG GU 720/8-287 electric motors, 1100 PS
Armament
  • 2 × 53.3 cm stern torpedo tubes
  • 15 × torpedoes
  • 66 × SMA mines
  • 1 × 10.5 cm deck gun (200 rounds)

Sister ships

Sources