View source for Japanese submarine I-36

{{short description|Type B1 submarine}}
{|{{Infobox ship begin}}
{{Infobox ship image
| Ship image = I-47.jpg
| Ship caption = ''I-36'' anchored behind the [[Japanese submarine I-47|''I-47'']] after the war
}}
{{Infobox ship career
| Hide header = 
| Ship country = [[Empire of Japan|Japan]]
| Ship flag = {{Shipboxflag|Empire of Japan|naval}}
| Ship name = ''Submarine No. 149''
| Ship namesake = 
| Ship ordered = 
| Ship builder = [[Yokosuka Navy Yard]], [[Yokosuka]], [[Japan]]
| Ship laid down = 4 December 1940
| Ship launched = 1 November 1941
| Ship renamed = ''I-36'' on 1&nbsp;November&nbsp;1941
}}
{{Infobox ship career
| Hide header = yes
| Ship completed = 30 September 1942
| Ship acquired = 
| Ship commissioned = 30 September 1942
| Ship decommissioned = 
| Ship in service = 
| Ship out of service = 
| Ship fate = *Surrendered September 1945
*Stricken 30 November 1945
*[[Scuttling|Scuttled]] 1&nbsp;April&nbsp;1946
| Ship struck = 
| Ship reinstated = 
}}
{{Infobox ship characteristics
| Hide header = 
| Header caption = 
| Ship class = [[Type B1 submarine]]
| Ship displacement = *2,584&nbsp;tons surfaced
*3,654&nbsp;tons submerged
| Ship length = {{convert|108.7|m|abbr=on}}
| Ship beam = {{convert|9.3|m|abbr=on}}
| Ship draft = {{convert|5.14|m|abbr=on}}
| Ship propulsion = *2 diesels: {{convert|12400|hp|abbr=on}}
*Electric motors: {{convert|2000|hp|abbr=on}}
| Ship speed = *{{convert|23.5|kn|km/h}} surfaced
*{{convert|8|kn|km/h|0}} submerged
| Ship range = {{convert|14000|nmi|km|-3}} at {{convert|16|kn|km/h|0}}
| Ship endurance = 
| Ship test depth = {{convert|100|m|ft|abbr=on}}
| Ship complement = 94
| Ship sensors = 
| Ship EW = 
| Ship armament = *6 × {{convert|533|mm|in|0|abbr=on}} forward [[torpedo tube]]s
*17 [[torpedo]]es
*1 × [[14 cm/40 11th Year Type naval gun]]<ref name="campbell">Campbell, John ''Naval Weapons of World War Two'' {{ISBN|0-87021-459-4}} p.191</ref>
| Ship aircraft = 1 [[Yokosuka E14Y]] seaplane
| Ship notes = 
}}
|}
'''''I-36''''' was an [[Imperial Japanese Navy]] [[B1 type submarine]]. Completed and commissioned in 1942, she served in [[World War II]], operating in the [[Guadalcanal campaign]], [[New Guinea campaign]], [[Aleutian Islands campaign]], and the [[Marshall Islands]]. She finished the war as a ''[[kaiten]]'' manned [[suicide attack]] [[torpedo]] carrier, operating against Allied ships at [[Ulithi Atoll]] and in the [[Philippine Sea]]. The only submarine of her [[Ship class|class]] to survive the war, she surrendered to the [[Allies of World War II|Allies]] in September 1945 after the end of the war and was [[Scuttling|scuttled]] by the [[United States Navy]] in 1946.

==Construction and commissioning==

''I-36'' was [[Keel-laying|laid down]] on 4 December 1940 at the [[Yokosuka Navy Yard]] at [[Yokosuka]], [[Japan]], with the name '''''Submarine No. 149'''''.<ref name=combinedfleetI36>{{cite web |url= http://www.combinedfleet.com/I-36.htm |title=IJN Submarine I-36: Tabular Record of Movement |first1=Bob |last1=Hackett |first2=Sander |last2=Kingsepp |work=combinedfleet.com |year=2016|access-date=29 August 2020}}</ref> She was both renamed '''''I-36''''' and [[Ceremonial ship launching|launched]] on 1 November 1941.<ref name=combinedfleetI36/> She finished her [[Sea trials|acceptance trials]] on 20 September 1942,<ref name=combinedfleetI36/> and was completed and [[Ship commissioning|commissioned]] on 30 September 1942.<ref name=combinedfleetI36/>

==Service history==
Upon commissioning, ''I-36'' was attached to the [[Kure Naval District]]<ref name=combinedfleetI36/> and assigned to the Kure Submarine [[Squadron (naval)|Squadron]].<ref name=combinedfleetI36/> She moved to [[Agenosho Bay]] for work-up in the ''Iyo-nada'' in the [[Seto Inland Sea]].<ref name=combinedfleetI36/> With her work-up completed, she arrived at [[Kure, Hiroshima|Kure]] on 30 November 1942.<ref name=combinedfleetI36/>

On 15 December 1942, ''I-36'' was reassigned to Submarine Division 15 in Submarine Squadron 1 in the [[6th Fleet (Imperial Japanese Navy)|6th Fleet]].<ref name=combinedfleetI36/> She departed Kure at 13:00 on 18 December 1942 and proceeded to [[Chuuk Lagoon|Truk]], which she reached on 28 December 1942.<ref name=combinedfleetI36/>

===Guadalcanal campaign===
Assigned to take part in submarine cargo runs to supply Japanese forces on [[Guadalcanal]] fighting in the [[Guadalcanal campaign]], ''I-36'' got back underway from Truk on the same day she arrived.<ref name=combinedfleetI36/> She proceeded to the Japanese anchorage in the [[Shortland Islands]] off [[Shortland Island]], arriving there on 31 December 1942.<ref name=combinedfleetI36/> After the submarine {{ship|Japanese submarine|I-31||2}} arrived at Shortland after a supply run to [[Kamimbo Bay]] on the northwestern coast of Guadalcanal, ''I-36''′s [[commanding officer]] and [[navigation officer]] went aboard ''I-31'' on 1 January 1943 to receive a briefing on the naval situation in the Kamimbo Bay area and the cargo unloading procedures there.<ref name=combinedfleetI36/> During the afternoon, ''I-36'' loaded a cargo of 20 tons of [[rice]] in supply drums, then conducted a test dive off Shortland Island. She got underway for Guadalcanal at 18:00.<ref name=combinedfleetI36/> A half an hour after dark on 3 January 1943, she surfaced at Kamimbo Bay, discharged her cargo into four [[Daihatsu-class landing craft|''Daihatsu''-class]] [[landing craft]], and headed back for Shortland Island, where she arrived at 07:39 on 5 January 1943.<ref name=combinedfleetI36/>
[[File:NH 94884 Japanese Ships at Kure.jpg|thumb|''I-36'' (2nd to furthest submarine in front row) anchored alongside several Japanese ships, 10 December 1945.]]
On 6 January 1943, ''I-36'' departed Shortland for her second supply run at 18:00. Arriving at Kamimbo Bay after dark on 8 January, she unloaded her cargo — 12 rubber containers of food — into ''Daihatsus'', embarked 39 [[Imperial Japanese Army]] soldiers, and got back underway, returning to the  Shortland anchorage at 06:30 on 10 January 1943.<ref name=combinedfleetI36/> She left the same day at 18:00 bound for [[Rabaul]] on [[New Britain]].<ref name=combinedfleetI36/>

===New Guinea campaign, January–February 1943===
''I-36'' arrived at Rabaul on 11 January 1943 at 11:21, and that day the commander of Submarine Squadron 1 briefed her commanding officer on her next assignment, the delivery of supplies at [[Buna, Papua New Guinea|Buna]] on the coast of [[New Guinea]] in support of Japanese forces fighting in the [[New Guinea campaign]].<ref name=combinedfleetI36/> She departed Rabaul at 12:00 on 14 January 1943 on her first supply run, arrived at the [[Mambare River]] [[estuary]] at Buna on 17 January, unloaded cargo and embarked 47 soldiers, and put back to sea, returning to Rabaul at 09:36 on 18 January 1943.<ref name=combinedfleetI36/> She left Rabaul on her second run at 18:06 on 22 January 1943, arriving at the Mambare River on 24 January to unload 13 supply drums and bring aboard 39 soldiers, and returning to Rabaul on 27 January 1943.<ref name=combinedfleetI36/> On her next run to New Guinea, she visited the Mambare on 30 January 1943, delivering 23 tons of supplies and evacuating 59 soldiers.<ref name=combinedfleetI36/><!--Source says this trip was to Lae, but this appears to be a typo, as it later describes the first trip to Lae in February as also being the first-ever trip to Lae and then numbers later trips to Lae accordingly.-->

''I-36'' remained active on the Buna run into February 1943, departing Rabaul at 11:00 on 3 February, visiting the Mambare estuary on 5 February to discharge 18 tons of supplies and embark 40 soldiers, and returning to Rabaul at 08:14 on 7 February.<ref name=combinedfleetI36/> She then began runs to [[Lae]], also on New Guinea′s coast, departing Rabaul on 14 February 1943 and delivering 45 tons of supplies at Lae after dark on 16 February, and getting back underway after embarking 90 soldiers.<ref name=combinedfleetI36/> Early in her return voyage to Rabaul, she sighted two [[Allies of World War II|Allied]] [[motor torpedo boat]]s {{convert|50|nmi}} off Lae at 01:10 on 17 February 1943 and submerged.<ref name=combinedfleetI36/> They subjected her to a brief [[Depth charge|depth-charge]] attack, but she escaped unscathed and arrived at Rabaul at 10:00 on 18 February 1943.<ref name=combinedfleetI36/> She then made her final run to Lae, leaving Rabaul at 10:00 on 20 February 1943, visiting Lae after dark on 22 February to drop off 40 tons of supplies and bring 72 soldiers aboard, and returning to Rabaul at 08:50 on 24 February 1943.<ref name=combinedfleetI36/>

Several staff officers of Submarine Squadron 1 boarded ''I-36'' with their luggage and documents at Rabaul, and she got underway at 0900 on 25 February bound for Truk, which she visited from 27 February to 2 March 1943.<ref name=combinedfleetI36/> Then she headed for Japan, where she arrived at Yokosuka at 07:00 on 7 March 1943.<ref name=combinedfleetI36/> Her crew was granted four weeks of leave at the resort at [[Atami]] while ''I-36'' underwent upkeep and repairs.<ref name=combinedfleetI36/>

===Typhoon===
At 15:30 on 6 April 1943, ''I-36'' departed Yokosuka bound for Truk.<ref name=combinedfleetI36/> Her voyage had barely begun, however, when a [[typhoon]] struck while she was in the [[Philippine Sea]].<ref name=combinedfleetI36/> The weather prevented her from completing the recharging of her [[Electric battery|batteries]], forcing her to stay surfaced while {{convert|30|ft|m|adj=on}} waves pummeled her.<ref name=combinedfleetI36/> She turned back to try to find shelter from the worst of the storm in the lee of [[Miyake-jima]] in the [[Izu Islands]].<ref name=combinedfleetI36/> Early on the morning of 7 April 1943, a huge wave swamped her, flooding her control room and main [[engine room]].<ref name=combinedfleetI36/> Inspecting the damage, her crew found one bent [[piston rod]] in each of her [[diesel engine]]s.<ref name=combinedfleetI36/> ''I-36'' turned back for Yokosuka, dumping [[diesel fuel]] along the way to gain additional [[buoyancy]].<ref name=combinedfleetI36/>

On 8 April 1943, ''I-36'' was {{convert|80|nmi}} east of [[Chōshi]] [[lighthouse]] on [[Honshu]] when she finally was able to determine her true position for the first time since departing Yokosuka.<ref name=combinedfleetI36/> With her [[Port and starboard|starboard]] diesel engine repaired, she made for Yokosuka at {{convert|9.2|kn}}.<ref name=combinedfleetI36/> She reached Yokosuka on 9 April 1943 at 09:30 and subsequently began repairs at Yokosuka Navy Yard.<ref name=combinedfleetI36/>

===Aleutian Islands campaign===

On 13 May 1943, ''I-36'' was assigned to the Northern Unit in the [[5th Fleet (Imperial Japanese Navy)|5th Fleet]]<ref name=combinedfleetI36/> for service in the [[Aleutian Islands campaign]].<ref name=combinedfleetI36/> Before departing Japan for the [[Aleutian Islands]], she took part in towing tests for the ''Unkato'' cargo container — a {{convert|135|ft|m|adj=on|1}} submersible cargo container that could carry up to 377 tons of supplies, designed for a one-way trip in which the cargo′s recipients released, recovered, and unloaded it<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.combinedfleet.com/I-38.htm |title=IJN Submarine I-38: Tabular Record of Movement |first1=Bob |last1=Hackett |first2=Sander |last2=Kingsepp |work=combinedfleet.com |year=2017|access-date=3 September 2020}}</ref> — in the [[Seto Inland Sea]] on {{nowrap|29–30 May 1943}} and again from 3 to 5 June 1943.<ref name=combinedfleetI36/> She then departed Kure at 10:00 on 7 June 1943 bound for [[Paramushiro]] in the [[Kurile Islands]], which she reached on 13 June 1943.<ref name=combinedfleetI36/>

Upon ''I-36''′s arrival, her commanding officer received a briefing on the situation in the Aleutians from the commander of Submarine Squadron 1.<ref name=combinedfleetI36/> The Americans had annihilated the Japanese garrison on [[Attu Island|Attu]] during the [[Battle of Attu]] of 11–30 May 1943, isolating the last remaining Japanese garrison on [[Kiska]]. Even before the fall of Attu, Japanese [[Imperial General Headquarters]] had decided on 21 May 1943 to evacuate the Kiska garrison<ref name=combinedfleetI36/> by submarine beginning on 26 May 1943. ''I-36'' was assigned to the effort to keep the Kiska garrison supplied while continuing the ongoing evacuation.

Towing an ''Unkato'' supply container, ''I-36'' got underway from Paramushiro at 10:00 on 15 June 1943 for her first supply run, with an estimated time of arrival at Kiska of 19 June.<ref name=combinedfleetI36/> She soon lost the ''Unkato'' container in heavy seas,<ref name=combinedfleetI36/> and while heading northeast at {{convert|12|kn}} on 17 June 1943, she nearly ran aground on [[Middle Reef]] in the North [[Pacific Ocean]] south of [[Buldir Island]].<ref name=combinedfleetI36/> Concerned with an alarming rise in losses and near-losses of submarines in the Aleutians — including ''I-36''′s near-grounding — the commander of Submarine Squadron 1 ordered the suspension of the Kiska supply effort on 21 June 1943, and ''I-36'' turned back.<ref name=combinedfleetI36/> She was in the [[Bering Sea]] {{convert|30|nmi}} north of Kiska an hour before dawn on 24 June 1943 when Submarine Squadron 1 ordered her to abandon her supply mission entirely and return to Paramushiro,<ref name=combinedfleetI36/> which she reached on 25 June.<ref name=combinedfleetI36/> ''I-36'' and the submarine {{ship|Japanese submarine|I-169||2}} refueled from the [[Oiler (ship)|oiler]] {{ship||Teiyō Maru|1931|2}} on 27 June 1943.<ref name=combinedfleetI36/>

''I-36'' departed Paramushiro on 2 July 1943 for an operating area east and north of Kiska.<ref name=combinedfleetI36/> The Japanese completed the evacuation of Kiska on 28 July, and after an uneventful patrol, ''I-36'' received orders on 4 August 1943 to return to Paramushiro.<ref name=combinedfleetI36/> On 6 August, she got underway from Paramushiro and set course for Yokosuka, which she reached on 10 August 1943 to undergo an overhaul and have a [[radar detector]] installed.<ref name=combinedfleetI36/>

===Hawaii reconnaissance operation===

On 16 August 1943, [[Combined Fleet]] [[Headquarters unit|Headquarters]] ordered ''I-36'' to conduct a [[reconnaissance seaplane]] flight over [[Pearl Harbor]] in [[Hawaii]], with the flight to take place on or about 20 September 1943.<ref name=combinedfleetI36/> She embarked a [[Yokosuka E14Y]]1 ([[World War II Allied names for Japanese aircraft|Allied reporting name]] "Glen") [[floatplane]] and its two-man crew and began launch and recovery tests with the plane in the Seto Inland Sea.<ref name=combinedfleetI36/> During a launch test on 5 September 1943, one of her diesel engines broke down, and she returned to Yokosuka for repairs.<ref name=combinedfleetI36/>

''I-36'' departed Yokosuka on 8 September 1943 bound for Hawaii with an E14Y1 floatplane, its two-man crew, and the Combined Fleet′s Staff Operations Officer for Submarines embarked, the latter personally supervising the operation.<ref name=combinedfleetI36/> She was {{convert|40|nmi}} north of [[Niihau]], Hawaii, on 18 September 1943 when her radar detector picked up nearby [[radar]] emissions, and soon thereafter her lookouts sighted a large American [[Maritime patrol aircraft|patrol plane]] approaching.<ref name=combinedfleetI36/> She crash-dived and avoided detection.<ref name=combinedfleetI36/> At dawn on 20 September 1943, she was off the western tip of Niihau and surfaced several times to launch her plane, but made numerous contacts and submerged again each time.<ref name=combinedfleetI36/> Deciding that a radar station on nearby [[Kauai]] could be detecting ''I-36'' when she surfaced, her commanding officer and the Combined Fleet staff officer decided to move to waters southwest of the [[Hawaii (island)|island of Hawaii]], believing ''I-36'' was likely to be detected there, and to postpone the flight until the next favorable moon phase in mid-October 1943.<ref name=combinedfleetI36/>

With ''I-36'' {{convert|200|nmi}} southeast of Hawaii on 12 October, the two officers decided to launch the E14Y1 from a point {{convert|120|nmi}} south-southwest of [[Oahu]] after dark on 16 October 1943.<ref name=combinedfleetI36/> Accordingly, ''I-36'' launched the plane from that point on the evening of 16 October.<ref name=combinedfleetI36/> The plane approached Oahu at minimum altitude to avoid detection by American radar, but was detected when it climbed over Pearl Harbor to make its observations.<ref name=combinedfleetI36/> Several [[searchlight]]s illuminated it, and it dived away to head for the recovery area at low altitude.<ref name=combinedfleetI36/> As it crossed the coast of Oahu, its [[Air observer|observer]] transmitted a single dash in [[Morse code]], prompting ''I-36'' to head for the recovery area at flank speed.<ref name=combinedfleetI36/> ''I-36'' received a garbled message from the plane indicating the sighting of four [[aircraft carrier]]s, four [[battleship]]s, five [[cruiser]]s, and 17 [[destroyer]]s in the harbor, but she never saw or heard from the plane and its two-man crew again despite searching the recovery area for five hours, flashing her running lights and an [[Aldis lamp]], and making a number of efforts to establish radio contact with it.<ref name=combinedfleetI36/> She transmitted a report of the reconnaissance flight′s results and the loss of the floatplane and its crew to 6th Fleet headquarters on 18 October 1943.<ref name=combinedfleetI36/>

''I-36'' was {{convert|300|nmi}} south-southwest of Hawaii on 19 October 1943 when she sighted a [[convoy]] of six U.S. Navy [[fleet oiler]]s steaming southwest at {{convert|10|kn}} and began an attack approach, but escorting destroyers forced her to go deep and lose contact.<ref name=combinedfleetI36/> She reported the sighting on 20 October, prompting the 6th Fleet to order the submarines {{ship|Japanese submarine|I-19||2}}, {{ship|Japanese submarine|I-35||2}}, ''I-169'', and {{ship|Japanese submarine|I-175||2}} to intercept the convoy.<ref name=combinedfleetI36/> She also received orders on 20 October 1943 to shell [[Canton Island Airport|the airfield]] on [[Canton Island]], which she did on 1 November 1943, firing 13 {{convert|140|mm|in|adj=on|sp=us|1}} rounds.<ref name=combinedfleetI36/> She called at [[Kwajalein]] from 7 to 9 November 1943 to refuel,<ref name=combinedfleetI36/> then arrived at Truk on 12 November 1943.<ref name=combinedfleetI36/>

===New Guinea campaign, December 1943–January 1944===

While at Truk during December 1943, ''I-36'' took aboard torpedoes, [[distilled water]], stores, and supplies from the auxiliary [[submarine tender]] {{ship||Heian Maru|1930|2}}.<ref name=combinedfleetI36/> Reassigned to the [[Southeast Area Fleet]] on 18 December, she got underway on 21 December bound for Rabaul to resume her role of running supplies to New Guinea.<ref name=combinedfleetI36/> She arrived at Rabaul on 24 December 1943, and that day aircraft of the [[United States Army Air Forces]] [[Fifth Air Force]] attacked Japanese airfields in the area.<ref name=combinedfleetI36/> To avoid attack, ''I-36'' submerged and waited on the harbor bottom until the American aircraft had left.<ref name=combinedfleetI36/>

On 28 December 1943, ''I-36'' embarked on a supply run to [[Sarmi, Indonesia|Sarmi]] on the northern coast of New Guinea, where she surfaced a half hour after dark on 31 December 1943 and began to transfer her cargo into four ''Daihatsus''.<ref name=combinedfleetI36/> When an Allied [[bomber]] arrived in the area, she suspended the unloading of her cargo, crash-dived, and moved out to sea until the bomber departed.<ref name=combinedfleetI36/> She then returned to Sarmi, completed unloading her cargo into the ''Daihatsus'', and got back underway, returning to Rabaul on 2 January 1944.<ref name=combinedfleetI36/> While she was there, a routine inspection discovered significant erosion of the [[tiller]] for her [[Diving plane|stern planes]].<ref name=combinedfleetI36/> As a result, she received orders to cancel her next supply run and return to Japan for repairs.<ref name=combinedfleetI36/> She departed Rabaul on 5 January 1944, was reassigned to Submarine Squadron 1 on 6 January while at sea, called at Truk from 9 to 10 January, was attached directly to 6th Fleet headquarters when Submarine Squadron 1 was disbanded while she was at sea on 15 January, and arrived at Sasebo on 16 January 1944.<ref name=combinedfleetI36/> She entered drydock there on 17 January 1944 for an overhaul, during which workers installed [[radar]] aboard her.<ref name=combinedfleetI36/>

===Marshall Islands===

In January and February 1944, U.S. forces concluded the [[Gilbert and Marshall Islands campaign]], invading the [[Marshall Islands]] and capturing Kwajalein, [[Roi-Namur]], [[Majuro]], and [[Eniwetok]]′s Engebi and Parry Islands.<ref name=combinedfleetI36/> After embarking a Yokosuka E14Y1 floatplane, ''I-36'' departed Kure on 26 March 1944 with orders to conduct an anti-shipping patrol in the Pacific Ocean east of the Marshalls and a reconnaissance of the Allied anchorage at Majuro.<ref name=combinedfleetI36/> Alerted by [[Ultra (cryptography)|Ultra]] intelligence information to the operations of {{nowrap|''I-36''}} and the submarines {{ship|Japanese submarine|I-16||2}}, {{ship|Japanese submarine|I-38||2}}, and {{ship|Japanese submarine|I-45||2}} between the Marshalls and Hawaii, [[United States Pacific Fleet]] Headquarters organized [[Task Group]] 11.1 — a [[hunter-killer group]] consisting of the [[escort aircraft carrier]] {{USS|Altamaha|CVE-18|6}} and the [[destroyer escort]]s {{USS|Cabana|DE-260|6}}, {{USS|Elden|DE-264|6}}, {{USS|Harold C. Thomas|DE-21|6}}, and {{USS|Wileman|DE-22|6}} — on 30 March 1944 to find and sink them.<ref name=combinedfleetI36/> The task group′s first success came on 4 April 1944, when aircraft from ''Altamaha'' crippled ''I-45'' and forced her to return to base.<ref name=combinedfleetI36/>

Around 14:00 on 14 April 1944, ''I-36'' detected propeller noises.<ref name=combinedfleetI36/> She later sighted ''Altamaha'' in the vicinity of {{coord|14|00|N|177|30|W}} and began a lengthy pursuit.<ref name=combinedfleetI36/> She finally achieved a firing position at 18:30 on 15 April as ''Altamaha'' turned into the wind to recover aircraft, although ''I-36''{{'}}s attack set-up was spoiled when one of the destroyer escorts turned sharply toward her.<ref name=combinedfleetI36/> ''I-36'' fired six torpedoes at ''Altamaha'' anyway from a range of {{convert|2,200|yd|m|sigfig=2}} and dived to a depth of {{convert|100|ft|m|0}}, hearing two explosions 2 minutes and 10 seconds after launch.<ref name=combinedfleetI36/> ''Altamaha''{{'}}s lookouts, meanwhile, sighted between two and four torpedo [[wake (physics)|wake]]s to the southwest at a range of {{convert|4,000|yd|m|sigfig=2}} at 18:44 and ''Altamaha'' made a hard turn to [[Port and starboard|starboard]] at flank speed to avoid them.<ref name=combinedfleetI36/> A minute later, two torpedoes passed ''Altamaha'' {{convert|200|yd|m|sigfig=2}} off her port beam, running parallel to her new course.<ref name=combinedfleetI36/> The task group's destroyer escorts attempted to find ''I-36'' but did not succeed, and the encounter ended without damage to either side.<ref name=combinedfleetI36/>

At 16:55 on 22 April 1944, ''I-36'' launched her floatplane off Majuro. Flying over the anchorage at {{convert|3,900|ft|m|sigfig=2}}, the plane's observer reported sighting 11 aircraft carriers and three battleships.<ref name=combinedfleetI36/> The plane′s pilot could not find ''I-36'' during the return flight, and ''I-36'' did not locate the plane and recover its crew until dawn on 23 April 1944.<ref name=combinedfleetI36/> To avoid detection by Allied forces, she scuttled the plane rather than spend more time on the surface recovering it, and then departed the area.<ref name=combinedfleetI36/> She transmitted a report of the flight's findings on 23 April 1944.<ref name=combinedfleetI36/>

''I-36'' was on the surface when an Allied patrol plane attacked her at 21:25 on 30 April 1944.<ref name=combinedfleetI36/> She crash-dived to {{convert|260|ft|m}}.<ref name=combinedfleetI36/> Several more aircraft arrived and dropped depth charges, creating a number of leaks aboard ''I-36'' and causing her to assume a steep down-angle, but her crew quickly got her back under control.<ref name=combinedfleetI36/> She escaped the planes and her crew soon repaired her damage.<ref name=combinedfleetI36/> She arrived at Kure on 9 May 1944 and the 6th Fleet mistakenly credited her with sinking ''Altamaha''.<ref name=combinedfleetI36/>

In May 1944 ''I-36'', the submarines ''I-38'', {{ship|Japanese submarine|I-41||2}}, and {{ship|Japanese submarine|I-44||2}}, and the auxiliary submarine tender {{ship|Japanese submarine tender|Tsukushi Maru||2}} began training in the Seto Inland Sea off [[Nasakejima]] for Operation ''Tatsumaki'' ("Tornado"), which called for the submarines to transport modified [[Type 4 Ka-Tsu|Type 4 ''Ka-Tsu'']]  [[Amphibious vehicle|amphibious]] tracked [[landing craft]], each armed with two {{convert|450|mm|in|adj=on|sp=us|1}} [[torpedo]]es, from Kure to Majuro.<ref name=combinedfleetI36/> After the submarines launched the ''Ka-Tsu'' vehicles, the operation called for the vehicles to proceed to shore, move overland across the [[atoll]]'s islands, then enter the water in the [[lagoon]] and attack Allied ships with torpedoes.<ref name=combinedfleetI36/> ''I-36'' herself carried out diving tests in the ''Aki-nada'' in the Seto Inland Sea with two ''Ka-Tsu'' vehicles embarked on 23 May 1944, after which Operation ''Tatsumaki'' was postponed pending the correction of defects found in the vehicles.<ref name=combinedfleetI36/> The operation later was canceled entirely.<ref name=combinedfleetI36/>

===June–November 1944===

On 19 June 1944, ''I-36'' departed Kure on a supply run to Truk, carrying diesel fuel, torpedoes, and ammunition.<ref name=combinedfleetI36/> She called at Truk from 30 June to 5 July 1944, where she unloaded her cargo and brought aboard 86 passengers for her return trip to Japan.<ref name=combinedfleetI36/> She arrived at Kure on 16 July 1944.<ref name=combinedfleetI36/>

''I-36'' was selected on 1 September 1944 for conversion to carry ''[[kaiten]]'' manned [[suicide attack]] torpedoes.<ref name=combinedfleetI36/> She took part in ''kaiten'' launch exercises off the ''kaiten'' base at [[Otsujima]] in [[Tokuyama Bay]] on 28 September 1944,<ref name=combinedfleetI36/> and by October 1944 her {{convert|140|mm|in|adj=on|sp=us|1}} gun had been removed to make room for fittings that allowed her to carry four ''kaitens'' on her after deck, two of them with access tubes allowing their pilots to man them while ''I-36'' was submerged.<ref name=combinedfleetI36/> On 7 November 1944, the commander of the 6th Fleet, [[Vice Admiral]] [[Shigeyoshi Miwa]], informed the crew of plans for a ''kaiten'' attack on the [[United States Third Fleet]] anchorage at [[Ulithi Atoll]].<ref name=combinedfleetI36/>

===First ''kaiten'' mission===

''I-36'' and the submarines {{ship|Japanese submarine|I-37||2}} and {{ship|Japanese submarine|I-47||2}} formed the ''Kikusui'' ("Floating Chrysanthemum") Group, with ''I-36'' as the group′s [[flagship]].<ref name=combinedfleetI36/> The three submarines, each armed with four ''kaitens'' and eight conventional torpedoes and with the commander of Submarine Division 15 embarked on ''I-36'' as the group′s overall commander, got underway from Otsujima at 09:00, with ''I-36'' and ''I-47'' tasked to launch their ''kaiten'' attack at Ulithi Atoll while ''I-37'' launched her ''kaitens'' to attack Allied shipping at [[Palau]].<ref name=combinedfleetI36/> On 16 November 1944, the submarines received a report from a [[Nakajima C6N]]1 ''Saiun'' ("Iridescent Cloud"; [[World War II Allied names for Japanese aircraft|Allied reporting name]] "Myrt") reconnaissance aircraft which made a high-altitude flight over Ulithi Atoll and sighted four [[fleet aircraft carrier]]s and three battleships as well as cruisers and destroyers in the north central part of the lagoon and [[Troopship|transports]], oilers, and other ships in the south-central part.<ref name=combinedfleetI36/> ''I-36'' and ''I-47'' reached the waters off Ulithi on 19 November, and ''I-36'' headed for her launch area at the entrance to Mugai Channel, the eastern opening to the Ulithi anchorage.<ref name=combinedfleetI36/>

''I-36'' surfaced north of Loosiyep Islet at 00:30 on 20 November 1944 so that the pilots of the two ''kaitens'' without underwater access tubes could man their craft.<ref name=combinedfleetI36/> She then submerged.<ref name=combinedfleetI36/> After 0300, the other two ''kaiten'' pilots manned their ''kaitens'' via the underwater access tubes.<ref name=combinedfleetI36/> Her crew soon discovered that the two access-tube-equipped ''kaitens'' were wedged in their racks and could not launch, and one of the other ''kaitens'' developed a heavy leak in its pilot compartment.<ref name=combinedfleetI36/> She launched her only other ''kaiten'' at 04:15 {{convert|9.5|nmi}} east-southeast of Masi Inlet; the destroyer {{USS|Case|DD-370}} probably rammed and sank it {{convert|2|nmi}} south of Mugai Channel at 05:38.<ref name=combinedfleetI36/> Meanwhile, ''I-36'' surfaced {{convert|15|nmi}} east of Falalop Islet to extricate the pilot of the leaking ''kaiten'' on her afterdeck.<ref name=combinedfleetI36/> Immediately after ''I-36'' brought him back aboard, two aircraft which ''I-36''′s crew identified as [[Grumman TBF Avenger|Grumman Avengers]] attacked her, but she crash-dived and avoided damage.<ref name=combinedfleetI36/> As she departed the area at full speed, she heard two heavy explosions, one at 05:45 and another at 06:05.<ref name=combinedfleetI36/> She surfaced at 23:40 to recharge her [[Electric battery|batteries]], then set course for the [[Philippines]] area, where she was ordered to conduct an anti-shipping patrol off [[Leyte]].<ref name=combinedfleetI36/> She transmitted a report of the results of her ''kaiten'' attack on 23 November 1944.<ref name=combinedfleetI36/>

On 23 November, a Truk-based C6N1 ("Myrt") flew over Ulithi to assess the damage resulting from the ''kaiten'' attack.<ref name=combinedfleetI36/> It reported a large oil slick in the harbor but no change in the number of anchored vessels.<ref name=combinedfleetI36/> On 24 November 1944, ''I-36'' and ''I-47'' received orders to cancel their planned patrols off Leyte and return to Japan.<ref name=combinedfleetI36/> After a stop at Otsujima to drop off their remaining ''kaitens'' and ''kaiten'' pilots, the two submarines arrived at Kure on 30 November 1944.<ref name=combinedfleetI36/>

On 2 December 1944, over 200 staff officers and specialists convened aboard the 6th Fleet [[flagship]] ''Tsukushi Maru'' to evaluate the results of the ''kaiten'' attack on Ulithi Atoll.<ref name=combinedfleetI36/> After examining after-action reports and post-attack reconnaissance photographs, they credited the attack with sinking three aircraft carriers and two battleships.<ref name=combinedfleetI36/> In fact, the only ship sunk had been the fleet oiler {{USS|Mississinewa|AO-59}}, by a ''kaiten'' from ''I-47''.<ref name=combinedfleetI47>{{cite web |url= http://www.combinedfleet.com/I-47.htm |title=IJN Submarine I-47: Tabular Record of Movement |first1=Bob |last1=Hackett |first2=Sander |last2=Kingsepp |work=combinedfleet.com |year=2019|access-date=21 August 2020}}</ref>

===Second ''kaiten'' mission===

At Kure, ''I-36'' began preparations on 22 December 1944 for her second ''kaiten'' mission and visited Otsujima to pick up four ''kaitens'' and their pilots on 27 December.<ref name=combinedfleetI36/> On 29 December 1944, ''I-36'' was assigned to the ''Kongo'' ("Steel") Kaiten Group  along with the submarines ''I-47'', {{ship|Japanese submarine|I-48||2}}, {{ship|Japanese submarine|I-53|1942|2}}, {{ship|Japanese submarine|I-56|1943|2}}, and {{ship|Japanese submarine|I-58|1943|2}} for an attack scheduled for dawn on 11 January 1945 on five different U.S. anchorages in widely separated locations; the date of the attack later was postponed to 12 January 1945.<ref name=combinedfleetI36/><ref name=combinedfleetI47/>

''I-36'' departed Kure on 30 December 1944 in company with ''I-53'' and ''I-58'', bound for her target, Ulithi Atoll.<ref name=combinedfleetI36/> While approaching Ulithi she ran aground on a [[reef]] on 11 January 1945, but managed to free herself by blowing her main [[ballast tank]]s.<ref name=combinedfleetI36/> On 12 January 1945, she launched her four ''kaitens'' between 03:42 and 03:57.<ref name=combinedfleetI36/> A U.S. Navy [[Martin PBM Mariner|PBM Mariner]] [[flying boat]] of [[VP-21 (1943-69)|Patrol Bombing Squadron 21 (VPB-21)]] dropped four depth charges on one of ''I-36''′s ''kaitens'' in the lagoon and sank it.<ref name=combinedfleetI36/> ''I-36'' returned to Kure on 21 January 1945, and the Japanese credited her ''kaitens'' with sinking four ships, but post-World War II analysis concluded that they damaged the [[ammunition ship]] {{USS|Mazama|AE-9}} and sank the [[landing craft infantry]] {{USS|LCI-600}}.<ref name=combinedfleetI36/>

===Third ''kaiten'' mission===

On 28 February 1945: ''I-36'' and ''I-58'' formed the ''Shimbu'' ("Divine Warriors") Group to attack American shipping off [[Iwo Jima]],<ref name=combinedfleetI36/> where the [[Battle of Iwo Jima]] had begun on 19 February 1945. ''I-36'' departed the ''kaiten'' base at [[Hikari, Yamaguchi|Hikari]] carrying four ''kaitens''. On 6 March 1945, however, the Combined Fleet ordered the 6th Fleet to cease operations off Iwo Jima, and ''I-36'' returned to Kure on 10 March 1945.<ref name=combinedfleetI36/>

In mid-March 1945, ''I-36'' underwent a conversion in which her aircraft [[hangar]] and [[Aircraft catapult|catapult]] were removed from her foredeck and replaced by fittings to carry two more ''kaitens'',<ref name=combinedfleetI36/> bringing her ''kaiten'' capacity to six. All of her ''kaiten'' racks were fitted with access tubes to allow their pilots to man them while ''I-36'' was submerged, and a new air-search radar was installed.<ref name=combinedfleetI36/>

===Fourth ''kaiten'' mission===

The [[Battle of Okinawa]] began on 1 April 1945 with the U.S. landings on [[Okinawa Island|Okinawa]].<ref name=combinedfleetI36/> On 22 April 1945, ''I-36'' departed Hikari carrying six ''kaitens'' to patrol in the Philippine Sea between the [[Mariana Islands]] and Okinawa as part of the ''Tembu'' ("Heavenly Warriors") Group.<ref name=combinedfleetI36/> She sighted a U.S. Navy PBM Mariner on an [[Antisubmarine warfare|antisubmarine]] patrol off [[Iheya Island]] in darkness on 25 April 1945.<ref name=combinedfleetI36/> Early on the morning of 27 April 1945, she sighted a 28-ship U.S. convoy of [[tank landing ship]]s and [[medium landing ship]]s bound from [[Saipan]] to Okinawa, at least some of which she misidentified as transports.<ref name=combinedfleetI36/> Two of her ''kaitens'' malfunctioned, but she launched the other four.<ref name=combinedfleetI36/> At 08:23, the [[high-speed transport]] {{USS|Ringness|APD-100}} sighted a passing torpedo wake, and at 08:25 her lookouts spotted a [[periscope]] astern of her.<ref name=combinedfleetI36/> She dropped four depth charges at the location she had sighted the periscope, and at 08:45 witnessed a huge explosion at {{coord|24|07|N|132|39|E}}, followed by debris rising to the surface.<ref name=combinedfleetI36/> The destroyer escort {{USS|Fieberling|DE-640}}, escorting the same convoy, also sighted a torpedo.<ref name=combinedfleetI36/> ''I-36'' claimed her ''kaitens'' sank four transports, but in fact they had no success against the convoy.<ref name=combinedfleetI36/> She returned to Hikari on 30 April 1945 and disembarked her two remaining ''kaitens'' and their pilots.<ref name=combinedfleetI36/>

''I-36'' was engaged in ''kaiten'' training off Otsujima on 17 May 1945 when one of her ''kaitens'', carrying a dummy warhead, collided with a target and sank, killing its pilot.<ref name=combinedfleetI36/>

===Fifth ''kaiten'' mission===

On 4 June 1945, ''I-36'' put to sea to patrol in the Philippine Sea as part of the ''Todoroki'' ("Sound of Great Cannon") Group.<ref name=combinedfleetI36/> She was on the surface in the [[East China Sea]] west of [[Osumi Kaikyo]] at {{coord|32|44|N|129|15|E}} on 10 June 1945 when the submarine {{USS|Tirante|SS-420}} — which misidentified her as a "RO-type submarine"  — attacked her, firing two [[Mark 18 torpedo]]es, which both missed.<ref name=combinedfleetI36/> On 22 June 1945, ''I-36'' sighted the unaccompanied landing craft [[repair ship]] {{USS|Endymion|ARL-9}}, which she mistook for an oiler.<ref name=combinedfleetI36/>  ''I-36'' tried to launch two ''kaitens'', but they both malfunctioned, so she fired four conventional torpedoes, all of which exploded prematurely.<ref name=combinedfleetI36/> The explosions slightly damaged ''Endymion'' and ''I-36''′s commanding officer thought she took on a list,  but ''Endymion'' put on speed and escaped.<ref name=combinedfleetI36/>

On 28 June 1945, ''I-36'' was {{convert|400|nmi}} north-northeast of Truk when she sighted the [[stores ship]] {{USS|Antares|AKS-3}} steaming alone from Saipan to Pearl Harbor at {{coord|13|10|N|154|57|E}} and launched a ''kaiten''.<ref name=combinedfleetI36/> ''Antares'' sighted the ''kaiten''′s periscope and wake {{convert|100|yd|m|0}} off her starboard quarter at 13:29 and turned hard to starboard, causing the ''kaiten'' to miss her astern.<ref name=combinedfleetI36/> Her lookouts then spotted the ''kaiten'' in her wake to port, turning to the right.<ref name=combinedfleetI36/> At 13:31, ''Antares'' opened fire on ''kaiten''′s periscope and began to [[zigzag]], and as her stern swung to starboard one of her {{convert|3|in|mm|adj=on|1}} guns hit the ''kaiten'', which disappeared.<ref name=combinedfleetI36/> At 13:44, ''Antares'' sighted ''I-36''′s periscope, and ''I-36'' [[Broach (nautical)|broached]].<ref name=combinedfleetI36/> ''Antares'' opened fire on ''I-36'' with her aft {{convert|5|in|mm|adj=on|sigfig=3}} gun.<ref name=combinedfleetI36/>

''Antares'' signaled the destroyer {{USS|Sproston|DD-577}}, which was steaming independently to the [[United States]] for overhaul, that she was under attack, and when ''Sproston'' arrived on the scene she made sonar contact with ''I-36'' at a range of {{convert|1,000|yd|m|sigfig=2}}.<ref name=combinedfleetI36/> At a range of {{convert|500|yd|m|sigfig=2}} she sighted a periscope passing from starboard to port and tried to ram the submarine without success, then dropped a full pattern of depth charges, later seeing an oil slick on the surface.<ref name=combinedfleetI36/> She made six more depth-charge attacks without success. Meanwhile, aboard ''I-36'', a leak began in the forward torpedo room after more than 10 depth-charge explosions, and she launched two more ''kaitens'' from a depth of {{convert|200|ft|m|0}}.<ref name=combinedfleetI36/> After ''Sproston'' sighted the wake of an approaching ''kaiten'' 60 degrees off her port [[Bow (ship)|bow]], she turned hard to port, causing the ''kaiten'' to pass down her port side.<ref name=combinedfleetI36/> ''Sproston'' then sighted a ''kaiten''′s periscope off her port quarter and opened fire on it with her main battery, hitting the ''kaiten'' and triggering a large secondary explosion.<ref name=combinedfleetI36/> Other ships then arrived to increase the overnight radar coverage of the area, and on the morning of 29 June 1945 three destroyer escorts arrived to assist in the hunt for ''I-36''.<ref name=combinedfleetI36/> After a thorough search of the area, all the ships departed.<ref name=combinedfleetI36/> ''I-36'' escaped with a damaged [[rudder]].<ref name=combinedfleetI36/> She was east of [[Guam]] on 29 June when her sound operator heard a distant explosion at around 10:00 and later several more explosions identified as those of depth charges.<ref name=combinedfleetI36/>

''I-36'' made for Japan. She was in the [[Bungo Strait]] {{convert|11|nmi}} south of {{ill|Okinoshima, Kōchi|lt=Okinoshima|ja|沖の島 (高知県)}} on 9 July 1945 when the submarine {{USS|Gunnel|SS-253}} attacked her, mistaking her for a [[Ro-60-class submarine|''Ro-60''-class]] submarine, at {{coord|32|40|N|132|34|E}}.<ref name=combinedfleetI36/> All four of ''Gunnel''′s torpedoes missed astern, and ''I-36'' arrived at Hikari later that day to disembark her remaining ''kaitens'' and their pilots, and during the afternoon continued on to Kure, where she entered drydock for repairs.<ref name=combinedfleetI36/>

===End of war===

Undocked early on the morning of 6 August 1945, ''I-36'' moved into the harbor at Kure and moored to a [[buoy]].<ref name=combinedfleetI36/> Later that morning, her crew witnessed the [[Atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki|atomic bombing]] of [[Hiroshima]].<ref name=combinedfleetI36/> She was in the [[Hayase Seto Channel]] in [[Hiroshima Bay]] on 11 August 1945, preparing to get underway for the submarine base at [[Hirao]] to participate in the ''Shinshu-tai'' ("Divine Country Unit") kaiten mission when two Iwo Jima-based U.S. Army Air Forces [[North American P-51 Mustang|P-51 Mustang]] [[Fighter aircraft|fighters]] subjected her to a [[strafing]] attack at 10:40.<ref name=combinedfleetI36/> The attack wounded her commanding officer and [[navigation officer]] and damaged a diesel fuel tank and a radar.<ref name=combinedfleetI36/> Repairs were estimated to take eight days.<ref name=combinedfleetI36/>

On 15 August 1945, ''I-36'' and ''I-47'' were at Kure when [[Emperor of Japan|Emperor]] [[Hirohito]] made his [[Hirohito surrender broadcast|surrender broadcast]] announcing the cessation of hostilities between Japan and the Allies.<ref name=combinedfleetI36/> ''I-36'' was the only Type B1 submarine to survive World War II.<ref name=combinedfleetI36/>

==Final disposition==

''I-36'' surrendered to Allied forces in September 1945.<ref name=combinedfleetI36/> She was inspected at Kure on 5 October 1945 and found to have a partial crew of 55, over 100 tons of diesel fuel, and 20 tons of [[fresh water]] aboard, and all of her weapons and usable equipment had been removed.<ref name=combinedfleetI36/> She later was transferred from Kure to Sasebo and stripped of all remaining useful equipment and valuable materials.<ref name=combinedfleetI36/> The Japanese struck her from the Navy list on 30 November 1945.<ref name=combinedfleetI36/>

The submarine tender {{USS|Nereus|AS-17}} eventually [[Towing|towed]] ''I-36'' from Sasebo to an area off the [[Goto Islands]], where on 1 April 1946 she was among 24 Japanese submarines scuttled in [[Operation Road's End]].<ref name=combinedfleetI36/> She was lashed to the submarine {{ship|Japanese submarine|Ha-106||2}}, and the two submarines were sunk together using [[demolition charge]]s at 15:58 at {{coord|32|37|N|129|17|E|name=''I-36''}}.

==Notes==
{{reflist}}

==Sources==
* Hackett, Bob & Kingsepp, Sander.  [http://www.combinedfleet.com/I-36.htm IJN Submarine I-36: Tabular Record of Movement].  Retrieved on August 29, 2020.
*{{cite book |last1=Milanovich |first1=Kathrin |editor1-last=Jordan |editor1-first=John |title=Warship 2021 |date=2021 |publisher=Osprey Publishing |location=Oxford, UK |isbn=978-1-4728-4779-9 |chapter=The IJN Submarines of the I 15 Class|pages=29–43}}
{{B1 type submarine}}
{{January 1945 shipwrecks}}
{{1946 shipwrecks}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:I-036}}
[[Category:Type B1 submarines]]
[[Category:Ships built by Yokosuka Naval Arsenal]]
[[Category:1940 ships]]
[[Category:World War II submarines of Japan]]
[[Category:Ships of the Aleutian Islands campaign]]
[[Category:Maritime incidents in January 1945]]
[[Category:Maritime incidents in 1946]]
[[Category:Shipwrecks in the Pacific Ocean]]
[[Category:Scuttled vessels]]
[[Category:Lost submarines of Japan]]