Japanese submarine Ha-208

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History
Japan
Name	Submarine No. 4918
Builder	Sasebo Naval Arsenal, Sasebo, Japan
Laid down	1 May 1945
Renamed	Ha-208 on 1 May 1945
Launched	26 May 1945
Completed	4 August 1945
Commissioned	4 August 1945
Fate	Surrendered 2 September 1945 Stricken 30 November 1945 Scuttled 1 April 1946
General characteristics
Type	Submarine
Displacement	320 long tons (325 t) surfaced 440 long tons (447 t) submerged
Length	53.00 m (173 ft 11 in) overall
Beam	4.00 m (13 ft 1 in)
Draft	3.44 m (11 ft 3 in)
Propulsion	1 × intermediate diesel 400 bhp surfaced 1,250 shp submerged single shaft
Speed	11.8 knots (21.9 km/h) surfaced 13.9 knots (25.7 km/h) submerged
Range	3,000 nmi (5,600 km) at 10 knots (19 km/h) surfaced 105 nmi (194 km) at 2 knots (3.7 km/h) submerged
Test depth	100 m (328 ft)
Complement	26
Armament	2 × 533 mm (21 in) torpedo tubes 4 × Type 95 torpedoes 1 × 7.7 mm machine gun

Ha-208 was an Imperial Japanese Navy Ha-201-class submarine. Completed and commissioned in August 1945 only eleven days before hostilities ended in World War II, she surrendered in September 1945 and was scuttled in April 1946.

At the end of 1944, the Imperial Japanese Navy decided it needed large numbers of high-speed coastal submarines to defend the Japanese Home Islands^[1] against an anticipated Allied invasion (named Operation Downfall by the Allies). To meet this requirement, the Ha-201-class submarines were designed as small, fast submarines^[1] incorporating many of the same advanced ideas implemented in the German Type XXI and Type XXIII submarines. They were capable of submerged speeds of almost 14 knots (26 km/h; 16 mph).^[1]

The Ha-201 class displaced 325 metric tons (320 long tons) surfaced and 447 metric tons (440 long tons) submerged.^[1] The submarines were 53 meters (173 ft 11 in) long, had a beam of 4.00 meters (13 ft 1 in) and a draft of 3.44 meters (11 ft 3 in).^[1] For surface running, the submarines were powered by a single 400-brake-horsepower (298 kW) diesel engine that drove one propeller shaft.^[1] When submerged the propeller was driven by a 1,250-shaft-horsepower (932 kW) electric motor.^[1] They could reach 11.8 knots (21.9 km/h; 13.6 mph) on the surface and 13.9 knots (25.7 km/h; 16.0 mph) submerged.^[1] On the surface, the Ha-201-class submarines had a range of 3,000 nautical miles (5,600 km; 3,500 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph); submerged, they had a range of 105 nmi (194 km; 121 mi) at 2 knots (3.7 km/h; 2.3 mph).^[1] Their armament consisted of two 533-millimeter (21 in) torpedo tubes with four torpedoes and a single mount for a 7.7-millimeter machine gun.^[1]

Ha-208 was laid down on 1 May 1945 by the Sasebo Naval Arsenal at Sasebo, Japan, as Submarine No. 4918.^[2] She was renamed Ha-208 and was attached provisionally to the Sasebo Naval District that day.^[2] She was launched simultaneously with her sister ship Ha-207 on 26 May 1945^[2] and was completed and commissioned on 4 August 1945.^[2]

Upon commissioning, Ha-208 was attached formally to the Sasebo Naval District and assigned to Submarine Division 52.^[2] She had not yet conducted an operational patrol when hostilities between Japan and the Allies ended^[1] on 15 August 1945. She surrendered to the Allies at Sasebo on 2 September 1945.^[2]

The Japanese struck Ha-208 from the Navy list on 30 November 1945.^[2] She was among a number of Japanese submarines the U.S. Navy scuttled off the Goto Islands in Operation Road's End on 1 April 1946, sinking just beyond the 100-fathom (600 ft; 183 m) line at 32°37′N 129°17′E / 32.617°N 129.283°E / 32.617; 129.283 (Ha-203).^[2]

• Hackett, Bob; Kingsepp, Sander (2019). "IJN Submarine HA-208: Tabular Record of Movement". SENSUIKAN! Stories and Battle Histories of the IJN's Submarines. Combinedfleet.com. Retrieved 9 October 2020.
• Hackett, Bob; Sander Kingsepp (2015). "Sen Taka Sho Type". Sensuikan!. Combinedfleet.com. Retrieved 9 October 2020.
• "Rekishi Gunzō"., History of Pacific War Vol.17 I-Gō Submarines, Gakken (Japan), January 1998, ISBN 4-05-601767-0
• Rekishi Gunzō, History of Pacific War Extra, "Perfect guide, The submarines of the Imperial Japanese Forces", Gakken (Japan), March 2005, ISBN 4-05-603890-2
• The Maru Special, Japanese Naval Vessels No.43 Japanese Submarines III, Ushio Shobō (Japan), September 1980, Book code 68343-43
• The Maru Special, Japanese Naval Vessels No.132 Japanese Submarines I "Revised edition", Ushio Shobō (Japan), February 1988, Book code 68344-36
• Ships of the World special issue Vol.37, History of Japanese Submarines, "Kaijinsha"., (Japan), August 1993