Japanese submarine Ha-207


Ha-207 was an Imperial Japanese Navy Ha-201-class submarine. Completed and commissioned in August 1945 on the day before hostilities ended in World War II, she surrendered in September 1945 and was scuttled in April 1946.

Design and description

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 against an anticipated Allied invasion. To meet this requirement, the Ha-201-class submarines were designed as small, fast submarines 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.
The Ha-201 class displaced surfaced and submerged. The submarines were long, had a beam of and a draft of. For surface running, the submarines were powered by a single diesel engine that drove one propeller shaft. When submerged the propeller was driven by a electric motor. They could reach on the surface and submerged. On the surface, the Ha-201-class submarines had a range of at ; submerged, they had a range of at. Their armament consisted of two torpedo tubes with four torpedoes and a single mount for a 7.7-millimeter machine gun.

Construction and commissioning

Ha-207 was laid down on 23 April 1945 by the Sasebo Naval Arsenal at Sasebo, Japan, as Submarine No. 4917. She was renamed Ha-207 on 1 May 1945 and was attached provisionally to the Sasebo Naval District that day. She was launched simultaneously with her sister ship on 26 May 1945 and was completed and commissioned on 14 August 1945.

Service history

Upon commissioning, Ha-207 was attached formally to the Sasebo Naval District and assigned to Submarine Division 52. On 15 August 1945 — the day after Ha-207 was commissioned — hostilities between Japan and the Allies ended. She surrendered to the Allies at Sasebo on 2 September 1945.

Disposal

The Japanese struck Ha-205 from the Navy list on 30 November 1945. She was scuttled along with the submarines,,,,,, and off Sasebo Bay on 5 April 1946.