Keywords: Japanese submarine I-21.jpg 伊号第二十 水艦 I-21 submarine The Japanese book 軍艦写 帖 pictures of warships a revised edition in 1930 published by 海軍協会 The Navy Association of Japan The contributor has this source Other versions unknown PD-Japan-oldphoto The subject of this photo is a Kiraisen minelaying submarine built in 1926 patterned after a first world war German U-boat This submarine was originally number 48 renumbered I-21 when this photo was taken in 1930 and renumbered I-121 when a new B Type submarine I-21 was built in 1939 B Type submarines had a streamlined seaplane hangar forward of the conning tower where a formation of sailors appears in this image The seaplane catapult required the gun to be mounted aft of the conning tower in B type submarines rather than forward like the gun in this image World War II submarines of Japan |