Giving You Japan's Super Aircraft Carrier Submarine of WWII

I-400 Japanese Super Sub

During World War II Japan desperately sought ways to bring her war effort to the American coastline. She wanted to bomb the United States and hoped it would make the USA more weary of engaging the Japanese Empire deep in the Pacific.

Japan needed to employ stealth to penetrate the US Navy with substantial forces to attack the mainland. The nation's scientific engineers came up with a remarkable plan to build giant submarines capable of carrying aircraft. The many obstacles that the huge designs had to overcome were immense because the vessel needed to carry three planes plus bomb loads under the sea before surfacing off of the west coast of the USA and launching air strikes upon major US cities. 

For such an audacious plan the Japanese wanted 18 giant submarines. Admiral Isoroko Yamamoto wanted more but due to raw materials required for such he venture, he could only commission 18. As the building work went on, Japan was losing the race against time as US forces battled their way across the Pacific invading one island after another getting ever closer to Japan.

At first the Japanese planned to attack the west coast then go around the Cape Horn and cruise up to the east coast of USA to attack Washington, Miami and New York. This ambition became less likely as the US began to edge closer to Japan. Again the amount of giant Subs for commission diminished as did the goals of Japan's war effort against the USA.

A new agenda was thought up with just two of the giant aircraft carrier subs. An attack on the Panama Canal. However, even this plan was abandoned as the US forces attacked Okinawa. With two giant subs - the I - 400 and the I - 401 the grand vessels decided upon an attack of the American fleet staging area at sea, where the US Navy was waiting to attack the next parts of Japan's mainland.

The giant subs set out upon their mission in the summer of 1945. Before they could get to their destination and launch the six meagre aircraft upon the American fleet, Japan had been attacked with atomic bombs. The order to cease hostilities came over the radio. The final mission was aborted and upon return back to Japan both giant subs fell into US hands. 

Both these giant subs were destroyed in spring of 1946 off of Pearl Harbour. The USA wished to sink the giant subs with her secrets to evade inspection from the Soviet Union. The Cold War was beginning and thus ended the brief wonder of the giant aircraft carrier submarines of the Imperial Japanese Navy.

Below is a great YouTube documentary of the giant aircraft carrier subs.