Submarines including U-boat found in Sea of Japan

Jul 04, 2018 | News On Japan

Jul 04, 2018 (NHK) - A Japanese research team has discovered 3 World War Two-era submarines, including a German-made U-boat, in a bay opening towards the Sea of Japan.

Last month, a team led by the Kyushu Institute of Technology surveyed the seabed of Wakasa Bay, some 20 kilometers off Maizuru City, Kyoto Prefecture, using an underwater drone.

The discovery of the 3 Imperial Japanese Navy submarines at a depth of about 90 meters matched US military records and other accounts.

One of the subs has been confirmed as a U-boat renamed "Ro-500" by the Imperial Japanese Navy.

The U-boat was handed over to Japan by Nazi Germany in 1943. It arrived at Kure City, Hiroshima Prefecture in western Japan after a voyage of about 90 days.

The Ro-500 was used mainly for training. It was deliberately sunk by the US military in 1946.

The research team says its 70-meter hull remains largely intact, with little visible damage.

The other 2 subs have been confirmed as the Ro-68 and the I-121.

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