JINGEI - laid down in 1922, launched and completed in 1923
CHOGEI - laid down in 1922, launched and completed in 1924

Displacement 6,600 tons (standard)
Length 130 meters (426' 4")
Beam 17.2 meters (56' 4")
Draft 6.5 meters (21' 6")
Machinery two Parsons geared turbines with six Kampon boilers
Power 6,200 slip (two shafts)
Speed 18 knots
Guns four 15.5 cm. (4.5 inch) guns mounted in two twins Two 76mm (3 inch) AA guns mounted as two singles
Aircraft one floatplane (no catapult)

These two ships were the first ships designed and built for UN to be fitted out as submarine flotilla flagships. They carried spare parts, torpedoes and provisions for submarines, and had accommodations for submarine crewmen. They often served as flagships for submarine squadrons.

Late in World War II, as on all IJN ships, their antiaircraft capabilities were enhanced by replacing the 3-inch guns with eighteen 25mm gums

The second submarine tender, CHOGEI, which had been serving as a training ship, was now assigned to the Second Fleet and together with the light cruiser TAM4, transported one thousand-man 1st Naval Special Landing Force (sometimes erroneously called Imperial Marines) from Sasebo (Kyushu) to Port Arthur, arriving there on 2 August. At that time the Japanese naval garrison in Shanghai was surrounded by large Chinese forces, and was locked in a bitter struggle.

CHOGEI embarked the Special Landing Force again at Port Arthur and carried them to Shanghai, arriving there on 17 August. Five days later, the CHOGEI returned to Port Arthur and carried some more Landing Force men to Shanghai. AR these transport duties were carried out in defiance of the Chinese naval presence on the Shangtung Pemnsula nearby. Submarine tenders were endowed with large spaces to accommodate submarine crews and were suitable to transport large numbers of fighting: men.

The submarines belonging to the 1st Submarine Squadron were assigned to the strange task of escorting battleships. The battleships of the First Fleet were used to transport army soldiers. The NAGATO and MUTSU of the 1st Battleship, Squadron embarked 11th Army Division, and HARUNA and KIRISMIAM of the 3d Baidexho Squadron embarked 3rd Army Division; and they all headed for China.

Initially the battleships were escorted by a single light cruiser (ISUZU) but on the way, as the fleet sailed westward on the East China Sea, six submarines of the 1st Submarine Squadron joined the battleships as escort. The submarines stayed on the surface and steamed with them at high speed. However, no Chinese cruiser left the port to intercept the Japanese fleet The army men were transferred to destroyers at sea, and arrived in Shanghai safely on 23 August.

China, in order to wage war against Japanese forces, bought fighter aircraft, guns, small arms, munitions etc. from such countries as France, Czechoslovakia, Italy, Britain, Germany and the United States. Japan however, could not resort to the official blockade against China under international law because war had not been officially declared. This was a great dilemma.

In September 1937 the 10 Submarine Squadron proceeded to the South China waters mainly to watch small Chinese craft that might be carrying arms from Hong Kong to Mandand China, and to interdict them if any Chinese craft were found carrying arms. The surveillance was conducted in the area within one hundred, nautical miles of Hong Kong. This force consisted of the flagship light cruiser ISUZU and the submarines belonging to the 7th and 8th Submarine Divisions. They were looked after by the new submarine tender TAIGEI.

Later the 9th Submarine Division (I-23 and I-24) and the 13th Submarine Division (I-21 and I-22) joined the surveillance, This operation was called the Third Interdiction Action (September 1937) but it is doubtful how effective the operation was, as it involved mainly neutral merchantmen, which Japanese submarines had no right to stop and search.

YOYA, this is great history and I bet not very many had any idea of all this going on before the war, as it is perceived in Europe and in the USA. In Europe, the war began on. 1 September 1939 and in the USA it began on 7 December 1941. Most do not remember that war was going on in the Far East years before these dates. YOYA, I hope you keep this interesting history coming.