Ko-Hyoteki midget submarine

Two torpedoes were mounted one above the other in the bow, intended for striking warships
in open water in the opening stages of a conventional naval battle. This did not require a
particularly long range so the power-plant was all-electric with no diesel engine for surface
running or recharging. A small blade-like conning tower was added directly above the control
room to allow for longer periscopes, which were 3m (10ft) long and an exact copy of the
German Zeiss 30'. The periscope had two magnification settings of x1.5 and x6, and could be
raised and lowered electronically. The control room also had a gyro compass and directional
gyro which was visible from the top of the conning tower, and a radio with rubber protected
aerial on top of the conning tower. The directional gyro had luminous paint so that it could be
read in low light conditions. The hull form was narrower towards the bow to reduce weight
and improve the boat’s hydrodynamics. The torpedo tubes had fenders to protect them from
net defenses and a similar fender and blade system was added to the conning tower. The
rudder and hydroplane assembly was designed so that it would not snag on the nets as it
passed. The crews would carry two manual net cutters in reserve, but the basic concept was
that the midget submarine would power through or under any nets it found. These
modifications made the craft a bit slower underwater than the original prototype but it was
still capable of 19kt, which is head and shoulders above other proper midget submarines even
today.