Japanese Submarine Tender Jingei Overview and History

The Japanese submarine tender Jingei has a rich history dating back to the 1930s.

It was designed to support the Imperial Japanese Navy's submarine fleet during World War II.

The Jingei class was a series of submarine tenders that played a crucial role in maintaining Japan's naval operations.

These vessels were equipped with a large capacity for fuel, supplies, and spare parts to keep the submarines running.

The Jingei's primary function was to refuel and resupply submarines at sea, allowing them to remain operational for extended periods.

This was a game-changer in naval warfare, giving Japan's submarines a significant advantage over their enemies.

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The Imperial Japanese Navy had big plans for the Jingei, initially envisioning it as a 14,500-ton vessel. However, due to the Washington Naval Treaty, its specifications were scaled down to 8,500 tons.

The Jingei was meant to serve as a flagship for the Submarine Division Commander and as a depot ship for the nine submarines in a submarine division.

The IJN planned to build over 100 submarines under the Eight-eight fleet plan, and the Jingei class was specifically designed to support these operations.

The duties of a submarine tender like the Jingei included serving as a flagship for the Submarine Division Commander and as a depot ship for the nine Kaichū-type submarines in a division.

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The design of the Japanese submarine tender Jingei was a unique blend of innovation and practicality. Its hull was adapted from a standard civilian merchant vessel, which helped keep costs to a minimum.

Mitsubishi Yards in Nagasaki was the builder of Jingei, and the contractor was given a lot of freedom in her design. This allowed the engineers to experiment with new ideas and share design innovations with other projects.

Jingei's coal/oil-fired boilers were taken from the cancelled Tosa-class battleship project. This reuse of existing designs helped reduce costs and speed up the construction process.

For another approach, see: Sigma Class Design

The design of Jingei influenced the development of other ships, including the Katori-class cruisers. Many design innovations that were developed during the Jingei project were shared with the Katori-class cruisers, resulting in a superficial resemblance between the two classes.

Here are some key dates in Jingei's history: