Yesterday's Weapons Forums

Here's one for you grasshoppers, back in the late 40s, early 50s there was a midget sub on a large flat bed truck that toured the country. "Doors" had been cut in the aft and forward ends so you could walk in the back and exit the front. Turns out you had to pay to exit (I think). I remember going through with my mother and she tried to exit the way we came in and was stopped. Can't believe dear ole mom was so tight, but that's the only reason I can imagine her attempt to back track. I've always wondered where that sub ended up?

Perhaps someone very long of tooth like Riceone may know?

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The content of any post made by me is not meant to insult, offend, P.O. or otherwise upset any reader. The content of any posts made by me reflect my views only and do not reflect those of other members of this Board. So don't get your briefs/panties in a twist!

The only midget sub that I ever heard about that toured the states was Ens Sakamaki's , captured following the attack on Hawaii and then used for war bond drives. Being only 6 ft. in diameter and still having most of it's machinery installed, it would be impossible to walk thru it. A catwalk was installed alongside the sub on its trailer and square veiwing holes were cut in its hull so the interior could be seen. Don't know why a sub of any type would be touring in the late 40's/early 50's? Jim

The war ended when Dad was a Civil Engineer with the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA.) I saw the sub when I lived in Sheffield, AL which was after he took the job as County Highway Engineer for Colbert County so would have been post war. As I remember it was a tight fit through the sub, but if the Japanese could do it ....

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The content of any post made by me is not meant to insult, offend, P.O. or otherwise upset any reader. The content of any posts made by me reflect my views only and do not reflect those of other members of this Board. So don't get your briefs/panties in a twist!

It will be interesting to find out just what you remember seeing. I want to know what happened to the LST [don't recollect the #] that toured up and down the Mississippi loaded with captured Japanese equipment-take that back, I know the ship was scrapped, what became of its' treasures? Jim

I remember one of my relatives (seems it may have been my mother) telling me about going to see a submarine that was brought around on a flat car ,to fairs and such when she was a little girl.One of those traveling shows, where you paid to look at some oddity.Anyway you could walk thru it, no clue if its the same one or even if it was german or japanese..I scoured the net all night but didnt find anything about it. Or any traveling submarine display..I did find a sort of cool in a rather cheesy way ,japanese navy site while looking for any reference to a japanese sub tour http://www.combinedfleet.com/kaigun.htm Nothing about a tour but some cool info on the japanese navy..I shall keep looking.

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Foremost collector of semi-virginal Arisaka's and tomato stakes.

I have some pictures of a wrecked one up on a bank on Kiska Island.

tarawa,
post your pictures if you can, please.

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03man

there was a sub on a truckbed in a outdoor museum in omaha [along with a couple other vessels that was open and passable as you describe , but so many years ago and i cant recall whos it was - not a mini-sub , these were very small

im a little guy and even i know im not walkin thru that hull , , specialy this late in life

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Here's an old postcard that I picked up somewhere. If you look at the detail closely, you can see civilians lined up and appear to be waiting to gaze into or walk into the sub. Also the small description on the back. Unfortunately it is not marked as to where the photo was taken and it's postally unused. Kim

Wow, fantastic picture kfields.
Thanks for sharing.
Oh and welcome.
I hope you like this place as much as I do.
Stick around for a while, make some more posts and get to know us a bit better.

Met vriendelijke groet,

Martin

This is a picture I've always found interesting: Kazuo Sakamaki, the commander of HA-19 that washed ashore on Oahu Dec.7th, walking around his displayed sub. It had to bring back some memories, for sure...
Also, for the Bond Tour, they cut 3 or 4 small windows into one side of the hull for viewing purposes. The interior was too cramped and filled with equipment to walk thru, thus the 'windows'. Price of admission was a War Bond purchase.
JohnB/
[img][img]http://i260.photobucket.com/albums/ii29/byf45/ha19-kazuosakamaki.jpg[/img][/img]

After the war HA-19 was on display in Key West, FL for many years, falling into a state of disrepair. In 1991 it was rescued and refurbished by the National Museum of the Pacific War (Nimitz) in Fredericksburg, TX, where is resides today. The photo is probably taken there, as they have had many seminars and symposiums over the the years, and ex-Ensign Sakamaki was probably a guest. It has also been declared an National Historic Landmark.
This photo also shows an interior cross-section of her and why "inside tours" wouldn't be feasible.
JohnB/
[img][img]http://i260.photobucket.com/albums/ii29/byf45/ha19.jpg[/img][/img]

Thanks John, That sucker is tiny. Anybody care to guess how wide that passageway is? I'm guessing 12" or less based on that chiefs hand.
Ray