The was one of the first classes of submarine in the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) to serve during the Second World War. Type-C submarines were better armed than the Type-A and Type-B. The Type-Cs were also used as Kō-hyōteki or Kaiten mother ships, for this reason they were not equipped with aviation facilities.

Class variants The Type-C submarines were divided into three classes:

. However, the Vessel number 379-class was never built.

Type-C (I-16 class)

Project number S38 and S38B (Latter batch). They were based on the I-7 class. Eight boats were built between 1937 and 1944 under the Maru 3 Programme (Boats 44 - 48) and the Maru Kyū Programme (Boats 376 - 378). Boats in class Boat No. Boat Builder Laid down Launched Completed Results Fate 44 . The same shall apply hereinafter. Mitsubishi, Kōbe ShipyardKure Naval Arsenal (after launch) 15-09-1937 28-07-1938 20-03-1940 Sank Yugoslav merchant ship Susak on 06-06-1942.Sank Greek merchant vessel Aghios Georgios IV on 07-06-1942.Sank Yugoslav merchant ship Supetar on 12-06-1942.Sank Swedish merchantman Eknaren on 01-07-1942. Sunk by northeast of Buin at on 19-05-1944. 45 Sasebo Naval Arsenal 25-08-1937 12-11-1938 31-01-1941 Sank Norwegian merchant ship Wilford on 08-06-1942.Sank Dutch merchant vessel De Weert on 01-07-1942.Sank RMS Mundra on 08-07-1942. Sunk by southeast of Guadalcanal at on 11-02-1943. 46 Mitsubishi, Kōbe Shipyard 16-11-1937 25-01-1939 26-09-1940 Damaged on 09-05-1942 by Kō-hyōteki.Damaged RMS British Loyalty on 09-05-1942 by Kō-hyōteki.Sank Panamanian merchant ship Johnstown on 05-06-1942.Sank Greek merchant vessel Christos Markettos on 08-06-1942.Sank RMS Mahronda 11-06-1942.Sank Panamanian merchantman Hellenic Trader on 12-06-1942.Sank RMS Clifton Hall on 12-06-1942.Sank Norwegian merchant ship Goviken on 30-06-1942.Sank RMS Steaua Romana on 30-06-1942.Damaged unknown merchant ship on 03-12-1942 by Kō-hyōteki. (1). Sunk by at New Hebrides on 03-09-1943.Other opinion for the I-182.(2). Sunk by at Vella Lavella on 01-10-1943. 47 Kawasaki, Kōbe Shipyard 25-11-1937 23-12-1938 10-03-1941 Sunk by a PBY-5A Catalina flying boat near Malaita in the Solomon Islands at on 6-10-1942. 48 Sasebo Naval Arsenal 05-12-1938 12-11-1939 31-10-1941 Sank HMAS Kuttabul on 31-05-1942 by Kō-hyōteki.Sank Australian merchant ship Iron Chieftain on 03-06-1942.Damaged RMS Orestes on 09-06-1942.Damaged on 07-12-1942 by Kō-hyōteki. Rammed and sunk by USS PC-487 at Kiska on 11-06-1943. 376 (Latter batch) Sasebo Naval Arsenal 21-11-1942 03-06-1943 29-02-1944 Probably lost in an accident or sunk by enemy attack east of Leyte Gulf, after 26-10-1944.She contacted the 6th Fleet HQ on 26-10-1944. Therefore, the US Navy's record assuming that she was sunk by on 24-10-1944 is an error. Reported sunk two different times by different U.S. Navy ships in The official chronology of the U.S. Navy in World War II – Chapter VI: 1944 p.567 & p.585 377 (Latter batch) Sasebo Naval Arsenal 21-11-1942 29-09-1943 10-07-1944 Sank on 20-11-1944 by Kaiten. Converted to a Kaiten mother ship, at the end of 1944, decommissioned on 30-11-1945, sunk as a target off the Gotō Islands on 01-04-1946. 378 (Latter batch) Sasebo Naval Arsenal 19-06-1943 12-12-1943 05-09-1944 Converted to a Kaiten mother ship, end of 1944, sunk by and at Ulithi on 23-01-1945.Some sources stated that the I-48 was sunk at .

Type-C Mod. (I-52 class)

Project number S37D. Twenty boats were planned under the Maru Tsui Programme (Boats 625 - 632) and the Kai-Maru 5 Programme (Boats 5141 - 5155). According to their Project number, they were one of the variants of the Type-B submarine. Seventeen boats were cancelled in late 1943, because the IJN was planning to build the which was to become the primary submarine in 1945. Boats in class {| class="wikitable" ! width="4%" | Boat No. ! width="3%" | Boat ! width="10%" | Builder ! width="5%" | Laid down ! width="5%" | Launched ! width="5%" | Completed ! width="25%" | Results ! width="20%" | Fate |- | 625 | | Kure Naval Arsenal | 18-03-1942 | 10-11-1942 | 28-12-1943 | | Sunk by aircraft from west of Cap-Vert at on 24-06-1944. |- | 626 | | Kure Naval Arsenal | 15-05-1942 | 24-12-1942 | 20-02-1944 | Damaged 21-07-1945 by Kaiten.Sank on 24-07-1945 by Kaiten.Damaged on 04-08-1945 by Kaiten. | Converted to a Kaiten mother ship in July 1944. Decommissioned on 30-11-1945, sunk as a target off the Gotō Islands on 01-04-1946. |- | 628 | | Kure Naval Arsenal | 15-06-1942 | 20-04-1943 | 20-04-1944 | | Sunk by , and aircraft from east of the Mariana Islands on 28-07-1944.<ref>This is one opinion, because this conflicts with I-55s action records.</ref> |- | 630632 | I-57I-59

| rowspan="2"|Cancelled in 1943. |- | 5141 - 5155

Type V22B Project number S49B'''. Twenty eight boats were planned under the Maru Kyū Programme (Boats 379 - 381) and the Kai-Maru 5 Programme (Boats 5156 - 5180). All boats were cancelled in late 1943, because the IJN was planning to build the . Boats in class Boat No. Boat Builder Laid down Launched Completed Fate 379 - 381Cancelled in 1943. 5156 - 5180

Characteristics Type Type-C (I-16) Type-C Latter batch (I-46) Type-C Mod. (I-52) Type V22BDisplacement Surfaced Submerged No data Length (overall) (waterline) Beam Draft Depth No data Power plant and shaft 2 × Kampon Mk.2 Model 10 diesels2 shafts 2 × Kampon Mk. 2 Model 10 diesels2 shafts 2 × Kampon Mk. 2 Model 10 diesels2 shafts 2 × Kampon Mk. 2 Model 10 diesels2 shaftsPower Surfaced 12,400 bhp 12,400 bhp 4,700 bhp 11,000 bhp Submerged 2,000 shp 2,000 shp 1,200 shp 2,400 shpSpeed Surfaced Submerged Range Surfaced at at at at Submerged at at at at Test depth Fuel 816 tons 751 tons 842.8 tons 735 tons Complement 95 94 94 No data Armament (initial) • 8 × Torpedo tubes(8 × front)• 20 × Type 95 torpedoes• 1 × L/40 11th Year Type Naval gunCampbell, John Naval Weapons of World War Two p.191• 2 × Type 96 25mm AA guns • 8 × TTs (8 × front)• 20 × Type 95 torpedoes• 1 × L/40 11th Year Type Naval gun• 2 × Type 96 25mm AA guns • 6 × TTs (6 × front)• 17 × Type 95 torpedoes• 2 × L/40 11th Year Type Naval gun• 2 × Type 96 25mm AA guns • 8 × TTs (8 × front)• 18 × torpedoes• 1 × 140 mm Naval gun• 4 × 25mm AA guns• 8 × naval mines

Footnotes

Bibliography , History of Pacific War Vol.17 I-Gō Submarines, Gakken (Japan), January 1998, Rekishi Gunzō, History of Pacific War Vol.35 Kō-hyōteki and Kōryū, Gakken (Japan), April 2002, Rekishi Gunzō, History of Pacific War Vol.36 Kairyū and Kaiten, Gakken (Japan), May 2002, Rekishi Gunzō, History of Pacific War Extra, "Perfect guide, The submarines of the Imperial Japanese Forces", Gakken (Japan), March 2005, Model Art Extra No.537, Drawings of Imperial Japanese Naval Vessels Part-3, Model Art Co. Ltd. (Japan), May 1999, Book code 08734-5 The Maru Special, Japanese Naval Vessels No.31 Japanese Submarines I'', Ushio Shobō (Japan), September 1979, Book code 68343-31

See also Cruiser submarine