Shinyo

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Japanese Shinyo suicide boat, 1945

A Shinyo under way, being tested by an American soldier.

The Shinyo (Japanese: 震洋, "Sea Quake") were Japanese suicide boats developed during World War II. They were part of the wider Japanese Special Attack Units program.

[edit] Characteristics

These fast motorboats were driven by one man, to speeds of around 30 knots. They were typically equipped with two depth charges as explosives or a bow mounted explosive charge. The ones equipped with depth charges were not actually suicide boats as the idea was to drop the depth charges and then turn around before the explosion. However, the wave from the explosion would probably have killed the crew, or at least have swamped the boat.

Around 6,200 Shinyo were produced for the Imperial Japanese Navy and 3,000 Maru-ni for the Imperial Japanese Army. Around 400 were transported to Okinawa and Formosa, and the rest were stored on the coast of Japan for the ultimate defense against the invasion of the Home islands.

[edit] Operational results

January 10th, 1945: Sinking of American ships USS LCI(G)-365 (Landing Craft Infantry - Gunboat), USS LCI(M)-974 (Landing Craft Infantry - Mortar) and crippling of USS War Hawk (auxiliary transport) in Lingayen Gulf, Luzon, Philippines.
January 31st, 1945: Sinking of USS PC-1129 (Submarine chaser) off Nasugbu, Luzon, Philippine.
February 16th, 1945. Sinking of USS LCS(L)-7 (Landing Craft Support - Large), USS LCS(L)-26, and USS LCS(L)-49 off Mariveles, Corregidor Channel, Luzon.
April 4th, 1945. Sinking of USS LCI(G)-82 (Landing Craft Infantry - Gunboat) and USS LSM-12 (Landing Ship Medium) off Okinawa.
April 27th, 1945. Crippling of USS Hutchins (DD-476) in Buckner Bay, Okinawa.