HA. 19, Japanese midget submarine at National Museum of the Pacific War in Fredericksburg, Texas, United States
HA-19 is a Ko-hyoteki-class midget submarine at the National Museum of the Pacific War in Fredericksburg, Texas. The craft is 23.9 meters long and carries two torpedo tubes in its forward section.
The submarine suffered a gyrocompass failure during the Pearl Harbor attack in 1941 and ran aground on the Oahu coast. The crew abandoned the vessel and attempted to reach shore.
The submarine still carries its original paint and visible scrapes from its mission in Hawaiian waters. Visitors walk around the vessel and peer through open hatches.
The museum offers information panels and guided tours explaining the mechanical systems and operational workings. The exhibit is accessible and allows visitors to view the submarine from multiple angles.
Ensign Kazuo Sakamaki, the commander, survived and became the first Japanese prisoner of war taken by American forces in World War II. He returned to Japan after the war and later worked in private industry.
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