Japanese "Type A" two man Mini Submarine
Submarine Force Museum
Japanese Type A: During World War II these two-man boats, code-named "Mato," were piggybacked to mother ships, usually larger submarines, which carried them to their areas of operation. Matos were used throughout the war and were present at the attack on Pearl Harbor. (Research conducted after the war indicates that one Mato successfully hit USS WEST VIRGINIA (BB-48) with one of its torpedoes.) The two protrusions on the bow, or front, are torpedoes. Contrary to popular belief, Matos were not meant to be "kamikaze," or suicide, subs. This particular boat was part of a 1944 war-bond fundraising effort.
Japanese "Type A" two man Mini Submarine
Submarine Force Museum
Japanese Type A: During World War II these two-man boats, code-named "Mato," were piggybacked to mother ships, usually larger submarines, which carried them to their areas of operation. Matos were used throughout the war and were present at the attack on Pearl Harbor. (Research conducted after the war indicates that one Mato successfully hit USS WEST VIRGINIA (BB-48) with one of its torpedoes.) The two protrusions on the bow, or front, are torpedoes. Contrary to popular belief, Matos were not meant to be "kamikaze," or suicide, subs. This particular boat was part of a 1944 war-bond fundraising effort.