Takakazu Kinashi , was a submarine commander in the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War II . He is noted for the sinking of the American aircraft carrier , and destroyer and severely damaging the battleship with a single spread of six torpedo es as captain of the in 1942 . His name is sometimes transliterated as " Takaichi Kinatsu " Biography . Kinashi was a native of Usuki in Ōita Prefecture . His early career was not promising , as he graduated in very last place as 255th of 255 cadets in the 51st class of the Imperial Japanese Navy Academy in 1920 . He served his midshipman duty on the cruiser s , , and on on its long distance navigational training voyage to Hilo , Acapulco , Balboa , San Francisco , Vancouver , Honolulu , Jaluit Atoll , Truk , Saipan and the Ogasawara Islands from 1924 - 1925 . He was promoted to ensign during the voyage , and on his return to Japan , he completed naval artillery and torpedo warfare training . He was assigned to the destroyer " Harukaze " and promoted to lieutenant in 1926 . In 1927 , Kinashi transferred to the Japanese submarine forces , and served in various capacities on , , , and the river gunboat , and destroyer " Fubuki " through the mid - 1930s . He was promoted to lieutenant commander in December 1937 , and assigned to the minelayer . Kinashi was given his first command , , from 1938 - 1940 . In 1940 , he was reassigned to the Submarine Warfare School , but returned to sea six months later as captain of from July – November , and of from November 1940 to July 1941 . At the time of the attack on Pearl Harbor , Kinashi was captain of . He was captain of for one month ( during the Battle of Midway ) before being reassigned to . On September 15 , 1942 , while patrolling south of the Solomon Islands during the Guadalcanal campaign , " I - 19 " sighted and attacked the American aircraft carrier , which was part of a task force transporting the 7th Marine Regiment and stores to Guadalcanal . Kinashi penetrated the destroyer screen , and after closing to within 500 meters of the aircraft carrier , launched his full salvo of six torpedoes . Three torpedoes struck " Wasp " , starting uncontrollable fires which soon forced the abandonment of the ship . The remaining three " Long Lance " torpedoes continued beyond the horizon for another twelve miles into a separate task force led by the , striking the battleship and destroyer " O ' Brien " sank several weeks later and " North Carolina " was so severely damaged that it was out of commission for several months for repairs . Kinashi was promoted to commander less than two months later , and honored with a personal interview with Emperor Hirohito . On May 2 , 1943 , while near Suva , Fiji , " I - 19 " under the command of Kinashi torpedoed the liberty ship " William Williams " . However , for unknown reasons , Kinashi chose not to finish off the heavily damaged ship , which was later towed to New Zealand and repaired , becoming the . From October 1943 , Kinashi was captain of . On December 17 , 1943 , " I - 29 " was dispatched on a secret " Yanagi " mission under the Axis Powers ' Tripartite Pact to provide for an exchange of personnel , strategic materials and manufactured goods between Nazi Germany and the Empire of Japan . At Singapore she was loaded with 80 tons of raw rubber , 80 tons of tungsten , 50 tons of tin , two tons of zinc , and three tons of quinine , opium and coffee . In spite of Allied Ultra decrypts of her mission , " I - 29 " managed to reach Lorient , France on March 11 , 1944 . While his crew rested in France , Kinashi travelled on to Berlin where he was awarded the Iron Cross 2nd class personally by Adolf Hitler for his role in sinking " Wasp " . " I - 29 " left Lorient April 16 , 1944 with a cargo of 18 passengers , torpedo boat engines , Enigma coding machines , radar components , a Walter HWK 509A rocket engine , and Messerschmitt Me 163 and Messerschmitt Me 262 blueprint s for the development of the rocket plane Mitsubishi J8M , returning at Singapore on July 14 , 1944 . On the way back to Kure , Japan , " I - 29 " was attacked at Balintang Channel , Luzon Strait near the Philippines by Commander W . D . Wilkins ' " Wildcats " submarine taskforce consisting of , and , using Ultra signal intelligence . During the evening of July 26 , 1944 , " I - 29 " was hit by three torpedoes fired by " Sawfish " . " I - 29 " sank immediately at . Kinashi was posthumously promoted two levels in rank to that of rear admiral .