DID YOU KNOW? World War II Japanese Submarine was exhibited on Main Street in Edwardsville?

Did you know that in August of 1943 the submarine pictured here was exhibited on Main Street in Edwardsville during a War Bond Drive?  The 81-foot submarine was a suicide submarine captured in the Pacific from the Japanese.  Besides the two man crew, it was designed to carry two 18-foot torpedoes along with 300 pounds of nitroglycerin to be used to blow up the submarine after firing the torpedoes, thus giving it three explosive charges. 

The naval engineers had spent some time studying the sub and then allowed it to be used for exhibition.  As originally equipped, the sub weighed between 32 and 35 tons.  Before being used for display, the mechanical equipment was removed reducing the weight to about 17.5 tons. 

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