Saichi Oba

Saichi Oba was a Japanese submarine commander during World War II.

Biography
Saichi Oba graduated from Naval Academy Etajima in 1935, and became the captain of the Japanese submarine I-53. He took part in operations against the United States during their Philippines Campaign. On July 24, 1945, kaiten manned torpedoes launched from I-53 sank the US destroyer USS Underhill (DE-682), with the loss 122 out of 190 sailors on board. On August 24, nine days after the surrender of Japan to the United States, he returned to Japan at Hikari. On April 1, 1946, the Japanese were forced to scuttle I-53. Oba subsequently joined the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force until he retired.