Special thanks to Hironobu Yamada for helping to research the nomenclature from Japanese sources.
Interior: The interior may be seen through view ports which were cut into the starboard side prior to the boat being used for war bond drives. (It is said HA-19 helped raise enough money to repair all the damage inflicted on Pearl Harbor!) Because much interior equipment, such as batteries, was removed shortly after capture, the empty interior of HA-19 feels deceptively spacious. Only in the control room, where a significant amount of equipment remains, does the exceedingly cramped nature of this midget sub become apparent and, then, only when one actually tries to move through this tiny compartment. The view through the side view ports does not adequately convey the cramped hardship endured by the 2-man crews of these boats. However, habitability and long endurance were not requirements for their mission to strike a quick first blow in the anticipated fight between the Japanese and American battle fleets, a mission ironically made obsolete by the success of the attack on Pearl Harbor in which the HA-19 was a participant.
General Condition: A faulty gyro compass and other difficulties culminated in grounding on a coral reef, thwarting HA-19's attempts to enter Pearl Harbor. Hence, she was in good structural condition when she washed up on a Hawaiian beach after the attack. Due largely to the efforts of the Admiral Nimitz Museum, she remains in good condition to this day, with a minimum of rust and other deterioration.
L is grateful to the Admiral Nimitz National Museum of the Pacific War for granting access to the interior of HA-19.