Meet the Man Who Sank USS Yorktown

Yahachi Tanabe was born in 1907. Entering the Imperial Navy Academy at Etajima, Hiroshima, Japan in 1925, he completed his studies in Mar 1928 and was promoted to the rank of sub-lieutenant second class by Nov 1929. In Dec 1931, he was promoted to the rank of sub-lieutenant first class. In Nov 1934, he volunteered for submarine service. As a lieutenant by Dec 1938, he enrolled in the Submarine School for officers, and in Mar 1939 he was assigned to the submarine RO-58. Between Jun 1939 and Nov 1940, he served as the communications officer aboard submarine I-8. After serving as the communications staff officer at Submarine Squadron 2, Lieutenant Commander Tanabe took submarine command courses. On 15 Oct 1941, he was appointed his first submarine command, RO-59, a training submarine operating in the Inland Sea.