Original Item: Only One Available. This is an original Japanese WWII brass equipment or identification plate reportedly removed from a two-man Japanese submarine in 1945. The plate is an elongated oval form with rounded ends and a mounting hole at either side. Its face bears two large Japanese characters which read:

底面

Pronounced teimen, this translates as “bottom surface,” “underside,” or “base.” The marking was most likely intended as an orientation or installation marking, identifying the bottom side of the component, fitting, or piece of equipment to which the plate was attached.

The plate is made of brass and shows clear signs of age and use. Its surface has developed a dark, even patina with areas of staining and accumulated grime. The recessed characters remain sharply legible, standing out well against the weathered brass. Both mounting holes are intact, with wear around their edges consistent with long-term attachment to another object.

During the Second World War, the Imperial Japanese Navy operated several types of small midget submarines, typically crewed by two men and designed for extremely confined operating conditions. By 1945, Japan was also producing a range of small submarines and other special attack craft intended for the defence of the home islands. In the immediate aftermath of the surrender, Allied personnel documented and inspected numerous Japanese midget submarines and related naval equipment at bases and storage sites across Japan.