The Cruiser submarine Type-C (巡潜丙型潜水艦, Junsen Hei-gata sensuikan) was one of the first classes of submarine in the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) to serve during the Second World War.

The Type-Cs were also utilized as Kō-hyōteki or Kaiten mother ships, for this reason they were not equipped with aviation facilities.

The Type-C submarines were divided into three classes: Project number S38 and S38B (Latter batch).

Seventeen boats were cancelled in late 1943, because the IJN was planning to build the Type E submarine [ja] (戊型潜水艦, Bo-gata sensuikan) which was to become the primary submarine in 1945.

All boats were cancelled in late 1943, because the IJN was planning to build the Type E submarine [ja] (戊型潜水艦, Bo-gata sensuikan).