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Japanese submarine Ro-39

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History
Japan
NameSubmarine No. 205
BuilderSasebo Naval Arsenal, Sasebo, Japan
Laid down8 August 1942
RenamedRo-39
Launched6 March 1943
Completed12 September 1943
Commissioned12 September 1943
FateSunk 1 February 1944
Stricken30 April 1944
General characteristics
Class and typeKaichū type submarine (K6 subclass)
Displacement
  • 1,133 tonnes (1,115 long tons) surfaced
  • 1,470 tonnes (1,447 long tons) submerged
Length80.5 m (264 ft 1 in) overall
Beam7 m (23 ft 0 in)
Draft4.07 m (13 ft 4 in)
Installed power
Propulsion
Speed
  • 19.75 knots (36.58 km/h; 22.73 mph) surfaced
  • 8 knots (15 km/h; 9.2 mph) submerged
Range
  • 5,000 nmi (9,300 km; 5,800 mi) at 16 knots (30 km/h; 18 mph) surfaced
  • 45 nmi (83 km; 52 mi) at 5 knots (9.3 km/h; 5.8 mph) submerged
Test depth80 m (260 ft)
Crew61
Armament

Ro-39 was an Imperial Japanese Navy Kaichū type submarine of the K6 sub-class. Completed and commissioned in September 1943, she served in World War II and was sunk on 1 February 1944 during her first war patrol off Wotje with all 70 hands onboard lost.

Design and description

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The submarines of the K6 sub-class were versions of the preceding K5 sub-class with greater range and diving depth.[1] They displaced 1,133 tonnes (1,115 long tons) surfaced and 1,470 tonnes (1,447 long tons) submerged. The submarines were 80.5 meters (264 ft 1 in) long, had a beam of 7 meters (23 ft 0 in) and a draft of 4.07 meters (13 ft 4 in). They had a diving depth of 80 meters (260 ft).[2]

For surface running, the boats were powered by two 2,100-brake-horsepower (1,566 kW) diesel engines, each driving one propeller shaft. When submerged each propeller was driven by a 600-horsepower (447 kW) electric motor.[3] They could reach 19.75 knots (36.58 km/h; 22.73 mph) on the surface and 8 knots (15 km/h; 9.2 mph) underwater. On the surface, the K6s had a range of 11,000 nautical miles (20,000 km; 13,000 mi) at 12 knots (22 km/h; 14 mph); submerged, they had a range of 45 nmi (83 km; 52 mi) at 5 knots (9.3 km/h; 5.8 mph).[1]

The boats were armed with four internal bow 53.3 cm (21.0 in) torpedo tubes and carried a total of ten torpedoes. They were also armed with a single 76.2 mm (3.00 in) L/40 anti-aircraft gun and two single 25 mm (1.0 in) AA guns.[1]

Construction and commissioning

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Ro-39 was laid down as Submarine No. 205 on 8 August 1942 by the Sasebo Navy Yard at Sasebo, Japan.[4] She had been renamed Ro-39 by the time she was launched on 6 March 1943[4] and she was completed and commissioned on 12 September 1943.[4]

Service history

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Upon commissioning, Ro-39 was attached to the Maizuru Naval District.[4] On 25 December 1943 she was assigned to Submarine Division 34 in the 6th Fleet. In company with the submarine Ro-44, she departed Maizuru on 28 December 1943 bound for Truk, which she reached on 6 January 1944.[4] At Truk, she took aboard stores from the auxiliary submarine tender Heian Maru on 17 January 1944.[4]

Ro-38 got underway from Truk on 20 January 1944 with the commander of Submarine Division 34 aboard to begin her first war patrol, assigned a patrol area in the Caroline Islands in the vicinity of Woleai.[4] On 22 January 1944, she received orders to rescue Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service aircrews of the 531st Naval Air Group at Woleai and the 755th Naval Air Group at Maloelap.[4] With U.S. ships gathering for the invasion of the Marshall Islands, Ro-39 was ordered on 30 January 1944 to move to a patrol area 200 nautical miles (370 km; 230 mi) northeast of Wotje.[4]

The United States Navy destroyer USS Walker (DD-517) gained radar contact on a vessel on the surface on the night of 1 February 1944.[4] She closed with it and fired star shells which illuminated a submarine, probably Ro-39.[4] The submarine crash-dived, but Walker picked it up on sonar and sank it with a single depth-charge attack at 09°24′N 170°32′E / 9.400°N 170.533°E / 9.400; 170.533 (Ro-39).[4]

The 6th Fleet received a distress signal on 2 February 1944 at 10:38 Japan Standard Time that Ro-39 transmitted as she crash-dived, but it was indecipherable.[4] On 6 February and again on 10 February 1944, the 6th Fleet ordered Ro-39 to return to Truk, but she did not acknowledge the order either time.[4] On 5 March 1944, the Imperial Japanese Navy declared her to be presumed lost east of Wotje with all 70 hands.[4] She was stricken from the Navy list on 30 April 1944.[4]

Notes

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  1. ^ a b c Carpenter & Dorr, p. 124
  2. ^ Bagnasco, p. 187
  3. ^ Chesneau, p. 203
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p Hackett, Bob; Kingsepp, Sander (2020). "IJN Submarine RO-39: Tabular Record of Movement". combinedfleet.com. Retrieved 21 September 2020.

References

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  • Bagnasco, Erminio (1977). Submarines of World War Two. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 0-87021-962-6.
  • Carpenter, Dorr B. & Polmar, Norman (1986). Submarines of the Imperial Japanese Navy 1904–1945. London: Conway Maritime Press. ISBN 0-85177-396-6.
  • Chesneau, Roger, ed. (1980). Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1922–1946. Greenwich, UK: Conway Maritime Press. ISBN 0-85177-146-7.
  • Hackett, Bob; Kingsepp, Sander (2017). "IJN Submarine RO-39: Tabular Record of Movement". SENSUIKAN! Stories and Battle Histories of the IJN's Submarines. Combinedfleet.com. Retrieved 20 September 2020.
  • Hackett, Bob; Sander Kingsepp (2003). "Kaichu Type". Sensuikan!. Combinedfleet.com. Retrieved 20 September 2020.
  • Hashimoto, Mochitsura (1954). Sunk: The Story of the Japanese Submarine Fleet 1942 – 1945. Colegrave, E.H.M. (translator). London: Cassell and Company. ASIN B000QSM3L0.