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]
Upon commissioning, Ro-37 was attached formally to the Maizuru Naval District and assigned to Submarine Squadron 11 for workups.[4] On 16 September 1943 she was reassigned directly to 6th Fleetheadquarters, and she departed Maizuru bound for Truk on 22 September 1943.[4] During her voyage, she was reassigned to Submarine Division 1 in the 6th Fleet on 24 September 1943.[4] She arrived at Truk on 7 October 1943.[4]
First war patroledit
Ro-37 got underway from Truk on 20 October 1943 to begin her first war patrol, assigned a patrol area east of the New Hebrides as part of Submarine Group A.[4] While at sea, she was reassigned to Submarine Division 34 on 31 October 1943, but otherwise her patrol was uneventful.[4] She returned to Truk in November 1943.[4]
Second war patroledit
During the second half of December 1943, Ro-37 took aboard supplies from the auxiliary submarine tenderHeian Maru at Truk.[4] On 2 January 1944, Fleet Radio Unit, Melbourne (FRUMEL), an Alliedsignals intelligence unit headquartered at Melbourne, Australia, reported that a Japanese message transmitted from Truk that FRUMEL had intercepted and decrypted said that Ro-37 was scheduled to depart Truk Lagoon via the South Channel at 16:00 on 3 January 1944 and proceed east-southeast on a course of 116 degrees.[4] As FRUMEL had reported, Ro-37 got underway from Truk on 3 January 1944 on her second war patrol, bound for a patrol area off the New Hebrides.[4] The Japanese never heard from her again.[4]
Meanwhile, Cache transmitted a distress signal, which the destroyerUSS Buchanan(DD-484) — which was on a voyage from Purvis Bay to Espiritu Santo — received.[4]Buchanan put on flank speed to go to Cache′s assistance.[4]Buchanan made radar contact at a range of 12,750 yards (11,660 m) with what her commanding officer described as a "fairly large" submarine on the surface 130 nautical miles (240 km; 150 mi) east-southeast of San Cristobal and 95 nautical miles (176 km; 109 mi) northwest of where Ro-37 had torpedoed Cache.[4] After closing to a range of 2,000 yards (1,800 m), Buchanan illuminated Ro-37 with a searchlight in time to see her submerge.[4]Buchanan then detected Ro-37 on sonar at a range of 1,250 yards (1,140 m).[4]Buchanan dropped 53 depth charges over the next three hours and finally sank Ro-37 at 11°47′S164°17′E / 11.783°S 164.283°E / -11.783; 164.283 (Ro-37).[4]Buchanan′s crew observed an oil slick covering 5 square miles (13 km2) on the surface, and the following morning a large amount of wooden and cork debris was seen floating in the vicinity of the sinking.[4]
On 17 February 1944, the Imperial Japanese Navy declared Ro-37 to be presumed lost in the New Hebrides area with all 61 hands.[4] She was stricken from the Navy list on 30 April 1944.[4]
^ abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyzaaabacHackett, Bob; Kingsepp, Sander (2019). "IJN Submarine RO-37: Tabular Record of Movement". combinedfleet.com. Retrieved 20 September 2020.
Referencesedit
Bagnasco, Erminio (1977). Submarines of World War Two. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN0-87021-962-6.
Carpenter, Dorr B. & Polmar, Norman (1986). Submarines of the Imperial Japanese Navy 1904–1945. London: Conway Maritime Press. ISBN0-85177-396-6.
Chesneau, Roger, ed. (1980). Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1922–1946. Greenwich, UK: Conway Maritime Press. ISBN0-85177-146-7.
Hackett, Bob; Kingsepp, Sander (2017). "IJN Submarine RO-37: Tabular Record of Movement". SENSUIKAN! Stories and Battle Histories of the IJN's Submarines. 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.
October 27, 2023
japanese, submarine, imperial, japanese, navy, kaichū, type, submarine, class, completed, commissioned, june, 1943, served, world, sunk, during, second, patrol, january, 1944, historyjapannamesubmarine, 203buildersasebo, naval, arsenal, sasebo, japanlaid, down. Ro 37 was an Imperial Japanese Navy Kaichu type submarine of the K6 sub class Completed and commissioned in June 1943 she served in World War II and was sunk during her second war patrol in January 1944 HistoryJapanNameSubmarine No 203BuilderSasebo Naval Arsenal Sasebo JapanLaid down9 October 1941RenamedRo 36 on 20 June 1942Launched30 June 1942Completed30 June 1943Commissioned30 June 1943FateSunk 22 January 1944Stricken30 April 1944General characteristicsClass and typeKaichu type submarine K6 subclass Displacement1 133 tonnes 1 115 long tons surfaced 1 470 tonnes 1 447 long tons submergedLength80 5 m 264 ft 1 in overallBeam7 m 23 ft 0 in Draft4 07 m 13 ft 4 in Installed power4 200 bhp 3 100 kW diesel 1 200 hp 890 kW electric motor PropulsionDiesel electric 1 diesel engine 1 electric motorSpeed19 75 knots 36 58 km h 22 73 mph surfaced 8 knots 15 km h 9 2 mph submergedRange5 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 submergedTest depth80 m 260 ft Crew61Armament4 bow 533 mm 21 in torpedo tubes 1 76 2 mm 3 00 in L 40 anti aircraft gun 2 single 25 mm 1 0 in AA guns Contents 1 Design and description 2 Construction and commissioning 3 Service history 3 1 First war patrol 3 2 Second war patrol 3 3 Loss 4 Notes 5 ReferencesDesign and description editThe 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 editRo 37 was laid down as Submarine No 203 on 9 October 1941 by the Sasebo Navy Yard at Sasebo Japan 4 She was renamed Ro 37 on 20 June 1942 4 and was provisionally attached to the Maizuru Naval District that day 4 She was launched on 30 June 1942 4 and completed and commissioned a year later on 30 June 1943 4 Service history editUpon commissioning Ro 37 was attached formally to the Maizuru Naval District and assigned to Submarine Squadron 11 for workups 4 On 16 September 1943 she was reassigned directly to 6th Fleet headquarters and she departed Maizuru bound for Truk on 22 September 1943 4 During her voyage she was reassigned to Submarine Division 1 in the 6th Fleet on 24 September 1943 4 She arrived at Truk on 7 October 1943 4 First war patrol edit Ro 37 got underway from Truk on 20 October 1943 to begin her first war patrol assigned a patrol area east of the New Hebrides as part of Submarine Group A 4 While at sea she was reassigned to Submarine Division 34 on 31 October 1943 but otherwise her patrol was uneventful 4 She returned to Truk in November 1943 4 Second war patrol edit During the second half of December 1943 Ro 37 took aboard supplies from the auxiliary submarine tender Heian Maru at Truk 4 On 2 January 1944 Fleet Radio Unit Melbourne FRUMEL an Allied signals intelligence unit headquartered at Melbourne Australia reported that a Japanese message transmitted from Truk that FRUMEL had intercepted and decrypted said that Ro 37 was scheduled to depart Truk Lagoon via the South Channel at 16 00 on 3 January 1944 and proceed east southeast on a course of 116 degrees 4 As FRUMEL had reported Ro 37 got underway from Truk on 3 January 1944 on her second war patrol bound for a patrol area off the New Hebrides 4 The Japanese never heard from her again 4 Loss edit Ro 37 was 155 nautical miles 287 km 178 mi southeast of San Cristobal in the Solomon Islands on 22 January 1944 when she sighted the United States Navy fleet oiler USS Cache AO 67 which was on a voyage to Espiritu Santo in the New Hebrides in company with the destroyer minesweeper USS Southard DMS 10 4 She hit Cache in the port side with one torpedo at 12 08 S 164 23 E 12 133 S 164 383 E 12 133 164 383 4 The explosion opened holes in three of Cache s oil tanks damaged other tanks and blew two men overboard killing one of them 4 Southard rescued the other man from the water 4 Meanwhile Cache transmitted a distress signal which the destroyer USS Buchanan DD 484 which was on a voyage from Purvis Bay to Espiritu Santo received 4 Buchanan put on flank speed to go to Cache s assistance 4 Buchanan made radar contact at a range of 12 750 yards 11 660 m with what her commanding officer described as a fairly large submarine on the surface 130 nautical miles 240 km 150 mi east southeast of San Cristobal and 95 nautical miles 176 km 109 mi northwest of where Ro 37 had torpedoed Cache 4 After closing to a range of 2 000 yards 1 800 m Buchanan illuminated Ro 37 with a searchlight in time to see her submerge 4 Buchanan then detected Ro 37 on sonar at a range of 1 250 yards 1 140 m 4 Buchanan dropped 53 depth charges over the next three hours and finally sank Ro 37 at 11 47 S 164 17 E 11 783 S 164 283 E 11 783 164 283 Ro 37 4 Buchanan s crew observed an oil slick covering 5 square miles 13 km2 on the surface and the following morning a large amount of wooden and cork debris was seen floating in the vicinity of the sinking 4 On 17 February 1944 the Imperial Japanese Navy declared Ro 37 to be presumed lost in the New Hebrides area with all 61 hands 4 She was stricken from the Navy list on 30 April 1944 4 Notes edit a b c Carpenter amp Dorr p 124 Bagnasco p 187 Chesneau p 203 a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac Hackett Bob Kingsepp Sander 2019 IJN Submarine RO 37 Tabular Record of Movement combinedfleet com Retrieved 20 September 2020 References editBagnasco Erminio 1977 Submarines of World War Two Annapolis Maryland Naval Institute Press ISBN 0 87021 962 6 Carpenter Dorr B amp 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 37 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 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Japanese submarine Ro 37 amp oldid 1165600300, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
