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-49 was attached formally to the Maizuru Naval District and assigned to Submarine Squadron 33 for workups.[4] In mid-July 1944, she and the submarine I-157 took part in tests of a submarine version of the Type 13 air-search radar.[4] She was reassigned to Submarine Squadron 11 on 15 August 1944[4] and then to Submarine Division 34 in the 6th Fleet on 10 November 1944.[4]
First war patroledit
On 16 November 1944, Ro-49 departed Kure, Japan, to begin her first war patrol, assigned a patrol area in the Philippine Sea east of Luzon in the Philippine Islands.[4] Her hydrophone suffered damage in rough seas, and on 28 November 1944 her commanding officer decided to return to Japan.[4] She returned to Kure on 7 December 1944.[4]
Second war patroledit
Ro-49 set out from Kure on 1 January 1945 to begin her second war patrol, again in the Philippine Sea east of the Philippines.[4] On 4 January 1945, she received new orders to patrol in the South China Sea west of Luzon.[4] U.S. forces entered Lingayen Gulf and U.S. forces began their invasion of Luzon on 9 January 1945.[4]Ro-49 was in the South China Sea 55 nautical miles (102 km; 63 mi) west-northwest of Iba on Luzon on 12 January 1945 when she sighted two escort aircraft carriers and three battleships with a strong escort.[4] She attacked and her commanding officer reported that she sank what he described as an "Idaho-class" battleship, but her claim of hitting a battleship was disproven after World War II.[4] On 21 January 1945 he received an order to return to Kure, which she reached on 1 February 1945.[4] She moved to Saeki on 16 March 1945.[4]
Third war patroledit
On 18 March 1945, Ro-49 got underway from Saeki for her third war patrol, assigned a patrol area southeast of the Ryukyu Islands.[4] After she sent a routine situation report on 25 March 1945, the Japanese never heard from her again.[4]
Lossedit
On 26 March 1945, a Japanese submarine attacked United States Navy Task Group 54.3 off the Ryukyus. At 09:32, the heavy cruiserUSS Wichita(CA-45) sighted a periscope to starboard, and she made an emergency turn to starboard to evade a torpedo.[4] The light cruiserUSS St. Louis(CL-49) also sighted torpedo wakes.[4] The attacking submarine scored no hits but escaped without facing a counterattack by the cruisers′ escorts.[4] The identity of the attacking submarine remains unknown, although historians have attributed the attack both to Ro-49 and to a Type C Kō-hyōteki-class midget submarine, in the latter case also claiming that the attack took place on 27 March 1945.[4]
On 5 April 1945, the destroyer USS Hudson(DD-475) was on radar picket duty off Kume Island near Okinawa when she received a signal from the support landing craft USS LCS-115 reporting the sighting of a submarine.[4] While the submarine was on the surface, Hudson detected it on radar at 0345.[4]Hudson closed the range and fired a star shell to illuminate the area, and the submarine dived, causing it to disappear from Hudson′s radar.[4] However, Hudson established sonar contact on the submerged submarine and made six depth-charge attacks over the next six hours, sinking the submarine at 26°22′N126°30′E / 26.367°N 126.500°E / 26.367; 126.500.[4]
The identity of the submarine Hudson sank remains unclear. It could have been Ro-49. Some Japanese sources claim that Ro-49 was already missing by 5 April 1945 and that Hudson sank the submarine I-56,[4] although I-56 might have been sunk on 18 April 1945 instead.[5] Some accounts claim that the submarine USS Lagarto(SS-371) sank Ro-49 in the Bungo Strait on 24 February 1945, but Ro-49 was active for at least a month after that date.[4]
On 15 April 1945, the Imperial Japanese Navy declared Ro-49 to be presumed lost southeast of Okinawa with all 79 men on board.[4] She was stricken from the Navy list on 25 May 1945.[4]
^ abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyzaaabacadaeafHackett, Bob; Kingsepp, Sander (2017). "IJN Submarine RO-49: Tabular Record of Movement". combinedfleet.com. Retrieved 25 September 2020.
^Hackett, Bob; Kingsepp, Sander (2008). "IJN Submarine I-56: Tabular Record of Movement". combinedfleet.com. Retrieved 15 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-49: Tabular Record of Movement". SENSUIKAN! Stories and Battle Histories of the IJN's Submarines. Combinedfleet.com. Retrieved 25 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, 1944, served, world, patrolled, philippines, ryukyu, islands, lost, during, third, patrol, sometime, late, march, april, 1945, historyjapannamesubmarine, 39. Ro 49 was an Imperial Japanese Navy Kaichu type submarine of the K6 sub class Completed and commissioned in May 1944 she served in World War II and patrolled off the Philippines and the Ryukyu Islands She was lost during her third war patrol sometime in late March or April 1945 HistoryJapanNameSubmarine No 390BuilderMitsui Zosensho Tamano JapanLaid down16 November 1942RenamedRo 49 on 31 July 1943Launched3 August 1943Completed19 May 1944Commissioned19 May 1944FateMissing after 25 March 1945 Possibly sunk 5 April 1945Stricken25 May 1945General 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 Third war patrol 3 4 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 49 was laid down on 16 November 1942 by Mitsui Zosensho at Tamano Japan as Submarine No 390 4 She was named Ro 49 on 31 July 1943 and was attached provisionally to the Maizuru Naval District that day 4 Launched on 3 August 1943 4 she was completed and commissioned on 19 May 1944 4 Service history editUpon commissioning Ro 49 was attached formally to the Maizuru Naval District and assigned to Submarine Squadron 33 for workups 4 In mid July 1944 she and the submarine I 157 took part in tests of a submarine version of the Type 13 air search radar 4 She was reassigned to Submarine Squadron 11 on 15 August 1944 4 and then to Submarine Division 34 in the 6th Fleet on 10 November 1944 4 First war patrol edit On 16 November 1944 Ro 49 departed Kure Japan to begin her first war patrol assigned a patrol area in the Philippine Sea east of Luzon in the Philippine Islands 4 Her hydrophone suffered damage in rough seas and on 28 November 1944 her commanding officer decided to return to Japan 4 She returned to Kure on 7 December 1944 4 Second war patrol edit Ro 49 set out from Kure on 1 January 1945 to begin her second war patrol again in the Philippine Sea east of the Philippines 4 On 4 January 1945 she received new orders to patrol in the South China Sea west of Luzon 4 U S forces entered Lingayen Gulf and U S forces began their invasion of Luzon on 9 January 1945 4 Ro 49 was in the South China Sea 55 nautical miles 102 km 63 mi west northwest of Iba on Luzon on 12 January 1945 when she sighted two escort aircraft carriers and three battleships with a strong escort 4 She attacked and her commanding officer reported that she sank what he described as an Idaho class battleship but her claim of hitting a battleship was disproven after World War II 4 On 21 January 1945 he received an order to return to Kure which she reached on 1 February 1945 4 She moved to Saeki on 16 March 1945 4 Third war patrol edit On 18 March 1945 Ro 49 got underway from Saeki for her third war patrol assigned a patrol area southeast of the Ryukyu Islands 4 After she sent a routine situation report on 25 March 1945 the Japanese never heard from her again 4 Loss edit On 26 March 1945 a Japanese submarine attacked United States Navy Task Group 54 3 off the Ryukyus At 09 32 the heavy cruiser USS Wichita CA 45 sighted a periscope to starboard and she made an emergency turn to starboard to evade a torpedo 4 The light cruiser USS St Louis CL 49 also sighted torpedo wakes 4 The attacking submarine scored no hits but escaped without facing a counterattack by the cruisers escorts 4 The identity of the attacking submarine remains unknown although historians have attributed the attack both to Ro 49 and to a Type C Kō hyōteki class midget submarine in the latter case also claiming that the attack took place on 27 March 1945 4 On 5 April 1945 the destroyer USS Hudson DD 475 was on radar picket duty off Kume Island near Okinawa when she received a signal from the support landing craft USS LCS 115 reporting the sighting of a submarine 4 While the submarine was on the surface Hudson detected it on radar at 0345 4 Hudson closed the range and fired a star shell to illuminate the area and the submarine dived causing it to disappear from Hudson s radar 4 However Hudson established sonar contact on the submerged submarine and made six depth charge attacks over the next six hours sinking the submarine at 26 22 N 126 30 E 26 367 N 126 500 E 26 367 126 500 4 The identity of the submarine Hudson sank remains unclear It could have been Ro 49 Some Japanese sources claim that Ro 49 was already missing by 5 April 1945 and that Hudson sank the submarine I 56 4 although I 56 might have been sunk on 18 April 1945 instead 5 Some accounts claim that the submarine USS Lagarto SS 371 sank Ro 49 in the Bungo Strait on 24 February 1945 but Ro 49 was active for at least a month after that date 4 On 15 April 1945 the Imperial Japanese Navy declared Ro 49 to be presumed lost southeast of Okinawa with all 79 men on board 4 She was stricken from the Navy list on 25 May 1945 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 ad ae af Hackett Bob Kingsepp Sander 2017 IJN Submarine RO 49 Tabular Record of Movement combinedfleet com Retrieved 25 September 2020 Hackett Bob Kingsepp Sander 2008 IJN Submarine I 56 Tabular Record of Movement combinedfleet com Retrieved 15 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 49 Tabular Record of Movement SENSUIKAN Stories and Battle Histories of the IJN s Submarines Combinedfleet com Retrieved 25 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 49 amp oldid 1165600333, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
