Ro-100-class submarine

The Ro-100-class submarine (呂百型潜水艦, Ro-hyaku-gata Sensuikan) was a group of medium-sized coastal submarines built for the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) during World War II. The IJN official designation for this class was Ko type submarine (小型潜水艦, Ko-gata Sensuikan, "Small type Submarine") or Senshō type submarine (潜小型潜水艦, Sen-Shō-gata sensuikan, "Submarine-Small Type"). They are also known as Type KS submarine. The type name was shortened to Sensuikan Ko-gata (潜水艦小型, Submarine-Small Type).[1]

Ro-101 in 1943
Class overview
NameRo-100-class submarine
Builders
Operators Imperial Japanese Navy
Built1941–44
In commission1942–45
Planned18
Completed18
Lost18
General characteristics
TypeSubmarine
Displacement
  • 611 tonnes (601 long tons) surfaced
  • 795 tonnes (782 long tons) submerged
Length60.90 m (199 ft 10 in) overall
Beam6.00 m (19 ft 8 in)
Draft3.51 m (11 ft 6 in)
Installed power
Propulsion
Speed
  • 14.2 knots (26.3 km/h; 16.3 mph) surfaced
  • 8 knots (15 km/h; 9.2 mph) submerged
Range
  • 3,500 nmi (6,500 km; 4,000 mi) at 12 knots (22 km/h; 14 mph) surfaced
  • 60 nmi (110 km; 69 mi) at 3 knots (5.6 km/h; 3.5 mph) submerged
Test depth75 m (246 ft)
Crew38
Armament

Design and description

In 1940, the IJN designed a point-defence coastal submarine because they wanted to save their larger submarines for fleet battles. The Ro-100 class was derived from the preceding Kaichū type. They displaced 611 tonnes (601 long tons) surfaced and 795 tonnes (782 long tons) submerged. The submarines were 60.9 meters (199 ft 10 in) long, had a beam of 6 meters (19 ft 8 in) and a draft of 3.51 meters (11 ft 6 in). They had a double hull and a diving depth of 75 meters (246 ft).[2]

For surface running, the boats were powered by two 500-brake-horsepower (373 kW) diesel engines, each driving one propeller shaft. When submerged each propeller was driven by a 380-horsepower (283 kW) electric motor. They could reach 14.2 knots (26.3 km/h; 16.3 mph) on the surface and 8 knots (15 km/h; 9.2 mph) underwater. On the surface, the Ro-100s had a range of 3,500 nautical miles (6,500 km; 4,000 mi) at 12 knots (22 km/h; 14 mph); submerged, they had a range of 60 nmi (110 km; 69 mi) at 3 knots (5.6 km/h; 3.5 mph).[3]

The boats were armed with four internal bow 53.3 cm (21.0 in) torpedo tubes and carried a total of eight torpedoes. They were also armed with two single mounts for 25 mm (1 in) Type 96 anti-aircraft guns or a single 76.2 mm (3.00 in) L/40 AA gun.[4]

Boats

18 boats were built in 1941-1944 under the Maru Rin Programme (Boat #210-218) and the Maru Kyū Programme (Boat #400-408).

Boat # Name Builder Laid down Launched Completed Results Fate
210 Ro-100 [5] Kure Naval Arsenal 1941-06-30 1941-06-12 1942-08-23 Sunk by naval mine off Bougainville Island 1943-11-25.
211 Ro-101 Kawasaki-Kōbe Shipyard 1941-09-30 1942-04-17 1942-10-31 Sunk by USS Saufley and PBY southeast of San Cristobal 1943-09-15.
212 Ro-102 Kawasaki-Kōbe Shipyard 1941-09-30 1942-04-17 1942-11-17 Disappeared south of Rabi after 1943-05-09.[6]
213 Ro-103 Kure Naval Arsenal 1941-06-30 1941-12-06 1942-10-21 Sank USS Aludra 1943-06-23
Sank USS Deimos 1943-06-23		 Disappeared in the Solomon Islands after 1943-07-28, possibly sunk by a mine or a PT boat.
214 Ro-104 Kawasaki-Kōbe Shipyard 1941-11-19 1942-07-11 1943-02-25 Sunk by USS England north of the Admiralty Islands 1944-05-23.
215 Ro-105 Kawasaki-Kōbe Shipyard 1941-11-19 1942-07-11 1943-03-05 Sunk by USS England north of the Admiralty Islands 1944-05-31.
216 Ro-106 Kure Naval Arsenal 1941-12-17 1942-05-30 1942-12-26 Sank USS LST-342 1943-07-11 Sunk by USS England north of the Admiralty Islands 1944-05-22.
217 Ro-107 Kure Naval Arsenal 1941-12-17 1942-05-30 1942-12-26 Sunk by USS Taylor east of Kolombangara 1943-07-21.
218 Ro-108 Kawasaki-Kōbe Shipyard 1942-04-20 1942-10-26 1943-04-20 Sank USS Henley 1943-10-03 Sunk by USS England north of the Admiralty Islands 1944-05-26.
400 Ro-109 Kawasaki-Kōbe Shipyard 1942-04-20 1942-10-26 1943-04-29 Sunk by USS Horace A. Bass south of Okinawa Island 1945-04-25.
401 Ro-110 Kawasaki-Kōbe Shipyard 1942-08-20 1943-01-26 1943-07-06 Sunk by HMAS Launceston, HMAS Ipswich and HMIS Jumna in the Bay of Bengal 1944-02-12.
402 Ro-111 Kawasaki-Kōbe Shipyard 1942-08-20 1943-01-26 1943-07-10 Sank RMS Peshawar 1943-12-23 Sunk by USS Taylor north of the Admiralty Islands 1944-06-10.
403 Ro-112 Kawasaki-Senshū Shipyard 1942-06-20 1943-03-25 1943-09-14 Sunk by USS Batfish in the Luzon Strait 1945-02-11.
404 Ro-113 Kawasaki-Senshū Shipyard 1942-07-11 1943-04-24 1943-10-12 Sunk by USS Batfish in the Luzon Strait 1945-02-12.
405 Ro-114 Kawasaki-Senshū Shipyard 1942-10-12 1943-06-19 1943-11-20 Sunk by USS Melvin and USS Wadleigh east of Saipan 1944-06-17.
406 Ro-115 Kawasaki-Senshū Shipyard 1942-10-12 1943-06-19 1943-11-30 Sunk by USS Jenkins, USS O'Bannon and USS Bell west of Mindoro 1945-02-01. Holmes contradicts the identification,[7] indicating that Ro-115 acknowledged orders to proceed to Manila two days after the supposed date of its sinking, and was more likely to have been sunk by USS Batfish on 1945-02-10.[8]
407 Ro-116 Kawasaki-Senshū Shipyard 1943-01-16 1943-09-13 1944-01-21 Sunk by USS England north of the Admiralty Islands 1944-05-24.
408 Ro-117 Kawasaki-Senshū Shipyard 1943-01-16 1943-09-13 1944-01-31 Sunk by USN patrol bomber southeast of Saipan 1944-05-24.

Footnotes
  1. The 小 read as "Shō" and the 潜小 read as "Sen-Shō", but the 小型 read as "Ko-gata" and the 潜小型 read as "Sen-Shō-gata" in Japanese.
  2. Carpenter & Dorr, p. 123
  3. Chesneau, p. 204
  4. Bagnasco, p. 193
  5. 呂号第100潜水艦 (Ro-Gō Dai-100 Sensuikan). The same shall apply hereinafter.
  6. Although her loss is credited to PT-150 and PT-152 off Lae, New Guinea on 13/14 May 1943, the submarine was later confirmed as I-6, which survived the encounter.
  7. Holmes, W. J., 1966, Undersea Victory: The Influence of Submarine Operations on the War in the Pacific, pg. 428-429
  8. Which sub was it? http://www.ussbatfish.com/whichsub.html Archived 5 August 2012 at the Wayback Machine

Bibliography
  • 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.
  • "Rekishi Gunzō"., History of Pacific War Vol.17 I-Gō Submarines, Gakken (Japan), January 1998, ISBN 4-05-601767-0
  • Rekishi Gunzō, History of Pacific War Extra, "Perfect guide, The submarines of the Imperial Japanese Forces", Gakken (Japan), March 2005, ISBN 4-05-603890-2
  • The Maru Special, Japanese Naval Vessels No.43 Japanese Submarines III, Ushio Shobō (Japan), September 1980, Book code 68343-43
  • The Maru Special, Japanese Naval Vessels No.132 Japanese Submarines I "Revised edition", Ushio Shobō (Japan), February 1988, Book code 68344-36
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