Japanese submarine Ro-34

The Japanese submarine Ro-34 was a Kaichū type submarine of the K5 sub-class built for the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) during the 1930s.

History
Empire of Japan
Name: Ro-34
Builder: Mitsubishi-Kōbe Shipyard
Laid down: 25 April 1934
Launched: 12 December 1935
Commissioned: 31 May 1937
Fate: Sunk by USS O'Bannon and USS Strong near Russell Islands, 6 April 1943
General characteristics
Class and type: Kaichū type submarine (K5 subclass)
Displacement:
  • 955 tonnes (940 long tons) surfaced
  • 1,219 tonnes (1,200 long tons) submerged
Length: 73 m (239 ft 6 in) overall
Beam: 6.7 m (22 ft 0 in)
Draft: 3.25 m (10 ft 8 in)
Installed power:
Propulsion:
Speed:
  • 19 knots (35 km/h; 22 mph) surfaced
  • 8.25 knots (15.28 km/h; 9.49 mph) submerged
Range:
  • 8,000 nmi (15,000 km; 9,200 mi) at 12 knots (22 km/h; 14 mph) surfaced
  • 90 nmi (170 km; 100 mi) at 3.5 knots (6.5 km/h; 4.0 mph) submerged
Test depth: 75 m (246 ft)
Crew: 75
Armament:

Design and description

The submarines of the K5 sub-class were versions of the preceding KT sub-class with greater surface speed.[1] They displaced 955 tonnes (940 long tons) surfaced and 1,219 tonnes (1,200 long tons) submerged. The submarines were 73 meters (239 ft 6 in) long, had a beam of 6.7 meters (22 ft 0 in) and a draft of 3.25 meters (10 ft 8 in). They had a diving depth of 75 meters (246 ft).[2]

For surface running, the boats were powered by two 1,450-brake-horsepower (1,081 kW) diesel engines, each driving one propeller shaft. When submerged each propeller was driven by a 600-horsepower (447 kW) electric motor. They could reach 19 knots (35 km/h; 22 mph) on the surface[3] and 8.25 knots (15.28 km/h; 9.49 mph) underwater. On the surface, the K5s had a range of 8,000 nautical miles (15,000 km; 9,200 mi) at 12 knots (22 km/h; 14 mph); submerged, they had a range of 90 nmi (170 km; 100 mi) at 3.5 knots (6.5 km/h; 4.0 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 one 13.2 mm (0.52 in) Type 93 anti-aircraft machinegun.[1]

Construction and career

Commissioned on 31 May 1937, the submarine participated in the Pacific War. The boat was sunk off the Russell Islands in the Solomons with all hands (66 officers and crewmen) by the United States Navy destroyers O'Bannon and Strong at 08°15′S 158°58′E on 5 April 1943.

Notes
  1. Carpenter & Dorr, p. 122
  2. Bagnasco, p. 187
  3. Chesneau, p. 203
gollark: I don't know of anything which is distributed like that.
gollark: I doubt in practice you would actually get a normal distribution, but sure.
gollark: I guess.
gollark: No. You still only have one mean, which is going to be somewhere between the peaks.
gollark: Not *necessarily*, a distribution can have multiple peaks.

References
  • 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 (2013). "IJN Submarine RO-34: Tabular Record of Movement". SENSUIKAN! Stories and Battle Histories of the IJN's Submarines. Combinedfleet.com. Retrieved 18 August 2015.
  • Hackett, Bob; Sander Kingsepp (2003). "Kaichu Type". Sensuikan!. Combinedfleet.com. Retrieved 10 May 2009.
  • Hashimoto, Mochitsura (1954). Sunk: The Story of the Japanese Submarine Fleet 1942 – 1945. Colegrave, E.H.M. (translator). London: Cassell and Company. ASIN B000QSM3L0.
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