Japanese submarine Ro-108
History | |
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Japan | |
Name | Submarine No. 218 |
Builder | Kawasaki, Kobe, Japan |
Laid down | 20 April 1942 |
Renamed | Ro-108 on 25 September 1942 |
Launched | 26 October 1942 |
Completed | 20 April 1943 |
Commissioned | 20 April 1943 |
Fate | Sunk 26 May 1944 |
Stricken | 10 August 1944 |
General characteristics | |
Class and type | Ro-100-class submarine |
Displacement |
|
Length | 60.90 m (199 ft 10 in) overall |
Beam | 6.00 m (19 ft 8 in) |
Draft | 3.51 m (11 ft 6 in) |
Installed power |
|
Propulsion |
|
Speed |
|
Range |
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Test depth | 75 m (246 ft) |
Crew | 38 |
Armament |
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Ro-108 was an Imperial Japanese Navy Ro-100-class submarine. Completed and commissioned in April 1943, she served in World War II, operating in the Solomon Islands campaign, the New Guinea campaign — during which she sank the United States Navy destroyer USS Henley (DD-391) — and off the Admiralty Islands. She was sunk in May 1944 during her fifth war patrol.
Design and description
The Ro-100 class was a medium-sized, coastal submarine 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).[1]
For surface running, the boats were powered by two 500-
The boats were armed with four internal bow 53.3 cm (21.0 in)
Construction and commissioning
Ro-108 was
Service history
Upon commissioning, Ro-108 was attached to the Sasebo Naval District and was assigned to the Kure Submarine Squadron for workups.[4] On 1 August 1943, she was reassigned to Submarine Squadron 7[4] in the 8th Fleet in the Southeast Area Fleet.[4] She departed Yokosuka, Japan, on 11 August 1943 bound for Rabaul on New Britain, which she reached on 16 August 1943.[4]
First war patrol
Ro-108 got underway from Rabaul on 23 August 1943 for her first war patrol, assigned a patrol area southeast of San Cristobal in the Solomon Islands.[4] While at sea, she was reassigned to Submarine Division 51 on 1 September 1943, but otherwise her patrol was uneventful, and she returned to Rabaul on 16 September 1943.[4]
New Guinea campaign
Second war patrol
Ro-108 put to sea to begin her second war patrol on 23 September 1943, bound for a patrol area off Finschhafen, New Guinea.[4] On 30 September 1943, she sighted an Allied convoy, but was unable to reach a position from which to attack it.[4]
Just after sundown on 3 October 1943, Ro-108 was patrolling in the
Although Reid and Smith counterattacked over the next seven hours, Ro-108 escaped.[4] She returned to Rabaul on 11 October 1943 and erroneously received credit for sinking two destroyers.[4]
October–December 1943
While Ro-108 was anchored at Rabaul, the United States Army Air Forces Fifth Air Force and the Royal Australian Air Force combined on 12 October 1943 to stage the largest Allied air raid of the Pacific War up to that time, with 349 aircraft based in New Guinea and Australia hitting Japanese airfields around Rabaul and shipping in Simpson Harbour at Rabaul.[4] Ro-108 and the submarines I-36, I-38, I-176, I-177, and Ro-105 were in the harbor during the air raid and most of them submerged to avoid attack.[4] Ro-108 avoided damage during the raid.[4]
On 23 October 1943, Ro-108 departed Rabaul to carry supplies to Sarmi on the northern coast of New Guinea in support of Japanese forces fighting in the New Guinea campaign.[4] She reached Sarmi on 24 October 1943, unloaded her cargo, and got back underway the same night.[4] While heading back to Rabaul, she received orders on 26 October 1943 to patrol off Lae, New Guinea.[4] She returned to Rabaul on 9 November 1943.[4]
Ro-108 got underway from Rabaul on 20 November 1943 for a second supply run to Sarmi.
On 14 December 1943, Ro-108 put to sea from Rabaul for another supply voyage to Sarmi.
Third and fourth war patrols
After the completion of her repairs, Ro-108 departed Sasebo on 7 March 1944 bound for Truk, which she reached on 16 March 1944.[4] She departed Truk on 18 March 1944 to begin her third war patrol, assigned a patrol area north of the Admiralty Islands, and while at sea on 20 March 1944 was assigned to Patrol Unit A.[4] After an otherwise quiet patrol, she returned to Truk on 29 March 1944.[4] She again got underway from Truk on 12 April 1944, setting out on her fourth war patrol, this time south of the Admiralties.[4] Her patrol again was uneventful, and she concluded it with her arrival at Truk on 3 May 1944.[4]
Fifth war patrol
Ro-108 got underway from Truk on 16 May 1944 for her fifth war patrol, ordered to join the submarines
On 18 May 1944, U.S. Navy
Loss
Ro-108 was on the surface 110 nautical miles (200 km; 130 mi) northeast of
Ro-108 was the fifth of six Japanese submarines England sank over a 13-day period in May 1944:[11] She previously had sunk I-16 on 19 May,[11][7] Ro-106 on 22 May,[11][12] Ro-104 on 23 May,[11][13] and Ro-116 on 24 May,[11][14] and she went on to sink Ro-105 on 31 May.[11][15]
On 25 June 1944, the Imperial Japanese Navy declared Ro-108 to be presumed lost with all 53 men on board.[4] The Japanese struck her from the Navy list on 10 August 1944.[4]
Notes
- ^ Carpenter & Dorr, p. 123
- ^ Chesneau, p. 204
- ^ Bagnasco, p. 193
- ^ 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 ag ah ai aj ak al am an ao ap aq ar as at au av aw ax ay az ba Hackett, Bob; Kingsepp, Sander (2017). "IJN Submarine RO-108: Tabular Record of Movement". combinedfleet.com. Retrieved 3 October 2020.
- ^ a b Hackett, Bob; Kingsepp, Sander (2017). "IJN Submarine RO-105: Tabular Record of Movement". combinedfleet.com. Retrieved 30 September 2020.
- ^ Hackett, Bob; Kingsepp, Sander (2017). "IJN Submarine I-16: Tabular Record of Movement". combinedfleet.com. Retrieved 26 August 2020.
- ^ a b Hackett, Bob; Kingsepp, Sander (2017). "IJN Submarine I-16: Tabular Record of Movement". combinedfleet.com. Retrieved 26 August 2020.
- ^ Hackett, Bob; Kingsepp, Sander (2007). "IJN Submarine RO-106: Tabular Record of Movement". combinedfleet.com. Retrieved 2 October 2020.
- ^ Hackett, Bob; Kingsepp, Sander (2017). "IJN Submarine RO-104: Tabular Record of Movement". combinedfleet.com. Retrieved 29 September 2020.
- ^ Hackett, Bob; Kingsepp, Sander (2017). "IJN Submarine RO-116: Tabular Record of Movement". combinedfleet.com. Retrieved 5 October 2020.
- ^ a b c d e f Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships England I (DE-635} Accessed 13 June 2022
- ^ Hackett, Bob; Kingsepp, Sander (2007). "IJN Submarine RO-106: Tabular Record of Movement". combinedfleet.com. Retrieved 2 October 2020.
- ^ Hackett, Bob; Kingsepp, Sander (2017). "IJN Submarine RO-104: Tabular Record of Movement". combinedfleet.com. Retrieved 29 September 2020.
- ^ Hackett, Bob; Kingsepp, Sander (2017). "IJN Submarine RO-116: Tabular Record of Movement". combinedfleet.com. Retrieved 5 October 2020.
- ^ Hackett, Bob; Kingsepp, Sander (2017). "IJN Submarine RO-105: Tabular Record of Movement". combinedfleet.com. Retrieved 30 September 2020.
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 (2017). "IJN Submarine RO-108: Tabular Record of Movement". SENSUIKAN! Stories and Battle Histories of the IJN's Submarines. Combinedfleet.com. Retrieved 3 October 2020.