Japanese submarine Ro-112
| History | |
|---|---|
 Japan | |
| Name | Submarine No. 403 |
| Builder | |
| Laid down | 20 June 1942 |
| Renamed | Ro-112 on 5 February 1943 |
| Launched | 25 March 1943 |
| Completed | 14 September 1943 |
| Commissioned | 14 September 1943 |
| Fate | Sunk by USS Batfish, 11 February 1945 |
| Stricken | 10 May 1945 |
| 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 |
|
| Test depth | 75 m (246 ft) |
| Crew | 38 |
| Armament |
|
Ro-112 was an
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-112 was
Service history
September 1943–January 1944
Upon commissioning, Ro-112 was attached to the
First war patrol
Ro-112 got underway from Surabaya on 19 January 1944 for her first war patrol, assigned a patrol area off Australia.[4] The patrol was uneventful, and she returned to Surabaya in mid-February 1944.[4]
Second war patrol
Ro-112 put to sea from Surabaya to begin her second war patrol in early March 1944.[4] She was surfacing in the Java Sea north of Bali off Cape Bungkulan at 08°02′S 115°25′E / 8.033°S 115.417°E on 19 March 1944 when the United States Navy submarine USS Rasher (SS-269) sighted her.[4] Rasher′s watch officer described Ro-112 as a black submarine of the "Ro-51 class."[4] At 11:49, Rasher fired four Mark 14 Mod 3 torpedoes at Ro-112, but Ro-112 turned to port and evaded them.[4]
While at sea, Ro-112 was reassigned to Submarine Division 51 in Submarine Squadron 7 in the 6th Fleet on 20 March 1944.[4] She concluded her patrol by calling at Surabaya from 25 March to 11 April 1944, then set course for Saipan in the Mariana Islands, which she reached on 20 April 1944.[4]
Third war patrol
Ro-112 got underway from Saipan on 24 April 1944 for her third war patrol, assigned a patrol area north of New Guinea.[4] While at sea, she was reassigned to Patrol Unit B on 29 April 1944 and ordered to operate south of Woleai′s Mereyon Island.[4] Otherwise, her patrol passed quietly, and she returned to Saipan on 6 May 1944.[4]
Fourth war patrol
Ro-112 got underway from Saipan on 16 May 1944 for her fourth war patrol, ordered to join the submarines
On 18 May 1944, U.S. Navy
Fifth war patrol
Ro-112 departed Truk on 14 June 1944 to conduct her fifth war patrol, ordered to patrol in the Philippine Sea.[4] Her patrol was quiet, and she returned to Truk on 27 June 1944.[4]
July–October 1944
Ro-112 got underway from Truk on 7 July 1944 bound for Yokosuka, Japan, which she reached on 17 July 1944.[4] She later moved to Kure.[4] On 15 August 1944, Submarine Division 51 was disbanded, and Ro-109 and Ro-112 were reassigned to the Kure Submarine Squadron for service as training vessels.[4] On 25 September 1944, Ro-112 was reassigned to Submarine Division 33 in the Kure Submarine Squadron.[4]
On 13 October 1944, the
Sixth and seventh war patrols
Ro-112 departed Kure to commence her sixth war patrol on 23 October 1944, heading for a patrol area in the Philippine Sea east of the Philippine Islands.[4] The patrol was uneventful, and it concluded with her arrival at Mako in the Pescadores Islands on 21 November 1944.[4] She got underway from Mako on 30 November 1944 for her seventh war patrol, assigned a patrol area in the Lamon Bay area off Luzon in the Philippines.[4] After another quiet patrol, she returned to Kure on 28 December 1944.[4]
Eighth war patrol
Ro-112 began her eighth war patrol on 22 January 1945, departing Kure bound for a patrol area in the
Loss
Ro-112 was on the surface in the Luzon Strait in the vicinity of Camiguan Island north of Luzon on the evening of 11 February 1945 when the U.S. Navy submarine USS Batfish (SS-310) detected her on radar at 18:51 bearing 310 degrees from Batfish at a range of 8,000 yards (7,300 m).[4] Batfish′s radar detector also picked up Ro-112′s radar emissions.[4] Batfish closed the range and sighted Ro-112 at a range of 1,300 yards (1,200 m) at 20:37.[4] Batfish lost contact at 20:43 when Ro-112 submerged.[4]
At 21:05, Batfish′s sound operator heard Ro-112 blow her
On 20 February 1945, the Imperial Japanese Navy declared Ro-112 to be presumed lost in the Luzon Strait with all 61 men on board.[4] The Japanese struck her from the Navy list on 10 May 1945.[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-112: Tabular Record of Movement". combinedfleet.com. Retrieved 5 October 2020.
- ^ a b 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-112: Tabular Record of Movement". SENSUIKAN! Stories and Battle Histories of the IJN's Submarines. Combinedfleet.com. Retrieved 5 October 2020.
Shipwrecks and maritime incidents in February 1945 | |
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