Japanese submarine Ro-16

Ro-16 during the 1920s, sometime after her name was changed from Submarine No. 37 to Ro-16 on 1 November 1924.
History
Japan
Name	Submarine No. 37
Builder	Kure Naval Arsenal, Kure, Japan
Laid down	18 November 1920
Launched	22 April 1921
Completed	29 April 1922
Commissioned	29 April 1922
Renamed	Ro-16 on 1 November 1924
Stricken	1 September 1933
Fate	Hulked 1934
General characteristics
Class and type	Kaichū type submarine (K3 subclass)
Displacement	752 tonnes (740 long tons) surfaced 1,013 tonnes (997 long tons) submerged
Length	70.10 m (230 ft 0 in) overall
Beam	6.12 m (20 ft 1 in)
Draft	3.70 m (12 ft 2 in)
Installed power	2,900 bhp (2,200 kW) (diesel) 1,200 hp (890 kW) (electric motor)
Propulsion	Diesel-electric 2 × Sulzer Mark II diesel engine, 75 tons fuel 2 × electric motor 2 x shafts
Speed	16.5 knots (30.6 km/h; 19.0 mph) surfaced 8.5 knots (15.7 km/h; 9.8 mph) submerged
Range	6,000 nmi (11,000 km; 6,900 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph) surfaced 85 nmi (157 km; 98 mi) at 4 knots (7.4 km/h; 4.6 mph) submerged
Test depth	45.7 m (150 ft)
Crew	46
Armament	6 × 450 mm (18 in) bow , 2 x external on upper deck) 10 x Type 44 torpedoes 1 × 76.2 mm (3.00 in) gun

Ro-16, originally named Submarine No. 37, was an Imperial Japanese Navy Kaichū-Type submarine of the Kaichū III subclass. She was commissioned in 1922 and operated in the waters of Japan. She was stricken in 1933.

Design and description

The submarines of the Kaichu III sub-class were a slightly improved version of the preceding Kaichu II subclass, the man difference being an increase in diving depth from 30 to 45.7 meters (98 to 150 ft).^[1] They displaced 752 tonnes (740 long tons) surfaced and 1,013 tonnes (997 long tons) submerged. The submarines were 70.10 meters (230 ft 0 in) long and had a beam of 6.12 meters (20 ft 1 in) and a draft of 3.70 meters (12 ft 2 in).

For surface running, the submarines were powered by two 1,450-

Upon commissioning, Submarine No. 37 was attached to the Kure Naval District, to which she remained attached throughout her career.^[2] She was assigned to Submarine Division 15 — in which she spent the rest of her career — on 15 May 1922.^[2] Submarine Division 15 served in the Kure Defense Division from 1 December 1922 to 1 December 1923.^[2] Submarine No. 37 was renamed Ro-16 on 1 November 1924,^[2] and on 1 December 1926 Submarine Division 15 began another assignment to the Kure Defense Division that lasted through the end of Ro-16′s active service.^[2]

Ro-16 was stricken from the Navy list on 1 September 1933.

Notes

References

• "Rekishi Gunzō"., History of Pacific War Vol.17 I-Gō Submarines,
  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 68343-44
• The Maru Special, Japanese Naval Vessels No.132 Japanese Submarines I "Revised edition", Ushio Shobō (Japan), February 1988, Book code 68344-36
• The Maru Special, Japanese Naval Vessels No.133 Japanese Submarines II "Revised edition", Ushio Shobō (Japan), March 1988, Book code 68344-37
• The Maru Special, Japanese Naval Vessels No.135 Japanese Submarines IV, Ushio Shobō (Japan), May 1988, Book code 68344-39