Japanese submarine Ro-55 (1944)

History
Japan
Name	Submarine No 396
Builder	Mitsui Zosensho, Tamano, Japan
Laid down	5 August 1943
Launched	23 April 1944
Renamed	Ro-55 on 23 April 1944
Completed	30 September 1944
Commissioned	30 September 1944
Fate	Sunk 7 February 1945
Stricken	10 May 1945
General characteristics
Class and type	Kaichū type submarine (K6 subclass)
Displacement	1,133 tonnes (1,115 long tons) surfaced 1,470 tonnes (1,447 long tons) submerged
Length	80.5 m (264 ft 1 in) overall
Beam	7 m (23 ft 0 in)
Draft	4.07 m (13 ft 4 in)
Installed power	4,200 bhp (3,100 kW) (diesel) 1,200 hp (890 kW) (electric motor)
Propulsion	Diesel-electric 1 × diesel engine 1 × electric motor
Speed	19.75 knots (36.58 km/h; 22.73 mph) surfaced 8 knots (15 km/h; 9.2 mph) submerged
Range	5,000 nmi (9,300 km; 5,800 mi) at 16 knots (30 km/h; 18 mph) surfaced 45 nmi (83 km; 52 mi) at 5 knots (9.3 km/h; 5.8 mph) submerged
Test depth	80 m (260 ft)
Crew	61
Armament	4 × bow 533 mm (21 in) torpedo tubes 1 × anti-aircraft gun 2 × single 25 mm (1.0 in) AA guns

The second Ro-55 was an Imperial Japanese Navy Kaichū type submarine of the K6 sub-class. Completed and commissioned in September 1944, she served in World War II and was sunk during her first war patrol in February 1945.

Design and description

The submarines of the K6 sub-class were versions of the preceding K5 sub-class with greater range and diving depth.^[1] They displaced 1,133 tonnes (1,115 long tons) surfaced and 1,470 tonnes (1,447 long tons) submerged. The submarines were 80.5 meters (264 ft 1 in) long, had a beam of 7 meters (23 ft 0 in) and a draft of 4.07 meters (13 ft 4 in). They had a diving depth of 80 meters (260 ft).^[2]

For surface running, the boats were powered by two 2,100-

Upon commissioning, Ro-55 was attached to the Maizuru Naval District and assigned to Submarine Squadron 11 for workups.^[4] She was reassigned to Submarine Division 34 in the 6th Fleet on 4 January 1945.^[4]

First war patrol

On 27 January 1945, Ro-55 departed

After dark on 7 February 1945, the United States Navy destroyer escort USS Thomason (DE-203) detected a surfaced submarine on radar while escorting a Leyte Gulf-bound Allied convoy off Iba, Luzon. As she closed the range, the submarine submerged, and at 23:30 Thomason began attacks against it, firing 24-projectile Hedgehog barrages that sank the submarine at 15°27′N 119°25′E / 15.450°N 119.417°E / 15.450; 119.417 (Ro-55).^[4]

The submarine Thomason sank probably was Ro-55.^[4] On 1 March 1945, the Imperial Japanese Navy declared her to be presumed lost off the Philippine Islands with all 80 men on board.^[4] The Japanese struck her from the Navy list on 10 May 1945.^[4]

Notes

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-55: Tabular Record of Movement". SENSUIKAN! Stories and Battle Histories of the IJN's Submarines. Combinedfleet.com. Retrieved 26 September 2020.
• Hackett, Bob; Sander Kingsepp (2003). "Kaichu Type". Sensuikan!. Combinedfleet.com. Retrieved 20 September 2020.
• Hashimoto, Mochitsura (1954). Sunk: The Story of the Japanese Submarine Fleet 1942 – 1945. Colegrave, E.H.M. (translator). London: Cassell and Company. ASIN B000QSM3L0.