Japanese submarine Ro-34

History

Empire of Japan
Name:	Ro-34
Commissioned:	31 May 1937
Fate:	Sunk, 5 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:	3,000 bhp (2,200 kW) (diesel) 1,200 hp (890 kW) (electric motor)
Propulsion:	Diesel-electric 1 × diesel engine 1 × electric motor
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:	4 × bow 533 mm (21 in) torpedo tubes 1 × 76 mm (3 in) anti-aircraft gun 1 × 13.2 mm (0.5 in) anti-aircraft machinegun

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.

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 mm (3 in) anti-aircraft gun and one 13.2 mm (0.5 in) 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 / 8.250°S 158.967°E / -8.250; 158.967 on 5 April 1943.

Notes

1 2 3 Carpenter & Dorr, p. 122
↑ Bagnasco, p. 187
↑ Chesneau, p. 203

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.

Kaichū type submarine

Ro-11-class (Type K1)	Ro-11 Ro-12

Ro-13-class (Type K2)	Ro-13 Ro-14 Ro-15

Ro-16-class (Type K3)	Ro-16 Ro-17 Ro-18 Ro-19 Ro-20 Ro-21 Ro-22 Ro-23 Ro-24 Ro-25

Ro-26-class (Type K4)	Ro-26 Ro-27 Ro-28

Ro-29-class (Toku-Chū/Type K5)	Ro-29 Ro-30 Ro-31 Ro-32

Ro-33-class (Type K6)	Ro-33 Ro-34

Ro-35-class (Sen-Chū/Type K7)	Ro-35 Ro-36 Ro-37 Ro-38 Ro-39 Ro-40 Ro-41 Ro-42 Ro-43 Ro-44 Ro-45 Ro-46 Ro-47 Ro-48 Ro-49 Ro-50 Ro-55 Ro-56

Imperial Japanese Navy submarines

Shipwrecks and maritime incidents in April 1943

Shipwrecks	1 Apr: Lubiana 2 Apr: Melbourne Star, U-124 5 Apr: Ro-34, U-167, U-635 6 Apr: U-632 7 Apr: USS Aaron Ward, HMNZS Moa, U-644 8 Apr: USS Kanawha, U-733 9 Apr: Isonami 10 Apr: Trieste 11 Apr: HMS Beverley 14 Apr: Van Heemskerk, U-526 15 Apr: Archimede 16 Apr: HMS Pakenham 17 Apr: U-175 18 Apr: Empire Bruce, HMS Regent 21 Apr: Flora Alberta, HMS Splendid 22 Apr: USS Grenadier 23 Apr: U-189, U-191, U-602 24 Apr: El Estero, HMS Sahib, U-710 25 Apr: U-203 26 Apr: Limerick 27 Apr: U-174 28 Apr: Kamakura Maru 29 Apr: U-332, Wollongbar 30 Apr: Leone Pancaldo, U-227 Unknown date: USS Pickerel, U-376

Other incidents	4 Apr: Dover Hill 11 Apr: USS Albatross 30 Apr: Hermes

1942 1943 1944 March 1943 May 1943

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