Japanese submarine Ro-30

History
Japan
Name	Submarine No. 69
Builder	Kawasaki, Kobe, Japan
Laid down	27 June 1921
Launched	18 January 1923
Completed	29 April 1924
Commissioned	29 April 1924
Renamed	Ro-30 on 1 November 1924
Decommissioned	15 December 1938
Stricken	1 April 1942
Fate	Hulked 1 April 1942; Scrapped ca. August 1945;
General characteristics
Class and type	Kaichū type submarine (K5 subclass)
Displacement	866 tonnes (852 long tons) surfaced; 1,047 tonnes (1,030 long tons) submerged;
Length	74.22 m (243 ft 6 in) overall
Beam	6.12 m (20 ft 1 in)
Draft	3.73 m (12 ft 3 in)
Installed power	1,200 bhp (890 kW) (diesel); 1,200 hp (890 kW) (electric motor);
Propulsion	Diesel-electric; 2 × Sulzer Mark I diesel engine, 143 tons fuel; 2 × electric motor;
Speed	13 knots (24 km/h; 15 mph) surfaced; 8.5 knots (15.7 km/h; 9.8 mph) submerged;
Range	9,000 nmi (17,000 km; 10,000 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	44
Armament	4 × bow 533 mm (21 in) torpedo tubes; 1 × 120 mm (4.7 in) gun; 1 × 6.5 mm machine gun;

Ro-30, originally named Submarine No. 69, was an Imperial Japanese Navy Kaichu-Type submarine of the Kaichu V (Toku Chu) subclass. She was in commission from 1924 to 1938, seeing service in the waters of Formosa and Japan, then served as a stationary training hulk during World War II.

Design and description

The submarines of the Kaichu V sub-class were designed for anti-shipping operations and carried more fuel and had greater range and a heavier gun armament than preceding Kaichu-type submarines. They displaced 866 tonnes (852 long tons) surfaced and 1,036 tonnes (1,020 long tons) submerged. The submarines were 74.22 meters (243 ft 6 in) long and had a beam of 6.12 meters (20 ft 1 in) and a draft of 3.73 meters (12 ft 3 in). They had a diving depth of 45.7 meters (150 ft).

For surface running, the submarines were powered by two 600-brake-horsepower (447 kW) Sulzer diesel engines, each driving one propeller shaft. When submerged each propeller was driven by a 600-horsepower (447 kW) electric motor. They could reach 13 knots (24 km/h; 15 mph) on the surface and 8.5 knots (15.7 km/h; 9.8 mph) underwater. On the surface, they had a range of 9,000 nautical miles (17,000 km; 10,000 mi) — although the Imperial Japanese Navy officially announced it as 6,000 nautical miles (11,000 km; 6,900 mi) — at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph); submerged, they had a range of 85 nmi (157 km; 98 mi) at 4 knots (7.4 km/h; 4.6 mph). The submarines were armed with four internal bow 533 mm (21.0 in) torpedo tubes and carried a total of eight torpedoes. They were also armed with a single 120 mm (4.7 in) deck gun and one 6.5 mm machine gun.

Construction and commissioning

Ro-30 was laid down as Submarine No. 69 on 27 June 1921 by Kawasaki at Kobe, Japan.^[1] Launched on 18 January 1923,^[1] she was completed and commissioned on 29 April 1924.^[1]

Service history

Upon commissioning, Submarine No. 69 was attached to the Sasebo Naval District, to which she remained attached throughout her active career.^[1] On 1 June 1924, she was assigned to both Submarine Division 25 — in which she spent her active career — and the Mako Defense Division headquartered at Mako in the Pescadores Islands.^[1] She was renamed Ro-30 on 1 November 1924.^[1] On 1 December 1926, she was reassigned to the Sasebo Defense Division, headquartered at Sasebo, Japan.^[1] Her service in the Sasebo Defense Division ended on 15 November 1934, after which she served as a unit of Submarine Division 25 in the Sasebo Naval District.^[1]

Ro-30 was decommissioned and placed in the Fourth Reserve on 15 December 1938.^[1] The Japanese struck her from the Navy list on 1 April 1942,^[1] and that day she became a stationary training hulk at the submarine school at Ōtake, Japan.^[1] She was scrapped ca. August 1945.^[1]

Notes

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j ^k ^l "RO-30 ex No-69". iijnsubsite.info. 2018. Retrieved 10 October 2020.

References

"Rekishi Gunzō"., History of Pacific War Vol.17 I-Gō Submarines, Gakken (Japan), January 1998, 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