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Japanese submarine Ro-39
Ro-39 was an Imperial Japanese Navy Kaichū type submarine of the K6 sub-class. Completed and commissioned in September 1943, she served in World War II and was sunk on 1 February 1944 during her first war patrol off Wotje with all 70 hands onboard lost. Design and descriptionThe 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-brake-horsepower (1,566 kW) diesel engines, each driving one propeller shaft. When submerged each propeller was driven by a 600-horsepower (447 kW) electric motor.[3] They could reach 19.75 knots (36.58 km/h; 22.73 mph) on the surface and 8 knots (15 km/h; 9.2 mph) underwater. On the surface, the K6s had a range of 11,000 nautical miles (20,000 km; 13,000 mi) at 12 knots (22 km/h; 14 mph); submerged, they had a range of 45 nmi (83 km; 52 mi) at 5 knots (9.3 km/h; 5.8 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 76.2 mm (3.00 in) L/40 anti-aircraft gun and two single 25 mm (1.0 in) AA guns.[1] Construction and commissioningRo-39 was laid down as Submarine No. 205 on 8 August 1942 by the Sasebo Navy Yard at Sasebo, Japan.[4] She had been renamed Ro-39 by the time she was launched on 6 March 1943[4] and she was completed and commissioned on 12 September 1943.[4] Service historyUpon commissioning, Ro-39 was attached to the Maizuru Naval District.[4] On 25 December 1943 she was assigned to Submarine Division 34 in the 6th Fleet. In company with the submarine Ro-44, she departed Maizuru on 28 December 1943 bound for Truk, which she reached on 6 January 1944.[4] At Truk, she took aboard stores from the auxiliary submarine tender Heian Maru on 17 January 1944.[4] Ro-38 got underway from Truk on 20 January 1944 with the commander of Submarine Division 34 aboard to begin her first war patrol, assigned a patrol area in the Caroline Islands in the vicinity of Woleai.[4] On 22 January 1944, she received orders to rescue Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service aircrews of the 531st Naval Air Group at Woleai and the 755th Naval Air Group at Maloelap.[4] With U.S. ships gathering for the invasion of the Marshall Islands, Ro-39 was ordered on 30 January 1944 to move to a patrol area 200 nautical miles (370 km; 230 mi) northeast of Wotje.[4] The United States Navy destroyer USS Walker (DD-517) gained radar contact on a vessel on the surface on the night of 1 February 1944.[4] She closed with it and fired star shells which illuminated a submarine, probably Ro-39.[4] The submarine crash-dived, but Walker picked it up on sonar and sank it with a single depth-charge attack at 09°24′N 170°32′E / 9.400°N 170.533°E.[4] The 6th Fleet received a distress signal on 2 February 1944 at 10:38 Japan Standard Time that Ro-39 transmitted as she crash-dived, but it was indecipherable.[4] On 6 February and again on 10 February 1944, the 6th Fleet ordered Ro-39 to return to Truk, but she did not acknowledge the order either time.[4] On 5 March 1944, the Imperial Japanese Navy declared her to be presumed lost east of Wotje with all 70 hands.[4] She was stricken from the Navy list on 30 April 1944.[4] NotesReferences
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