Ro-57, originally named Submarine No. 46, was an Imperial Japanese NavyType Lsubmarine of the L3 subclass. Except for a few months in 1938, she was in commission from 1922 to 1945. During World War II, she served on second-line duties in Japan.
Design and description
The submarines of the Type L3 sub-class were copies of the Group 2 subclass of the British L-class submarine built under license in Japan. They carried heavier torpedoes than the preceding submarines of the L1 and L2 subclasses. They displaced 903 tonnes (889 long tons) surfaced and 1,120 tonnes (1,102.7 long tons) submerged. The submarines were 72.89 meters (239 ft 2 in) long and had a beam of 7.16 meters (23 ft 6 in) and a draft of 3.96 meters (13 ft 0 in). They had a diving depth of 60 meters (197 ft).
For surface running, the submarines were powered by two 1,200-brake-horsepower (895 kW) Vickers diesel engines, each driving one propeller shaft. When submerged, each propeller was driven by an 800-shaft-horsepower (597 kW) electric motor. They could reach 17.1 knots (31.7 km/h; 19.7 mph) on the surface and 9.1 knots (16.9 km/h; 10.5 mph) underwater. On the surface, they had a range of 5,500 nautical miles (10,200 km; 6,300 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph); submerged, they had a range of 80 nmi (150 km; 92 mi) at 4 knots (7.4 km/h; 4.6 mph).
Submarine Division 6 was reassigned to Submarine Squadron 2 in the 2nd Fleet on 1 August 1926[1] and then on 1 December 1926 directly to the Yokosuka Naval District, in which it remained until 1941.[1] In the years that followed, Ro-57 was assigned to the Yokosuka Defense Division from 1 December 1927 to 30 November 1929 and from 1 December 1930 to 11 December 1933, the Yokosuka Guard Squadron from 1 December 1933 to 22 April 1934, then to the Yokosuka Defense Division again from 22 April to 15 June 1934, followed by another stint in the Yokosuka Guard Squadron from 15 June to 15 November 1934.[1] On 1 November 1938, she was decommissioned and placed in Second Reserve in the Yokosuka Naval District.[1]
Ro-57 was recommissioned on 1 April 1939 and assigned that day to duty at the gunnery school in the Yokosuka Naval District.[1] She participated in a naval review at Yokohama on 11 October 1940.[1] Her gunnery school duty concluded on 1 November 1941, when she was reassigned to the Kure Naval District.[1]
World War II
The Pacific Campaign of World War II began on 7 December 1941 (8 December 1941 in East Asia) with the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. Ro-57 served on training duties in Japanese waters from 1941,[10][11] operating in the Kure Defense Force until 15 January 1943, when Submarine Division 6 was transferred back to the Yokosuka Naval District.[1]
Ro-57 was decommissioned, stricken from the Navy list, and placed in the Fourth Reserve in the Yokosuka Naval District on 15 May 1945.[1] She then served at Shōdoshima as a stationary training hulk for the crews of midget submarines until 15 August 1945, when hostilities between Japan and the Allies ended.[1] She was scrapped in 1946.[1]
^ abc"RO-64". iijnsubsite.info. 2016. Retrieved 19 October 2020.
^ abc"RO-68". iijnsubsite.info. 2016. Retrieved 21 October 2020.
^Gray, Randal, ed., Conway′s All the World′s Fighting Ships 1906–1921, Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press, 1985, ISBN0 87021 907 3, p. 247.
^Chesneau, Roger, ed., Conway′s All the World′s Fighting Ships 1922–1946, New York: Mayflower Books, 1980, ISBN0 8317 0303 2, p. 177.
Bibliography
"Rekishi Gunzō"., History of Pacific War Extra, "Perfect guide, The submarines of the Imperial Japanese Forces", Gakken (Japan), March 2005, ISBN4-05-603890-2
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
