Japanese submarine Ro-54
![]() Ro-54 during the 1920s, sometime after her name was changed from Submarine No. 28 to Ro-54 on 1 November 1924.
| |
History | |
---|---|
![]() | |
Name | Submarine No. 28 |
Builder | Mitsubishi, Kobe, Japan |
Laid down | 1 November 1919 |
Launched | 13 October 1920 |
Completed | 10 September 1921 |
Commissioned | 10 September 1921 |
Renamed | Ro-54 on 1 November 1924 |
Decommissioned | 1 April 1926 |
Recommissioned | 1 August 1926 |
Decommissioned | 15 December 1938 |
Stricken | 1 April 1940 |
Fate | Hulked 1 April 1940 |
Renamed | Haisen No. 12 on 1 April 1940 |
General characteristics | |
Class and type | Japanese Type L submarine (L2 subclass) |
Displacement |
|
Length | 70.59 m (231 ft 7 in) overall |
Beam | 7.16 m (23 ft 6 in) |
Draft | 3.94 m (12 ft 11 in) |
Installed power |
|
Propulsion |
|
Speed |
|
Range |
|
Test depth | 60 m (197 ft) |
Crew | 45 |
Armament |
|
Ro-54, originally named Submarine No. 28, was an Imperial Japanese Navy Type L submarine of the L2 subclass. Except for a few months in 1926, she was in commission from 1921 to 1938.
Design and description[]
The submarines of the Type L2 sub-class were close copies of the British L-class submarine built under license in Japan. They differed from the preceding L1 subclass in the deletion of the two broadside-firing torpedo tubes and the two torpedoes for them, the use of domestically produced diesel engines and batteries, and a different battery arrangement. They displaced 907 tonnes (893 long tons) surfaced and 1,093 tonnes (1,075.3 long tons) submerged. The submarines were 70.59 meters (231 ft 7 in) long and had a beam of 7.16 meters (23 ft 6 in) and a draft of 3.94 meters (12 ft 11 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 17.3 knots (32.0 km/h; 19.9 mph) on the surface and 10.4 knots (19.3 km/h; 12.0 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).
The submarines were armed with four internal 450 mm (18 in) torpedo tubes, all in the bow, and carried a total of eight . They were also armed with a single 76.2 mm (3 in) deck gun.
Construction and commissioning[]
Ro-54 was laid down as Submarine No. 28 on 1 November 1919 by Mitsubishi at Kobe, Japan.[1] Launched on 13 October 1920,[1] she was completed and commissioned on 10 September 1921.[1]
Service history[]
Upon commissioning, Submarine No. 28 was attached to the Yokosuka Naval District.[1] On 1 December 1921, she was reassigned to Submarine Division 4 in Submarine Squadron 1 in the 1st Fleet.[1] She was renamed Ro-54 on 1 November 1924.[1] Submarine Division 4 was reattached to the Yokosuka Naval District on 1 December 1925, and Ro-54 and was assigned that day to the .[1] She was decommissioned and placed in reserve on 1 April 1926.[1]
Ro-54 was recommissioned on 1 August 1926, and was assigned to the Yokosuka Defense Division that day, serving in that duty until 1 December 1927.[1] She later served in the Yokosuka Defense Division again from 30 November 1929 to 15 November 1934.[1]
Ro-54 was decommissioned and placed in the Fourth Reserve in the Yokosuka Naval District on 15 December 1938.[1] The Japanese struck her from the Navy list on 1 April 1940,[1] and that day she became a stationary hulk with the name Haisen No. 12.[1]
Notes[]
Bibliography[]
- "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
- Ro-53-class submarines
- Japanese L type submarines
- Ships built by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries
- 1920 ships