Design and description
The Type F submarines were designed by the Italian firm Fiat-Laurenti and built under license by Kawasaki at Kobe, Japan. [1] They were the Imperial Japanese Navy′s first true seagoing submarines, [1] and when the Japanese adopted a three-tiered classification system of its submarines as first-class ( I ), second-class or medium ( Ro ), and third-class ( Ha ) on 1 November 1924, [2] the Type F submarines were the earliest to receive the second-class classification, [1] as reflected in their low numbers in the Ro series, [1] and in fact they were the earliest Japanese submarine classified as anything higher than third-class. They had non-cylindrical hulls intended to provide extra internal space, but the Japanese considered the hulls weak despite the provision of additional scantlings during construction to reinforce them. [1]
The submarines of the F2 subclass displaced 700 tonnes (689 long tons) surfaced and 1,064 tonnes (1,047 long tons) submerged. [1] The submarines were 65.6 meters (215 ft 3 in) long and had a beam of 6.1 meters (20 ft 0 in) and a draft of 4.1 meters (13 ft 5 in). [1] They had a diving depth of 40 meters (131 ft). [1] For surface running, the submarines were powered by two 1,300- brake-horsepower (969 kW) Fiat diesel engines, each driving one propeller shaft. [1] When submerged each propeller was driven by a Savigliano 600-horsepower (447 kW) electric motor. [1] They could reach 14 knots (26 km/h; 16 mph) on the surface and 8 knots (15 km/h; 9.2 mph) underwater. [1] On the surface, they had a range of 3,500 nautical miles (6,500 km; 4,000 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph); [1] submerged, they had a range of 80 nmi (150 km; 92 mi) at 4 knots (7.4 km/h; 4.6 mph). [1]
The submarines were armed with five 450 mm (18 in) torpedo tubes, three in the bow and two in the stern, and carried a total of eight Type 44 torpedoes. [1] As built, they were armed with a 7.7 mm machine gun. [1] Soon after completion, however, a 76.2 mm (3.00 in) deck gun was added. [1]
In the F2 subclass, the Fiat diesel engines were unreliable and the F2 subclass′s top surface speed of 14 knots (26 km/h; 16 mph) was well below the expected 17 knots (31 km/h; 20 mph). [1] Because of their disappointing performance, the Type F submarines did not serve as the basis for any later Japanese submarine classes. [1]
Service history
Upon commissioning, Submarine No. 31 was attached to the Sasebo Naval District and assigned to Submarine Division 23. [3] On 1 December 1922, Submarine Division 23 was assigned to the Chinkai Defense Division on the southern coast of Chōsen. [3] Submarine No. 31 was renamed Ro-3 on 1 November 1924. [3]
Submarine Division 23 was reassigned to the Sasebo Defense Division in the Sasebo Naval District on 1 December 1924. [3] On 1 June 1925, the division was assigned to the 1st Fleet, [3] and on 1 December 1925 it returned to the Sasebo Defense Division in the Sasebo Naval District, where it remained for the rest of Ro-3′s active service. [3]
Ro-3 was stricken from the Navy list on 1 April 1932. [3]
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