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 Type 44 torpedoes. They were also armed with a single 76.2 mm (3 in) deck gun.
Service history
Upon commissioning, Submarine No. 30 was assigned to Submarine Division 4 — in which she spent her entire active career — in Submarine Squadron 1 in the 1st Fleet. [1] She was renamed Ro-56 on 1 November 1924. [1] Submarine Division 4 was attached to the Yokosuka Naval District on 1 December 1925, in which it remained for the remainder of Ro-56′s career. [1] Ro-56 was assigned that day to the Yokosuka Defense Division. [1] She was decommissioned and placed in reserve on 1 April 1926. [1]
Ro-56 was recommissioned on 1 August 1926, and was assigned to the Yokosuka Defense Division again 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-56 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. 13. [1]
Ro-30, originally named Submarine No. 69, was an Imperial Japanese Navy Kaichu-Type submarine of the Kaichu V 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.
Ro-53, originally named Submarine No. 27, was an Imperial Japanese Navy Type L submarine, the lead unit of the L2 subclass. She was in commission from 1921 to 1938.
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.
The first Ro-55, originally named Submarine No. 29, 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.
Ro-57, originally named Submarine No. 46, was an Imperial Japanese Navy Type L submarine 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.
Ro-58, originally named Submarine No. 47, was an Imperial Japanese Navy Type L submarine of the L3 subclass. She was in commission from 1922 to 1945. During World War II, she served on second-line duties in Japan.
Ro-59, originally named Submarine No. 57, was an Imperial Japanese Navy Type L submarine of the L3 subclass. She was in commission from 1923 to 1938, in 1939, and from 1941 to 1945. During World War II, she served on training duties in Japan.
Ro-27, originally named Submarine No. 58, was an Imperial Japanese Navy Kaichū-Type submarine of the Kaichū IV subclass. She was in commission from 1924 to 1937.
Ro-28, originally named Submarine No. 46, was an Imperial Japanese Navy Kaichū-Type submarine of the Kaichū IV subclass. She was in commission from 1923 to 1938 and from 1939 to 1940.
Ro-24, originally named Submarine No. 42, was an Imperial Japanese Navy Kaichū-Type submarine, the lead unit of the Kaichū III subclass. She was commissioned in 1920 and operated in the waters of Japan, Formosa, and Chōsen before she was stricken in 1935.
Ro-23, originally named Submarine No. 41, was an Imperial Japanese Navy Kaichū-Type submarine of the Kaichū III subclass. She was commissioned in 1923 as the final unit of the Kaichu' III subclass and operated in the waters of Japan, Formosa, and Chōsen before she was stricken in 1935.
Ro-22, originally named Submarine No. 40, was an Imperial Japanese Navy Kaichū-Type submarine of the Kaichū III subclass. She was commissioned in 1922 and operated in the waters of Japan. She was stricken in 1934.
Ro-21, originally named Submarine No. 39, was an Imperial Japanese Navy Kaichū-Type submarine of the Kaichū III subclass. She was commissioned in 1922 and operated in the waters of Japan. She was stricken in 1934.
Ro-20, originally named Submarine No. 38, was an Imperial Japanese Navy Kaichū-Type submarine of the Kaichū III subclass. She was commissioned in 1922 and operated in the waters of Japan. She was stricken in 1934.
Ro-19, originally named Submarine No. 36, was an Imperial Japanese Navy Kaichū-Type submarine of the Kaichū III subclass. She was commissioned in 1922 and operated in the waters of Japan. She was stricken in 1936.
Ro-18, originally named Submarine No. 35, was an Imperial Japanese Navy Kaichū-Type submarine of the Kaichū III subclass. She was commissioned in 1921 and operated in the waters of Japan. She was stricken in 1936.
Ro-16, originally named Submarine No. 37, was an Imperial Japanese Navy Kaichū-Type submarine of the Kaichū III subclass. She was commissioned in 1922 and operated in the waters of Japan. She was stricken in 1933.
Ro-15, originally named Submarine No. 24, was an Imperial Japanese Navy Kaichū-Type submarine of the Kaichū II subclass. She was commissioned in 1921 and operated in the waters of Japan. She was stricken in 1933.
Ro-13, originally named Submarine No. 23, was an Imperial Japanese Navy Kaichū-Type submarine of the Kaichū II subclass. She was commissioned in 1920 and operated in the waters of Japan. She was stricken in 1932.
Ro-12, originally named Submarine No. 20, was an Imperial Japanese Navy Kaichū-Type submarine of the Kaichū I subclass. She and her sister ship Ro-11 were the first submarines built to a fully Japanese design. She was commissioned in 1919 and operated in the waters of Japan. She was stricken in 1932.
Japan