Warships of the Imperial Japanese Navy: Second-class and Third-class submarines in the Second World War

Imperial Japanese Navy Second-class and Third-class submarines in the Second World War

Medium-sized, medium-ranged units of the Imperial Japanese Navy.

Type F1 (F1型) (Ro-1-class)

‍Ro-1 - Stricken 1932.

‍Ro-2 - Stricken 1932.

Type F2 (F2型) (Ro-3-class)

‍Ro-3 - Stricken 1932.

‍Ro-4 - Stricken 1932.

‍Ro-5 - Stricken 1932.

Kaichū Type I (海中型, Navy Medium Type)

Ro-11 – Stricken and hulked in 1932.

Ro-12 – Stricken and hulked in 1932.

Kaichū Type II (海中型, Navy Medium Type)

Ro-13 – Stricken and hulked in 1932.

Ro-14 – Stricken 1932, hulked 1934, and scrapped 1948.

Ro-15 – Stricken 1933, hulked 1934, and scrapped 1948.

Kaichū Type III (海中型, Navy Medium Type)

Ro-16 – Stricken in 1933 and hulked in 1934.

Ro-17 – Stricken in 1936.

Ro-18 – Stricken in 1936 and hulked; scrapped in 1948.

Ro-19 – Stricken in 1936 and hulked; scrapped in 1948.

Ro-20 – Stricken in 1934; sold and scuttled as an artificial reef in 1935.

Ro-21 – Stricken in 1934; sold and scuttled as an artificial reef in 1935.

Ro-22 – Stricken in 1934.

Ro-23 – Stricken and hulked in 1935.

Ro-24 – Stricken and hulked in 1935.

Ro-25 – Sank in 1923. Salvaged and returned to service in 1926. Stricken and scrapped in 1936.

Kaichū Type IV (海中型, Navy Medium Type)

Ro-26 – Stricken and hulked in 1940; scrapped in 1948.

Ro-27 – Stricken in 1940 and hulked; scrapped in 1947.

Ro-28 – Sank in 1935, but salvaged and returned to service. Stricken and hulked in 1940; scrapped in 1948.

Kaichū Type V (海中型, Navy Medium Type)

Ro-29 – Stricken in 1936 and hulked in 1940.

Ro-30 – Stricken and hulked in 1942; scrapped in 1945.

Ro-31 – Sank in 1923 during trials. Salvaged, disassembled, reconstructed, and completed in 1927. Stricken and hulked in 1945. Scuttled on 5 April 1946.

Ro-32 – Stricken and hulked in 1942; scrapped in 1945.

Kaichū Type VI (海中型, Navy Medium Type) VI submarines were double-hulled, medium-sized submarines. They were derived from the preceding Kaichū V Type and had improved performance. Constructed between 1933 and 1937, they served as prototypes for the major production Kaichu VII type constructed during the Second World War. They had a 76.2 mm (3 in)/40) deck gun and Type 95 (known to the Allies as the "Long Lance") torpedoes.

Ro-33 – Sank Mamutu in the Gulf of Papua on 7 Aug 1942. Sunk off Port Moresby on 29 Aug 1942 by HMAS Arunta.

Ro-34 – Sunk off San Cristobal on 7 Apr 1943 by USS Strong.

Kaichū Type VII ((潜)中型 or 海中VII型, (Submarine) Medium type or Navy Medium Type VII) submarines, aka (Sen-) Chū, were the Imperial Japanese Navy′s last medium submarines, and were enlarged and improved versions of the preceding Kaichū Type VI.

Ro-35 – Sunk east of the Santa Cruz Islands on 25 Aug 1943 by USS Patterson.

Ro-36 – Sunk east of Saipan on 13 June 1944 by USS Melvin.

Ro-37 – Sunk southeast of San Cristobal on 22 Jan 1944 by USS Buchanan.

Ro-38 – Missing off the Gilbert Islands after 19 Nov 1943. Possibly sunk by USS Cotten west of Tarawa on 24 Nov 1943.

Ro-39 – Sunk east of Wotje on 1 Feb 1944 by USS Walker.

Ro-40 – Sunk northeast of Kwajalein on 16 Feb 1944 by USS Phelps.

Ro-41 – Sank USS Shelton east of Morotai on 3 Oct 1944. Sunk east of Okinawa on 23 Mar 1945 by USS Haggard.

Ro-42 – Sank USS YO-159 east of Espiritu Santo on 14 Jan 1944. Sunk east of Roi-Namur on 11 June 1944 by USS Bangust.

Ro-43 – Sunk off the Volcano Islands on 26 Feb 1945 by aircraft from USS Anzio.

Ro-44 – Sunk east of Eniwetok on 16 June 1944 by USS Burden R. Hastings.

Ro-45 – Sunk south of Truk on 30 Apr 1944 by USS MacDonough and USS Stephen Potter.

Ro-46 – Missing off Okinawa after 17 Apr 1945. Possibly sunk by aircraft from VC-92 on 29 Apr 1945.

Ro-47 – Sunk northeast of the Palau Islands on 26 Sep 1944 by USS McCoy Reynolds.

Ro-48 – Sunk east of Saipan on 19 July 1944 by USS Wyman.

Ro-49 – Missing southeast of Okinawa after 25 Mar1945. Possibly sunk by USS Hudson southeast of Okinawa on 5 Apr 1945.

Ro-50 – Sank USS LST-577 east-southeast of Leyte on 10–11 Feb 1945. Surrendered at Sasebo in Sep 1945. Scuttled off the Goto Islands on 1 Apr 1946 as part of Operation Road's End.

Ro-55 – Sunk west of Luzon on 7 Feb 1945 by USS Thomason.

Ro-56 – Sunk west of Okinawa on 9 Apr 1945 by USS Monssen and USS Mertz.

Type L1 (L1型) (Ro-51-class) submarines were British L-class submarines built under license by Mitsubishi.

Ro-51 – Stricken and hulked on 1 April 1940.

Ro-52 – Sunk on 29 October 1923, raised, repaired and returned to service. Sank again on 29 October 1925, raised and repaired. Stricken 1 April 1932.

Type L2 (L2二 two) (Ro-53-class) submarines were similar to the Type L1 but with no broadside torpedo tubes and a change in the battery arrangement.

Ro-53 – Stricken and hulked in 1940.

Ro-54 – Stricken and hulked in 1940.

Ro-55 – Stricken 1940.Ro-56 – Stricken and hulked in 1940.

Ro-56 – Stricken and hulked in 1940.

Type L3 (L3型) (Ro-57-class) submarines were copies of the British submarine L9. Three units were built — Ro-57, Ro-58, Ro-59 — and all served as training submarines during the Second World War.

Ro-57 – Scrapped in 1946.

Ro-58 – Scrapped in 1946.

‍Ro-59 – Scrapped in 1946.

Type L4 (L4型) (Ro-60-class) submarines were copies of the British submarine L52.

Ro-60 – Wrecked on a reef off Kwajalein Atoll on 29 Dec 1941. Later blew up following an aircraft attack.

Ro-61 – Sunk in the Bering Sea off Adak by USS Reid on 31 Aug 1942.

Ro-62 – Scuttled in the Seto Inland Sea in May 1946.

Ro-63 – Scuttled in the Seto Inland Sea in May 1946.

Ro-64 – Sunk by a mine in Hiroshima Bay on 12 Apr 1945.

Ro-65 – Sank in a diving accident off Kiska on 3 Nov 1942.

Ro-66 – Accidentally rammed and sunk by Ro-62 off Wake Island on 17 Dec 1941.

Ro-67 – Scrapped in 1946.

Ro-68 – Scuttled in Wakasa Bay along with Ro-500 and I-121 on 30 Apr 1946. Wreck found in 2018.

Ko or Sen-Shō type (小型 or 潜小型, Small type or Submarine small type) (Ro-100-class) were medium-sized submarines for use as point-defense submarines.

Ro-100 – Sunk by mine in the Bougainville Strait on 25 Nov 1943.

Ro-101 – Sunk in Indispensable Strait by USS Saufley and a U.S. Navy patrol aircraft on 15 Sep 1943.

Ro-102 – Missing off New Guinea after 9 May 1943.

Ro-103 – Sank USS Aludra and USS Deimos off San Cristobal on 23 June 1943. Missing in the Solomon Islands after 28 July 1943.

Ro-104 – Sunk north of the Admiralty Islands on 23 May 1944 by USS England.

Ro-105 – Sunk north of the Admiralty Islands on 31 May 1944 by USS England.

Ro-106 – Sank USS LST-342 in the Blanche Channel on 18 July 1943. Sunk north of the Admiralty Islands on 22 May 1944 by USS England.

Ro-107 – Missing after 6 July 1943 in the Solomon Islands.

Ro-108 – Sank USS Henley in the Huon Gulf on 3 Oct 1943. Sunk north of the Admiralty Islands on 26 May 1944 by USS England.

Ro-109 – Sunk south-southwest of Okidaitōjima on 25 Apr 1945 by USS Horace A. Bass.

Ro-110 – Possibly sank Daisy Moller in the Bay of Bengal on 3 Dec 1943. Sunk in the Bay of Bengal northeast of Madras on 11 Feb 1944 by HMIS Jumna, HMAS Ipswich, and HMAS Launceston.

Ro-111 – Sank Peshawur in the Bay of Bengal southeast of Madras on 23 Dec 1943 and El Madina in the Bay of Bengal near Calcutta on 16 Mar 1944. Sunk north of the Admiralty Islands on 10 June 1944 by USS Taylor.

Ro-112 – Sunk north of Luzon on 11 Feb 1945 by USS Batfish.

Ro-113 – Sank Marion Moller in the Bay of Bengal on 6 Nov 1944. Sunk north of Luzon on 13 Feb 1945 by USS Batfish (SS-310).

Ro-114 – Sunk west of Tinian on 17 June 1944 by USS Melvin and USS Wadleigh.

Ro-115 – Sunk off Mindoro on 1 Feb 1945 by USS Ulvert M. Moore.

Ro-116 – Sunk north of the Admiralty Islands on 24 May 1944 by USS England.

Ro-117 – Sunk southeast of Saipan on 17 June 1944 by U.S. Navy patrol aircraft.

Yanagi missions

Yanagi missions were enabled under the Axis Powers' Tripartite Pact to provide for an exchange of strategic materials and manufactured goods between Germany, Italy, and Japan. Initially, cargo ships made the exchanges, but when this was no longer possible, submarines were used. Only six submarines attempted this trans-oceanic voyage during the Second World War: I-30 (mid-June to Aug 1942), I-8 (June 1943), I-34 (Oct 1943), I-29 (Nov 1943), and German submarines U-511 (Aug 1943) and U-864 (Dec 1944). Of these, I-30 was partially successful but was later sunk by a mine, I-8 completed her mission, I-34 was sunk by British submarine HMS Taurus, and I-29 by the United States submarine Sawfish (assisted by Ultra intelligence). I-52 made the final attempt.

Submarine Ro-500. ‍1,120 tonnes. This was a German Kriegsmarine submarine under the name U-511, until it was given to Japan on 16 September 1943

Submarine Ro-501. ‍1,144 tonnes.  This was a  German Kriegsmarine submarine under the name U-1224, until it was given to Japan on 15 February 1944.

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HIJMS Landing Ship No. 5, carrying Kō-hyōteki No. 69, at Nasakejima Island, 17 August 1944.

Third-class submarines

Sen'yu-Ko or Sen'yu-Shō type (潜輸小型, Transport submarine small type) (Ha-101-class) were transport submarines built in 1944–1945. Several of this type were converted to tankers or to mother ships for the midget submarines. Ten of the 12 submarines laid down were completed.

(National Archives Photo, 80-G-260243)

Operation "Road's End" Japanese Ha-101 class submarine en route to be scuttled, off Sasebo, Japan, 1 April 1946.

Ha-101 – Scrapped at Uraga or scuttled off Shimizu (sources disagree) in Oct 1945.

(USN Photo)

Japanese submarines Ha-101 Ha-102, and Ha-104, 8 Dec 1945.

Ha-102 – Scrapped at Uraga or scuttled off Shimizu (sources disagree) in Oct 1945.

Ha-103 – Scuttled off the Gotō Islands on 1 Apr 1946 as part of Operation Road's End.

Ha-104 – Scuttled off Shimizu in Oct 1945.

Ha-105 – Scuttled off the Gotō Islands on 1 Apr 1946 as part of Operation Road's End.

Ha-106 – Blown up and scuttled along with I-36 off the Goto Islands on 1 Apr 1946 as part of Operation Road's End.

Ha-107 – Scuttled off the Gotō Islands on 1 Apr 1946 as part of Operation Road's End.

Ha-108 – Scuttled off the Gotō Islands on 1 Apr 1946 as part of Operation Road's End.

(USN Photo)

Ha-109 and Ha-111.

Ha-109 – Scuttled off the Gotō Islands on 1 Apr 1946 as part of Operation Road's End.

Ha-110 – Was 95% complete. Sank in 1945 during construction and later refloated. Scuttled along with Ha-112 off Kii Suido on 15 Apr 1946. Other sources state that she was scrapped.

Ha-111 – Scuttled off the Gotō Islands on 1 Apr 1946 as part of Operation Road's End.

Ha-112 – Was 95% complete. Scuttled along with Ha-110 off Kii Sundo on 15 Apr 1946. Other sources state she was scrapped at Kobe.

(USN Photo)

Ha-105, Ha-106 and Ha-109, 1945. ‍370 tonnes. The official designation of this submarine was Sen'yu type submarine.

Sentaka-Ko or Sentaka-Shō Type (潜高小型, High-speed submarine small type) (Submarine High speed-Small type) (Ha-201-class), were small, high-speed submarines constructed in 1944–1945 to defend the Japanese Home Islands from an Allied invasion. Of the 79 boats planned, only ten were completed.

Two Ha-201-class submarines on the starboard side of the Japanese aircraft carrier Junyō at Sasebo, Japan, 26 Sep 1945.

Ha-201 – Sunk as a target off the Gotō Islands on 1 Apr 1946 along with I-402 as part of Operation Road's End.

Ha-202 – Scuttled off the Gotō Islands on 1 Apr 1946 as part of Operation Road's End.

Ha-203 – Scuttled off the Gotō Islands on 1 Apr 1946 as part of Operation Road's End.

Ha-204.

Ha-204 – Ran aground in Aburatsu Bay on 29 October 1945, salvaged and then scrapped Aug to Oct 1948.

Ha-205 – Scuttled by gunfire from HMAS Quiberon and HMIS Sutlej in the Seto Inland Sea on 9 May 1946 as part of Operation Bottom.

Ha-206 – Abandoned at Sasebo at 90% complete. Sank in a typhoon on 25 Aug 1945 and raised in Apr 1946. Scuttled off Kii Suido Channel on 6 May 1946. Refloated and scrapped at Kobe in 1952.

Ha-207 – Scuttled by the US Navy along with Ro-31, Ha-210, Ha-215, Ha-216, Ha-219 and Ha-228 off Sasebo Bay on 5 Apr 1946.

Ha-208 – Scuttled off the Gotō Islands on 1 Apr 1946 as part of Operation Road's End.

Ha-204, Ha-203, Ha-109 in 1945. ‍320 tonnes. Never saw combat. The official designation of the submarine was Sentaka-Shō type submarine.

Ha-209 – Deliberately run aground on Ganryū-jima on 18 Aug 1945. Blown up on 11 Nov 1945 by the US Navy. Salvaged from Aug to Nov 1946 and then scrapped.

Ha-210 – Scuttled by the US Navy along with Ro-31, Ha-207, Ha-215, Ha-216, Ha-219 and Ha-228 off Sasebo Bay on 5 Apr 1946.

Ha-216 – Scuttled by the US Navy along with Ro-31, Ha-207, Ha-210, Ha-215, Ha-219 and Ha-228 off Sasebo Bay on 5 Apr 1946.

Yu-class

Yu-1.

Yu-1001.

Transport submarine Yu-1, Yu-2, Yu-3, Yu-4, Yu-5, Yu-6, Yu-7, Yu-8, Yu-9, Yu-10, Yu-11, Yu-12, Yu-13, Yu-14, Yu-15, Yu-16, Yu-17, Yu-18, Yu-19, Yu-20, Yu-21, Yu-22, Yu-23, Yu-24, Yu-1001, Yu-1002, Yu-1003, Yu-1005, Yu-1006, Yu-1007, Yu-1008, Yu-1009, Yu-1010, Yu-2001, Yu-2002, Yu-3001, Yu-3002, Yu-3003. ‍274 tonnes.

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