Japanese submarine Ro-57
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| History | |
|---|---|
 Japan | |
| Name | Submarine No. 46 |
| Builder | Mitsubishi, Kobe, Japan |
| Laid down | 20 November 1920 |
| Launched | 3 December 1921 |
| Completed | 30 July 1922 |
| Commissioned | 30 July 1922 |
| Renamed | Ro-57 on 1 November 1924 |
| Decommissioned | 1 November 1938 |
| Recommissioned | 1 April 1939 |
| Decommissioned | 1 May 1945 |
| Stricken | 1 May 1945 |
| Fate |
|
| General characteristics | |
| Class & type | Japanese Type L submarine (L3 subclass) |
| Displacement |
|
| Length | 72.89 m (239 ft 2 in) overall |
| Beam | 7.16 m (23 ft 6 in) |
| Draft | 3.96 m (13 ft 0 in) |
| Installed power |
|
| Propulsion |
|
| Speed |
|
| Range |
|
| Test depth | 60 m (197 ft) |
| Crew | 46 |
| Armament |
|
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.
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).
The submarines were armed with four internal 533 mm (21 in) torpedo tubes, all in the bow, and carried a total of eight 6th Year Type torpedoes. They were also armed with a single 76.2 mm (3 in) deck gun and a 6.5 mm machine gun.
Construction and commissioning
Ro-57 was laid down as Submarine No. 46 on 20 November 1920 by Mitsubishi at Kobe, Japan.[1] Launched on 3 December 1921,[1] she was completed and commissioned on 30 July 1922,[1] the lead unit of the Type L3 subclass.