Japanese submarine Ro-17

History
Japan
Name	Submarine No. 34
Builder	Kure Naval Arsenal, Kure, Japan
Laid down	24 September 1920
Launched	24 February 1921
Completed	20 October 1921
Commissioned	20 October 1921
Renamed	Ro-17 on 1 November 1924
Stricken	1 April 1936
General characteristics
Class and type	Kaichū type submarine (K3 subclass)
Displacement	752 tonnes (740 long tons) surfaced; 1,013 tonnes (997 long tons) submerged;
Length	70.10 m (230 ft 0 in) overall
Beam	6.12 m (20 ft 1 in)
Draft	3.70 m (12 ft 2 in)
Installed power	2,900 bhp (2,200 kW) (diesel); 1,200 hp (890 kW) (electric motor);
Propulsion	Diesel-electric; 2 × Sulzer Mark II diesel engine, 75 tons fuel; 2 × electric motor; 2 x shafts;
Speed	16.5 knots (30.6 km/h; 19.0 mph) surfaced; 8.5 knots (15.7 km/h; 9.8 mph) submerged;
Range	6,000 nmi (11,000 km; 6,900 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph) surfaced; 85 nmi (157 km; 98 mi) at 4 knots (7.4 km/h; 4.6 mph) submerged;
Test depth	45.7 m (150 ft)
Crew	46
Armament	6 × 450 mm (18 in) torpedo tubes (4 x bow, 2 x external on upper deck); 10 x Type 44 torpedoes; 1 × 76.2 mm (3.00 in) gun;

Ro-17, originally named Submarine No. 34, 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.

Design and description

The submarines of the Kaichu III sub-class were a slightly improved version of the preceding Kaichu II subclass, the man difference being an increase in diving depth from 30 to 45.7 meters (98 to 150 ft).^[1] They displaced 752 tonnes (740 long tons) surfaced and 1,013 tonnes (997 long tons) submerged. The submarines were 70.10 meters (230 ft 0 in) long and had a beam of 6.12 meters (20 ft 1 in) and a draft of 3.70 meters (12 ft 2 in).

For surface running, the submarines were powered by two 1,450-brake-horsepower (1,081 kW) Sulzer Mark II diesel engines, each driving one propeller shaft. When submerged each propeller was driven by a 600-horsepower (447 kW) electric motor. They could reach 16.5 knots (31 km/h; 19 mph) on the surface and 8.5 knots (15.7 km/h; 9.8 mph) underwater. On the surface, they had a range of 6,000 nautical miles (11,000 km; 6,900 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph); submerged, they had a range of 85 nmi (157 km; 98 mi) at 4 knots (7.4 km/h; 4.6 mph).

The submarines were armed with six 450 mm (18 in) torpedo tubes, four internal tubes in the bow and two external tubes mounted on the upper deck, and carried a total of ten Type 44 torpedoes. They were also armed with a single 76.2 mm (3.00 in) deck gun mounted aft of the conning tower.^[1]

Construction and commissioning

Ro-17 was laid down as Submarine No. 34 on 24 September 1920 by the Kure Naval Arsenal at Kure, Japan.^[2] Launched on 24 February 1921,^[2] she was completed and commissioned on 20 October 1921.^[2]

Service history

Upon commissioning, Submarine No. 34 was assigned to the Kure Naval District.^[2] She was reassigned to Submarine Division 16 in Submarine Squadron 1 in the 1st Fleet on 20 December 1921.^[2] Submarine Division 16 was reassigned to Submarine Squadron 2 in the 2nd Fleet on 1 December 1922.^[2] On 3 March 1923, an explosion attributed to a build-up of hydrogen gas occurred aboard Submarine No. 34, killing one man and injuring several others.^[3]

Submarine Division 16 was reassigned to the Kure Naval District — in which it remained for the rest of Submarine No. 34′s active career — on 1 December 1923.^[2] In the years that followed, Submarine No. 34 was renamed Ro-17 on 1 November 1924,^[2] and Submarine Division 16 served in the Kure Defense Division from 10 December 1928 to 15 November 1934.^[2] Ro-17 was stricken from the Navy list on 1 April 1936.^[2]

Notes

^ ^a ^b Gray, Randal, ed., Conway′s All the World′s Fighting Ships 1906–1921, Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press, 1985, ISBN 0 87021 907 3, p. 248.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j "RO-17 ex No-34". iijnsubsite.info. 2018. Retrieved 15 October 2020.
^ Airship Investigation: Report of Col. Henry Breckenridge, Washington, D.C.: Government Printing Office, 1933, p. 55.

References

"Rekishi Gunzō"., History of Pacific War Vol.17 I-Gō Submarines, Gakken (Japan), January 1998, ISBN 4-05-601767-0
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
The Maru Special, Japanese Naval Vessels No.135 Japanese Submarines IV, Ushio Shobō (Japan), May 1988, Book code 68344-39

[gray-1] Gray, Randal, ed., Conway′s All the World′s Fighting Ships 1906–1921, Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press, 1985, ISBN 0 87021 907 3, p. 248.

[ijnsubsiteRo17-2] ^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j "RO-17 ex No-34". iijnsubsite.info. 2018. Retrieved 15 October 2020.

[3] Airship Investigation: Report of Col. Henry Breckenridge, Washington, D.C.: Government Printing Office, 1933, p. 55.

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v t e Kaichū type submarine
Ro-11-class (Type K1)	Ro-11 Ro-12
Ro-13-class (Type K2)	Ro-13 Ro-14 Ro-15
Ro-16-class (Type K3)	Ro-16 Ro-17 Ro-18 Ro-19 Ro-20 Ro-21 Ro-22 Ro-23 Ro-24 Ro-25
Ro-26-class (Type K4)	Ro-26 Ro-27 Ro-28
Ro-29-class (Toku-Chū/Type K5)	Ro-29 Ro-30 Ro-31 Ro-32
Ro-33-class (Type K6)	Ro-33 Ro-34
Ro-35-class (Sen-Chū/Type K7)	Ro-35 Ro-36 Ro-37 Ro-38 Ro-39 Ro-40 Ro-41 Ro-42 Ro-43 Ro-44 Ro-45 Ro-46 Ro-47 Ro-48 Ro-49 Ro-50 Ro-55 Ro-56
Preceded by: Type L submarine Followed by: Ko type submarine Imperial Japanese Navy submarines

v t e Shipwrecks and maritime incidents in 1923
Shipwrecks	29 Jan: Beukelsdijk 9 Feb: Adolf Vinnen 23 Mar: USS Coastal Battleship No. 4 6 Jun: USS Cardinal 7 Jul: Caesarea 13 Jul: Swiftstar 6 Aug: Douglas 18 Aug: HMS L9 21 Aug: Submarine No. 70 26 Aug: España 1 Sep: Amagi 5 Sep: USS New Jersey, USS Virginia 8 Sep: Cuba, Honda Point disaster (USS Chauncey, USS Delphy, USS Fuller, USS Nicholas, USS S. P. Lee, USS Woodbury, USS Young) 11 Oct: City of Everett 13 Oct: CGS Aberdeen 16 Oct: USS Quiros 23 Oct: USS O-5 29 Oct: Submarine No. 26 5 Dec: T.W. Lake 19 Dec: Alesia 29 Dec: Mutlah 31 Dec: Pruth
Other incidents	16 Feb: West Hematite 19 Feb: Fenella 3 Mar: Submarine No. 34 13 Mar: Submarine No. 26 3 Apr: HMS Ceres, USS Fox 31 Aug: Corfu incident 8 Sep: USS Farragut, USS Somers 3 Oct: Governor Parr 10 Oct: USS S-37 17 Nov: HNLMS Marten Harpertszoon Tromp 23 Nov: Victor Réveille 19 Dec: Maurice Callot
1922 1924