Japanese submarine Ro-54

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.

Ro-54 during the 1920s, sometime after her name was changed from Submarine No. 28 to Ro-54 on 1 November 1924.
History
Japan
Name	Submarine No. 28
Builder	Mitsubishi, Kobe, Japan
Laid down	1 November 1919
Launched	13 October 1920
Completed	10 September 1921
Commissioned	10 September 1921
Renamed	Ro-54 on 1 November 1924
Decommissioned	1 April 1926
Recommissioned	1 August 1926
Decommissioned	15 December 1938
Stricken	1 April 1940
Fate	Hulked 1 April 1940
Renamed	Haisen No. 12 on 1 April 1940
General characteristics
Class & type	Japanese Type L submarine (L2 subclass)
Displacement	907 tonnes (893 long tons) surfaced 1,093 tonnes (1,075.3 long tons) submerged
Length	70.59 m (231 ft 7 in) overall
Beam	7.16 m (23 ft 6 in)
Draft	3.94 m (12 ft 11 in)
Installed power	2,400 bhp (1,800 kW) (diesel) 1,600 shp (1,200 kW) (electric motor)
Propulsion	Diesel-electric 2 × Vickers diesel engines, 75 tons fuel 2 × electric motor 2 x shafts
Speed	17.3 knots (32.0 km/h; 19.9 mph) surfaced 10.4 knots (19.3 km/h; 12.0 mph) submerged
Range	5,500 nmi (10,200 km; 6,300 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph) surfaced 80 nmi (150 km; 92 mi) at 4 knots (7.4 km/h; 4.6 mph) submerged
Test depth	60 m (197 ft)
Crew	45
Armament	4 × bow 450 mm (18 in) torpedo tubes 8 x Type 44 torpedoes 1 × 76.2 mm (3 in) gun

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.

Construction and commissioning

Ro-54 was laid down as Submarine No. 28 on 1 November 1919 by Mitsubishi at Kobe, Japan.^[1] Launched on 13 October 1920,^[1] she was completed and commissioned on 10 September 1921.^[1]

Service history

Upon commissioning, Submarine No. 28 was attached to the Yokosuka Naval District.^[1] On 1 December 1921, she was reassigned to Submarine Division 4 in Submarine Squadron 1 in the 1st Fleet.^[1] She was renamed Ro-54 on 1 November 1924.^[1] Submarine Division 4 was reattached to the Yokosuka Naval District on 1 December 1925, and Ro-54 and was assigned that day to the Yokosuka Defense Division.^[1] She was decommissioned and placed in reserve on 1 April 1926.^[1]

Ro-54 was recommissioned on 1 August 1926, and was assigned to the Yokosuka Defense Division 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-54 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. 12.^[1]