K6 Class, Japanese Submarines


Photograph of K6 class submarine

Wikipedia Commons


Specifications:


Tonnage 1447 tons standard
Dimensions 259'2" by 23'1" by 13'2"
78.99m by 7.04m by 401m
Maximum speed       19.7 knots surfaced
8 knots submerged
Dive To 260 feet (79 meters)
Complement 54
Armament 1 3"/40 AA gun
4 21" torpedo tubes (10 torpedoes)
2 25mm/60 AA gun
Machinery
2-shaft diesel
Range 5000 nautical miles (9300 km) at 16 knots surfaced
45 nautical miles (83 km) at 5 knots submerged
Modifications An unsuccessful attempt was made to reduce the radar signature by rebuilding the conning towers of a few units in 1943.

The K6s were short-ranged (RO) submarines based on the K5 prototype class. They were excellent boats with good maneuverability.


Units in the Pacific:

Ro-35

Completed 1943-3-31 (Mitsubishi-Kobe)      

Sunk 1943-8-25 off San Cristobal Island by Patterson

Ro-36      

Completed 1943-5-31 (Mitsubishi-Kobe)      

Sunk 1944-6-13 off Saipan by Melvin
Ro-37 Completed 1943-6-30 (Mitsubishi-Kobe)       Sunk 1944-1-22 off San Cristobal Island by Buchanan
Ro-38 Completed 1943-7-31 (Mitsubishi-Kobe)       Lost to unknown cause 1943-11-19 between Truk and the Gilbert Islands
Ro-39 Completed 1943-9-12 (Sasebo) Sunk 1944-2-2 off Wotje by Walker
Ro-40 Completed 1943-9-28 (Mitsubishi-Kobe)       Sunk 1944-2-16 off Kwajalein by Phelps and Sage
Ro-41 Completed 1943-11-26 (Mitsubishi-Kobe)       Sunk 1943-3-23 off Okinawa by Haggard
Ro-42 Completed 1943-8-27 (Sasebo) Sunk 1943-6-11 off off Kwajalein by Bangust
Ro-43 Completed 1943-12-16 (Mitsubishi-Kobe)       Sunk by aircraft 1945-2-26 off Iwo Jima
Ro-44 Completed 1943-9-12 (Tamano) Sunk 1944-6-16 off Eniwetok by Burden R. Hastings
Ro-45 Completed 1944-1-11 (Mitsubishi-Kobe)       Sunk 1944-4-30 off Truk by MacDonough, Stephen Potter, and aircraft
Ro-46 Completed 1944-2-11 (Mitsubishi-Kobe)       Sunk by aircraft 1945-5-25 off Okinawa
Ro-47 Completed 1944-1-31 (Tamano) Sunk 1944-9-26 off Yap by McCoy Reynolds
Ro-48 Completed 1944-3-31 (Mitsubishi-Kobe)       Sunk 1944-7-14 off Saipan by William C. Miller
Ro-49 Completed 1944-5-44 (Tamano) SAunk 1945-5-5 off Okinawa by Hudson
Ro-50 Completed 1944-7-31 (Tamano)
Ro-55 Completed 1944-9-30 (Tamano) Sunk 1945-2-7 off Iba by Thomason
Ro-56 Completed 1944-11-15 (Tamano) Sunk 1945-4-9 off Okinawa by Mertz and Monssen


References

CombinedFleet.org (accessed 2007-11-8)

Jentschura, Jung, and Mickel (1977)

Worth (2001)


Valid HTML 4.01 Transitional