Imperial Submarines

SENSUIKAN!

HIJMS Submarine RO-34: Tabular Record of Movement
© 2001-2004 Bob Hackett & Sander Kingsepp
31 May 1937:
The RO-34 is completed at Mitsubishi Shipbuilding's Kobe Yard, commissioned in the IJN and assigned to the Maizuru Naval District.
15 November 1941:
The RO-34 is assigned to Rear Admiral Yoshitomi Setsuzo's SubRon 4 in Captain Iwagami Hidetoshi's SubDiv 21 with the RO-33.
8 December 1941: Operation "E" -The Invasion of Malaya:
LtCdr Ota Takeshi is the Commanding Officer. Departs Sasebo with the RO-33 and the Maki Unit to raid enemy communications in the Malaya-Java area.
24 December 1941:
Arrives at Camranh Bay, Indochina.
28 December 1941:
Departs Camranh to patrol in Karimata Strait.
11 January 1942
Returns to Camranh.
31 January 1942:
Departs Camranh to patrol at the northern entrance of the Sunda Strait.
5 February 1942:Operation "J" - The Invasion of the Dutch East Indies:
Departs Camranh Bay, Indochina for Java with the I-55 and the I-56.
NW of the Sunda Strait. The RO-34 encounters a Royal Navy force consisting of the cruiser HMS EXETER, destroyers ENCOUNTER and JUPITER with the Australian Navy cruiser HMAS HOBART, but LtCdr Ota is unable to make a successful attack.
Ota also attacks and misses a Dutch destroyer in the same area. He reports attacking a convoy and sinking an escort with a torpedo.*
After the attack, the RO-34 has no torpedoes left. Rear Admiral Yoshitomi orders her to return to base and the I-55 is sent to the same area in her place.
9 February 1942:
The RO-34 is attached to the "A" Unit with the RO-33.
20 February 1942:
Returns to Camranh.
27 February 1942:
Departs Camranh to support the invasion of Java. Patrols off Java, SE of the Lombok Strait and Tjilatjap.
28 February - 4 March 1942:
Off Tjilatjap. Sights one enemy destroyer.
7 March 1942:
Arrives at Staring Bay, Celebes.
10 March 1942:
SubRon 4 is disbanded. Reassigned to SubRon 6 with the RO-33.
22 March 1942:
Departs Staring with the RO-33.
26 March 1942:
Arrives at Palau with the RO-33.
30 March 1942:
Departs Palau with the RO-33.
3 April 1942:
Arrives at Truk with the RO-33.
4 April 1942:
Assigned to the South Sea Unit with the RO-33.
10 April 1942:
SubRon 6 is disbanded. SubDiv 21 is reassigned to SubRon 7, Eighth Fleet.
15 April 1942:
Departs Truk with the RO-33.
18 April 1942:
The RO-34 arrives at Rabaul with the RO-33.
19 April 1942:
Departs Rabaul to reconnoiter Deboyne islands, Jomard Passage and the anchorages on Russell islands.
24 April 1942:
Returns to Rabaul.
26 April 1942:
Departs Rabaul to reconnoiter Port Moresby, New Guinea. SubDiv 21, under the South Seas Force, is ordered to search Jomard Passage for convoy routes and to reconnoiter the Russell and Deboyne Islands for suitable anchorages prior to the planned assault on Port Moresby. The RO-34 and the RO-33 are later ordered to blockade Port Moresby and guide Japanese shipping into the area.
1 May 1942:
Departs Rabaul to support the capture of Port Moresby in company of the RO-33.
4 May 1942: Operation "MO" - The Invasions of Tulagi, Solomons and Port Moresby, New Guinea:
Rear Admiral (Vice Admiral, posthumously) Kajioka Sadamichi's (former CO of KISO)'s Attack Force departs Rabaul towards the Jomard Pass in the Louisiade Archipelago with DesRon 6's light cruiser YUBARI, four destroyers and a patrol boat escorting Rear Admiral (later Vice Admiral) Abe Koso's* Transport Force of 12 transports and a minesweeper.
4 May 1942: The Battle of the Coral Sea:
Rear Admiral (later Admiral) Frank J. Fletcher's Task Force 17 attacks Rear Admiral (later Vice Admiral) Shima Kiyohide's (former CO of OI) Tulagi Invasion Force at Tulagi. Douglas SBD dive-bombers and TBD torpedo-bombers from the YORKTOWN (CV-5) sink a destroyer, three minesweepers and damage four other ships. The next day, Fletcher's force engages Vice Admiral (Admiral, posthumously) Takagi Takeo's (former CO of MUTSU) Carrier Strike Force. SBDs and TBDs from the YORKTOWN and the LEXINGTON (CV-2) sink Rear Admiral (Vice Admiral, posthumously) Goto Aritomo's (former CO of MUTSU) light carrier SHOHO. In turn, Japanese planes damage the oiler USS NEOSHO (AO-23) and sink the destroyer SIMS (DD-409).
8 May 1942:
Aircraft from the LEXINGTON sight the Carrier Strike Force Main Body sights the Carrier Strike Force's Main Body (SHOKAKU and ZUIKAKU). SBDs from the YORKTOWN and the LEXINGTON damage the SHOKAKU and force her retirement. The ZUIKAKU's air group suffers heavy losses. Takagi's planes damage the YORKTOWN and the LEXINGTON that is further damaged by gasoline explosions. She has to be abandoned and later scuttled by the destroyer PHELPS (DD-360).
5 May 1942:
Arrives off Port Moresby.
19 May 1942:
The Battle of the Coral Sea halts the Japanese thrust toward Port Moresby and they are forced to cancel Operation MO. The RO-34 arrives at Rabaul.
23 May 1942:
Departs Truk with the RO-33.
30 May 1942:
Arrives at Sasebo for repairs and overhaul.
9 July 1942:
Departs Sasebo with the RO-33.
17 July 1942:
Arrives at Truk in company of the RO-33.
23 July 1942:
Departs Truk for Rabaul in company of the RO-33.
27 July 1942:
Arrives at Rabaul and departs that same day for an area E of Cape York, Australia. . Passes through the Frederich and Kenn Reefs to patrol in the Coral Sea off Cape Sandy.
4 August 1942:
W Australia. 300 miles off Albany. The RO-34 shells the 9, 424-ton Australian troop transport KATOOMBA. The transport sends out an S.O.S. that she is being chased and shelled by a submarine.**
The RO-34 chases the KATOOMBA, but the submarine is only one knot faster than the merchant and she escapes. The KATOOMBA receives slight damage as a result of shelling during the chase.
7 August 1942: American Operation "WATCHTOWER" - The Invasion of Guadalcanal, British Solomon Islands:
Rear Admiral (later Admiral) Richmond K. Turner's Amphibious Task Force 62, covered by Vice Admiral (later Admiral) Frank J. Fletcher's Task Force 61 and Rear Admiral (later Admiral) John S. McCain's Task Force 63's land-based aircraft, lands MajGen (later Gen/MOH/Commandant) Alexander A. Vandegrift's 1st Marine Division on Florida, Tulagi, Gavutu, Tanambogo and Guadalcanal opening a seven-month campaign to take the island.
Vice Admiral Mikawa Gun'ichi (former CO of KIRISHIMA), CINC, Eighth Fleet, orders SubRon 21's the RO-34, then off the E coast of Australia, and the RO-33 and SubRon 7's I-121, -122 and the I-123 to the Indispensable Strait off Guadalcanal to reconnoiter the anchorages/landing areas and to contact shore patrols.
10 August 1942:
Arrives off Tulagi.
16 August 1942:
Returns to Rabaul. LtCdr Morinaga Masahiko (later Vice Admiral, JMSDF) assumes command.
21 August 1942:
Departs Rabaul to reconnoiter Guadalcanal.
23 August 1942:
Rear Admiral Yoshitomi orders the RO-34 to intercept an enemy convoy at Lunga Point.
26 August 1942:
The RO-34 arrives off Lunga Point but no vessels are sighted.
29 August 1942:
E of Lunga Point. Around noon, the soundman of the RO-34 picks up a series of distant explosions. In all likelihood he witnesses the sinking of the I-123.
30 August 1942:
LtCdr Morinaga reports attacking unsuccessfully an enemy submarine off Cape Esperance.
6 September 1942:
Returns to Rabaul.
5 October 1942:
SubDiv 21 is disbanded. RO-34 is reassigned directly to SubRon 7.
6 October 1942:
Receives the order to proceed to Russell Islands at flank speed.
27 September 1942:
Departs Rabaul to patrol off Port Moresby.
9 October 1942:
Returns to Rabaul.
12 October 1942:
Departs Rabaul for Truk.
Late October 1942:
Arrives at Truk.
29 October 1942:
Departs Truk to transport the equipment for carrying a Type A midget submarine.
1 November 1942:
Arrives at Shortland.
2 November 1942:
Departs Shortland.
3 November 1942:
Arrives at Rabaul.
7 November 1942:
Guadalcanal. The RO-34, under Rear Admiral Yoshitomi Setsuzo's SubRon 7, is assigned to patrol NE of San Cristobal with the I- 122, I-172, I-175 to intercept enemy reinforcements steaming to Guadalcanal. Departs Rabaul to patrol in Solomons' area.
27 November 1942:
Arrives at Truk.
1 December 1942:
Departs Truk for Sasebo..
9 December 1942:
Arrives at Sasebo for overhaul. LtCdr Tomita Rikichi assumes command. LtCdr Morinaga later becomes the CO of the I-5 and the I-56.
20 February 1943:
Departs Sasebo for Rabaul.
4 March 1943:
Arrives at Rabaul. The RO-34 is assigned to Rear Admiral (later Vice Admiral) Harada Kaku's (former CO of CVS CHIYODA) SubRon 7 in SubDiv 13, Eighth Fleet at Rabaul.
9 March 1943:
Departs Rabaul to patrol off Tulagi.
28 March 1943:
Returns to Rabaul.
1 April 1943: Operation "I-GO" - The Reinforcement of Rabaul:
Admiral Yamamoto Isoroku, CINC Combined Fleet, orders aircraft from CarDiv 1's ZUIKAKU and the ZUIHO to reinforce the 11th Air Fleet's base at Rabaul and CarDiv 2's HIYO and the JUNYO to reinforce the base at Ballale Island, near Buin.
2 April 1943:
1200. The RO-34 departs Rabaul to perform lifeguard duty E of the Russell Islands during Operation I-GO, provide weather reports and to attack American shipping entering or leaving Tulagi or Guadalcanal.
5 April 1943:
40 miles off Russell Island, Solomons. Captain (later Rear Admiiral) Francis X. McInerney's DesRon 21 is returning from a night of shelling Japanese shore installations in the New Georgia area. At 0218, LtCdr D. J. MacDonald's USS O'BANNON (DD-450) and the STRONG (DD-467) of DesRon 21 make radar contact with a surfaced submarine at 7,000 yards.
The O'BANNON detaches to investigate the contact. At about 0230, she approaches the submarine rapidly and prepares to ram. At the last minute, LtCdr MacDonald decides it could be a mine-layer. He puts his rudder hard over to avoid a collision. The O'BANNON is too close to depress her guns to fire.
LtCdr Tomita orders the RO-34 to crash-dive. The O'BANNON draws away to approximately 1,000 yards, brings her 5-inch main armament to bear and commences firing as does STRONG. Shells from both destroyers probably hit the submarine before she crash-dives. The O'BANNON closes to fire her K-guns. She passes less than 100 yards ahead of the submarine, then throws depth charges at it.
Contact is broken, but at 0319 the O'BANNON's sonar reacquires the submarine. MacDonald drops a pattern of eight depth charges. The RO-34 is seen sinking by the stern. An oil slick is sighted the next morning. MacDonald later claims a kill at 08-15S, 158-58E.***
6 April 1943:
The RO-34 is ordered to provide weather reports, perform lifeguard duty and reconnoiter the Russell Islands area. There is no response.
16 April 1943:
The RO-34 is ordered to return to Rabaul, but the signal is not acknowledged.
2 May 1943:
Presumed lost with all 66 hands in the Solomons area.
15 September 1943:
Removed from the Navy List.

Authors' Notes:
*Some sources claim that the I-32 attacked the KATOOMBA.
**Author/historian Kimata Jiro suggests that the RO-34 attacked the HMS ENCOUNTER.
***Sources conflict as to the time, place and agent of the RO-34's destruction. The O'BANNON was credited with sinking the RO-34 on 5 Apr '43, but some sources claim she was sunk on 7 Apr '43 off Lark Shoal by the STRONG.
Special thanks for help in preparing this TROM go to Dr. Higuchi Tatsuhiro of Japan.
– Bob Hackett and Sander Kingsepp.

Back to Submarine Page