SENSUIKAN!

© 2001-2017 Bob Hackett & Sander Kingsepp
Revision 2

9 October 1941:
Laid down at Mitsubishi Kobe Yard as the lead boat of the 965-ton K6 class, Submarine No. 201.

4 June 1942:
Launched as RO-35 and provisionally attached to Maizuru Naval District.

20 November 1942:
Lt (Cdr, posthumously) Manabe Masateru (60) (former CEO of RO-104 and RO-105) is appointed the Chief Equipping Officer (CEO).

25 March 1943:
Kobe. RO-35 is completed, commissioned in the IJN and attached to Maizuru Naval District. Lt (promoted LtCdr 1 June 1943) Manabe Masateru is the Commanding Officer.

1 April 1943:
RO-35 is assigned to SubRon 11 for working-up.

17 July 1943:
Departs Kure for Truk.

20 July 1943:
Reassigned to 1st Submarine Unit, Sixth Fleet (Submarines).

Early August 1943:
Arrives at Truk.

16 August 1943:
Departs Truk on her first war patrol to reconnoiter the Espiritu Santo area.

25 August 1943:
At 1700, LtCdr Manabe reports sighting a convoy of six transports off Espiritu Santo. It is the last signal received from RO-35.

E of the Solomons, 170 miles from Ndeni, Santa Cruz island. LtCdr A. F. White's USS PATTERSON (DD-392) is screening a convoy of Task Unit 32.4.7 from the New Hebrides toward the lower Solomon Islands. At 1912, White's radar picks up a surface contact. PATTERSON is ordered to close and investigate. At 4,000 yards, the contact - a diving submarine - disappears. White's sonar reacquires the target at 3,800 yards and PATTERSON commences dropping depth charge patterns. At 2153, her crew hears a deep underwater explosion - probably marking the end of RO-35 at 12-57S, 164-23 E. [1]

8 September 1943:
The Sixth Fleet at Truk attempts to contact RO-35.

2 October 1943:
Presumed lost with all 66 hands off Espiritu Santo, New Hebrides Islands.

1 December 1943:
Removed from the Navy List.

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Authors' Notes:
[1] I-25 was lost in the same area around that time.

Somewhat confusingly, the USN Fleet Radio Unit, Melbourne (FRUMEL) reported in June 1944 that RO-35 was making a supply run from Truk to Kusaie, probably confusing her with RO-41.

Special thanks for help in preparing this TROM go to Dr. Higuchi Tatsuhiro of Japan.

– Bob Hackett and Sander Kingsepp.

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