SENSUIKAN!
(RO-46)
IJN Submarine RO-45:
Tabular Record of
Movement
© 2001-2017 Bob Hackett & Sander Kingsepp
Revision 2
20 October 1942:
Laid down Mitsubishi's Kobe Yard as a 960-ton type K6 submarine.
21 July 1943:
Launched and numbered RO-45.
5 November 1943:
LtCdr (Cdr, posthumously) Hamazumi Yoshihisa
(61)(former CO of RO-104) is appointed the Chief Equipping Officer (CEO) of RO-45
and RO-47 as an additional duty.
11 January 1944:
Completed, commissioned and attached to Maizuru Naval
District. Assigned to SubRon 11 for working-up. LtCdr Hamazumi Yoshihisa is the
Commanding Officer.
14 April 1944:
Reassigned to SubDiv 34, Sixth Fleet.
16 April 1944:
Departs Kure for Truk.
27 April 1944:
Arrives at Truk.
29 April 1944: The Second Task Force 58 Attack on Truk:
Early in the
morning, a Mitsubishi G4M "Betty" patrol plane from Truk sights an American
task force (TF 58) heading north at 18 knots. ComSubRon 7 Rear Admiral Owada
Noboru (44)(former CO of YAMASHIRO) orders the submarines stationed off the N
coast of New Guinea to intercept them.
Vice Admiral (later Admiral) Marc A. Mitscher's (USNA '10)(former CO of
HORNET, CV-8) Task Force 58, including five fleet carriers and seven light
carriers, begins a two-day attack on shipping, fuel and ammunition dumps,
aircraft facilities and other installations at Truk.
30 April 1944:
After another air attack on Truk, ComSubRon 7 orders
RO-45, RO-44, I-16, I-176, RO-106, RO-108 and RO-115 to intercept the American
task force. RO-45 is the only submarine that manages to make contact with the
Americans.
40 miles S of Truk. That same day, Cdr J. W. Ramey's MACDONOUGH (DD-351)
and Cdr C. H. Crichton's STEPHEN POTTER (DD-538) are on radar picket duty
screening the carriers. At 0621 (local), MACDONOUGH makes radar contact on a
surfaced submarine but loses contact when the submarine dives.
Sonar contact is soon established and the MACDONOUGH makes two depth
charge attacks using both Mk. 6 and Mk. 9 (streamlined) depth charges. The
STEPHEN POTTER also attacks. A Grumman F6F "Hellcat" from Captain S. H.
Ingersoll's MONTEREY (CVL-26) provides spotting support. The Americans hear
several explosions, then oil and debris come to the surface signaling the end of
the submarine - probably RO-45 - at 06-13N, 151-19E. [1]
20 May 1944:
Presumed lost in the Truk area with all 74 hands.
10 July 1944:
Removed from the Navy List.
Authors' Notes:
[1] Some accounts claim RO-45 was sunk off Saipan on 20
April 1945 by USS SEAHORSE (SS-304), but these are erroneous since RO-45 was
active after this date. Other accounts misidentify MACDONOUGH's victim as
I-174.
Special thanks for help in preparing this TROM go to Dr. Higuchi
Tatsuhiro of Japan.
– Bob Hackett and Sander Kingsepp.
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