SENSUIKAN!
HIJMS Submarine RO-45: Tabular Record of
Movement
© 2001-2004 Bob Hackett & Sander Kingsepp
11 January 1944:
Kobe. The RO-45 is completed at Mitsubishi Shipbuilding, commissioned in the IJN and based in the Maizuru Naval District. She is assigned to SubRon 11. Cdr Hamazumi Yoshihisa is the Commanding Officer.
14 April 1944:
The RO-45 is 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 (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 (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 the RO-44, I-16, I-176, RO-106, -108 and the RO-115 to intercept the American task force. The 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), the 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 the RO-45 - at 06-13N, 151-19E.*
20 May 1944:
Presumed lost in the Truk area with all 74 hands.
10 July 1944:
Removed from the Navy List.
Authors' Notes:
*Some accounts claim that the RO-45 was sunk off Saipan on 20 April 1945 by the USS SEAHORSE (SS-304), but these are erroneous since the RO-45 was active after this date.
*Other accounts misidentify the MACDONOUGH ’s victim as the 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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