SENSUIKAN!

© 2001-2003 Bob Hackett & Sander Kingsepp

30 September 1944:
The RO-55 is completed at Mitsui's Tamano shipyard, commissioned in the IJN and based in the Maizuru Naval District. LtCdr Suwa Koichiro (former CO of I-166) is the Commanding Officer.

That same day, she is assigned to SubRon 11 for working-up.

4 January 1945:
Reassigned to SubDiv 34, Sixth Fleet.

9 January 1945 - American Operation "Mike One" - The Invasion of Luzon:
Vice Admiral (later Admiral) Thomas C. Kinkaid's Task Force 77 lands almost 175,000 men of General Walter Krueger's Sixth Army at Lingayen Gulf, Philippines under cover of heavy gunfire from Vice Admiral (later Admiral) Jesse B. Oldendorf's TG 77.2 bombardment force and aircraft of Rear Admiral (later Vice Admiral) Calvin T. Durgin's TG 77.4. The Sixth Army begins the campaign to retake Luzon from General Yamashita Tomoyuki's 14th Area Army.

27 January 1945:
Departs Kure on her first war patrol for an area W of Mindoro.

2 February 1945:
E of Luzon. LtCdr Suwa reports that the RO-55 was attacked by enemy aircraft. Suwa adds that his arrival at his patrol area will be delayed five days. It is the last signal received from the RO-55.

7 February 1945:
Off Iba, Luzon, Philippines. The RO-55 attempts to attack a convoy of ships headed for Leyte Gulf. One of the convoy's escorts, LtCdr C. B. Henriques' USS THOMASON (DE 203), picks up a surfaced submarine on her SL radar. At 2330, Henriques attacks with barrages of twenty-four ahead-thrown Mark 10 "hedgehog" projector charges and sinks the submarine - probably the RO-55 - at 15-27N, 119-25E.*

1 March 1945:
Presumed lost with all 80 hands off the Philippines.

10 May 1945:
Removed from the Navy List.

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Authors' Notes:
Some sources claim the RO-55 was sunk on 10 February 1945 in the Luzon Strait by the USS BATFISH (SS-310), but, most probably, this was the RO-115.

Special thanks for help in preparing this TROM go to Dr. Higuchi Tatsuhiro of Japan. – Bob Hackett and Sander Kingsepp.

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