Imperial Submarines

SENSUIKAN!

(RO-66)

IJN Submarine RO-62:
Tabular Record of Movement
© 2001-2017 Bob Hackett & Sander Kingsepp:
Revision 3

8 September 1922:
Kobe. Laid down Mitsubishi Shipbuilding as a 990-ton L4 submarine.
19 September 1923:
Launched.
24 July 1924:
Completed and commissioned in the IJN as Submarine No. 73. Attached to Maizuru Naval District. Assigned to SubDiv 33. LtCdr (later Captain) Horie Yoshimasa (37)(former CO of RO-18) is the Commanding Officer.
1 November 1924:
Submarine No. 73 is renumbered RO-62.
1 December 1925:
Lt (promoted LtCdr 1 Dec 1926; later Rear Admiral) Fukuzawa Tsunekichi (41)(former acting CO of RO-19) is appointed the CO.
1 December 1927:
Lt (promoted LtCdr 10 Dec 1928; later Rear Admiral) Imaizumi Yoshijiro (44)(former CO of RO-28) is appointed the CO.
10 July 1928:
Placed in reserve.
10 February-20 September 1928:
Lt Imaizumi is appointed the CO of RO-60 as an additional duty.
16 May-10 December 1928:
Lt Imaizumi is appointed the CO of RO-61 as an additional duty.
1 November 1929:
LtCdr Kamura Karoku (44)(former CO of RO-30) is appointed the CO of RO-61 and RO-62 as an additional duty.
30 November 1929-24 April 1930:
LtCdr (later Rear Admiral) Sasaki Hankyu (45)(former CO of RO-56) is appointed the CO.
1 December 1930:
LtCdr (Rear Admiral, posthumously) Tamaki Tomejiro (45)(former CO of RO-64) is appointed the CO.
14 November 1931:
RO-62 is placed in reserve. Lt (promoted LtCdr 1 December; later Captain) Shimazui Takemi (47)(former CO of RO-66) is appointed the CO of RO-61 and RO-62 as an additional duty.
26 March-18 April 1932:
LtCdr Shimazui is appointed the CO of RO-60 as an additional duty.
24 September 1932:
LtCdr (Rear Admiral, posthumously) Okamoto Yoshisuke (47)(former CO of FUJI) is appointed the CO.
1 November 1934:
Lt (Captain, posthumously) Ohata Tadashi (50)(former torpedo officer of I-58) is appointed the CO.
15 November 1934:
Placed in reserve. LtCdr (later Captain) Shichiji Tsuneo (49)(current CO of RO-60) is appointed the CO of RO-61 and RO-62 as an additional duty.
15 December 1934:
Lt (later Captain) Tonozuka Kinzo (50)(former CO of RO-56) is appointed the CO of RO-60, RO-61 and RO-62 as an additional duty.
15 November 1935:
LtCdr (Captain, posthumously) Izu Juichi (51)(former navigation officer of I-60) is appointed the CO of RO-61 and RO-62 as an additional duty.
15 February-1 December 1936:
Lt (Rear Admiral, posthumously) Togami Ichiro (51)(former torpedo officer of I-60) is appointed the CO of RO-60, RO-61 and RO-62 as an additional duty.
15 December 1938-20 January 1940:
LtCdr (Captain, posthumously) Tanaka Makio (52)(former CO of KASASAGI) is appointed the CO.
15 November 1939:
RO-62 is assigned to SubDiv 26, SubRon 7, Fourth Fleet.
15 October 1940:
LtCdr (Captain, posthumously) Ohashi Katsuo (53)(former CO of RO-67) is appointed the CO of RO-61 and RO-62 as an additional duty.
30 October 1940:
LtCdr (Cdr, posthumously) Ota Takeshi (55)(former CO of RO-64) is appointed the CO.
31 July 1941:
Lt (promoted LtCdr 15 October) Takizawa Konosuke (58)(former torpedo officer of I-70) is appointed the CO.
2 December 1941:
The coded signal "Niitakayama nobore (Climb Mt. Niitaka) 1208" is received from the Combined Fleet. It signifies that hostilities will commence on 8 December (Japan time). Mt. Niitaka, located in Formosa (now Taiwan), is then the highest point in the Japanese Empire.
6 December 1941:
Kwajalein. RO-62 is in Rear Admiral Onishi Shinzo's (42)SubRon 7 with Captain Matsuo Yoshiyasu's (47) SubDiv 26, Fourth Fleet. LtCdr Takizawa Konosuke is the Commanding Officer.
8 December 1941: The First Attack on Wake Island:
SubDiv 26 is on 'standby alert' at the outbreak of hostilities.
Wake Island is assaulted by Rear Admiral (Vice Admiral, posthumously) Kajioka Sadamichi's (39)(former CO of KISO) Occupation Group's DesRon 6's light cruiser YUBARI, eight destroyers, two transports and RO-65, RO-66 and RO-67. The United States Marines beat back the first assault with their 5-inch shore batteries. Kajioka loses LtCdr Takatsuka Minoru's (56) destroyer HAYATE to the shore batteries and LtCdr Ogawa Yoichiro's (57)destroyer KISARAGI to Marine Grumman F4F "Wildcats".
12 December 1941:
CarDiv 2's HIRYU and SORYU are detached from Vice Admiral (Admiral, posthumously) Nagumo Chuichi's (36)(former CO of YAMASHIRO) Striking Force returning from Pearl Harbor to reinforce Kajioka, as is Rear Admiral (later Vice Admiral) Abe Hiroaki's (39)(former CO of FUSO) CruDiv 8's TONE, CHIKUMA and two destroyers. Rear Admiral (Vice Admiral, posthumously) Goto Aritomo's (38)(former CO of MUTSU) CruDiv 6's AOBA, KINUGASA, KAKO, FURUTAKA, seaplane tender CHIYODA and two other destroyers also reinforce Kajioka. Rear Admiral Abe, now senior officer present, has overall command.
SubDiv 26's RO-62, RO-60 and RO-61 are assigned to the reinforced Wake Occupation Group.
14 December 1941:
Departs Kwajalein for Wake Island.
17 December 1941:
25 miles SW of Wake Island. At 2020 (JST), in a heavy squall as it is getting dark, both RO-62 and RO-66 surface to charge their batteries. Lookouts on both boats spot each other, but it is too late. The subs attempt to back off, but RO-66 is rammed by RO-62 and sinks. Three sailors from RO-66 are thrown overboard and picked up by RO-62, but 63 others are killed.
23 December 1941: The Second Attack on Wake Island:
After a magnificent stand, Wake's garrison is overwhelmed and its few defenders surrender.
28 December 1941:
Returns to Kwajalein.
5 January 1942:
Reassigned to the Marshalls Area Guard Unit with RO-61. Patrols off Kwajalein.
1 February 1942: American Air Raid on Kwajalein:
Vice Admiral (later Fleet Admiral) William F. Halsey Jr's (USNA '04) Task Force 8 (USS ENTERPRISE (CV-6) raids Kwajalein and Wotje in the Marshall Islands. Douglas "Dauntless" SBDs of VB-6 and VS-6 and Douglas TBD "Devastators" of VT-6 sink a transport and damage light cruiser KATORI, flagship of the Sixth Fleet's (Submarines) Commander, Vice Admiral Shimizu Mitsumi (36)(former CO of ISE). I-23, submarine depot ship YASUKUNI MARU, and several other important ships are also damaged in the raid.
Two hours after the attack, Sixth Fleet HQ orders SubRon 1's I-9, I-15, I-17, I-19, I-23, I-25, I-26 and RO-61 and RO-62 put to sea to intercept Halsey's force, but they fail to make contact.
9 March 1942:
Arrives at Truk with RO-61.
19 March 1942
RO-61 and -62 depart Truk for Saipan.
22 March 1942:
Arrive at Saipan, depart on the same day for Sasebo.
23 March 1942:
Departs Saipan for Sasebo.
30 March 1942:
Arrive at Sasebo.
23 May 1942:
Lt (Cdr, posthumously) Shimada Takeo (59)(former torpedo officer of I-10) is appointed the CO.
31 May 1942:
Departs Sasebo for Saipan with RO-61.
6 June 1942:
RO-62 and RO-61 arrive at Saipan.
7 June 1942:
Depart Saipan for Truk.
10 June 1942
Arrive at Truk.
27 June 1942:
Depart Truk for Yokosuka.
5 July 1942:
Arrive at Yokosuka.
14 July 1942:
SubDiv 26 is reassigned to the Fifth Fleet.
24 July 1942:
Departs Yokosuka for Paramushiro with RO-61.
30 July 1942:
RO-62 and RO-61 arrive at Paramushiro.
1 August 1942:
Depart Paramushiro for Kiska.
5 August 1942:
Arrive at Kiska.
8 August 1942:
Depart Kiska to intercept an American TF.
10 August 1942:
Return to Kiska.
29 August 1942:
Departs Kiska to patrol off Nazan Bay, Atka with ComSubDiv 26 Captain Matsuo aboard.
30 August 1942:
RO-62, RO-61 and RO-64 are ordered to attack American Task Group 8.8 that is attempting to occupy Adak Island in the Aleutians.
5 September 1942:
Returns to Kiska.
14 September 1942:
47 planes from the 11th AF (15 B-24s, one B-17, 15 P-38s and 16 P-39s raid Kiska. RO-68 is strafed, but RO-62 receives no damage.
19 September 1942:
Departs Kiska to patrol in the vicinity of the island.
21 September 1942:
Returns to Kiska.
29 September 1942:
Departs Kiska to patrol in the vicinity of the island, returning on the next day.
1 October 1942:
Departs Kiska to patrol of Crook Bay.
3-5 October 1942:
Patrols off north coast of Adak.
3-5 October 1942:
Patrols off north coast of Adak.
8 October 1942:
Returns to Kiska.
10-17 October 1942:
Several short sorties, probably to test equipment.
15 October 1942:
Lt (Cdr, posthumously) Sato Sakuma (60)(former torpedo officer of I-26) is appointed the CO.
18 October 1942:
After an air pump malfunctions, departs Kiska for Paramushiro.
23 October 1942:
Arrives at Paramushiro, departs later.
29 October 1942:
Arrives at Ominato.
1 November 1942:
Departs Ominato for Yokosuka.
5 November 1942:
Arrives at Yokosuka, later transfers to Kure.
15 November 1942:
SubDiv 26 is reassigned to Kure Guard Unit, training department.
1 December 1943:
SubDiv 26 is disbanded and its boats transferred to SubDiv 33.
10 December 1942:
Cdr (later Captain) Yoshitome Zennosuke (52)(former CO of I-166) is appointed the CO "on paper".
20 December 1942:
LtCdr (Cdr, posthumously) Nagai Katsuhiko (57)(current CO of I-174) is appointed the CO of RO-62 as an additional duty.
16 March 1943:
Lt (Cdr, posthumously) Nomura Toshiharu (60)(former torpedo officer of I-20) is appointed the CO. [1]
25 May 1943:
Lt (later LtCdr) Tsukudo Tatsuo (63)(former torpedo officer of I-25) is appointed the CO.
20 August 1943:
Lt (Cdr, posthumously) Enomoto Yasuo (63)(former torpedo officer of I-35) is appointed the CO.
20 December 1943:
Lt Tsukudo Tatsuo (63) is appointed the CO (his second tour as the CO of that boat).
9 March 1944:
Cdr (later Captain) Yoshimura Iwao (51)(former CO of I-20) is appointed the CO "on paper".
30 April 1944:
Lt (LtCdr, posthumously) Kamijikkoku Yasuo (66)(former CEO of RO-46) is appointed the CO.
25 August 1944:
Lt (LtCdr, posthumously) Nakagawa Hiroshi (68)(former navigator of I-176) is appointed the CO.
10 October 1944:
RO-62 is reassigned to Kure SubRon.
14 October 1944:
Lt Kurita Yoshifumi (69)(former torpedo officer of FUJINAMI) is appointed the CO.
15 December 1944:
Lt Ono Shimpei (68)(former torpedo officer of RO-46) is appointed the CO.
10 January 1945:
LtCdr Sato Kiyoteru (66)(former CO of RO-64) is appointed the CO.
12 April 1945:
Otake Submarine School. RO-62 is reassigned to SubDiv 33 as a training boat.
1 June 1945:
Lt Imanishi Saburo (67)(current CO of RO-63) is appointed the CO of RO-62 as an additional duty.
12 June 1945:
LtCdr Hayakawa Hiromasa (64)(current CO of I-155) is appointed the CO of RO-62 as an additional duty.
20 July 1945:
LtCdr Hayakawa assumes full-time command of RO-62.
15 August 1945:
At Maizuru. Emperor Hirohito (Showa) broadcasts an Imperial Rescript that calls for an end to hostilities.
21 August 1945:
Departs Maizuru for Kure.
26 August 1945:
Kure. The crew of RO-62 is reduced to a minimum.
28 August 1945:
The battle flag is lowered and the rest of the crew leaves the boat.
3 November 1945:
LtCdr Hayakawa is appointed the CO of CD-55.
20 November 1945:
Removed from the Navy List.
May 1946:
Scuttled in the Iyo Nada.

Authors' Notes:
[1] Several older sources misidentify Nomura Toshiharu as Nomura Shunji.
Special thanks go to Dr. Higuchi Tatsuhiro of Japan.

– Bob Hackett and Sander Kingsepp.

Back to Submarine Page