IJN Submarine RO-67:
Tabular Record of
Movement
© 2001-2018 Bob Hackett & Sander Kingsepp:
Revision 4
5 March 1925:
Kobe. Laid down at Mitsubishi Shipbuilding
as a 990-ton L4 submarine.
18 March 1926:
Launched and numbered RO-67.
20 August 1926:
LtCdr (later Vice Admiral) Yamazaki Shigeaki
(41)(former CO of RO-18) is appointed the Chief Equipping Officer (CEO).
15 December 1926:
Completed and attached to Sasebo Naval District.
Assigned to SubDiv 27. LtCdr Yamazaki is the CO.
1 December 1927:
LtCdr (later Vice Admiral) Mito Hisashi (42)(former
CO of RO-27) is appointed the CO.
15 December 1928:
LtCdr (later Cdr) Hayashi Seiryo (43)(former CO of
RO-22) is appointed the CO.
15 November 1929:
Lt (Rear Admiral, posthumously) Miyazaki Takeji
(46)(former CO of RO-24) is appointed the CO.
1 April 1930:
Lt (promoted LtCdr 1 December 1930; Captain,
posthumously) Endo Yukio (46)(former CO of RO-21) is appointed the CO.
1 April 1931:
Lt (Cdr, posthumously) Tsuzuki Noboru (48)(former
torpedo officer of I-51) is appointed the CO.
1 December 1931:
LtCdr (later Captain) Okada Yusaku (47)(former
gunnery officer of RO-59) is appointed the CO.
15 March 1933:
LtCdr Endo Yukio (46)(former CO of RO-53) is appointed
the CO (his second tour as the CO of that boat).
16 July 1934:
LtCdr (Rear Admiral, posthumously) Shimizu Taro
(48)(former CO of RO-63) is appointed the CO.
22 October 1934:
LtCdr Tsuzuki Noboru (the current CO of RO-66) is
appointed the CO of RO-67 as additional duty (his second tour as the CO of
that boat).
15 November 1934:
LtCdr (Captain, posthumously) Ohata Tadashi
(50)(former CO of RO-62) is appointed the CO.
15 February 1936:
Lt (promoted LtCdr 1 December 1936; Cdr,
posthumously) Hirokawa Takashi (51)(former torpedo officer of I-3) is appointed
the CO.
1 December 1936:
Placed in reserve at Sasebo.
15 November 1937:
Lt (promoted LtCdr 1 December; Cdr, posthumously)
Ichikawa Akira is appointed the CO.
1 December 1937:
LtCdr Ichikawa is appointed the CO of RO-65 as
additional duty.
19 April 1938:
Lt (Cdr, posthumously) Ueno Toshitake (56)(former
torpedo officer of I-121) is appointed the CO of RO-65 and RO-67 as additional
duty.
10 June 1938:
Lt (later Cdr) Kono Masamichi (52)(former CO of I-65) is
appointed the CO of RO-65 and RO-67 as additional duty.
4 July 1938:
Lt Kono is appointed the CO of I-66 and I-67 as
additional duty.
30 July 1938:
LtCdr (Cdr, posthumously) Yajima Yasuo (51)(former
torpedo officer of I-72) is appointed the CO of RO-65 and RO-67 as additional
duty.
15 December 1938:
LtCdr (Captain, posthumously) Ogawa Tsunayoshi
(50)(former CO of KURI) is apppointed the CO of RO-65 and RO-67 as additional
duty.
20 March 1939:
LtCdr (Captain, posthumously) Uno Kameo (53)(former
torpedo officer of I-3) is appointed the CO of RO-65 and RO-67 as additional
duty.
1 September 1939:
LtCdr (Captain, posthumously) Narizawa Chinao
(52)(former CO of I-57) is appointed the CO.
15 November 1939:
RO-67 is assigned to SubRon 7's SubDiv27, Fourth
Fleet. LtCdr (Captain, posthumously) Ohashi Katsuo (53)(former torpedo officer
of I-7) is appointed the CO.
20 March 1940:
LtCdr (Captain, posthumously) Watanabe Katsuji
(55)(former CO of KURI) is appointed the CO.
26 July 1940:
LtCdr (Capt, posthumously) Obika Masaru (53)(current CO
of RO-66) is appointed the CO of RO-67 as additional duty.
30 October 1940:
LtCdr (later Captain) Yoshitome Zennosuke (52)(former
CO of RO-58) is appointed the CO.
31 October 1941:
LtCdr (Cdr, posthumously) Imoto Masayuki (58)(former
torpedo officer of I-73) is appointed the CO.
2 December 1941: Operation "Z":
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.
5 December 1941:
Kwajalein, Marshall Islands. RO-67 is in Captain
(Rear Admiral posthumously) Fukaya Sokichi's (46) SubDiv 27 of Rear Admiral
Onishi Shinzo's (42) SubRon 7 in Vice Admiral (later Admiral) Inoue Shigeyoshi's
(37)(former CO of HIEI) Fourth Fleet with RO-65 and RO-66. LtCdr Imoto Masayuki
is the Commanding Officer.
SubDiv 27 departs Kwajalein to reconnoiter Wake Island.
8 December 1941: The First Attack on Wake Island:
Wake Island is
assaulted by Rear Admiral (Vice Admiral, posthumously) Kajioka Sadamichi's
(39)(former CO of KISO) Occupation Group: 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.
13 December 1941:
Departs her patrol area.
17 December 1941:
Returns to Kwajalein with RO-65.
23 December 1941: The Second Attack on Wake Island:
The island's
garrison is overwhelmed and surrenders.
24 December 1941:
Departs Kwajalein, but is forced to return the next
day because of engine troubles.
7 January 1942:
Departs Kwajalein for Truk with RO-65.
11 January 1942:
Arrives at Truk.
16 January 1942:
Departs Truk to patrol S of the Cape St. George in
company of RO-65 to support the invasion of Rabaul.
21 January 1942:
SubDiv 27 and SubDiv 23 are assigned to patrol the St
George Straits. The squadron is in the area for several days, but no Allied
warships are sighted.
29 January 1942:
Returns to Truk.
18 February 1942:
Departs Truk with RO-65 to reconnoiter the Makin
area.
28 February 1942:
Arrives at Ponape.
3 March 1942:
Departs Ponape for the Makin area.
17 March 1942:
Arrives at Jaluit, departs on the next day.
24 March 1942:
Arrives at Saipan.
27 March 1942:
Departs Saipan for Sasebo.
2 April 1942:
Arrives at Sasebo.
10 May 1942:
LtCdr (later Cdr) Torisu Kennosuke (58)(current CO of
RO-65) is appointed the CO of RO-67 as additional duty.
30 May 1942:
Lt (Cdr, posthumously) Yamaguchi Kazuo (61)(former
torpedo officer of I-20) is appointed the CO.
14 July 1942:
SubDiv 26 is reassigned to the Fifth Fleet.
26 August 1942:
Lt (Cdr, posthumously) Nakayama Denshichi (61)(former
CO of RO-59) is appointed the CO.
10 September 1942:
Departs Sasebo with RO-67 for Ominato.
13 September 1942:
Arrives at Ominato.
16 September 1942:
Departs Ominato for Paramushiro.
20 September 1942:
Arrives at Paramushiro.
21 September 1942:
Departs Paramushiro for Kiska.
26 September 1942:
Arrives at Kiska just in time for an American air
attack. RO-67 is repeatedly strafed and receives several near misses. Her
periscopes and both electric engines are rendered inoperable. Departs for
Ominato.
4 October 1942:
Arrives at Ominato.
9 October 1942:
Departs Ominato for Yokosuka.
12 October 1942:
Arrives at Yokosuka.
15 November 1942:
SubDiv 26 is reassigned to Kure SubRon. RO-67 is
used as a training boat thereafter.
16 March 1943:
Lt (LtCdr, posthumously) Ebato Kazuro (62)(former
communications officer of KATORI) is appointed the CO.
20 June 1943:
ComSubDiv 18/26, Captain Hamano Motoichi (47) is
appointed the CO of RO-67 as additional duty.
1 December 1943:
LtCdr Yamaguchi Kazuo (61)(former CO of I-154) is
appointed the CO of RO-67 (his second tour as the CO of that boat).
20 December 1943:
Lt (Cdr, posthumously) Fumon Shozo (63)(former
torpedo officer of I-169) is appointed the CO.
1 January 1944:
RO-67 is in the Kure SubRon's SubDiv 33 with RO-62,
RO-63, RO-64 and RO-68. Training duties.
1 April 1944:
Lt (promoted LtCdr 1 May) Oba Saichi (62)(former CO of
I-169) is appointed the CO.
10 July 1944:
ComSubDiv 33, Captain Otani Kiyonori (49) is appointed
the CO of RO-67 as additional duty.
31 August 1944:
Lt (later LtCdr) Taniura Hideo (65)(former torpedo
officer of RO-500) is appointed the CO.
14 October 1944:
Lt Okakita Akimasa (69)(former torpedo officer of
ISOKAZE) is appointed the CO.
6 November 1944:
Lt Tokioka Takayoshi (67)(former communications
officer of RO-109) is appointed the CO.
11 December 1944:
Lt Takahashi Shingo (68)(former torpedo officer of
I-26) is appointed the CO.
1 January 1945:
Kure Naval District. RO-67 is in SubDiv 33 with RO-63
and RO-64. Training duties.
19 March 1945:
Kure. Vice Admiral (later Admiral) Marc A. Mitscher's
(USNA '10)(former CO of HORNET, CV-8) Task Force 58 carriers USS ESSEX (CV-9),
INTREPID (CV-11), HORNET (CV-12), WASP (CV-18), HANCOCK (CV-19), BENNINGTON
(CV-20) and BELLEAU WOOD (CVL-24) make the first carrier attack on the Naval
Arsenal. More than 240 carrier aircraft attack the IJN ships in the harbor area.
RO-67, drydocked for repairs, is repeatedly strafed. A total of 13
sailors are killed.
5 May 1945:
Lt Samejima Osamu (67)(former CO of RO-59) is appointed
the CO.
1 June 1945:
LtCdr Morita Ryoji (64)(former torpedo officer of I-39),
currently serving as instructor at submarine school, is appointed the CO of
RO-67 as additional duty.
20 July 1945:
Removed from the Navy List. RO-67 is decommissioned due
to damage sustained in aerial attack and used as a floating jetty at Sasebo.
1946:
Scrapped.
Authors' Note:
Thanks go to Dr. Higuchi Tatsuhiro of Japan.
– Bob Hackett and Sander Kingsepp.
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