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| IJN Kaichū type submarine (K5/K6 subclass) RO-33 class 955 Tons (surfaced) 1,219 Tons (submerged) 239' 6" x 22' x 10' 8" 4 x forward torpedo tubes with ten Type 93 Long Lance torpedoes 1 x 76.2mm deck gun 1 x 12.7mm MG  IJN 1939  IJN 1942 |
Sub History Built at the Kure Navy Yard in Kure. Laid down August 8, 1933 as Kaichū type submarine, Kaichū V (K5 subclass). Launched October 10, 1934 as RO-33 the lead submarine of the new Kaichū VI (Ro-33 class). Completed and commissioned October 7, 1935 in the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) under the command of LtCdr Nobuo Ishikawa assigned to the Maizuru Naval District to On November 15, 1940 assigned to SubDiv 21 SubRon 4. On May 15, 1941 placed into 3rd reserve at Sasebo with RO-34 and six days later becomes the flagship of SubDiv 21.On July 1, 1941 placed under the command of LtCdr Watanabe. On July 31, 1941 placed under the command of LtCdr Eiichi Sakamoto. In the middle of October 1941 arrives Maizuru Navy Yard for repairs and refit. By early November 1941 returns to duty. Wartime History At the start of the Pacific War assigned to Operation "E" the Japanese invasion of Malaya. On December 18, 1941 at 4:00pm departs Sasebo with RO-34 bound for Camranh Bay. On December 21, 1941 departs Camranh Bay on her first war patrol east of Singapore. On January 5, 1942 ends the patrol and two days later returns to Camranh Bay. On February 15, 1942 RO-33, I-53 and I-55 are ordered to intercept cruisers HMS Exeter (68) and HMAS Hobart (D63) but the submarines were unable to locate the warships. On February 20, 1942 transited Lombok Strait into the Indian Ocean. Between March 1, 1942 to March 4, 1942 patrolled off Tjilatjap and spots several enemy transports and destroyers and attempts to attack but fails to score any hits. On March 10, 1942 SubRon 4 is disbanded and RO-33 and RO-34 are assigned to SubRon 6 under the command of Vice Admiral Inoue Shigeyoshi, 4th Fleet patrolling Palau and Truk. On April 4, 1942 both RO-33 and RO-34 were assigned to the South Seas Unit. On April 15, 1942 departs Truk and three days later arrives in Simpson Harbor off Rabaul and was placed under the command of LtCdr Kuriyama Shigeshi. On April 20, 1942 departs Rabaul to reconnoiter Port Moresby and search the Jomard Passage for convoy routes and to reconnoiter Deboyne Islands and the Rossel Island for suitable anchorages before to the planned operation against Port Moresby. Afterwards, RO-33 and RO-34 are ordered to blockade Port Moresby and help guide Japanese ships into the area. On April 23, 1942 returns to Rabaul. On May 1, 1942, departs Rabaul as part of Operation "MO" to the Jomard Passage in the Louisiade Archipelago with DesRon 6 including light cruiser Yubari, four destroyers and a patrol boat escorting a force of twelve transports and a minesweeper. On May 5, 1942, RO-33 arrives off Port Moresby and on May 10, 1942 departs for Truk. On May 23, 1942 departs Truk with RO-34 bound for Japan. On May 30, 1942 arrives Sasebo for overhaul and repair and departs on July 9, 1942 with RO-34 and returns to Truk on July 17, 1942. Six days later departs for Rabaul with RO-34. On July 29, 1942 departs Rabaul bound for the Coral Sea and off Port Moresby and the southeast coast of New Guinea. On August 6, 1942 RO-33 was north of Murray Island in the Torres Strait Islands of Queensland then proceeds into the Gulf of Papua. On August 7, 1942 at 10:34am, spotted and chased MV Mamutu and around 11:00am opens fire with her 80mm deck gun and scores repeated hits, sinking the vessel with great loss of life and only 28 survivors. Wartime accounts claim RO-33's captain Kuriyama ordered his crew to machine gun the survivors. Yet, the account of the sole survivor and Japanese sources dispute this claim, stating the submarine only used the deck gun. That same day, B-25 piloted by 1st Lt. Charles Dolan from 3rd BG, 13th BS searched for "two Japanese submarines" [sic RO-33] in the Gulf of Papua without making any sightings. On August 7, 1942 RO-33 was ordered to patrol Indispensable Strait and reconnoiter the U.S. landing on Guadalcanal then make contact with Japanese forces ashore. On August 11, 1942 arrives off Lunga Point. On August 12, 1942 arrived off Cape Hunter and contacts Japanese forces ashore and learns from them an enemy task force consisting of two carriers, two battleships, five cruisers and several transports were observed leaving Guadalcanal and LtCdr Kuriyama relays this information to headquarters. On August 13, 1942 delivers food to Japanese forces on Cape Esperance, then departs for Rabaul arriving August 16, 1942. On August 22, 1942 departs Rabaul to patrol south of Samarai and then proceeds to Port Moresby. On August 26, 1942 LtCdr Kuriyama sends a regular situation report after arriving in his prescribed area. It is the last signal received from the RO-33. Sinking History On August 29, 1942 at 11:34 MV Malaita escorted by HMAS Arunta (I30) depart Port Moresby to escape enemy air raids and steam southward bound for Cairns. At 12:10pm MV Malaita was hit on her starboard side below the bridge near the entrance to Fairfax Harbor by a torpedo fired by RO-33 at roughly at 9° 50' S, 144° 55' E and took on a heavy list to starboard. By 12:45pm, the crew abandoned ship fearing it was about to capsize, but later re-boarded and the vessel was towed back to Port Moresby. Searching for the attacking submarine, HMAS Arunta (I30) made sonar contact with RO-33 ten miles southeast of Port Moresby and made four depth charge attacks releasing Mark VII depth charges. Afterwards, a large oil slick was observed at roughly 9° 36' S, 147° 6' E. On September 1, 1942 the submarine is officially presumed lost off Port Moresby with her entire crew of seventy. References Combined Fleet - IJN Submarine RO-33: Tabular Record of Movement Wrecks & Reefs (1994) pages 199–207 Harvest of the Grim Reapers Volume I (2021) pages 325 (search for RO-33), 521 (index RO-33) Contribute
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