Kamikaze class destroyers (1922)

9 Destroyers built 1921-25: Kamikaze, Asakaze, Harukaze, Matsukaze, Hatakaze, Oite, Hayate, Asanagi, Yūnagi, +2 more cancelled

WW2 IJN Destroyers:

Momi | Minekaze | Wakatake | Kamikaze | Mutsuki

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Fubuki | Akatsuki | Hatsuharu | Shiratsuyu | Asashio | Kagero | Yugumo | Shimakaze | Akizuki

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Matsu | Tachibana | Simushu | Erotofu | Ukuru | Type C | Type D

The Kamikaze-class destroyers (Kamikazegata kuchikukan) were nine destroyers of the Imperial Japanese Navy albeit some authors considered the modified Nokaze, Kamikaze and Mutsuki classes to be extensions of the Minekaze-class or that this class was called the “Kiyokaze class” to distonguish them from a pre-WWI class. They were obsolete when the Pacific War commenced, like the Mutsuki and the ones preceding (pretty much all before the “special types” (Fubuki), and relegated to secondary roles, escorts or specialized ones such as patrol boats and kaiten carriers. They were ultimately savaged by US submarines, which claimed no less than six of them, other being destroyerd by air attacks and three survived.

Yunagi colorized by Erick Navas

Development

Context and Genesis

The Kamikaze-class were an extension and improvement of the Minekaze-class program in the Eight-eight fleet Plan. They were ordered under the 1921-1922 fiscal budget but it’s unclear if they were denominated as “1st class” or not. But like the Wakatake class, they were originally given only numbers and no names as it was expected to built a large numbers of them. Due to unpopularity of this decision, confusion in command and manoeuver and just self-esteem and esprit de corps among Japanese crews this was reverted and they were assigned individual names on 1 August 1928, all being symbolic, poetic or traditional winds.
Construction of the last two planned was cancelled as the Washington Naval Treaty was signed. The same treaty allowed a new class (the Mutsuki) only after Japan decommissioned and scrapped earlier WWI classes, despite seeing little service. IJN Oite, Hayate, Asanagi and Yūnagi were called the Kamikaze-class “late production” or sub-class Oite and their powerplant and armaments were different, announcing the newt Mutsuki class. All three, the Minekaze, Kamikaze and Mutsuki were assimilated to “1st class” whereas the Momi and Wakatake were “2nd class”, but the appeal of these small destroyers was soon criticized.

Construction

It was spread out between many more yards than 1st class destroyers, with many more orders expected, which is why numbers were chosen.

Builders:

Maizuru Naval Arsenal: Harukaze, Matsukaze, Hatakaze
Mitsubishi-Nagasaki: Kamikaze, Asakaze
Uraga Dock Company: Oite
Ishikawajima Shipyards: Hayate
Fujinagata Shipyards: Asanagi
Sasebo Naval Arsenal: Yunagi

Names

The IJN originally planned to give them names, but eventually when completed this was reverted to numbers due to the projected large number of destroyers expected as part of the Eight-eight fleet plan, that is until the Washington treaty force the prespective down, but this proved an extremely unpopular decision with the crews. Commanders and captain also citing constant command confusion in communications. So by August 1928, original names were reassigned in some, but not all cases. Otehrs were found. Here is the detail:
Kamikaze (Divine Wind) was laid down at Kiyokaze Pure Wind) or Soyokaze (Breeze) and at completion, Dai-1 Kuchikukan (N°1) or Dai-1-Gō Kuchikukan on 24 April 1924, Kamikaze in 1928.

Asakaze (Morning Wind) in 1928 was the former Karukaze (Light Wind), number 3.
Harukaze (Spring Wind) and originally Makaze (True Wind), then No.5 Destroyer.
Matsukaze (Wind among the pine trees) was the 7th Destroyer and kept her original name.
Hatakaze (Wind causing waving of a flag) also kept her name, and was No.9 Destroyer.
Oite (Fair Wind) was No.11 Destroyer.
Hayate (Squall) was No.13 Destroyer
Asanagi (Morning Calm) was No.15 Destroyer
Yūnagi (Evening Calm) was No.17 Destroyer
Ōkaze (Great Wind) and Tsumujikaze (Whirlwind) were both cancelled.

Poster of IJN destroyers. The earlier types are on the left.

Design of the class

Hayate on trials, colorized by Irootoko Jr.

The Kamikaze-class were visually identical to earlier Minekaze with only minor detail changes, notably in the bridge, based on early trials return. The Kamikaze class were important in that they were the first Imperial Japanese Navy to be built with a bridge strengthened by steel plating to make it more resilient and better protect the offiocers as it was understood that in combat, ship command mattered and a single hit could have grave consequences. But this also gave them a higher center of gravity and thus degraded an already compromise stability since like the previous class their main guns were all placed on banstands or quite high.

To counteract this they ended with a wider beam (9.1 m (30 ft) versus 9 m (29 ft 6 in)) making for an increased displacement but also more oil storage and thus extra range whereas top speed was “degraded” to 37.5 knots (69.5 km/h) with differences with the sub-class Oite. These were significant differences with the Minekaze class and were retaken for the next Mutsuki class. They kept the tradiftional “toothbrush” appearance typical of this generation. ONI (Office of Naval Intelligence) had some difficulty later distiguishing between them, and in the books they distributed to all ships the profiles were very much the same between all three 1st class destroyers.

Hull and general design

The traditional trademark of previous Minekaze class were kept. This constance in design enabled the yards to concentrate on quality and made returns in terms of construction details that allowed to gradually improve the type altogether. The bow had the typical rounded chin and constant “ice breaking” curve to the keel. The prow and short forecastle supporting the main gun behind a breakwater had some flare, and a turtleback metal deck with rounded slopes to rapidly evacuate seawater, then the classic cut for the forward torpedo tube bank, and then the bridge, now reinforced, with wings and a small spotting top on the foremast, two raked, equal size, capped funnels and in between the second main gun on a bandstand structure with platform wings, but instead of having the third one behind the aft funnel, there is a swap with the projector platform.

Instead, the number three gun is now on the rear structure, like the fourth, with the aft mas in between. Now the two aft torpedo tubes banks are no longer separated by the searchlight platform but close together, both facing forward. The gun swapt and close TTs is a sure way to distinguish the Kamikaze from the Minekaze. The exact same pattern is repeated for the Mustuki class, juged superior. However the latter will have its three twin TT banks replaced by two triple ones instead as rearmed prewar.
The hull had find entry lines, constant beam past the bridge, and a broad rounded stern and poop deck, wooden all the way to the bridge structure.

IJN Hatakaze ONI details

Powerplant

The Kamikaze pretty much repeated the same pattern as the Minekaze, but this diverged between sub-classes:
Kamikaze to Hatakaze: Two shafts Parsons geared turbines, fed by four Ro-Gō Kampon water-tube boilers for 38,500 shp
Oite to Yūnagi: Two shafts Kampon geared turbines fed by four Ro-Gō Kampon water-tube boilers for the same 38,500 ihp (28,700 kW).
For memory, the Minekaze class had two variable type turbines (Parsons for some) fed also by four Kampon boilers running for 38,500 shp but 39 knots (72 km/h) and no direct-drive engines and still high fuel consumption.
Performances for the Kamikaze class were degraded quite a bit, and for the first group Kamikaze to Hatakaze to speed was down to 37.25 knots (68.99 km/h) on trials, and from Oite to Yūnagi even down to 36.88 knots (68.30 km/h), three knots loss.
As for range it was broadly comparable, with 420 tonnes of oil bunkerage for 3600 nautical miles at 14 knots (6,700 km at 26 km/h) as the Minekaze or 4,000 at 15 knots as found in other sources.

Armament

In brief:
-4 × 12 cm/45 (4.7 inch) type 3 naval guns in single mounts, shielded, one forward, one aft, one amidships on a bandstand.
-6x 533 mm (21 inch) torpedo tubes in three twin mounts, one forward in the hull break well, two aft.
-Two 7.7mm/80 Type 92 light AA machine guns src
-20 mines and a mechanical minesweeping gear.
-Depth charges for anti-submarine warfare, see notes.

Their armament was identical to that of the Momi class, same battery of three Type 3 120 mm 45 caliber naval guns in single mounts (forcastle, stern structure, amidship bandstand), and two twin Type 6 torpedo launchers. Anti-aircraft protection was limited at the time to two 7.7mm machine guns.

12 cm/45 3rd Year Type naval gun

The 12 cm/45 gun was designed in 1895 as an indigenous variant of an Elswick Ordnance Pattern Y under the designation “Type 41”. In 1921 it was declined into an high-angle AA gun, the 12 cm/45 10th Year Type. The base model had a Single motion interrupted screw Welin breech block different from the Type 3 12 cm AA Gun used by the Army in 1943. On destroyers it was always shielded (photo), with the latter fitted with two opening panels.

From 1922 the gun evolved into the 12 cm 11th Year Type naval gun (Model 1922) with a shorter gun barrel and horizontal sliding breech-block but reserved for TBs and submarines only. Manually loaded it fired a 20.3 kg (45 lb) high-explosive or illumination shell. The patrol conversions from 1943 also received an anti-submarine shell.
Thuis gun was ubiquitous for early IJN destroyers, also found on the Momi, Kawakaze, Minekaze, Mutsuki, Wakatake class destroyer as well as the Chidori/Erotofu class TBs and the Shimushu and Tsukushi class escort/survey ships of the Hashidate class gunboats.

As for torpedoes, these ships had access to a wide variety of 533 mm models, the 21″ (53.3 cm) Type 43 and Type 44 No. 1/2 1911 models, and were certainly planned with the Type 6 (1917) which entered service in 1918, with the first ships completed in late 1919 and the last in 1922.

Type 6 (1917)

Initially planned for battlecruisers and battleships of the “8-8-8” plan, later cancelled with the Washington treaty. Standard 43 cm torpedo for new cruisers and destroyers when metric was used also for these models.

Depth Charges

Standard Type 95, 30.5″ by 17.7″ (77.5cm by 45cm). 220 lb (100 kg) charge, Type 88 explosive (ammonium perchlorate and ferrosilicate). Fuse using a water inlet. 100 feet (30m) and 200 feet (60m) settings (after the revelations of a US Congressman).
Later increased to 324 lb (147kg), Type 97 explosive (70% TNA/30% HNDA), 300 foot (90m) setting.
-1944 Type 2: 230 lbs (105kg) Type 97 explosive settings 98, 197, 292, 390, 480 feet (30m, 60m, 89m, 120m, and 145m).
-1945 Type 2: 357 lbs (162kg) explosives.

Mines

20 mines on rails, no precision given. Can be any of the models here.
The ships were also given an optional mechanical minesweeping gear.

Modernizations of WW2

In 1939, all of the ships were given the additon of four 4 DCT (depht charge throwers) for 18 in reserve and likely a Type 93 sonar for better ASW performances.
In 1941 and 1942, all except Hayate sunk at Wake Island saw the removal of a single main gun, the No 4 and of their 7.7mm/80 light MGs as well as of the third twin 533mm TT bank in exchange of from three to five twin 25mm/60 Type 96 AA gun mounts. They were installed generally instead of the last main gun. Standard displacement increased to 1,523t, top speed down to 35kts.
For the survivors until mid-1944, between seven and up to ten extra single 25mm/60 Type AA mounts are installed wherever a space can be found, sometimes with the sacrifice of number two main gun. Four 13.2mm/76 heavy MG Type 93 are also installed and the depht charge stowage is increased up to 48.
Later in 1944, a radar is installed, either the Type 2 mod 2 or Type 3 mod 1. It seems that Yunagi was modified to carry and drop two Kaitens at her poop, on rails.

Sensors (WW2)

93-shiki (Type 93) sonar (1943):2 kW 4400 lbs (2000 kg) model, FRQ 17.5 kHz, receiver gain 120 decibels 2, 4, or 8 seconds pulse interval, range up to 1640-3300-6600 yards (1500m-3000m-6000m) at 3°/10° resolution.
3-shiki (Type 3) 1-go radar: Surviving destroyers in 1944. 2 arrays of 5 dipoles, 10 kW, wlg 20, PRF 500, range 150 km effective, 300 km max.
2-shiki (Type 2) 2-go radar: Probably the same as above, no data found yet.

IJN Yunagi, From pinterest

IJN Yukikaze, From pinterest

Author’s illustration of the Harukaze

Career of the Wakatake class

IJN Oite under fire in Truk lagoon
The Kamikaze were the backbone of the IJN destroyer capabilities until 1936, when there were enough “special types” to replace them as fleet destroyers. They were gradually pushed to auxiliary escort roles, which was general in 1941. Only some of the Mutsuki class were retained for some fleet operations. The Kamikaze-class all saw action in the Pacific, Hayate being the first lost in action in WW2, sunk during the Battle of Wake Island, by December 1941. In 1944 four Kamikaze-class already had been claimed by USN submarines with a fifth lost in an air raid on Truk. In 1945 a sixth was claimed by submarine and the class namesake, Kamikaze and Harukaze survived. Harukaze was poor condition at Sasebo and ended scrapped but Kamikaze went on as a repatriation ship after it she surrendered at Singapore, only to be grounded off Cape Omaezaki in June 1946, written off and gradually left to rust, perhaps a fitting end for the class when the lead ship “refused to die”

Kamikaze was laid down at Mitsubishi-Nagasaki Yard on 15 December 1921, launched on 25 September 1922 and completed on 19 December 1922. She was N°1 but renamed renamed Kamikaze on 1 August 1928. She was assigned to Destroyer Division 1 at first, Ōminato Guard District, northern waters. When Pearl Harbor happened she was still there, assigned to patrols from the Chishima Islands to the southern coasts of Hokkaidō. In June 1942 she took part in Operation AL (diversionary invasion of the Aleutian Islands) as the combined fleet launched an offensive on Midway. She went back patrolling from Hokkaidō to the Aleutians and by 1943-1944, patrolled Soya Strait and Tsugaru Strait, and escorting convoys to the Kurile islands.
On 23 Otober 1944, she left Kataoka Bay Naval Base (Shimushu Island, Kuril) for Otaru as part of convoy WO-303 (Hakuyo Maru, Hokoku Maru, and Umegawa Maru and teh escort Fukue and on the 25th they were ambushed by USS Seal which sank Hakuyo Maru. Kamikaze and Fukue depht charged her bu she escaped.
From January 1945, Kamikaze entered the Combined Fleet, Kyūshū. On 26 January she escorted a convoy from Moji bound for Singapore and detached to Mako (Pescadores). On 14 February she escorted the Ise-class battleships from Singapore to Japan (Operation Kita). On 20 February, she rescued survivors from Nokaze and arrived in Singapore on the 22th.

In May she made two sorties from Singapore, escorting IJN Haguro on transport missions to the Andaman Islands. On 16 May, Haguro was sunk by the Royal Navy, while herself was hit by destroyers and lost 27 killed and 14 injured, later rescuing 320 survivors from Haguro.
In June she sailed to Batavia, escorting Ashigara. Back on June 8, Ashigara was torpedoed and she rescued 853 crewmen and 400 soldiers. Later she escorted the tanker Tōhō Maru to French Indochin when she was sunk by B-24 Liberators. She rescued 200 survivors.
She made more escorts in June and July and repelled USS Hawkbill on July 18 off Malaya. The latter missed and Kamikaze depth charged her until severely damaged, partially blown out of the water. Still she was about to get away after both captains (Hitoshi Kasuga and Worth M. Scanland) alegedly sent boats and exchanged letters praising each other. On 15 August she was still in Singapore, turned over to British authorities, struck 5 October 1945, demilitarized, turned into a repatriation vessel from Singapore, Bangkok and Saigon until early 1946. She ran aground, wrecked on 7 June 1946 while rescuing Kunashiri off Cape Omaezaki (Shizuok), scrapped on site in 1947.

Asakaze (Dai-3) was laid down at Mitsubishi-Nagasaki yard on 16 February 1922, launched on 8 December 1922 and completed on 16 June 1923. On 7 December 1941 she was in DesRon 5, IJN 3rd Fleet, Mako Guard District (Pescadores). She took part in the Japanese invasion force, Operation M (Philippines), screening landings at Lingayen Gulf. By early 1942 she escorted troop convoys to Singora, Malaya, and French Indochina. Next she was part of Operation J (invasion of Java, Netherlands East Indies) and took part in the Battle of Sunda Strait on 1 March, launching torpedoes at HMAS Perth and USS Houston.
On 10 March she was reassigned to the Southwest Area Fleet, escorting troop convoys from Singapore to Penang-Rangoon, covering landings in the Nicobar Is. Operation D on 11 June. From late July 1942 until February 1943 she patrolled between Ambon and Timor. Late February she her of Saigon for convoy escort between Takao and Moji in Kyūshū. Overhauled at Sasebo she escorted convoys to Saipan and Manila until August 1944. On the 24th she left Takao for Manila when torpedoed by USS Haddo (Gato class). She survived, taken in tow by thetanker Nijō Maru but sank 32 km (17 nmi) southwest of Cape Bolinao (Luzon), struck 10 October.

Harukaze (Dai-5) was laid down at Maizuru Naval Arsenal on 16 May 1922, launched on 18 December 1922 and completed on 31 May 1923. On 7 December 1941 she was in DesDiv 5, DesRon 5, 3rd Fleet, Mako Guard District (Pescadores) escorting the invasion force, Operation M (Philippines), supporting the landing at Appari. She escorted troop convoys to Malaya and French Indochina and took part in Operation J (Java), and Battle of Sunda Strait, launching torpedoes at HMAS Perth and USS Houston. She was hit in her bridge, engine room and rudder, 3 killed and 15 injured. From 10 March she joined the Southwest Area Fleet, between Singapore, Penang, Rangoon, Haiphong, Rabaul. On 16 November she hit a mine at Surabaya, lost her bow. Repaired locally until May 1943, enough to sail to Kure on 27 May, repairs completed on 25 August. She escorted a convoy to Palau and in 1944, Harukaze from there to home islands and Taiwan, Philippines, Borneo. On 24 October 1944 while underway to Takao, she had a contact with USS Shark, dropped depth charges, loosing and regaining, attacking and reporting a kill. However she was torpedoed on 4 November by USS Sailfish in Luzon Strait but survived. On 10 January 1945, she was under the General Escort Command, took damage after an air attack from TF 38 near Mako. 21 January, towed to Sasebo but stayed unrepaired until surrender. Stricken 10 November 1945, towed to north Hyōgo, scuttled as breakwater in Takeno.

Matsukaze (Dai-7) was laid down at Maizuru Naval Arsenal on 2 December 1922, launched on 30 October 1923 and completed on 5 April 1924. On 7 December 1941 she was in Desdiv 5, Desron 5, 3rd Fleet, takinnd as above to Operation M, escorts to Taiwan, Malaya, Indochina and Operation J and the Battle of Sunda Strait, assisting IJN Shiokaze in sinking the Dutch auxiliary minesweeper Endeh.
From March 1942 to March 1943 she was in escort between Singapore, Penang, Rangoon, French Indochina and Makassar. On 31 March she was overhauled at Yokosuka. June 1943 saw her assigned to the 8th Fleet, Rabaul and until September, she took part in several “Tokyo Express” missions to Kolombangara and Lavella evacuation in October, then a new refit at Yokosuka.
On 9 December 1943 she was back in Rabaul for more “Tokyo Express” in the Solomons and New Britain. She was in Truk on 17–18 February 1944 as Operation Hailstorm air raids commenced. She escaped with medium damage (near misses/strafing) to Yokosuka via Saipan in March, completed by May 1944. She was reassigned to DesDiv 30, Desron 3, Central Pacific Area for convoys escort to and from Saipan. On 9 June 1944 after leaving Tateyama she was torpedoed and sunk some 70 miles (110 km) NE of Chichijima by USS Swordfish. Stricken 10 August 1944.

IJN Hatakaze (Dai-9) was laid down at Maizuru Naval Arsenal on 3 July 1923, launched on 15 March 1924 and completed on 30 August 1924. On 7 December 1941 like her sisters she was in DesDiv 5, DesRon 5, 3rd Fleet, Mako Guard District, taking part in Operation M, Aparri landings, escorts to Singora (Malaya) and French Indochina and Operation J, Battle of Sunda Strait, attacking HMAS Perth and USS Houston, reporting no damage nor casualties. Next she escorted convoys from Singapore to Penang and Rangoon. From 5 May she was sent to the Yokosuka Naval District as guard ship in Tokyo Bay until September and on the 25 escorted IJN Unyō from Kure to Truk, and then convoys to and from Rabaul and Palau. Back to Yokosuka on 24 November she was a guard ship agains but on 2 March 1943, she had an accidental explosion, with heavy damage to her stern. Repaired by December 1944 she escorted convoys from Yokosuka to the Ogasawara Islands and joined the 5th Fleet and Combined Fleet. She escorted a convoy from Moji to Takao when on 15 January, she was caught by USN aicraft from Task Force 38, USS Ticonderoga and sunk, stricken 10 March 1945.

Oite or Dai-11 was laid down at Uraga Dock Com. on 16 March 1923, launched on 27 November 1924 and completed on 30 October 1925. On 7 December 1941 she was in DesDiv 29, DesRon 6, 4th Fleet. She left Kwajalein on 8 December to take part in the Wake Island invasion force. She sailed with Yūbari, Tenryū, and Tatsuta, and fellow DDs Yayoi, Hayate, Mutsuki, Oite, Kisaragi, and Mochizuki plus ex Momi class Patrol Boat No. 32 and Patrol Boat No. 33, two troop transports with 450 SNLF troops. They arrived on 11 December, and started shelling the island from 8,200 meters (9,000 yd) at 05:30. Six short guns, 5-inch replied and RAdm Sadamichi Kajioka ordered to close, believing the guns were silenced. In reality Major James Devereux ordered to hold fire and opened at 4,100 meters (4,500 yd). Hayate was crippled, Yubari had near misses, and Sadamichi ordered to disengage. Oite had near-misses wounding 14 crewmen. They made another attemp with the same result before heading back to Kwajalein. Until March 1942, Oite was part of Operation R (Rabaul) and Operation SR (Lae-Salamaua) before a refit at Sasebo in April.
She departed while escorting a convoy to Truk. As the Battle of Coral Sea took place on 7–8 May 1942, she took part in Operation Mo in the invasion to Port Moresby when cancelled. Next she was sent to the Solomon Islands carrying the airfield construction crew to Bougainville and Guadalcanal. In August 1942 she was part of a first “Tokyo Express” troop run to Guadalcanal before covering laindings at Nauru and Ocean Island (Operation RY). By September 1942 she escorted convoys from Palau to the Solomons when torpedoed on 21 September 1943 (minor damage). She made more missions until February 1944 to and from Saipan and Rabaul. By 16 February 1944 she escorted Agano from Truk when, already damaged, she was torpedoed and sunk by USS Skate. Oite rescued 523 of her crew but as she entered back Truk harbor on 18 February, Operation Hailstone commenced. Cornered by TBF Avengers she took two torpedoes, broke in half and sank with 172 of 192 and all survivors from Agano.She was stricken on 31 March 1944. Her wreck was found in March 1986 under 200 feet (61 m).

Hayate or Dai-13 was laid down at Ishikawajima Shipyards on 11 November 1922, launched on 24 March 1925 and completed on 21 November 1925. She was renamed Hayate on 1 August 1928. By 7 December 1941, she served with DesDiv 29, DesRon 6, 4th Fleet, taking part in the abrotive Wake Island invasion force. As above she took part in a first bombardment until it was estimated the US coastal battery was silenced. When close at 4,100 meters (4,500 yd) like the rest of the fleet she opened fire but Battery L from Peale Islet, had her in its scope. She was hit her on the third salvo and apparently hit her ammunition storage as she blew up aft, broke in half and sank in two minutes. Later an exploration confirmed she probably was hit the aft torpedo mounts or depth charges on the stern. Only one of 169 were rescued, making her the first warship lost by the Japanese in WW2, and this prompted flagship Yūbari to disengage.

Asanagi or Dai-15 was laid down at Fujinagata Shipyards on 5 March 1923, launched on 21 April 1924 and completed on 29 December 1925. She was renamed Asanagi on 1 August 1928 and by December 1941 she was in DesDiv 29, DesRon 6, 4th Fleet in Truk. She covered the Gilbert Islands invasion force on 8–10 December and took part in the second Wake Island invasion force on December 23 for naught.
From January through March 1942 she took part in Operation R (invasion of Rabaul) and Operation SR, (Lae-Salamaua). Off Lae on 10 March, she was damaged by strafing attacks, back to Sasebo for repairs in April-June. She had a convoy Sasebo-Truk and took part in Operation Mo when cancelled.
After more repairs at Sasebo she was sent back to Rabaul by mid-July for the landings on Buna. She grounded there on a coral reef while maneuvering to escape a USN air raid, sending her back to Yokosuka for repairs. In November 1943 she returned in the central Pacific and otehr convoys between Yokosuka, Truk, Ogasawara and Mariana Islands. On 20 May 1944,while underway back home she was torpedoed and sunk 200 miles (320 km) WNW of Chichijima (Ogasawara Islands) by USS Pollack, stricken 10 July 1944.

IJN Yūnagi was also known until 1928 as Dai-17. She was laid down at Sasebo Naval Arsenal on 17 September 1923, launched on 23 April 1924 and completed on 24 May 1925. By December 1941 she was in DesDiv 29, DesRon 6, 4th Fleet in Truk. She took part in the Gilbert Islands invasion, second Wake Island invasion, Operation R, Operation SR and when off Lae on 10 March, was damaged from strafing attacks, repaired in Sasebo until June. She escorted convoys from Moji to Rabaul via Palau. She took part in the Battle of Savo Island on 8–9 August 1942. She duelled that night with USS Jarvis and withdrawn without a scratch. From August 1942 to March 1943 she operated in and around the Solomon Islands and had a refit in Sasebo by March 1943, then joined the IJN 8th Fleet in Rabaul. In Jun-July she made several “Tokyo Express” to Kolombangara and assisted the sinking of USS Strong on 4 July and well as the Battle of Kolombangara on 12 July. She was strafed when off Shortland (medium damage). On 2 October she covered evacuations from Kolombangara and made more “Tokyo Express” runs. In January 1944 she was overhauled at Sasebo and escorted troop convoys to Saipan by March-April and in May, joined DesDiv 22, DesRon 3, Central Pacific for convoys to the Philippines until June.
On 19–20 June she escorted Admiral Jisaburō Ozawa’s 1st Supply Force at the Battle of the Philippine Sea. She then escorted tanker convoys to Kure. By 18 July 1944 she ended in the Combined Fleet and on 10–18 August 1944, escorted a convoy from Moji to Manila, detached to Takao to assist the damaged transport Eiyō Maru. Back from Takao on 25 August she was torpedoed and sunk 20 miles (32 km) NE of Cape Bojeador (Luzon) by USS Picuda (32 killed, 19 wounded), stricken 6 October 1944.

Read More/Src

Books

Evans, David (1979). Kaigun: Strategy, Tactics, and Technology in the Imperial Japanese Navy, 1887–1941. NIP
Howarth, Stephen (1983). The Fighting Ships of the Rising Sun: The Drama of the Imperial Japanese Navy, 1895–1945. Atheneum.
Jentsura, Hansgeorg (1976). Warships of the Imperial Japanese Navy, 1869–1945. NIP
Watts, A.J. (1966). Japanese warships of World War II. Ian Allan.
Collection of writings by Sizuo Fukui Vol.5, Stories of Japanese Destroyers, Kōjinsha (Japan) 1993.
Model Art Ship Modelling Special No.17, Genealogy of Japanese Destroyers Part-1, Model Art Co. Ltd. (Japan), September 2005
Model Art Extra No.340, Drawings of Imperial Japanese Naval Vessels Part-1, Model Art Co. Ltd. (Japan), October 1989
Daiji Katagiri, Ship Name Chronicles of the Imperial Japanese Navy Combined Fleet, Kōjinsha (Japan), June 1988

Links

Kamikaze II, Oite group at anchor
on smmlonline.com
on navypedia.org/
combined fleet.com IJN Kamikaze TROM
on en.wikipedia.org/
on pwencycl.kgbudge.com
in commons.wikimedia.org/

Model Kits

Skywave 1:700 model, Yunagi 1944 with Kaiten