Japanese destroyer Harukaze (1922)

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For other ships with the same name, see Japanese destroyer Harukaze.
Harukaze at Yokosuka, 1934
History
Empire of Japan
NameHarukaze
BuilderMaizuru Naval Arsenal
Laid down16 May 1922 as Destroyer No. 5
Launched18 December 1922
Completed31 May 1923
RenamedHarukaze, 1 August 1928
Stricken10 November 1945
Fate
Scuttled
, 1947
General characteristics
Class and typeKamikaze-class destroyer
Displacement
  • 1,422 t (1,400 long tons) (normal)
  • 1,747 t (1,719 long tons) (
    deep load
    )
Length
  • 97.5 m (319 ft 11 in) (pp)
  • 102.5 m (336 ft 3 in) (
    o/a
    )
Beam9.1 m (29 ft 10 in)
Draft2.9 m (9 ft 6 in)
Installed power
Propulsion2 shafts; 2 × Kampon geared steam turbines
Speed37.3 knots (69.1 km/h; 42.9 mph)
Range3,600 nmi (6,700 km; 4,100 mi) at 14 knots (26 km/h; 16 mph)
Complement148
Armament
  • 4 × single
    12 cm (4.7 in) Type 3 guns
  • 3 × twin 53.3 cm (21.0 in) torpedo tubes
Service record
Part of: Destroyer Division 5
Operations:

Harukaze (春風, “Spring Wind”) was one of nine

Dutch East Indies Campaign in early 1942. She took part in the Battle of Sunda Strait
in March and helped to sink two Allied cruisers.

Design and description

The Kamikaze class was an improved version of the

Kampon water-tube boilers. The turbines were designed to produce 38,500 shaft horsepower (28,700 kW), which would propel the ships at 37.3 knots (69.1 km/h; 42.9 mph). During sea trials, the ships comfortably exceeded their designed speeds, reaching 38.7 to 39.2 knots (71.7 to 72.6 km/h; 44.5 to 45.1 mph).[3] The ships carried 420 metric tons (413 long tons) of fuel oil which gave them a range of 3,600 nautical miles (6,700 km; 4,100 mi) at 14 knots (26 km/h; 16 mph). Their crew consisted of 148 officers and crewmen.[4]

The main armament of the Kamikaze-class ships consisted of four

12-centimeter (4.7 in) Type 3 guns in single mounts; one gun forward of the superstructure, one between the two funnels and the last pair back to back atop the aft superstructure. The guns were numbered '1' to '4' from front to rear. The ships carried three above-water twin sets of 53.3-centimeter (21.0 in) torpedo tubes; one mount was between the forward superstructure and the forward gun and the other two were between the aft funnel and aft superstructure.[4]

Early in the war, the No. 4 gun and the aft torpedo tubes were removed in exchange for four depth charge throwers and 18 depth charges. In addition 10 license-built

anti-aircraft machineguns by June 1944. These changes reduced their speed to 35 knots (65 km/h; 40 mph).[4]

Construction and career

Harukaze, built by the

launched on 18 December 1922 and commissioned on 31 May 1923. Originally commissioned simply Destroyer No. 5, the ship was assigned the name Harukaze on 1 August 1928.[6]

Pacific War

At the time of the

Aparri and at Lingayen Gulf.[7]

In early 1942, Harukaze was assigned to escorting troop convoys to

bridge, engine room and rudder in return, with three crewmen killed and over fifteen injured.[7]

From 10 March, Harukaze and Destroyer Division 5 were assigned to the

bow. Repairs at Surabaya took until May 1943, but Harukaze was still deemed not combat-worthy, and returned to Kure Naval Arsenal in Japan on 27 May 1943. After repairs were completed on 25 August, Harukaze departed Kure as escort for a convoy to Palau, and continued to escort shipping around Palau to the end of the year.[7]

In 1944, Harukaze continued to escort convoys from Palau to the

Japanese home islands and Taiwan, the Philippines and Borneo. On 24 October 1944, while escorting a convoy from Manila to Takao, Harukaze made contact with the submarine USS Shark and dropped depth charges. After losing and regaining the contact, the destroyer dropped another 17 depth charges which resulted in "bubbles, heavy oil, clothes and cork" coming to the surface, indicating that the submarine had been destroyed.[8] However, Harukaze was in turn torpedoed on 4 November by USS Sailfish in Luzon Strait
, suffering some damage.

On 10 January 1945, Harukaze was reassigned to the General Escort Command, but was further damaged in an air attack by

scuttled to form part of the breakwater at Takeno Port (presently part of Toyooka city
).

Notes

  1. ^ Watts & Gordon, pp. 263–64
  2. ^ Whitley, p. 189
  3. ^ Gardiner & Gray, p. 245
  4. ^ a b c Jentschura, Jung & Mickel, p. 142
  5. ^ Whitley, pp. 189–90
  6. ^ Watts & Gordon, p. 264
  7. ^ a b c Nevitt
  8. ^ Brown. Warship Losses of World War Two

References

  • Gardiner, Robert & Gray, Randal, eds. (1985). Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1906–1921. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press.
    ISBN 0-85177-245-5
    .
  • Howarth, Stephen (1983). The Fighting Ships of the Rising Sun: The Drama of the Imperial Japanese Navy, 1895–1945. Atheneum.
    ISBN 0-689-11402-8
    .
  • Jentschura, Hansgeorg; Jung, Dieter & Mickel, Peter (1977). Warships of the Imperial Japanese Navy, 1869–1945. Annapolis, Maryland: United States Naval Institute.
    ISBN 0-87021-893-X
    .
  • Nevitt, Allyn D. (1998). "IJN Harukaze: Tabular Record of Movement". Long Lancers. Combinedfleet.com. Retrieved 10 November 2015.
  • Watts, Anthony J. & Gordon, Brian G. (1971). The Imperial Japanese Navy. Garden City, New York: Doubleday.
    ISBN 0385012683
    .
  • Whitley, M. J. (1988). Destroyers of World War Two. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press.
    ISBN 0-87021-326-1
    .
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