Japanese destroyer Hatakaze (1924)

Coordinates: 22°40′N 120°14′E / 22.667°N 120.233°E / 22.667; 120.233
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Hatakaze off Mako, 1924
History
Empire of Japan
Name
  • Hatakaze
  • (はたかぜ)
BuilderMaizuru Naval Arsenal
Laid down3 July 1923
Launched15 March 1924
Completed30 August 1924
RenamedDestroyer No. 9 (1923-1928)
Stricken10 March 1945
FateSunk by aircraft, 15 January 1945
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
Operations:

The Japanese destroyer Hatakaze (旗風, ”Flag 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

Hatakaze, built at the

launched on 15 March 1924 and completed on 30 August 1924. Originally commissioned simply as Destroyer No. 9, the ship was assigned the name Hatakaze on 1 August 1928.[6]

Pacific War

At the time of the

Operation M (the invasion of the Philippines), during which time it helped screen landings of Japanese forces at Aparri.[7]

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

Netherlands East Indies), she participated at the Battle of Sunda Strait on 1 March 1942. During that battle, she launched torpedoes at the cruisers HMAS Perth and USS Houston.[8]

From 10 March 1942 Hatakaze and Destroyer Division 5 were reassigned to the

Rangoon. From 5 May, she was reassigned back to the Yokosuka Naval District, where the destroyer served as a guard ship in Tokyo Bay until September. On 25 September, she escorted the aircraft carrier Unyō from Kure Naval Arsenal to Truk, and from there she escorted convoys on to Rabaul and back to Palau, returning to Yokosuka on 24 November to resume her duties as a guard ship.[9]

However, on 2 March 1943, Hatakaze suffered an accidental explosion, which caused heavy damage to her

IJN 5th Fleet, and on 25 December directly to the Combined Fleet
.

At the end of December 1944, Hatakaze escorted a convoy from

Navy List on 10 March 1945.[9]

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. ^ Morison. The Rising Sun in the Pacific 1931 - April 1942.
  8. ^ Dull. A Battle History of the Imperial Japanese Navy
  9. ^ a b Nevitt

References

  • Gardiner, Robert & Gray, Randal, eds. (1985). Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1906–1921. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. .
  • Howarth, Stephen (1983). The Fighting Ships of the Rising Sun: The Drama of the Imperial Japanese Navy, 1895–1945. Atheneum. .
  • Jentschura, Hansgeorg; Jung, Dieter & Mickel, Peter (1977). Warships of the Imperial Japanese Navy, 1869–1945. Annapolis, Maryland: United States Naval Institute. .
  • Nevitt, Allyn D. (1997). "IJN Hatakaze: 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. .
  • Whitley, M. J. (1988). Destroyers of World War Two. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. .