Japanese destroyer Hokaze

Coordinates: 03°24′N 125°28′E / 3.400°N 125.467°E / 3.400; 125.467
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Hokaze at Yokosuka, 1921
History
Empire of Japan
NameHokaze
Ordered1918 fiscal year
BuilderMaizuru Naval Arsenal
Laid down30 November 1920
Launched12 July 1921
Commissioned22 December 1921
Stricken10 September 1944
FateTorpedoed and sunk by USS Paddle, 6 July 1944
General characteristics
Class and typeMinekaze-class destroyer
Displacement
  • 1,215 long tons (1,234 t) normal,
  • 1,345 long tons (1,367 t) full load
Length
  • 97.5 m (320 ft) pp,
  • 102.6 m (337 ft) overall
Beam8.92 m (29.3 ft)
Draught2.79 m (9.2 ft)
Propulsion2-shaft Mitsubishi-
Parsons geared turbines, 4 boilers 38,500 ihp
(28,700 kW)
Speed39 knots (72 km/h)
Range3,600 nautical miles (6,700 km) at 14 knots (26 km/h)
Complement154
Armament
Service record
Operations:

Hokaze (帆風, Sail Wind)[1] was a Minekaze-class destroyer, built for the Imperial Japanese Navy immediately following World War I. Advanced for their time, these ships served as first-line destroyers through the 1930s, but were considered obsolescent by the start of the Pacific War.

History

Construction of the large-sized Minekaze-class destroyers was authorized as part of the Imperial Japanese Navy's

launched on 12 July 1921 and commissioned on 21 December 1921.[4]

On completion, Hokaze was teamed with sister ships Hakaze, Akikaze, and Tachikaze at the Yokosuka Naval District to form Destroyer Division 4 under Torpedo Squadron 1 (第1水雷戦隊). In 1938–1939, the division was assigned to patrols of the northern and central China coastlines in support of Japanese combat operations in the Second Sino-Japanese War

World War II history

In World War II, Hokaze performed patrol and convoy escort duties. At the time of the attack on Pearl Harbor, Destroyer Division 3 reported to Carrier Division 4. From end November to mid-December, Hokaze escorted the aircraft carrier Taiyō from Sasebo to Takao, Palau and back to Tokuyama anchorage of the Kure Naval District.

In early 1942, although Destroyer Division 3 was deactivated, Hokaze continued to work under Carrier Division 4 to escort the aircraft carrier

IJN 5th Fleet as escort for the cruiser Nachi.[5]

From the end of May, Hokaze was assigned to northern operations from

Kiska Invasion transports. In August 1944, Hokaze escorted the seaplane tender Kimikawa Maru to Kiska, returning to Yokosuka in October for re-supply. From October, Hokaze was assigned to the Southwest Area Fleet, escorting convoys between Moji and Taiwan
.

In March 1943, Hokaze was repaired and a

Netherlands East Indies. On 1 July 1943, Hokaze, the sole escort for a three-ship convoy, was torpedoed by the submarine USS Thresher in Makassar Strait, suffering moderate damage. Two of the ships in the convoy, a tanker and a freighter, were also hit. Hokaze was still functional, and after emergency repairs, escorted a convoy from Surabaya back to Yokosuka, where the ship was dry docked for additional repairs.[6]

Repairs were completed by mid-November 1943, and Hokaze was assigned to the 1st Surface Escort Division of the General Escort Command. In March 1944, she escorted a convoy of transports from Yokosuka to

IJN 9th Fleet. In April 1944, Hokaze was dispatched from Yokosuka for western New Guinea to join the Fourth Southern Expeditionary Fleet under the overall command of the Southwest Area Fleet. On 2 July 1944, Hokaze departed Ambon in the role of a “Tokyo Express” high speed armed transport to take critically needed emergency supplies to New Guinea.[7]

On 6 July 1944, Hokaze was torpedoed and sunk by the submarine

Lieutenant Commander
Eiichi Someya, perished with his ship.

On 10 September 1944 Hokaze was removed from the

navy list.[8]

Notes

  1. ^ Nelson. Japanese-English Character Dictionary. pages 357, 960
  2. ^ Howarth, The Fighting Ships of the Rising Sun.
  3. ^ Globalsecurity.org, IJN Minekaze class destroyers.
  4. ^ Nishidah, Hiroshi (2002). "Minekaze class 1st class destroyers". Materials of the Imperial Japanese Navy. Archived from the original on 2012-07-08. Retrieved 2008-12-21.
  5. ^ Nevitt, Allyn D. (1997). "IJN Hokaze: Tabular Record of Movement". Long Lancers. Combinedfleet.com.
  6. ^ Nevitt, Allyn D. (1997). "IJN Hokaze: Tabular Record of Movement". Long Lancers. Combinedfleet.com.
  7. ^ Nevitt, Allyn D. (1997). "IJN Hokaze: Tabular Record of Movement". Long Lancers. Combinedfleet.com.
  8. ^ Nishidah, Hiroshi (2002). "Minekaze class 1st class destroyers". Materials of the Imperial Japanese Navy. Archived from the original on 2012-07-08. Retrieved 2008-12-21.

References

External links
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