Japanese destroyer Ikazuchi (1931)
Ikazuchi underway on 11 April 1936
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History | |
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Empire of Japan | |
Name | Ikazuchi |
Namesake | 雷 ("Thunder")[1] |
Ordered | 1923 Fiscal Year |
Builder | Uraga Dock Company |
Laid down | 7 March 1930 |
Launched | 22 October 1931 |
Commissioned | 15 August 1932 |
Stricken | 10 June 1944 |
Fate | Torpedoed and sunk by USS Harder, 13 April 1944 |
General characteristics | |
Class and type | Fubuki-class destroyer |
Displacement | |
Length |
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Beam | 10.4 m (34 ft 1 in) |
Draft | 3.2 m (10 ft 6 in) |
Propulsion | |
Speed | 38 knots (44 mph; 70 km/h) |
Range | 5,000 nmi (9,300 km) at 14 knots (26 km/h) |
Complement | 219 |
Armament |
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Service record | |
Operations: |
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Ikazuchi (雷, "Thunder")[1] was the twenty-third Fubuki-class destroyer, or the third Akatsuki class (if that sub-class is regarded as a separate class), built for the Imperial Japanese Navy in the inter-war period. When introduced into service, these ships were the most powerful destroyers in the world.[2] They remained formidable weapons systems well into the Pacific War.
Ikazuchi, built at the
History
Construction of the advanced Akatsuki-class destroyers was authorized as part of the Imperial Japanese Navy's expansion program from fiscal 1923, intended to give Japan a qualitative edge with the world's most modern ships.[3] The Akatsuki class had performance that was a quantum leap over previous destroyer designs, so much so that they were designated Special Type destroyers (特型, Tokugata). The large size, powerful engines, high speed, large radius of action and unprecedented armament gave these destroyers the firepower similar to many light cruisers in other navies. The Akatsuki sub-class was an improved version of the Fubuki, externally almost identical, but incorporating changes to her propulsion system.[5]
Operational history
On completion, Ikazuchi was assigned to Destroyer Division 6 along with her
World War II
At the time of the
On 2 March 1942, Ikazuchi rescued the remaining 400 odd survivors This humanitarian decision by Lieutenant Commander Shunsaku Kudō placed Ikazuchi at risk of submarine attack, and interfered with her fighting ability due to the sheer numbers of rescued sailors. The action was later the subject of a book[13][14] and a 2007 TV programme.[15][16][17]
Ikazuchi deployed from
From September, Ikazuchi was reassigned as escort for the new aircraft carriers Zuihō and Unyō, which the destroyer accompanied to Truk, and missions in the Solomon Islands and back to Kure Naval District.
From October, Ikazuchi was used for numerous “Tokyo Express" high speed transport runs throughout the Solomon Islands.[19]
On 25 October 1942 Ikazuchi,
Ikazuchi participated in the first night action of the Naval Battle of Guadalcanal on 13 November 1942. Stationed on the right flank of the battleships Hiei and Kirishima with two other destroyers, she engaged several U.S. warships, among them the cruiser USS Atlanta, and received hits to her forward gun mount, which caught fire. In the battle, 21 crewmen were killed and 20 injured, and she had to return to Truk for emergency repairs.[20]
After repairs at Yokosuka Naval Arsenal from December to the end of February 1943, Ikazuchi returned to the north Pacific, and was present at the Battle of the Komandorski Islands on 26 March but saw no action. On 30 March, she collided with the destroyer Wakaba, suffering moderate damage.
Ikazuchi was reassigned to Desron 11 of the IJN 1st Fleet on 1 April 1943. After repairs at Yokosuka, she returned to Truk, and escorted convoys between Truk and the Japanese home islands until mid-April 1944.
Under the command of Lieutenant Commander Ikunaga Kunio, on 13 April 1944, while escorting the transport Sanyō Maru to Woleai, Ikazuchi was torpedoed and sunk by the submarine USS Harder, approximately 200 nautical miles (370 km) south-southwest of Guam at position 10°13′N 143°51′E / 10.217°N 143.850°E. There were no survivors.
On 10 June 1944, Ikazuchi was removed from the
Notes
- ^ a b Nelson. Japanese-English Character Dictionary. Page 943
- ^ Globalsecurity.org. "IJN Fubuki class destroyers".
- ^ a b F Fitzsimons, Illustrated Encyclopedia of 20th Century Weapons and Warfare (London: Phoebus, 1977), Volume 10, p.1040.
- ^ a b Nishidah, Hiroshi (2002). "Akatsuki class 1st class destroyers". Materials of the Imperial Japanese Navy. Archived from the original on 2012-12-10. Retrieved 2015-07-13.
- ^ Peattie & Evans, Kaigun page 221-222.
- ^ "IJN Ikazuchi: Tabular Record of Movement". www.combinedfleet.com. Retrieved 2024-02-19.
- ISBN 9784794214997.
- ^ "Long Lancers".
- ^ Capt. O Gordon, pp. 148-149 in Fight It Out
- ^ Sir Sam Falle, pp. 39-40 in My Lucky Life
- BBC News (2003-06-13). "Reunion for sailor saved by enemy". Retrieved 2008-06-29.
- ^ "Chivalry". January 1987.
- ISBN 978-4-7942-1499-7.
- ^ hisashi (2007-05-21). "Kudo Shunsaku and the Destroyer Ikazuchi". Retrieved 2008-06-29.. This forum discussion contains a brief summary of the 2006 Megumi book's account of the HMS Encounter and HMS Exeter rescues.
- ^ "The Untold story of Captain Kudo Shunsaku and the Destroyer Ikazuchi". 2007-05-19. Archived from the original on 2008-10-03. Retrieved 2008-06-29.
- ^ gyokai (2007). 日本の武士道1 Japanese BUSIDO saved lives (video). YouTube. Retrieved 2008-06-29. In Japanese. See also part 2 and part 3.
- ^ 伊勢, 雅臣 (2006-08-13). 駆逐艦「雷」艦長・工藤俊作 (in Japanese). Archived from the original on 2020-08-14. Retrieved 2008-06-29.. In Japanese. A summary of the 2007 television program.
- ^ Morison. Aleutians, Gilberts and Marshalls, June 1942-April 1944.
- ^ D’Albas. Death of a Navy: Japanese Naval Action in World War II.
- ^ Hammel. Guadalcanal: Decision at Sea.
References
- D'Albas, Andrieu (1965). Death of a Navy: Japanese Naval Action in World War II. Devin-Adair Pub. ISBN 0-8159-5302-X.
- Brown, David (1990). Warship Losses of World War Two. Naval Institute Press. ISBN 1-55750-914-X.
- ISBN 0-517-56952-3.
- Morison, Samuel Eliot (1961). Aleutians, Gilberts and Marshalls, June 1942-April 1944, vol. 7 of History of United States Naval Operations in World War II. Boston: Little, Brown and Company. ASIN B0007FBB8I.
- 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.
- Jentsura, Hansgeorg (1976). Warships of the Imperial Japanese Navy, 1869–1945. US Naval Institute Press. ISBN 0-87021-893-X.
- Nelson, Andrew N. (1967). Japanese–English Character Dictionary. Tuttle. ISBN 0-8048-0408-7.
- Watts, Anthony J (1967). Japanese Warships of World War II. Doubleday. ISBN 978-0-3850-9189-3.
- Whitley, M J (2000). Destroyers of World War Two: An International Encyclopedia. London: Arms and Armour Press. ISBN 1-85409-521-8.
External links
- Nevitt, Allyn D. (1997). "IJN Ikazuchi: Tabular Record of Movement". Long Lancers. Combinedfleet.com.
- Globalsecurity.org. "IJN Akatsuki class destroyers".