Japanese destroyer Mochizuki (1927)

Coordinates: 5°42′S 151°40′E / 5.700°S 151.667°E / -5.700; 151.667
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
For other ships with the same name, see Japanese destroyer Mochizuki.
Mochizuki underway on 17 August 1932
History
Empire of Japan
NameMochizuki
NamesakeFull moon
BuilderUraga Dock Company, Uraga
Laid down23 March 1926 as Destroyer No. 33
Launched28 April 1927
Completed31 October 1927
RenamedAs Mochizuki 1 August 1928
Stricken5 January 1944
FateSunk by American aircraft, 24 October 1943
General characteristics
TypeMutsuki-class destroyer
Displacement
  • 1,336 t (1,315 long tons) (normal)
  • 1,800 t (1,772 long tons) (
    deep load
    )
Length
  • 97.54 m (320 ft 0 in) (pp)
  • 102.4 m (335 ft 11 in) (
    o/a
    )
Beam9.16 m (30 ft 1 in)
Draft2.96 m (9 ft 9 in)
Installed power
Propulsion2 shafts; 2 × Kampon geared steam turbines
Speed37.25 knots (68.99 km/h; 42.87 mph)
Range4,000 nmi (7,400 km; 4,600 mi) at 15 knots (28 km/h; 17 mph)
Complement150
Armament
Service record
Part of: Destroyer Division 30
Operations:

The Japanese destroyer Mochizuki (望月, ”Full Moon”) was one of twelve Mutsuki-class destroyers, built for the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) during the 1920s. During the Pacific War, she participated in the Battle of Wake Island in December 1941 and the occupations of New Guinea and the Solomon Islands in early 1942.

Design and description

The Mutsuki 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 37.25 knots (68.99 km/h; 42.87 mph). The ships carried 420 metric tons (413 long tons) of fuel oil which gave them a range of 4,000 nautical miles (7,400 km; 4,600 mi) at 15 knots (28 km/h; 17 mph). Their crew consisted of 150 officers and crewmen.[3]

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

minesweeping gear.[4]

Construction and career

Mochizuki, built by the

launched on 28 April 1927[4] and completed on 31 October 1927. Originally commissioned simply as Destroyer No. 33, the ship was assigned the name Mochizuki on 1 August 1928.[3] In the late 1930s, the ship participated in combat in the Second Sino-Japanese War, covering the landings of Japanese troops in central and southern China
.

Pacific War

At the time of the

Japanese Special Naval Landing Forces
(SNLF) troops.

After taking heavy losses (including Kisaragi and Hayate), the Japanese force withdrew before landing. This was the first Japanese defeat of the war, and also the only occasion in World War II when an

amphibious assault was repulsed by shore-based guns.[5] Mochizuki returned on December 23 with the second Wake Island invasion force before sailing back to Kwajalein.[6]

invasion of Lae-Salamaua
on 10 March 1942

The ship escorted a convoy from Kwajalein to the naval base at

Operation SR (the invasion of Lae and Salamaua on New Guinea), and in April, covering landings on the Admiralty Islands.[7] During the Battle of the Coral Sea from 7–8 May 1942, Mochizuki was assigned to the Operation Mo invasion force for Port Moresby. After that operation was cancelled, it returned to Truk, escorting airfield construction convoys between Truk, Lae and Guadalcanal until recalled to Japan in mid-July for refitting.[6]

After repairs were completed at

IJN 8th Fleet. At the end of September, Mochizuki sortied with the destroyer Isokaze to rescue survivors from the destroyer Yayoi on Normanby Island. On 14–15 October Mochizuki provided cover for the cruisers Kinugasa and Chōkai during a bombardment of Henderson Field.[8] Throughout November, Mochizuki made numerous “Tokyo Express” troop transport runs to Guadalcanal. On one of these runs (8 November), she was hit by a dud torpedo from PT-61. On another run (13–15 November), she assisted Amagiri
in rescuing 1500 survivors from the torpedoed Nagara Maru and Canberra Maru transports.

On 1 December 1942, Mochizuki was reassigned to the

IJN 8th Fleet. In the remainder of the month, she served as escort to the cruisers Kumano and Suzuya in the Admiralty Islands operations, and landings of troops at Buna and Finschhafen in New Guinea
. Mochizuki came under air attack on several occasions, suffering minor damage

After making two Tokyo Express runs from Rabaul to

Tuluvu and Kolombangara. During the Battle of Kula Gulf on 5–6 July, Mochizuki engaged the destroyers USS Radford and USS Nicholas, taking minor damage from shell hits on her No. 1 gun turret and torpedo tubes
. The damage was severe enough to warrant a return to Sasebo to the end of August. After returning to Rabaul at the end of September, Mochizuki resumed Tokyo Express operations

During one such operation, on 24 October 1943 while en route from Rabaul to

Navy List on 5 January 1944.[6]

Notes

  1. ^ Watts & Gordon, pp. 265–66
  2. ^ a b Whitley, p. 191
  3. ^ a b c Jentschura, Jung & Mickel, p. 143
  4. ^ a b Chesneau, p. 192
  5. ^ Devereaux
  6. ^ a b c Nevitt
  7. ^ Dull. A Battle History of the Imperial Japanese Navy
  8. ^ Morison. The Struggle for Guadalcanal

References

  • Ahlberg, Lars & Nevitt, Allyn D. (1986). "Question 10/84". Warship International. XXIII (3): 317–318.
    ISSN 0043-0374
    .
  • Chesneau, Roger, ed. (1980). Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1922-1946. Greenwich: Conway Maritime Press.
    ISBN 0-85177-146-7
    .
  • Devereaux, James P.S., Colonel, USMC (1947). The Story of Wake Island. The Battery Press.
    ISBN 0-89839-264-0.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link
    )
  • 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
    .
  • ISBN 0-316-58305-7
    .
  • Nevitt, Allyn D. (1998). "IJN Mochizuki: 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
    .
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Japanese_destroyer_Mochizuki_(1927)&oldid=1194877870"