Japanese destroyer Shigure (1935)
 Shigure in 1939
| |
| History | |
|---|---|
 Empire of Japan | |
| Name | Shigure |
| Ordered | 1931 FY |
| Builder | Uraga Dock Company |
| Laid down | 9 December 1933 |
| Launched | 18 May 1935 |
| Commissioned | 7 September 1936 |
| Stricken | 10 March 1945 |
| Fate | Torpedoed and sunk by USS Blackfin 24 January 1945 |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type | Shiratsuyu-class destroyer |
| Displacement | 1,685 long tons (1,712 t) |
| Length |
|
| Beam | 9.9 m (32 ft 6 in) |
| Draft | 3.5 m (11 ft 6 in) |
| Propulsion |
|
| Speed | 34 knots (39 mph; 63 km/h) |
| Range | 4,000 nautical miles (7,400 km) at 18 knots (21 mph; 33 km/h) |
| Complement | 226 |
| Armament |
|
| Service record | |
| Operations: |
|
Shigure (時雨, ”Drizzle”)Gulf of Siam on 24 January 1945.
History
The Shiratsuyu-class destroyers were modified versions of the Hatsuharu class, and were designed to accompany the Japanese main striking force and to conduct both day and night torpedo attacks against the United States Navy as it advanced across the Pacific Ocean, according to Japanese naval strategic projections.[3] Despite being one of the most powerful classes of destroyers in the world at the time of their completion, none survived the Pacific War.[4]
Shigure, built at the
launched on 18 May 1935 and commissioned on 7 September 1936.[5]
Operational history
At the time of the
Ndeni in the Santa Cruz Islands, before escorting a troop convoy from Palau to Rabaul on 24 September. In October and November, she made eight "Tokyo Express" troop transport runs to Guadalcanal. In the First Naval Battle of Guadalcanal on the night of 12–13 November 1942 she was part of the distant screening force and saw no combat, but later rescued survivors of the battleship Hiei. At the end of the year, she escorted the aircraft carrier Chūyō
from Truk to Yokosuka and back to Truk.
In mid-January 1943, Shigure escorted a troop convoy from Truk to
IJN 2nd Fleet on 20 July. She made a "Tokyo Express" troop transport run to Rekata Bay on 27 July, and to Kolombangara
on 1 August.
Naval Battle of Vella Lavella
on 7 October 1943.During the
Bungo Strait
, and was forced to return again to Sasebo for further repairs.
In January 1944, Shigure escorted the food supply ship
IJN 2nd Fleet on 20 November, departing Kure on 17 December with the aircraft carrier Unryū for Manila. After Unryū was sunk by the submarine USS Redfish, Shigure and the destroyer Momi rescued the 146 survivors.[7] Instead of continuing with the mission, Shigure set course for Sasebo, and in doing so, became the only ship of this force to return (Momi and the destroyer Hinoki
the other escort in the force, continued with the mission and were subsequently sunk with all hands lost within a few hours of each other.)
On 24 January 1945, while escorting a convoy from
navy list on 10 March 1945.[8]
Notes
- ^ Nelson. Japanese-English Character Dictionary. page 481
- ^ Lengerer, pp. 92-3
- ^ Peattie & Evans, Kaigun .
- ^ Globalsecurity.org, IJN Shiratsuyu class destroyers
- ^ Nishidah, Hiroshi (2002). "Shiratsuyu class 1st class destroyers". Materials of the Imperial Japanese Navy. Archived from the original on 2012-07-22. Retrieved 2010-06-27.
- ISBN 0-8159-5302-X.
- ISBN 1-55750-914-X.
- ^ Nevitt, Allyn D. (1997). "IJN Shigure: Tabular Record of Movement". Long Lancers. Combinedfleet.com. Retrieved 2016-07-24.
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.
- Hara, Capt. Tameichi (1961). Japanese Destroyer Captain. New York: Ballantine Books. SBN 345-02522-9-125. ISBN 978-1-59114-384-0(2011 edition)
- 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.
- Lengerer, Hans (2007). The Japanese Destroyers of the Hatsuharu Class. Warship 2007. London: Conway. pp. 91–110.
- 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 Shigure: Tabular Record of Movement". Long Lancers. Combinedfleet.com.
- Nishidah, Hiroshi (2002). "Shiratsuyu class destroyers". Materials of the Imperial Japanese Navy. Archived from the original on 2012-07-22. Retrieved 2010-06-27.
- Detailed account of Shigure's escort mission with Unryu
