Japanese destroyer Takanami (1942)

Right elevation and plan of a Yūgumo-class destroyer
History
Empire of Japan
Name	Takanami
Builder	Uraga Dock Company
Laid down	29 May 1941
Launched	16 March 1942
Completed	31 August 1942
Stricken	24 December 1942
Fate	Sunk, 30 November 1942
General characteristics
Class and type	Yūgumo-class destroyer
Displacement	2,520 long tons (2,560 t)
Length	119.15 m (390 ft 11 in)
Beam	10.8 m (35 ft 5 in)
Draught	3.75 m (12 ft 4 in)
Speed	35 kn (65 km/h; 40 mph)
Complement	228
Armament	6 × dual purpose guns up to 28 × Type 96 25 mm (0.98 in) anti-aircraft guns up to 4 × 13.2 mm (0.52 in) anti-aircraft guns 8 × 610 mm (24 in) torpedo tubes for Type 93 torpedoes 36 × depth charges

Takanami (高波) was a Yūgumo-class destroyer of the Imperial Japanese Navy. Her name means "Tall Wave".

Design and description

The Yūgumo class was a repeat of the preceding

On the night of October 13–14, she escorted battleships Kongō and Haruna during the bombardment of Henderson Field, Guadalcanal. On the night of October 15–16, she escorted cruisers Myōkō and Maya during the bombardment of Henderson Field. On 30 November 1942, Takanami was on a supply transport run to Guadalcanal, when her task group engaged a United States Navy task group in the Battle of Tassafaronga. Takanami torpedoed the heavy cruisers USS Minneapolis and New Orleans. She was sunk by enemy gunfire — largely from Minneapolis — several miles south-southwest of Savo Island (9°14′S 159°49′E / 9.23°S 159.82°E / -9.23; 159.82), with 197 killed; 48 survivors reached Guadalcanal, 19 were later captured by US troops.

However, before she was sunk, Takanami managed to fire off her torpedoes, inflicting devastating damage on the very ships that sank her. Two torpedoes hit Minneapolis, blowing her bow clean off. Meanwhile, one torpedo hit New Orleans, igniting her turret one magazines and blowing off the entire section of the cruiser forward of her super firing turret.^[5]

Notes

References

• Campbell, John (1985). Naval Weapons of World War II. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press.
  ISBN 0-87021-459-4
  .
• Chesneau, Roger, ed. (1980). Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1922–1946. Greenwich, UK: Conway Maritime Press.
  ISBN 0-85177-146-7
  .
• 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
  .
• Whitley, M. J. (1988). Destroyers of World War 2. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press.
  ISBN 0-87021-326-1
  .

• CombinedFleet.com: Yūgumo-class destroyers
• CombinedFleet.com: Takanami history