Japanese destroyer Uranami (1928)

Coordinates: 11°50′N 123°00′E / 11.833°N 123.000°E / 11.833; 123.000
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
For other ships with the same name, see Japanese destroyer Uranami.

Uranami underway in September 1931
History
Empire of Japan
NameUranami
Ordered1923 Fiscal Year
BuilderUraga Dock Company
Yard numberDestroyer No.44
Laid down28 April 1927
Launched29 November 1928
Commissioned30 June 1929
FateSunk on 26 October 1944
General characteristics
Class and typeFubuki-class destroyer
Displacement
Length
  • 111.96 m (367.3 ft) pp
  • 115.3 m (378 ft) waterline
  • 118.41 m (388.5 ft) overall
Beam10.4 m (34 ft 1 in)
Draft3.2 m (10 ft 6 in)
Propulsion
  • 4 × Kampon type boilers
  • 2 × Kampon Type Ro geared turbines
  • 2 × shafts at 50,000 ihp (37,000 kW)
Speed38 knots (44 mph; 70 km/h)
Range5,000 nmi (9,300 km) at 14 knots (26 km/h)
Complement219
Armament
Another view of Uranami

Uranami (浦波, "Shore Wave")[1] was the tenth of twenty-four Fubuki-class destroyers, built for the Imperial Japanese Navy following World War I. When introduced into service, these ships were the most powerful destroyers in the world.[2] They served as first-line destroyers through the 1930s, and remained formidable weapons systems well into the Pacific War.

History

Construction of the advanced Fubuki-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.

launched on 29 November 1928 and commissioned on 30 June 1929.[5]
Originally assigned hull designation "Destroyer No. 44", she was renamed Uranami in 1935.

Operational history

On completion, Uranami was assigned to Destroyer Division 11 under the

IJN 2nd Fleet. During the Second Sino-Japanese War, Uranami helped cover landings of Japanese forces during the Battle of Shanghai in 1937, and subsequent landings of Japanese forces at Hangzhou
in northern China.

World War II history

At the time of the

"Operation B" (the invasion of British Borneo), capturing the Norwegian merchant ship SS Hafthor on 7 December.[citation needed
]

On 19 December, Uranami sank the Dutch submarine HNLMS O 20 with assistance from her sister ships Ayanami and Yūgiri and rescued 32 survivors.[6]

Uranami was part of the escort for the

"Operation T" (the invasion of northern Sumatra
).

On 23 March 1942, Uranami provided close cover for the

Japanese raids into the Indian Ocean. On 13–22 April she returned via Singapore and Camranh Bay to Kure Naval Arsenal, for maintenance.[7]

On 4–5 June 1942, Uranami participated in the

Mergui for a projected second Indian Ocean raid. The operation was cancelled due to the Guadalcanal campaign, and Uranami was ordered to the Solomon Islands instead. During the Battle of the Eastern Solomons on 24 August Uranami escorted the fleet supply group to Guadalcanal. Throughout September and October, Uranami participated in a very large number of "Tokyo Express" high speed transport missions to Guadalcanal.[8]

Guadalcanal

On 14–15 November, Uranami was involved in the

Willis A. Lee's Task Force 64 was located and attacked near Savo Island, Uranami came to the assistance of Ayanami and the light cruiser Nagara.[9]

Fire from Ayanami, Nagara, and the Uranami sank two of the four American destroyers involved (USS Preston and USS Walke), mortally wounded USS Benham (which was scuttled after the battle), and severely damaged USS Gwin, causing heavy American losses in the first phase of the battle.

Soon after, Ayanami was targeted and shelled by the battleship USS Washington, receiving critical damage. Uranami evacuated the crippled destroyer (which was scuttled after the battle). After the battle, Uranami escorted the aircraft carrier Chūyō from Truk to Yokosuka, returning to Rabaul in mid-February 1943 to resume patrol, escort and transport missions in the Solomons. On 25 February 1943, Uranami was reassigned to the Southwest Area Fleet. During the Battle of the Bismarck Sea on 1–4 March, Uranami sustained repeated air attacks without damage, and assisted in the rescue of survivors.

After making several escort missions in the eastern Netherlands East Indies in April, Uranami suffered severe damage on 2 April by striking a reef near Makassar. Taken to Surabaya, repairs were not complete until the end of August. Returning to patrol duty in September, Uranami escorted convoys to Singapore to the end of the year.

In early 1944, Uranami sortied from Singapore with the cruiser

HMS Tally-Ho
on 11 January 1944.

From 27 February to 25 March, Uranami escorted the cruisers Aoba, Tone and Chikuma in another commerce raiding operation in the Indian Ocean.

Convoy TA 1 to Ormoc

Uranami's final mission was the first major coordinated troop movement to

Leyte during the Battle of Leyte Gulf that began 21 October 1944. The troops were to be taken from Manila via Mindanao to Ormoc. The ships involved in this mission were designated Convoy TA 1, and included heavy cruiser Aoba, light cruiser Kinu, Uranami, three new T.1-class transports (T.6, T.9, and T.10), and two new T.101-class transports, (T.101 and T.102). The mission was led by Rear Admiral Naomasa Sakonju
in Aoba.

Prior to the mission proper, on 23 October Aoba was torpedoed by the submarine

Task Force 38 as the Battle of Leyte Gulf
opened. The ships only took minor damage in the strafing runs, but 4 crewmen were killed aboard Uranami and nine were wounded. Uranami also suffered a punctured fuel tank which left her leaking oil.

The actual mission began 25 October with the arrival of the transports. The Battle of Leyte Gulf was in full swing and so the convoy largely escaped American intervention. The IJA 41st Regiment was successfully delivered to Ormoc. Here, the two smaller T.101 transports broke off to pick up troops from a different location as Kinu, Uranami, and the three T.1s headed back to Manila.

On the morning of 26 October, while crossing the

navy list on 10 December 1944.[10]

The shipwreck

The shipwreck of Uranami has not yet been found, although Kinu was discovered by divers from the USS Chanticleer on 15 July 1945 in about 150 ft (50 m) of water. Uranami sank about 13 miles (21 km) away, and is probably at a similar depth, which would place it within the reach of technical divers.

Notes

  1. ^ Nelson. Japanese-English Character Dictionary. Page 550
  2. ^ Globalsecurity.org. "IJN Fubuki class destroyers".
  3. ^ Fitzsimons, Illustrated Encyclopedia of 20th Century Weapons and Warfare p.1040
  4. ^ Peattie & Evans, Kaigun pages 221–222.
  5. ^ Nishidah, Hiroshi (2002). "Fubuki class 1st class destroyers". Materials of the Imperial Japanese Navy. Archived from the original on 11 July 2012. Retrieved 1 March 2009.
  6. ^ Brown. Warship Losses of World War II
  7. ^ *Nevitt, Allyn D. (1997). "IJN Uranami: Tabular Record of Movement". Long Lancers. Combinedfleet.com.
  8. ^ D’Albas. Death of a Navy: Japanese Naval Action in World War II.
  9. ^ Hammel. Guadalcanal: Decision at Sea.
  10. ^ Nishidah, Hiroshi (2002). "Fubuki class destroyers". Materials of the Imperial Japanese Navy. Archived from the original on 11 July 2012. Retrieved 1 March 2009.

References

External links
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Japanese_destroyer_Uranami_(1928)&oldid=1091789088"