Japanese destroyer Yūdachi (1936)
 Yūdachi underway on 30 November 1936
| |
| History | |
|---|---|
 Empire of Japan | |
| Name | Yūdachi |
| Namesake | 夕立 ("Evening Squall")[1] |
| Ordered | 1931 FY |
| Builder | Sasebo Naval Arsenal |
| Laid down | 16 October 1934 |
| Launched | 21 June 1936 |
| Commissioned | 7 January 1937 |
| Stricken | 15 December 1942 |
| Fate | Sunk by USS Portland 13 November 1942 |
| 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 nmi (7,400 km) at 18 kn (33 km/h) |
| Complement | 226 |
| Armament |
|
| Service record | |
| Operations: |
|
Yūdachi (夕立, "Evening Squall")"Circle One" Program (Maru Ichi Keikaku).[3]
Design Background
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.[4] Despite being one of the most powerful classes of destroyers in the world at the time of their completion, none survived the Pacific War.[5] Yūdachi, built at the
launched on 21 June 1936 and commissioned on 7 January 1937.[6]
Operational history
At the time of the
Cebu, returning to Yokosuka for repairs in early May. During the Battle of Midway on 4–6 June, Yūdachi was part of the Midway Occupation Force under the overall command of Admiral Nobutake Kondō
.
From mid-June, Yūdachi deployed from
raiding operations in the Indian Ocean, but the operation was cancelled due to reverses suffered by the Imperial Japanese Navy in the Solomon Islands. Yūdachi arrived at Shortland Island on 30 August, and was immediately assigned to "Tokyo Express" high speed transport runs to Guadalcanal. During one such mission from 4–5 September, Yūdachi assisted in the sinking of the destroyers USS Gregory and USS Little. Yūdachi continued making missions to Guadalcanal through November, participating briefly in the Battle of the Santa Cruz Islands on 26 October under Admiral Takeo Kurita
.
On the night of 12–13 November 1942, in the
James Hornfischer, Yūdachi was showing a white flag before Portland fired (The apparent "white flag" was a makeshift sail used in an attempt to get back underway during the battle,) but this was deliberately ignored by Captain Laurance T. DuBose, who directed his gunnery officer to "sink the S.O.B.".[8]
Notes
- ^ Nelson. Japanese-English Character Dictionary. page 283
- ^ Nelson. Japanese-English Character Dictionary. page 283
- ^ 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 22 July 2012. Retrieved 1 February 2010.
- ISBN 978-1612513430.
- ^ Hornfischer, James (2011). Neptune's Inferno: The U.S. Navy at Guadalcanal. New York: Bantam. p. 322.
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.
- 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 Yudachi: 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 22 July 2012. Retrieved 1 February 2010.
