Japanese cruiser Jintsu
Encyclopedia
was a Sendai-class
light cruiser
in the Imperial Japanese Navy
, named after the Jinzū River
in the Gifu
and Toyama
prefectures of central Japan
.
flotilla.
Kobe
shipyards on 21 July 1925. During a night training exercise on 24 August 1927, she inadvertently rammed and sank the destroyer
Warabi, and had to be taken to Maizuru
for major repairs.
In 1928, Jintsu was assigned to cover landings of Japanese troops in Shandong
province during the Jinan Incident
, and was later based out of Tsingtao.
From 1929 to 1941, Jintsu was assigned to patrols of the China
coast and to covering the landings of Japanese forces in China from 1937 onwards after the start of the Second Sino-Japanese War
.
of Rear Admiral
Raizo Tanaka
and DesRon 2 under the Philippine Seizure Force, Southern Force, of the Japanese Third Fleet. At the time of the attack on Pearl Harbor
, Jintsu was engaged in the invasion of the southern Philippines
, escorting transports with the IJA 16th Infantry Division
and Kure No. 1 Special Naval Landing Force (SNLF) from forward bases in Palau
to Davao
, Legaspi and Jolo
. After the Philippines was in Japanese hands by the end of December, Jintsu was reassigned to Rear Admiral Kubo's Eastern Netherlands East Indies Seizure Force with DesDiv 15 and DesDiv 16.
, escorting transports holding the Sasebo No. 1 Combined Special Naval Landing Force (SNLF). On 17 January, a Kawanishi E7K2
"Alf" reconnaissance floatplane
launched from Jintsu shot down a Dutch
Lockheed Hudson
light bomber near Menado, but was shot down itself before it could return. In early February, Jintsu was assigned to the invasion force for Ambon
, followed by both Dutch and Portuguese Timor
and eastern Java
.
Jintsu was thus at the Battle of the Java Sea
on 27 February 1942. Her destroyer groups included DesDiv 7's Ushio
, Sazanami
, Yamakaze
and Kawakaze
and DesDiv 16's Yukikaze
, Tokitsukaze
, Amatsukaze
and Hatsukaze
, and she accompanied the cruisers Nachi
, Haguro
, and Naka
, .
At 1547, Jintsu with her destroyer squadrons (and also the Inazuma
), engaged Dutch Rear Admiral Karel W. F. M. Doorman
's Strike Force's light cruiser HNLMS De Ruyter
, cruisers HMS Exeter
, USS Houston
, light cruisers HMAS Perth
, HNMS Java, destroyers HMS Electra
, HMS Encounter
, HMS Jupiter
, HNLMS Kortenaer
, HNMS Witte de With
and old destroyers USS Alden
, USS John D. Edwards
, USS John D. Ford and USS Paul Jones.
Floatplanes launched from Jintsu, Naka and Nachi marked Doorman's ships' positions and to help target Japanese gunnery. At 1727, Jintsu launched eight Type 93 "Long Lance" torpedoes at Doorman's force. These were followed by torpedoes from DesRon 2's destroyers. In all, 72 torpedoes were launched, but incredibly, not one hit a target, and the Allied fleet was later destroyed by other surface units. Jintsu was credited with assisting in the sinking of the Electra.
Jintsu returned to Japan in March for refit and repairs. While at Kure
, the Doolittle Raid
bombed the Japanese home islands. Jintsu was one of the many vessels sent in an unsuccessful pursuit of the American carrier force.
In May, Jintsu was sent to Saipan
where she was joined to the Midway Invasion Force, escorting transports and oilers. During the Battle of Midway
on 3 June 1942, the convoy was bombed by nine Boeing
B-17 Flying Fortresses. Later, the convoy was attacked by torpedo-carrying Consolidated
PBY Catalina
amphibious patrol planes. One oiler was hit during these attacks, but Jintsu returned to Truk, and then to Japan unscathed.
In July, in a reorganization of the Imperial Japanese Navy, Jintsu was reassigned to the newly formed Japanese 8th Fleet under the overall command of Vice Admiral Gunichi Mikawa
. After American forces invaded Guadalcanal
in August, Jintsu was sent to the Solomon Islands
.
. On 20 August, the troops were landed, but the lightly armed Japanese failed to storm Guadalcanal's Henderson Field
. Rear Admiral Tanaka received a signal from Vice Admiral Nishizo Tsukahara's 11th Air Fleet HQ to turn his convoy about and head north to avoid an American task force. Shortly thereafter, he received another signal from Vice Admiral Mikawa's Eighth Fleet HQ ordering him to change course to 250-degrees WSW. Tanaka, faced with conflicting orders from the senior officer in the area and his own superior, was further frustrated by poor radio reception which prevented him from contacting either headquarters. He compromised and changed course to 320 degrees (WNW), 190 nautical miles (352 km) south of Guadalcanal.
Meanwhile, 20 American carrier planes (Cactus Air Force
) from USS Long Island
arrived to reinforce the American defenses at Guadalcanal. In response, Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto
ordered Vice Admiral Chuichi Nagumo
's Third Fleet, with aircraft carriers Shokaku
, Zuikaku
, Ryuko
, battleships Hiei
, Kirishima
, cruisers Kumano
, Suzuya, Chikuma, Tone and Nagara
and three destroyers to reinforce Admiral Tanaka in Jintsu.
On 23 August, 200 nautical miles (370.4 km) north of Guadalcanal, Rear Admiral Tanaka's convoy was spotted by a Catalina PBY flying boat. At 0830, Tanaka received a signal from Vice Admiral Mikawa's Eighth Fleet headquarters directing him to head north to avoid the American task force. At 1430, Tanaka received a signal from Vice Admiral Tsukahara's 11th Air Fleet headquarters directing him to land troops on Guadacanal the next day. Tanaka, faced with yet a second set of conflicting orders, replied that he could not comply because some of his ships were too slow.
The Battle of the Eastern Solomons
occurred over the following two days, 24 August 1942. Jintsu rendezvoused with Ryujo, which launched two air strikes against Henderson Field. However, Ryujo herself was hit by aircraft from USS Saratoga
, with four bombs and a torpedo hit that flooded her starboard engine room, and sank that night.
On 25 August, 150 nautical miles (278 km) north of Guadalcanal, six USMC
Douglas
SBD Dauntless
dive-bombers attacked the Jintsu convoy, sinking one transport and damaging another. A 500-lb. bomb hit Jintsu, starting fires and flooding her forward magazines. Twenty-four crewmen were killed and Admiral Tanaka was injured. He shifted his flag to Kagero and Jintsu withdrew to Shortland, and from there to Truk, where she underwent emergency repairs for the next month. In October, she was sent back to Japan, where two Type 96 triple-mount 25 mm AA guns were installed.
and Kwajalein
.
On 13 July 1943, Jintsu was in the Battle of Kolombangara
. At 0330, Jintsu departed Rabaul
as flagship of Rear Admiral Isaki, with the destroyers Yukikaze
, Hamakaze
, Yugure
, Mikazuki, Kiyonami
and destroyer-transports Satsuki, Minazuki, Yūnagi
and Matsukaze
with 1200 troops to reinforce Japanese positions on Kolombangara
island, in the Solomon Islands. Soon after arriving into position, Jintsu's radar detected the presence of an Allied fleet before visual contact was made.
The Allied fleet consisted of the cruisers USS Honolulu
, USS St Louis, HMNZS Leander
, and the destroyers USS Ralph Talbot
, USS Maury
, USS Gwin
, USS Woodworth
and the USS Buchanan
, USS Radford
, USS Jenkins
, USS Nicholas
, USS O'Bannon
and the USS Taylor
.
Admiral Isaki ordered a night torpedo attack, and his ships launched 31 Type 93 "Long Lance" torpedoes, as Jintsu illuminated the Allied fleet with her searchlights. The illumination was fatal, as Jintsu was hit by at least ten 6 inches (152.4 mm) shells from the Allied cruisers, setting her on fire. The barrage killed both Rear Admiral Isaki and Captain Sato; shortly afterwards a torpedo hit Jintsu starboard in the aft engine room.
As Captain Zenjiro Shimai of Yukikaze assumed command of the Japanese fleet and counterattacked (sinking Gwin, and damaging Leander and St Louis, Jintsu broke in two and sank at 07°38′S 157°06′E.
Later, Japanese submarine I-180
rescued 21 crewmen and a few more were recovered by the Americans, but 482 men were lost.
Jintsu was removed from the navy list
on 10 September 1943
Sendai class cruiser
The were a group of warships operated by the Imperial Japanese Navy. Named after rivers, they participated in numerous actions during the Pacific War and were mainly used as destroyer flotilla leaders.-Design:...
light cruiser
Light cruiser
A light cruiser is a type of small- or medium-sized warship. The term is a shortening of the phrase "light armored cruiser", describing a small ship that carried armor in the same way as an armored cruiser: a protective belt and deck...
in the Imperial Japanese Navy
Imperial Japanese Navy
The Imperial Japanese Navy was the navy of the Empire of Japan from 1869 until 1947, when it was dissolved following Japan's constitutional renunciation of the use of force as a means of settling international disputes...
, named after the Jinzū River
Jinzu River
The is a river that flows from Gifu Prefecture to Toyama Prefecture in Japan. It is called Miya River in Gifu. It is in length and has a watershed of .-Geography:...
in the Gifu
Gifu Prefecture
is a prefecture located in the Chūbu region of central Japan. Its capital is the city of Gifu.Located in the center of Japan, it has long played an important part as the crossroads of Japan, connecting the east to the west through such routes as the Nakasendō...
and Toyama
Toyama Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located in the Hokuriku region on Honshū island. The capital is the city of Toyama.Toyama is the leading industrial prefecture on the Japan Sea coast, and has the industrial advantage of cheap electricity due to abundant water resources....
prefectures of central Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
.
Background
Jintsu was the second vessel completed in the three-ship Sendai-class of light cruisers, and like other vessels of her class, she was intended for use as the flagship of a destroyerDestroyer
In naval terminology, a destroyer is a fast and maneuverable yet long-endurance warship intended to escort larger vessels in a fleet, convoy or battle group and defend them against smaller, powerful, short-range attackers. Destroyers, originally called torpedo-boat destroyers in 1892, evolved from...
flotilla.
Early career
Jintsu was completed at KawasakiKawasaki Heavy Industries
is an international corporation based in Japan. It has headquarters in both Chūō-ku, Kobe and Minato, Tokyo.The company is named after its founder Shōzō Kawasaki and has no connection with the city of Kawasaki, Kanagawa....
Kobe
Kobe
, pronounced , is the fifth-largest city in Japan and is the capital city of Hyōgo Prefecture on the southern side of the main island of Honshū, approximately west of Osaka...
shipyards on 21 July 1925. During a night training exercise on 24 August 1927, she inadvertently rammed and sank the destroyer
Destroyer
In naval terminology, a destroyer is a fast and maneuverable yet long-endurance warship intended to escort larger vessels in a fleet, convoy or battle group and defend them against smaller, powerful, short-range attackers. Destroyers, originally called torpedo-boat destroyers in 1892, evolved from...
Warabi, and had to be taken to Maizuru
Maizuru, Kyoto
is a city located in Kyōto, Japan, on an inlet of the Sea of Japan.As of 2008, the city has an estimated population of 89,626 and the density of 264 persons per km². The total area is .The city was founded on May 27, 1943....
for major repairs.
In 1928, Jintsu was assigned to cover landings of Japanese troops in Shandong
Shandong
' is a Province located on the eastern coast of the People's Republic of China. Shandong has played a major role in Chinese history from the beginning of Chinese civilization along the lower reaches of the Yellow River and served as a pivotal cultural and religious site for Taoism, Chinese...
province during the Jinan Incident
Jinan Incident
The Jinan Incident or May 3rd Tragedy , was an armed conflict between the Japanese Army allied with Northern Chinese warlords against the Kuomintang's southern army in Jinan, the capital of Shandong in 1928 during the Kuomintang's Northern Expedition.-Background:During the Northern Expedition,...
, and was later based out of Tsingtao.
From 1929 to 1941, Jintsu was assigned to patrols of the China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
coast and to covering the landings of Japanese forces in China from 1937 onwards after the start of the Second Sino-Japanese War
Second Sino-Japanese War
The Second Sino-Japanese War was a military conflict fought primarily between the Republic of China and the Empire of Japan. From 1937 to 1941, China fought Japan with some economic help from Germany , the Soviet Union and the United States...
.
Early stages of the Pacific War
On 26 November 1941, Jintsu became the flagshipFlagship
A flagship is a vessel used by the commanding officer of a group of naval ships, reflecting the custom of its commander, characteristically a flag officer, flying a distinguishing flag...
of Rear Admiral
Rear admiral (United States)
Rear admiral is a naval commissioned officer rank above that of a commodore and captain, and below that of a vice admiral. The uniformed services of the United States are unique in having two grades of rear admirals.- Rear admiral :...
Raizo Tanaka
Raizo Tanaka
was a rear admiral in the Imperial Japanese Navy during most of World War II. A specialist in the heavy torpedoes that were carried by all the destroyers and cruisers of the IJN, Tanaka mainly commanded destroyer squadrons, with a cruiser or two attached, and he was the primary leader of the...
and DesRon 2 under the Philippine Seizure Force, Southern Force, of the Japanese Third Fleet. At the time of the attack on Pearl Harbor
Attack on Pearl Harbor
The attack on Pearl Harbor was a surprise military strike conducted by the Imperial Japanese Navy against the United States naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, on the morning of December 7, 1941...
, Jintsu was engaged in the invasion of the southern Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
, escorting transports with the IJA 16th Infantry Division
16th Division (Imperial Japanese Army)
The was an infantry division in the Imperial Japanese Army. Its call sign was the .-History:The 16th Division was one of four divisions raised in the closing stages of the Russo-Japanese War , and was raised from men in the Kyoto area...
and Kure No. 1 Special Naval Landing Force (SNLF) from forward bases in Palau
Palau
Palau , officially the Republic of Palau , is an island nation in the Pacific Ocean, east of the Philippines and south of Tokyo. In 1978, after three decades as being part of the United Nations trusteeship, Palau chose independence instead of becoming part of the Federated States of Micronesia, a...
to Davao
Davao
Davao refers to several closely related places in Mindanao in the Philippines. The term is used most often to refer to the city.*Davao Region, an administrative region*Davao del Norte province*Davao del Sur province*Davao Oriental province...
, Legaspi and Jolo
Jolo
Jolo may refer to:* Jolo Island* Jolo, Sulu* Jolo, West Virginia* Jolo is also the nickname of Swedish author Jan Olof Olsson....
. After the Philippines was in Japanese hands by the end of December, Jintsu was reassigned to Rear Admiral Kubo's Eastern Netherlands East Indies Seizure Force with DesDiv 15 and DesDiv 16.
Battle of the Java Sea
On 9 January 1942, Jintsu departed Davao for the invasion of the CelebesSulawesi
Sulawesi is one of the four larger Sunda Islands of Indonesia and is situated between Borneo and the Maluku Islands. In Indonesia, only Sumatra, Borneo, and Papua are larger in territory, and only Java and Sumatra have larger Indonesian populations.- Etymology :The Portuguese were the first to...
, escorting transports holding the Sasebo No. 1 Combined Special Naval Landing Force (SNLF). On 17 January, a Kawanishi E7K2
Kawanishi E7K
-See also:-References:NotesBibliography* Francillon, Ph.D., Réne J. Japanese Aircraft of the Pacific War. London: Putnam & Company Ltd., 1970 . ISBN 0-370-30251-6....
"Alf" reconnaissance floatplane
Floatplane
A floatplane is a type of seaplane, with slender pontoons mounted under the fuselage; only the floats of a floatplane normally come into contact with water, with the fuselage remaining above water...
launched from Jintsu shot down a Dutch
Royal Netherlands Air Force
The Royal Netherlands Air Force , Dutch Koninklijke Luchtmacht , is the military aviation branch of the Netherlands Armed Forces. Its ancestor, the Luchtvaartafdeling of the Dutch Army was founded on 1 July 1913, with four pilots...
Lockheed Hudson
Lockheed Hudson
The Lockheed Hudson was an American-built light bomber and coastal reconnaissance aircraft built initially for the Royal Air Force shortly before the outbreak of the Second World War and primarily operated by the RAF thereafter...
light bomber near Menado, but was shot down itself before it could return. In early February, Jintsu was assigned to the invasion force for Ambon
Battle of Ambon
The Battle of Ambon occurred on the island of Ambon in the Dutch East Indies , on 30 January – 3 February 1942, during World War II. A Japanese invasion was resisted by Dutch and Australian forces...
, followed by both Dutch and Portuguese Timor
Portuguese Timor
Portuguese Timor was the name of East Timor when it was under Portuguese control. During this period, Portugal shared the island of Timor with the Netherlands East Indies, and later with Indonesia....
and eastern Java
Java
Java is an island of Indonesia. With a population of 135 million , it is the world's most populous island, and one of the most densely populated regions in the world. It is home to 60% of Indonesia's population. The Indonesian capital city, Jakarta, is in west Java...
.
Jintsu was thus at the Battle of the Java Sea
Battle of the Java Sea
The Battle of the Java Sea was a decisive naval battle of the Pacific campaign of World War II, that sealed the fate of the Netherlands East Indies....
on 27 February 1942. Her destroyer groups included DesDiv 7's Ushio
Japanese destroyer Ushio
was the twentieth of twenty-four 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. They served as first-line destroyers through the 1930s, and remained formidable weapons systems well...
, Sazanami
Japanese destroyer Sazanami
was the nineteenth of twenty-four s, built for the Imperial Japanese Navy following World War I. When introduced into service, these ships were the most powerful destroyers in the world...
, Yamakaze
Japanese destroyer Yamakaze
was the eighth of ten s, and the second to be built for the Imperial Japanese Navy under the Circle Two Program .-History:...
and Kawakaze
Japanese destroyer Kawakaze
was the ninth of ten s, and the third to be built for the Imperial Japanese Navy under the Circle Two Program .-History:The Shiratsuyu class destroyers were modified versions of the , and were designed to accompany the Japanese main striking force and to conduct both day and night torpedo attacks...
and DesDiv 16's Yukikaze
Japanese destroyer Yukikaze
was a in service with the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War II. She was the only member of her class to survive the war. The attrition rate of Japanese destroyers was extremely high due to heavy, prolonged combat and the need to use them to transport supplies to scattered Japanese island...
, Tokitsukaze
Japanese destroyer Tokitsukaze
was the tenth vessel to be commissioned in the 19-vessel destroyers built for the Imperial Japanese Navy in the late-1930s under the Circle Three Supplementary Naval Expansion Program .-Background:...
, Amatsukaze
Japanese destroyer Amatsukaze
Amatsukaze was a of the Imperial Japanese Navy. During the first year of the Pacific War, the destroyer was under the command of Tameichi Hara and participated in the Battle of the Java Sea, Battle of the Eastern Solomons, Battle of the Santa Cruz Islands, and the Naval Battle of Guadalcanal, in...
and Hatsukaze
Japanese destroyer Hatsukaze
was the seventh vessel to be commissioned in the 19-vessel destroyers built for the Imperial Japanese Navy in the late-1930s under the Circle Three Supplementary Naval Expansion Program...
, and she accompanied the cruisers Nachi
Japanese cruiser Nachi
was the second of four Myōkō-class heavy cruisers built for the Imperial Japanese Navy — the other ships of the class being , and . She was named after a mountain in Wakayama Prefecture....
, Haguro
Japanese cruiser Haguro
|-External reference links: -External links:**...
, and Naka
Japanese cruiser Naka
was a Sendai-class light cruiser in the Imperial Japanese Navy, named after the Naka River in the Tochigi and Ibaraki prefectures of eastern Japan.-Background:...
, .
At 1547, Jintsu with her destroyer squadrons (and also the Inazuma
Japanese destroyer Inazuma
was the twenty-fourth destroyers, or the fourth of , built for the Imperial Japanese Navy in the inter-war period. When introduced into service, these ships were the most powerful destroyers in the world...
), engaged Dutch Rear Admiral Karel W. F. M. Doorman
Karel Doorman
Karel Willem Frederik Marie Doorman was a Dutch Rear Admiral who commanded ABDACOM Naval forces, a hastily-organized multinational naval force formed to defend the East Indies against an overwhelming Imperial Japanese attack. Doorman was killed and the main body of ABDACOM Naval forces destroyed...
's Strike Force's light cruiser HNLMS De Ruyter
HNLMS De Ruyter (1935)
HNLMS De Ruyter was a light cruiser of the Royal Netherlands Navy, the lead ship of her class. She was originally designed as a ship with a lighter armament due to financial problems and the pacifist movement. Later in the design stage, an extra gun turret was added and the armor was improved...
, cruisers HMS Exeter
HMS Exeter (68)
HMS Exeter was a York class heavy cruiser of the Royal Navy that served in World War II. She was laid down on 1 August 1928 at the Devonport Dockyard, Plymouth, Devon. She was launched on 18 July 1929 and completed on 27 July 1931...
, USS Houston
USS Houston (CA-30)
USS Houston , nicknamed the "Galloping Ghost of the Java Coast", was a Northampton-class heavy cruiser of the United States Navy...
, light cruisers HMAS Perth
HMAS Perth (D29)
HMAS Perth was a Modified Leander class light cruiser operated by the Royal Australian Navy during World War II. She was constructed for the Royal Navy , and commissioned as HMS Amphion in 1936...
, HNMS Java, destroyers HMS Electra
HMS Electra (H27)
HMS Electra was a Royal Navy 'E' class destroyer . She was ordered on 1 November 1932 as part of the 1931 Naval Build Programme; launched on 15 February 1934 at the Hawthorn Leslie Shipyard at Hebburn, Tyneside...
, HMS Encounter
HMS Encounter (H10)
HMS Encounter was an E-class destroyer of the Royal Navy before and during World War II, serving in home waters and in the Norwegian Campaign, before joining the Mediterranean Fleet and serving on the Malta Convoys, and then in the Eastern Fleet until sunk by Japanese warships in the Second Battle...
, HMS Jupiter
HMS Jupiter (F85)
HMS Jupiter was a J-class destroyer of the Royal Navy laid down by Yarrow & Company at Scotstoun in Glasgow on 28 September 1937, launched on 27 October 1938 and commissioned on 25 June 1939.-Operations:...
, HNLMS Kortenaer
HNLMS Kortenaer
HNLMS Kortenaer was an of the Royal Netherlands Navy, named after 17th century Dutch Admiral Egbert Bartholomeusz Kortenaer.-Service history:She served mostly in the Netherlands East Indies, and when war broke out in 1941 she was at Surabaya....
, HNMS Witte de With
Admiralen class destroyer
The Admiralen Class were eight destroyers built for the Royal Netherlands Navy between 1926 and 1931. All ships fought in World War II and were scuttled or sunk...
and old destroyers USS Alden
USS Alden (DD-211)
USS Alden was a Clemson-class destroyer of the United States Navy . Serving during World War II, Alden is the only ship of the US Navy to have been named for Rear Admiral James Alden, Jr...
, USS John D. Edwards
USS John D. Edwards (DD-216)
USS John D. Edwards was a Clemson-class destroyer in the United States Navy during World War II. She was named for Lieutenant John D. Edwards....
, USS John D. Ford and USS Paul Jones.
Floatplanes launched from Jintsu, Naka and Nachi marked Doorman's ships' positions and to help target Japanese gunnery. At 1727, Jintsu launched eight Type 93 "Long Lance" torpedoes at Doorman's force. These were followed by torpedoes from DesRon 2's destroyers. In all, 72 torpedoes were launched, but incredibly, not one hit a target, and the Allied fleet was later destroyed by other surface units. Jintsu was credited with assisting in the sinking of the Electra.
Jintsu returned to Japan in March for refit and repairs. While at Kure
Kure, Hiroshima
is a city in Hiroshima prefecture, Japan.As of October 1, 2010, the city has an estimated population of 240,820 and a population density of 681 persons per km². The total area is 353.74 km².- History :...
, the Doolittle Raid
Doolittle Raid
The Doolittle Raid, on 18 April 1942, was the first air raid by the United States to strike the Japanese Home Islands during World War II. By demonstrating that Japan itself was vulnerable to American air attack, it provided a vital morale boost and opportunity for U.S. retaliation after the...
bombed the Japanese home islands. Jintsu was one of the many vessels sent in an unsuccessful pursuit of the American carrier force.
In May, Jintsu was sent to Saipan
Saipan
Saipan is the largest island of the United States Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands , a chain of 15 tropical islands belonging to the Marianas archipelago in the western Pacific Ocean with a total area of . The 2000 census population was 62,392...
where she was joined to the Midway Invasion Force, escorting transports and oilers. During the Battle of Midway
Battle of Midway
The Battle of Midway is widely regarded as the most important naval battle of the Pacific Campaign of World War II. Between 4 and 7 June 1942, approximately one month after the Battle of the Coral Sea and six months after Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor, the United States Navy decisively defeated...
on 3 June 1942, the convoy was bombed by nine Boeing
Boeing
The Boeing Company is an American multinational aerospace and defense corporation, founded in 1916 by William E. Boeing in Seattle, Washington. Boeing has expanded over the years, merging with McDonnell Douglas in 1997. Boeing Corporate headquarters has been in Chicago, Illinois since 2001...
B-17 Flying Fortresses. Later, the convoy was attacked by torpedo-carrying Consolidated
Consolidated
Consolidated may refer to:*Consolidated *Consolidated Aircraft , an aircraft manufacturer*Consolidated city-county*Consolidation...
PBY Catalina
PBY Catalina
The Consolidated PBY Catalina was an American flying boat of the 1930s and 1940s produced by Consolidated Aircraft. It was one of the most widely used multi-role aircraft of World War II. PBYs served with every branch of the United States Armed Forces and in the air forces and navies of many other...
amphibious patrol planes. One oiler was hit during these attacks, but Jintsu returned to Truk, and then to Japan unscathed.
In July, in a reorganization of the Imperial Japanese Navy, Jintsu was reassigned to the newly formed Japanese 8th Fleet under the overall command of Vice Admiral Gunichi Mikawa
Gunichi Mikawa
was a Vice-Admiral in the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War II.Mikawa was the commander of a heavy cruiser force that carried out spectacular I.J.N. victory over the U.S. Navy and the Royal Australian Navy at the Battle of Savo Island in Ironbottom Sound on the night of August 1942. In...
. After American forces invaded Guadalcanal
Guadalcanal
Guadalcanal is a tropical island in the South-Western Pacific. The largest island in the Solomons, it was discovered by the Spanish expedition of Alvaro de Mendaña in 1568...
in August, Jintsu was sent to the Solomon Islands
Solomon Islands
Solomon Islands is a sovereign state in Oceania, east of Papua New Guinea, consisting of nearly one thousand islands. It covers a land mass of . The capital, Honiara, is located on the island of Guadalcanal...
.
Solomon Islands campaigns
On 16 August 1942, Jintsu departed Truk commanding a major reinforcement for GuadalcanalGuadalcanal
Guadalcanal is a tropical island in the South-Western Pacific. The largest island in the Solomons, it was discovered by the Spanish expedition of Alvaro de Mendaña in 1568...
. On 20 August, the troops were landed, but the lightly armed Japanese failed to storm Guadalcanal's Henderson Field
Henderson Field (Guadalcanal)
Henderson Field is a former military airfield on Guadacanal, Solomon Islands during World War II. Today it is Honiara International Airport.-Japanese construction:...
. Rear Admiral Tanaka received a signal from Vice Admiral Nishizo Tsukahara's 11th Air Fleet HQ to turn his convoy about and head north to avoid an American task force. Shortly thereafter, he received another signal from Vice Admiral Mikawa's Eighth Fleet HQ ordering him to change course to 250-degrees WSW. Tanaka, faced with conflicting orders from the senior officer in the area and his own superior, was further frustrated by poor radio reception which prevented him from contacting either headquarters. He compromised and changed course to 320 degrees (WNW), 190 nautical miles (352 km) south of Guadalcanal.
Meanwhile, 20 American carrier planes (Cactus Air Force
Cactus Air Force
Cactus Air Force refers to the ensemble of Allied air power assigned to the island of Guadalcanal from August 1942 until December 1942 during the early stages of the Guadalcanal Campaign, particularly those operating from Henderson Field...
) from USS Long Island
USS Long Island (CVE-1)
USS Long Island was lead ship of her class and the first escort carrier of the United States Navy...
arrived to reinforce the American defenses at Guadalcanal. In response, Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto
Isoroku Yamamoto
was a Japanese Naval Marshal General and the commander-in-chief of the Combined Fleet during World War II, a graduate of the Imperial Japanese Naval Academy and a student of Harvard University ....
ordered Vice Admiral Chuichi Nagumo
Chuichi Nagumo
was a Japanese admiral in the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War II and one time commander of the Kido Butai . He committed suicide during the Battle of Saipan.-Early life:...
's Third Fleet, with aircraft carriers Shokaku
Japanese aircraft carrier Shokaku
Shōkaku was an aircraft carrier of the Imperial Japanese Navy, the lead ship of her class. Along with her sister ship , she took part in several key naval battles during the Pacific War, including the attack on Pearl Harbor, the Battle of the Coral Sea and the Battle of the Santa Cruz Islands...
, Zuikaku
Japanese aircraft carrier Zuikaku
Zuikaku was a Shōkaku-class aircraft carrier of the Imperial Japanese Navy. Her complement of aircraft took part in the attack on Pearl Harbor that formally brought the United States into the Pacific War, and she fought in several of the most important naval battles of the war, finally being sunk...
, Ryuko
Japanese aircraft carrier Ryujo
Ryūjō was a light aircraft carrier of the Imperial Japanese Navy. She was laid down by Mitsubishi at Yokohama in 1929, launched in 1931 and commissioned on 9 May 1933. Her final design resulted in a top-heavy unstable vessel and within a year she was back at Kure Naval Yard for modification...
, battleships Hiei
Japanese battleship Hiei
was a warship of the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War I and World War II. Designed by British naval architect George Thurston, she was the second launched of four s, among the most heavily armed ships in any navy when built. Laid down in 1911 at the Yokosuka Naval Arsenal, Hiei was formally...
, Kirishima
Japanese battleship Kirishima
was a warship of the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War I and World War II. Designed by British naval engineer George Thurston, she was the third launched of the four Kongō-class battlecruisers, among the most heavily armed ships in any navy when built...
, cruisers Kumano
Japanese cruiser Kumano
Kumano was one of four Mogami-class heavy cruiser of the Imperial Japanese Navy. She was completed at the Kawasaki Shipyard in Kobe on 31 October 1937. She displaced with a length of and a beam of , and had a top speed of...
, Suzuya, Chikuma, Tone and Nagara
Japanese cruiser Nagara
was the lead ship of her class of light cruiser in the Imperial Japanese Navy. She was named after the Nagara River in the Chūbu region of Japan.-Background:...
and three destroyers to reinforce Admiral Tanaka in Jintsu.
On 23 August, 200 nautical miles (370.4 km) north of Guadalcanal, Rear Admiral Tanaka's convoy was spotted by a Catalina PBY flying boat. At 0830, Tanaka received a signal from Vice Admiral Mikawa's Eighth Fleet headquarters directing him to head north to avoid the American task force. At 1430, Tanaka received a signal from Vice Admiral Tsukahara's 11th Air Fleet headquarters directing him to land troops on Guadacanal the next day. Tanaka, faced with yet a second set of conflicting orders, replied that he could not comply because some of his ships were too slow.
The Battle of the Eastern Solomons
Battle of the Eastern Solomons
The naval Battle of the Eastern Solomons The naval Battle of the Eastern Solomons The naval Battle of the Eastern Solomons (also known as the Battle of the Stewart Islands and, in Japanese sources, as the , took place on 24–25 August 1942, and was the third carrier battle of the Pacific campaign...
occurred over the following two days, 24 August 1942. Jintsu rendezvoused with Ryujo, which launched two air strikes against Henderson Field. However, Ryujo herself was hit by aircraft from USS Saratoga
USS Saratoga (CV-3)
USS Saratoga was the second aircraft carrier of the United States Navy and the fifth ship to bear her name. She was commissioned one month earlier than her sister and class leader, , which is the third actually commissioned after and Saratoga...
, with four bombs and a torpedo hit that flooded her starboard engine room, and sank that night.
On 25 August, 150 nautical miles (278 km) north of Guadalcanal, six USMC
United States Marine Corps
The United States Marine Corps is a branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for providing power projection from the sea, using the mobility of the United States Navy to deliver combined-arms task forces rapidly. It is one of seven uniformed services of the United States...
Douglas
Douglas Aircraft Company
The Douglas Aircraft Company was an American aerospace manufacturer, based in Long Beach, California. It was founded in 1921 by Donald Wills Douglas, Sr. and later merged with McDonnell Aircraft in 1967 to form McDonnell Douglas...
SBD Dauntless
SBD Dauntless
The Douglas SBD Dauntless was a naval dive bomber made by Douglas during World War II. The SBD was the United States Navy's main dive bomber from mid-1940 until late 1943, when it was largely replaced by the SB2C Helldiver...
dive-bombers attacked the Jintsu convoy, sinking one transport and damaging another. A 500-lb. bomb hit Jintsu, starting fires and flooding her forward magazines. Twenty-four crewmen were killed and Admiral Tanaka was injured. He shifted his flag to Kagero and Jintsu withdrew to Shortland, and from there to Truk, where she underwent emergency repairs for the next month. In October, she was sent back to Japan, where two Type 96 triple-mount 25 mm AA guns were installed.
Battle of Kolombangara
After repairs/modifications were completed on 9 January 1943, Jintsu became flagship of DesRon 2 and departed Kure bound for Truk. Jintsu was immediately assigned to the operation to evacuate surviving Japanese army troops from Guadalcanal, which she covered successfully. Through July, Jintsu made several transport runs, escorting forces moving between Truk, RoiRoi-Namur
Roi-Namur is an island in the northern part of the Kwajalein atoll in the Marshall Islands.Occupied by Japanese forces prior to World War II, it was the target of the U.S. 4th Marine Division in the Battle of Kwajalein, in February 1944....
and Kwajalein
Kwajalein
Kwajalein Atoll , is part of the Republic of the Marshall Islands . The southernmost and largest island in the atoll is named Kwajalein Island. English-speaking residents of the U.S...
.
On 13 July 1943, Jintsu was in the Battle of Kolombangara
Battle of Kolombangara
The Battle of Kolombangara was a naval battle of the Pacific campaign of World War II, fought on the night of 12/13 July 1943, off Kolombangara in the Solomon Islands.-Background:...
. At 0330, Jintsu departed Rabaul
Rabaul
Rabaul is a township in East New Britain province, Papua New Guinea. The town was the provincial capital and most important settlement in the province until it was destroyed in 1994 by falling ash of a volcanic eruption. During the eruption, ash was sent thousands of metres into the air and the...
as flagship of Rear Admiral Isaki, with the destroyers Yukikaze
Japanese destroyer Yukikaze
was a in service with the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War II. She was the only member of her class to survive the war. The attrition rate of Japanese destroyers was extremely high due to heavy, prolonged combat and the need to use them to transport supplies to scattered Japanese island...
, Hamakaze
Japanese destroyer Hamakaze
was a of the Imperial Japanese Navy.On 7 April 1945, Hamakaze escorted the battleship from the Inland Sea on her Operation Ten-Go attack on the Allied forces on Okinawa. She was sunk by aircraft of Task Force 58 and sank 150 miles southwest of Nagasaki .-External links:**...
, Yugure
Japanese destroyer Yugure
was the sixth and last destroyer, built for the Imperial Japanese Navy under the Circle One Program . Three were laid down in JFY 1931 and the next three in JFY 1933...
, Mikazuki, Kiyonami
Japanese destroyer Kiyonami
was a of the Imperial Japanese Navy.On 12 July 1943, Kiyonami was on a troop transport run to Kolombangara. In the Battle of Kolombangara, she contributed torpedoes to the spreads that sank , and damaged and ....
and destroyer-transports Satsuki, Minazuki, Yūnagi
Japanese destroyer Yunagi (1924)
was the ninth and final vessel of the Kamikaze-class destroyers built for the Imperial Japanese Navy following World War I. Advanced for their time, these ships served as first-line destroyers through the 1930s, but were considered obsolescent by the start of the Pacific War.-History:Construction...
and Matsukaze
Japanese destroyer Matsukaze (1923)
was one of nine Kamikaze-class destroyers built for the Imperial Japanese Navy following World War I. Advanced for their time, these ships served as first-line destroyers through the 1930s, but were considered obsolescent by the start of the Pacific War....
with 1200 troops to reinforce Japanese positions on Kolombangara
Kolombangara
Kolombangara is an island in the New Georgia Islands group of the Solomon Islands in the southwestern Pacific Ocean...
island, in the Solomon Islands. Soon after arriving into position, Jintsu's radar detected the presence of an Allied fleet before visual contact was made.
The Allied fleet consisted of the cruisers USS Honolulu
USS Honolulu (CL-48)
USS Honolulu of the United States Navy was a Brooklyn-class light cruiser active in the Pacific War...
, USS St Louis, HMNZS Leander
HMNZS Leander
HMNZS Leander was a light cruiser which served with the Royal New Zealand Navy during World War II. She was the lead ship of a class of eight ships, the Leander class light cruiser and was initially named HMS Leander.- History :...
, and the destroyers USS Ralph Talbot
USS Ralph Talbot (DD-390)
USS Ralph Talbot was a Bagley-class destroyer in the United States Navy, named for USMC Second Lieutenant Ralph Talbot , who was awarded the Medal of Honor during World War I...
, USS Maury
USS Maury (DD-401)
The second USS Maury was a in the United States Navy. She was named for Matthew Maury.-History:Maury was laid down 24 March 1936 by Union Plant, Bethlehem Shipbuilding Corporation, San Francisco, California; launched 14 February 1938; sponsored by Miss Virginia Lee Maury Werth, granddaughter of...
, USS Gwin
USS Gwin (DD-433)
USS Gwin , a Gleaves-class destroyer, was the 3rd ship of the United States Navy to be named for Lieutenant Commander William Gwin, an American Civil War officer who commanded river boats against Confederate forces in Alabama....
, USS Woodworth
USS Woodworth (DD-460)
USS Woodworth was a Benson-class destroyer in the United States Navy during World War II. She was named for Commander Selim E. Woodworth....
and the USS Buchanan
USS Buchanan (DD-484)
USS Buchanan , a Gleaves-class destroyer, was the 2nd ship of the United States Navy to be named for Franklin Buchanan, who was an officer in the U.S...
, USS Radford
USS Radford (DD-446)
USS Radford , named for Rear Admiral William Radford, was a Fletcher-class destroyer in the United States Navy during World War II, the Korean War and the Vietnam War....
, USS Jenkins
USS Jenkins (DD-447)
USS Jenkins was a World War II-era in the service of the United States Navy, the second ship named after Rear Admiral Thornton A. Jenkins....
, USS Nicholas
USS Nicholas (DD-449)
USS Nicholas was a Fletcher-class destroyer of the United States Navy, which served through most of World War II, and for 27 years and two more wars after. She was the second Navy ship to be named for Major Samuel Nicholas....
, USS O'Bannon
USS O'Bannon (DD-450)
USS O'Bannon , a Fletcher-class destroyer, was the second ship of the United States Navy to be named for Lieutenant Presley O'Bannon , the Marine Corps's "hero of Derna"....
and the USS Taylor
USS Taylor (DD-468)
USS Taylor was a Fletcher-class destroyer of the United States Navy, named for Rear Admiral William Rogers Taylor . She was laid down on 28 August 1941 at Bath, Maine, by the Bath Iron Works Corp.; launched on 7 June 1942, sponsored by Mrs. H. A...
.
Admiral Isaki ordered a night torpedo attack, and his ships launched 31 Type 93 "Long Lance" torpedoes, as Jintsu illuminated the Allied fleet with her searchlights. The illumination was fatal, as Jintsu was hit by at least ten 6 inches (152.4 mm) shells from the Allied cruisers, setting her on fire. The barrage killed both Rear Admiral Isaki and Captain Sato; shortly afterwards a torpedo hit Jintsu starboard in the aft engine room.
As Captain Zenjiro Shimai of Yukikaze assumed command of the Japanese fleet and counterattacked (sinking Gwin, and damaging Leander and St Louis, Jintsu broke in two and sank at 07°38′S 157°06′E.
Japanese submarine I-180
I-180 was a Kaidai class submarine of the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War II. Laid down at the Yokosuka Naval Arsenal on 17 April 1941 and launched on 7 February 1942. Completed on 15 January 1943...
rescued 21 crewmen and a few more were recovered by the Americans, but 482 men were lost.
Jintsu was removed from the navy list
Navy List
A Navy List or Naval Register is an official list of naval officers, their ranks and seniority, the ships which they command or to which they are appointed, etc., that is published by the government or naval authorities of a country....
on 10 September 1943