Japanese destroyer Shikinami
Encyclopedia
was the 12th of 24 destroyer
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. They served as first-line destroyers through the 1930s, and remained formidable weapons systems well into the Pacific War
.
s in other navies. Shikinami, built at the Maizuru Naval Arsenal
was the second in an improved series, which incorporated a modified gun turret
which could elevate her main battery of Type 3 127 mm 50 caliber naval guns to 75° as opposed to the original 40°, thus permitting the guns to be used as dual purpose gun
s against aircraft. Shikinami laid down on 6 July 1928, launched on 22 June 1929 and commissioned on 24 December 1929. Originally assigned hull designation “Destroyer No. 46”, she was completed as Shikinami.
The 4th Fleet Incident
occurred only a year after her commissioning, and Shikinami was quickly taken back to the shipyards for strengthening of her hull.
s, , , and , were assigned to Destroyer Division 19 under the IJN 2nd Fleet
. During the Second Sino-Japanese War
in 1937, Shikinami covered landing of Japanese forces in Shanghai
and Hangzhou
. From 1940 on, she was assigned to patrol and cover landings of Japanese forces in south China.
, Shikinami was assigned to Destroyer Division 19 of DesRon 3 of the IJN 1st Fleet
, and had deployed from Kure Naval District
to the port of Samah on Hainan
Island, escorting Japanese troopships for landing operations
in the Battle of Malaya
at the end of 1941.
In January–February, 1942, Shikinami was assigned to the escort of the aircraft carrier
as it conducted air strikes in the Java Sea
.
During the Battle of Sunda Strait
on 1 March, Shikinami entered the battle late, but contributed by firing the final torpedo, which sank the United States Navy
heavy cruiser
, She escorted troopship convoys from Saigon to Rangoon through the remainder of March. From 13–22 April, she returned via Singapore
and Camranh Bay to Kure Naval Arsenal
, for maintenance.
On 4–5 June, Shikinami participated in the Battle of Midway
as part of Admiral
Isoroku Yamamoto
’s main fleet. Shikinami sailed from Amami-Ōshima to Mako Guard District
, Singapore, Sabang
and Mergui
for a projected second Indian Ocean raid. The operation was cancelled due to the Guadalcanal campaign
, and Shikinami was ordered to Truk instead, arriving in late August. During the Battle of the Eastern Solomons
on 24 August, Shikinami escorted the fleet supply group to Guadalcanal
. She was assigned to numerous "Tokyo Express
" transport missions to various locations in the Solomon Islands
in October and November.
During the Second Naval Battle of Guadalcanal on 14–15 November 1942. Shikinami was attached to a scouting force under the command of Rear Admiral
Shintarō Hashimoto
in the light cruiser
. Shikinami survived the battle without damage, and returned to Kure by the end of the year.
In January 1943, Shikinami escorted a troop convoy from Pusan to Palau
and on to Wewak
. For the remainder of January–February, she patrolled out of Truk or Rabaul. On 25 February, Shikinami was reassigned to the IJN 8th Fleet
.
During the Battle of the Bismarck Sea
on 1–4 March, Shikinami escorted a troop convoy from Rabaul to Lae
. She survived the Allied
air attack on 3 March, which sank her sister ship and rescued Rear Admiral Masatomi Kimura
and other survivors. After returning to Kure briefly in March, Shikinami continued to serve in an escort and transport role in the Solomon Islands and New Guinea area through the end of October 1943.
At the end of October 1943, Shikinami was refit in Singapore, and assigned to escort of transports between Singapore and Surabaya
and Balikpapan
for the remainder of the year.
At the end of January 1944, Shikinami escorted the cruisers , , , and on a resupply run to the Andaman Islands
, and towed the torpedoed Kitakami back to Singapore afterwards.
In a month-long refit in Singapore from mid-March-mid-April, additional anti-aircraft gun
s were fitted. In May–June, Shikinami made numerous escort missions between Singapore, the Philippines and Palau. During a troop transport mission to Biak
as flagship for Admiral Naomasa Sakonju
, Shikinami came under a strafing air attack, which set fire to her depth charge
s, which were jettisoned just before they exploded, killing two crewmen and wounding four others. Shikinami continued to escort ships between Singapore, Brunei
and the Philippines from June–August, rescuing the survivors of the torpedoed Ōi on 19 July. On 12 September, after departing Singapore with a convoy bound for Japan, Shikinami was torpedoed by the submarine 240 nmi (444.5 km; 276.2 mi) south of Hong Kong
at position 18°16′N 114°40′E. Eight officers and 120 men rescued by , but her captain — Lieutenant Commander
Takahashi — and Rear Admiral Sadamichi Kajioka
were killed in action.
On 10 October 1944, Shikinami was removed from the navy list
.
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...
s, built for 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...
following World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
. 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 into the Pacific War
Pacific War
The Pacific War, also sometimes called the Asia-Pacific War refers broadly to the parts of World War II that took place in the Pacific Ocean, its islands, and in East Asia, then called the Far East...
.
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. The Fubuki-class had performance that was a quantum leap over previous destroyer designs, so much so that they were designated . The large size, powerful engines, high speed, large radius of action and unprecedented armament gave these destroyers the firepower similar to many light cruiserLight 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...
s in other navies. Shikinami, built at the Maizuru Naval Arsenal
Maizuru Naval Arsenal
was one of four principal naval shipyards owned and operated by the Imperial Japanese Navy. -History:The Maizuru Naval District was established at Maizuru, Kyoto in 1889, as the fourth of the naval districts responsible for the defense of the Japanese home islands. After the establishment of the...
was the second in an improved series, which incorporated a modified gun turret
Gun turret
A gun turret is a weapon mount that protects the crew or mechanism of a projectile-firing weapon and at the same time lets the weapon be aimed and fired in many directions.The turret is also a rotating weapon platform...
which could elevate her main battery of Type 3 127 mm 50 caliber naval guns to 75° as opposed to the original 40°, thus permitting the guns to be used as dual purpose gun
Dual purpose gun
A dual purpose gun is a naval artillery mounting designed to engage both surface and air targets.-Description:Second World War-era capital ships had four classes of artillery: the heavy main battery, intended to engage opposing battleships and cruisers ; a secondary battery for use against enemy...
s against aircraft. Shikinami laid down on 6 July 1928, launched on 22 June 1929 and commissioned on 24 December 1929. Originally assigned hull designation “Destroyer No. 46”, she was completed as Shikinami.
The 4th Fleet Incident
IJN 4th Fleet
The was a fleet designation of the Imperial Japanese Navy. The Fourth Fleet designation was used during three separate periods. The initial designation was for a group of ships that were assigned to work together during the Russo-Japanese conflict and the period of its immediate aftermath...
occurred only a year after her commissioning, and Shikinami was quickly taken back to the shipyards for strengthening of her hull.
Operational history
On completion, Shikinami, along with her sister shipSister ship
A sister ship is a ship of the same class as, or of virtually identical design to, another ship. Such vessels share a near-identical hull and superstructure layout, similar displacement, and roughly comparable features and equipment...
s, , , and , were assigned to Destroyer Division 19 under the IJN 2nd Fleet
IJN 2nd Fleet
The was a fleet of the Imperial Japanese Navy.-History:First established on 28 December 1903, the IJN 2nd Fleet was created by the Imperial General Headquarters as a mobile strike force of cruisers and destroyers to pursue the Imperial Russian Navy's Vladivostok-based cruiser squadron while the...
. During 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...
in 1937, Shikinami covered landing of Japanese forces in Shanghai
Shanghai
Shanghai is the largest city by population in China and the largest city proper in the world. It is one of the four province-level municipalities in the People's Republic of China, with a total population of over 23 million as of 2010...
and Hangzhou
Hangzhou
Hangzhou , formerly transliterated as Hangchow, is the capital and largest city of Zhejiang Province in Eastern China. Governed as a sub-provincial city, and as of 2010, its entire administrative division or prefecture had a registered population of 8.7 million people...
. From 1940 on, she was assigned to patrol and cover landings of Japanese forces in south China.
World War II history
At the time of the attack on Pearl HarborAttack 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...
, Shikinami was assigned to Destroyer Division 19 of DesRon 3 of the IJN 1st Fleet
IJN 1st Fleet
The was the main battleship fleet of the Imperial Japanese Navy.-History:First established on 28 December 1903, the IJN 1st Fleet was created during the Russo-Japanese War when the Imperial General Headquarters divided the Readiness Fleet into a mobile strike force of cruisers and destroyers to...
, and had deployed from Kure Naval District
Kure Naval District
was the second of four main administrative districts of the pre-war Imperial Japanese Navy. Its territory included the Inland Sea of Japan and the Pacific coasts of southern Honshū from Wakayama to Yamaguchi prefectures, eastern and northern Kyūshū and Shikoku....
to the port of Samah on Hainan
Hainan
Hainan is the smallest province of the People's Republic of China . Although the province comprises some two hundred islands scattered among three archipelagos off the southern coast, of its land mass is Hainan Island , from which the province takes its name...
Island, escorting Japanese troopships for landing operations
Japanese Invasion of Malaya
The Japanese Invasion of Malaya, or Battle of Kota Bharu, began just after midnight on 8 December 1941 before the attack on Pearl Harbor...
in the Battle of Malaya
Battle of Malaya
The Malayan Campaign was a campaign fought by Allied and Japanese forces in Malaya, from 8 December 1941 – 31 January 1942 during the Second World War. The campaign was dominated by land battles between British Commonwealth army units, and the Imperial Japanese Army...
at the end of 1941.
In January–February, 1942, Shikinami was assigned to the escort of the aircraft carrier
Aircraft carrier
An aircraft carrier is a warship designed with a primary mission of deploying and recovering aircraft, acting as a seagoing airbase. Aircraft carriers thus allow a naval force to project air power worldwide without having to depend on local bases for staging aircraft operations...
as it conducted air strikes in the Java Sea
Java Sea
The Java Sea is a large shallow sea on the Sunda Shelf. It was formed as sea levels rose at the end of the last ice age. The Java Sea lies between the Indonesian islands of Borneo to the north, Java to the south; Sumatra to the west, and Sulawesi to the east...
.
During the Battle of Sunda Strait
Battle of Sunda Strait
The Battle of Sunda Strait was a naval battle which occurred during World War II. On the night of 28 February – 1 March 1942, the Australian light cruiser and the American heavy cruiser faced a major Imperial Japanese Navy task force. After a fierce battle of several hours duration, both Allied...
on 1 March, Shikinami entered the battle late, but contributed by firing the final torpedo, which sank the United States Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
heavy cruiser
Heavy cruiser
The heavy cruiser was a type of cruiser, a naval warship designed for long range, high speed and an armament of naval guns roughly 203mm calibre . The heavy cruiser can be seen as a lineage of ship design from 1915 until 1945, although the term 'heavy cruiser' only came into formal use in 1930...
, She escorted troopship convoys from Saigon to Rangoon through the remainder of March. From 13–22 April, she returned via Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
and Camranh Bay to Kure Naval Arsenal
Kure Naval Arsenal
was one of four principal naval shipyards owned and operated by the Imperial Japanese Navy. -History:The Kure Naval District was established at Kure, Hiroshima in 1889, as the second of the naval districts responsible for the defense of the Japanese home islands along with the establishment of the...
, for maintenance.
On 4–5 June, Shikinami participated in 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...
as part of Admiral
Admiral
Admiral is the rank, or part of the name of the ranks, of the highest naval officers. It is usually considered a full admiral and above vice admiral and below admiral of the fleet . It is usually abbreviated to "Adm" or "ADM"...
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 ....
’s main fleet. Shikinami sailed from Amami-Ōshima to Mako Guard District
Mako Guard District
The was the major navy base for the Imperial Japanese Navy in Taiwan before and during World War II. Located in at Mako ), , the Mako Guard District was responsible for control of the strategic Straits of Taiwan and for patrols along the Taiwan and China coastlines and in the South China Sea...
, Singapore, Sabang
Sabang
Sabang is a city consisting of several islands in Aceh, Indonesia. The metropolitan area is located on Weh Island, 17 km north of Banda Aceh. The city covers an area of 118 square kilometres and according to the 2000 census had a population of 23,654 people...
and Mergui
Mergui
Myeik is a city in Tanintharyi Division in Myanmar , located in the extreme south of the country on the coast of an island on the Andaman Sea. the estimated population was over 209,000. The area inland from the city is a major smuggling corridor into Thailand.-History:Myeik was the southernmost...
for a projected second Indian Ocean raid. The operation was cancelled due to the Guadalcanal campaign
Guadalcanal campaign
The Guadalcanal Campaign, also known as the Battle of Guadalcanal and codenamed Operation Watchtower by Allied forces, was a military campaign fought between August 7, 1942 and February 9, 1943 on and around the island of Guadalcanal in the Pacific theatre of World War II...
, and Shikinami was ordered to Truk instead, arriving in late August. During 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...
on 24 August, Shikinami escorted the fleet supply group to 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...
. She was assigned to numerous "Tokyo Express
Tokyo Express
The Tokyo Express was the name given by Allied forces to the use of Imperial Japanese Navy ships at night to deliver personnel, supplies, and equipment to Japanese forces operating in and around New Guinea and the Solomon Islands during the Pacific campaign of World War II...
" transport missions to various locations in 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...
in October and November.
During the Second Naval Battle of Guadalcanal on 14–15 November 1942. Shikinami was attached to a scouting force under the command of Rear Admiral
Rear Admiral
Rear admiral is a naval commissioned officer rank above that of a commodore and captain, and below that of a vice admiral. It is generally regarded as the lowest of the "admiral" ranks, which are also sometimes referred to as "flag officers" or "flag ranks"...
Shintarō Hashimoto
Shintaro Hashimoto
-Web:- Firsthand account of the battle by a member of HMS Vigilant's crew.- Fairly detailed account of the battle...
in the 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...
. Shikinami survived the battle without damage, and returned to Kure by the end of the year.
In January 1943, Shikinami escorted a troop convoy from Pusan to 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...
and on to Wewak
Wewak
Wewak is the capital of the East Sepik province of Papua New Guinea. It is located on the northern coast of the island of New Guinea. It is the largest town between Madang and Jayapura. It is the see city of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Wewak....
. For the remainder of January–February, she patrolled out of Truk or Rabaul. On 25 February, Shikinami was reassigned to the IJN 8th Fleet
IJN 8th Fleet
The was a fleet of the Imperial Japanese Navy established during World War II.-History:Established on 14 July 1942, the IJN 8th Fleet was a headquarters unit established to direct Japanese naval operations in the Solomon Islands and New Guinea...
.
During the Battle of the Bismarck Sea
Battle of the Bismarck Sea
The Battle of the Bismarck Sea took place in the South West Pacific Area during World War II. During the course of the battle, aircraft of the U.S. 5th Air Force and the Royal Australian Air Force attacked a Japanese convoy that was carrying troops to Lae, New Guinea...
on 1–4 March, Shikinami escorted a troop convoy from Rabaul to Lae
Lae
Lae, the capital of Morobe Province, is the second-largest city in Papua New Guinea. It is located at the start of the Highlands Highway which is the main land transport corridor from the Highlands region to the coast...
. She survived the Allied
Allies of World War II
The Allies of World War II were the countries that opposed the Axis powers during the Second World War . Former Axis states contributing to the Allied victory are not considered Allied states...
air attack on 3 March, which sank her sister ship and rescued Rear Admiral Masatomi Kimura
Masatomi Kimura
-External links:*****- Notes :...
and other survivors. After returning to Kure briefly in March, Shikinami continued to serve in an escort and transport role in the Solomon Islands and New Guinea area through the end of October 1943.
At the end of October 1943, Shikinami was refit in Singapore, and assigned to escort of transports between Singapore and Surabaya
Surabaya
Surabaya is Indonesia's second-largest city with a population of over 2.7 million , and the capital of the province of East Java...
and Balikpapan
Balikpapan
Balikpapan is a seaport city on the eastern coast of the island of Borneo, Indonesia, in the East Kalimantan province, a resource-rich region well known for its timber, mining, and petroleum export products. Two harbors, Semayang and Kariangau , and the Sepinggan International Airport are the main...
for the remainder of the year.
At the end of January 1944, Shikinami escorted the cruisers , , , and on a resupply run to the Andaman Islands
Andaman Islands
The Andaman Islands are a group of Indian Ocean archipelagic islands in the Bay of Bengal between India to the west, and Burma , to the north and east...
, and towed the torpedoed Kitakami back to Singapore afterwards.
In a month-long refit in Singapore from mid-March-mid-April, additional anti-aircraft gun
Anti-aircraft warfare
NATO defines air defence as "all measures designed to nullify or reduce the effectiveness of hostile air action." They include ground and air based weapon systems, associated sensor systems, command and control arrangements and passive measures. It may be to protect naval, ground and air forces...
s were fitted. In May–June, Shikinami made numerous escort missions between Singapore, the Philippines and Palau. During a troop transport mission to Biak
Biak
Biak features a tropical rainforest climate with nearly identical temperatures throughout the course of the year. The average annual temperature in the city is 27 degrees celsius, which is also generally the average temperature of each day in Biak...
as flagship for Admiral Naomasa Sakonju
Naomasa Sakonju
-Notes:...
, Shikinami came under a strafing air attack, which set fire to her depth charge
Depth charge
A depth charge is an anti-submarine warfare weapon intended to destroy or cripple a target submarine by the shock of exploding near it. Most use explosives and a fuze set to go off at a preselected depth in the ocean. Depth charges can be dropped by either surface ships, patrol aircraft, or from...
s, which were jettisoned just before they exploded, killing two crewmen and wounding four others. Shikinami continued to escort ships between Singapore, Brunei
Brunei
Brunei , officially the State of Brunei Darussalam or the Nation of Brunei, the Abode of Peace , is a sovereign state located on the north coast of the island of Borneo, in Southeast Asia...
and the Philippines from June–August, rescuing the survivors of the torpedoed Ōi on 19 July. On 12 September, after departing Singapore with a convoy bound for Japan, Shikinami was torpedoed by the submarine 240 nmi (444.5 km; 276.2 mi) south of Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
at position 18°16′N 114°40′E. Eight officers and 120 men rescued by , but her captain — Lieutenant Commander
Lieutenant Commander
Lieutenant Commander is a commissioned officer rank in many navies. The rank is superior to a lieutenant and subordinate to a commander...
Takahashi — and Rear Admiral Sadamichi Kajioka
Sadamichi Kajioka
-Notes:...
were killed in action.
On 10 October 1944, Shikinami 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....
.