Japanese destroyer Suzukaze
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was the tenth and final vessel of ten destroyer
s, and the fourth to be built for the Imperial Japanese Navy
under the Circle Two Program
(Maru Ni Keikaku).
attacks against the United States Navy
as it advanced across the Pacific Ocean
, according to Japanese naval strategic projections. Despite being one of the most powerful classes of destroyers in the world at the time of their completion, none survived the Pacific War
.
Suzukaze, built at the Uraga Dock Company
was laid down on July 9, 1935, launched on March 11, 1937 and commissioned on August 31, 1937.
, Suzukaze was assigned to Destroyer Division 24 of Destroyer Squadron 4 of the IJN 2nd Fleet
together with her sister ship
s , , and , and had sortied from Palau
as part of the Philippine invasion force
, covering landings at Legaspi and Lamon Bay
. From January 1942, Suzukaze participated in operations in the Netherlands East Indies, including the invasion of Tarakan Island
. She was later assigned to patrols of Staring Bay in the Sulawesi
, where she was torpedoed on 4 February 1942 by . The resultant explosion killed nine crewmen and caused extensive damage, requiring a return to Sasebo Naval Arsenal
at the end of March for repairs.
Suzukaze was reassigned to the IJN 1st Fleet
on 10 April, and back to the IJN 2nd Fleet on 14 June. In mid-August, she returned to active duty, escorting to Truk and continuing on to join the rest of the fleet at Guadalcanal
. After the Battle of the Eastern Solomons
on 28 August, she escorted the damaged back to Truk. In the remainder of August through early November, Suzukaze participated in twelve "Tokyo Express
" high speed transport runs or surface attack missions to Guadalcanal, as well as participating briefly in the Battle of the Santa Cruz Islands
on 26 October under Admiral Nobutake Kondō. During the First Naval Battle of Guadalcanal on the night of 12–13 November 1942, Suzukaze rescued 1100 survivors from the torpedoed transport Naka Maru. For the rest of the month, Suzukaze patrolled between Shortland Island
, Buna
and Rabaul
. During the Battle of Tassafaronga
on 30 November, Suzukaze barely avoided being struck by a salvo of torpedoes fired from the American destroyer .
In December 1942, Suzukaze continued in transport operations to Guadalcanal, suffering from minor damage in an air raid on 1 January 1943, necessitating repairs at Truk at the end of the month, and return to Sasebo in February. Repairs completed by mid-June, Suzukaze escorted and to Truk and on to Rabaul by the end of June. During the Battle of Kolombangara
on 5–6 July, Suzukaze assisted in sinking , taking a number of hits in return which disabled her forward guns. After repairs at Yokosuka
in late July, Suzukaze was assigned to escort missions between the Japanese home islands and Truk until early November. During a refit at Sasebo at the end of November, her “X” turret was removed and replaced by additional Type 96 anti-aircraft guns. From the end of December to end of January 1944, Suzukaze escorted numerous convoys to Truk and Ponape
. On 25 January 1944, while escorting a convoy
from Truk to Eniwetok, Suzukaze was torpedoed and sunk by 127 nautical miles (235.2 km) north-northwest of Pohnpei (formerly Ponape) at position 08°51′N 157°10′E. She was removed from the navy list
on 10 March 1944.
was the tenth and final vessel of ten 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...
s, and the fourth to be 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...
under the Circle Two Program
2nd Naval Armaments Supplement Programme (Japan, 1934)
The otherwise known as the "Circle Two" Plan was the second of four expansion plans of the Imperial Japanese Navy between 1930 and the start of World War II.-Background:...
(Maru Ni Keikaku).
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 torpedoTorpedo
The modern torpedo is a self-propelled missile weapon with an explosive warhead, launched above or below the water surface, propelled underwater towards a target, and designed to detonate either on contact with it or in proximity to it.The term torpedo was originally employed for...
attacks against 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...
as it advanced across the Pacific Ocean
Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...
, according to Japanese naval strategic projections. Despite being one of the most powerful classes of destroyers in the world at the time of their completion, none survived 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...
.
Suzukaze, built at the Uraga Dock Company
Uraga Dock Company
was a major privately owned shipyard in Uraga, Japan, which built numerous warships for the Imperial Japanese Navy.-History:Uraga Dock Company was founded by Enomoto Takeaki in 1869. A shipyard had already existed in Uraga from the end of the Edo period...
was laid down on July 9, 1935, launched on March 11, 1937 and commissioned on August 31, 1937.
Operational 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...
, Suzukaze was assigned to Destroyer Division 24 of Destroyer Squadron 4 of 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...
together with her sister ship
Sister 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 , and had sortied from 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...
as part of the Philippine invasion force
Battle of the Philippines (1941-42)
The Philippines Campaign or the Battle of the Philippines was the invasion of the Philippines by Japan in 1941–1942 and the defense of the islands by Filipino and United States forces....
, covering landings at Legaspi and Lamon Bay
Lamon Bay
Lamon Bay is a large bay in the southern part of Luzon island, Philippines, at .-Lamon Bay:It is a body of water connecting the southern part of Quezon province to the Pacific Ocean, and bounds the coastal towns of Atimonan, Gumaca, Plaridel, Lopez, Calauag, and the islands of Alabat. It is a rich...
. From January 1942, Suzukaze participated in operations in the Netherlands East Indies, including the invasion of Tarakan Island
Tarakan Island
Tarakan is an island off the coast of East Kalimantan, Indonesia. It is a marshy island situated in the eastern Celebes Sea, off the northeastern coast of Borneo. The island occupies an area of .-Petroleum:...
. She was later assigned to patrols of Staring Bay in the Sulawesi
Sulawesi
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...
, where she was torpedoed on 4 February 1942 by . The resultant explosion killed nine crewmen and caused extensive damage, requiring a return to Sasebo Naval Arsenal
Sasebo Naval Arsenal
was one of four principal naval shipyards owned and operated by the Imperial Japanese Navy. -History:The Sasebo Naval District was established at Sasebo, Nagasaki in 1886, as the third of the naval districts responsible for the defense of the Japanese home islands. After the establishment of the...
at the end of March for repairs.
Suzukaze was reassigned to 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...
on 10 April, and back to the IJN 2nd Fleet on 14 June. In mid-August, she returned to active duty, escorting to Truk and continuing on to join the rest of the fleet at 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...
. After 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 28 August, she escorted the damaged back to Truk. In the remainder of August through early November, Suzukaze participated in twelve "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...
" high speed transport runs or surface attack missions to Guadalcanal, as well as participating briefly in the Battle of the Santa Cruz Islands
Battle of the Santa Cruz Islands
The Battle of the Santa Cruz Islands, 26 October 1942, sometimes referred to as the Battle of Santa Cruz or in Japanese sources as the , was the fourth carrier battle of the Pacific campaign of World War II and the fourth major naval engagement fought between the United States Navy and the Imperial...
on 26 October under Admiral Nobutake Kondō. During the First Naval Battle of Guadalcanal on the night of 12–13 November 1942, Suzukaze rescued 1100 survivors from the torpedoed transport Naka Maru. For the rest of the month, Suzukaze patrolled between Shortland Island
Shortland Island
Shortland Island is the largest island of the Shortland Islands, Solomon Islands, at . Named by John Shortland....
, Buna
Buna
Buna may refer to the official Mbum language of Cameroon, as well as:People:*Buna Lawrie, an Australian Aboriginal musician.Places:*Buna village, a small Bosnia and Herzegovina village at the confluence of the Buna and Neretva rivers...
and 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...
. During the Battle of Tassafaronga
Battle of Tassafaronga
The Battle of Tassafaronga, sometimes referred to as the Fourth Battle of Savo Island or, in Japanese sources, as the , was a nighttime naval battle that took place November 30, 1942 between United States Navy and Imperial Japanese Navy warships during the Guadalcanal campaign...
on 30 November, Suzukaze barely avoided being struck by a salvo of torpedoes fired from the American destroyer .
In December 1942, Suzukaze continued in transport operations to Guadalcanal, suffering from minor damage in an air raid on 1 January 1943, necessitating repairs at Truk at the end of the month, and return to Sasebo in February. Repairs completed by mid-June, Suzukaze escorted and to Truk and on to Rabaul by the end of June. During 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:...
on 5–6 July, Suzukaze assisted in sinking , taking a number of hits in return which disabled her forward guns. After repairs at Yokosuka
Yokosuka Naval Arsenal
was one of four principal naval shipyards owned and operated by the Imperial Japanese Navy, and was located at Yokosuka city, Kanagawa prefecture on Tokyo Bay, south of Yokohama...
in late July, Suzukaze was assigned to escort missions between the Japanese home islands and Truk until early November. During a refit at Sasebo at the end of November, her “X” turret was removed and replaced by additional Type 96 anti-aircraft guns. From the end of December to end of January 1944, Suzukaze escorted numerous convoys to Truk and Ponape
Pohnpei
Not to be confused with Pompeii, the ancient city destroyed by Vesuvius in AD 79.Pohnpei "upon a stone altar " is the name of one of the four states in the Federated States of Micronesia , situated among the Senyavin Islands which are part of the larger Caroline Islands group...
. On 25 January 1944, while escorting a convoy
Convoy
A convoy is a group of vehicles, typically motor vehicles or ships, traveling together for mutual support and protection. Often, a convoy is organized with armed defensive support, though it may also be used in a non-military sense, for example when driving through remote areas.-Age of Sail:Naval...
from Truk to Eniwetok, Suzukaze was torpedoed and sunk by 127 nautical miles (235.2 km) north-northwest of Pohnpei (formerly Ponape) at position 08°51′N 157°10′E. She 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 March 1944.