Japanese destroyer Yugiri
Encyclopedia
was the fourteenth of twenty-four 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. Yūgiri, built at the Maizuru Naval Arsenal
was the fourth 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. Yūgiri was laid down on April 1, 1929, launched on May 12, 1930 and commissioned on December 3, 1930. Originally assigned hull designation “Destroyer No. 48”, she was named Yūgiri before her launch.
, Yūgiri was assigned to patrols of the Yangtze River
. In 1935, after the Fourth Fleet Incident
, in which a large number of ships were damaged by a typhoon and Yūgiris bow torn off, Yūgiri, along with her sister ship
s, were modified with stronger hulls and increased displacement. From 1937, Yūgiri covered landing of Japanese forces in Shanghai
and Hangzhou
in the Second Sino-Japanese War
. From 1940, she was assigned to patrol and cover landings of Japanese forces in south China, and subsequently participated in the Invasion of French Indochina.
, Yūgiri was assigned to Destroyer Division 20 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
.
On 19 December, Yūgiri sank the Dutch
submarine
O-20
with assistance from her sister ships and . On 27 January, Yūgiri and her convoy were attacked by the and approximately 80 nautical miles (148 km) north of Singapore
in the Battle off Endau
, and her torpedoes are credited with helping sink Thanet.
Yūgiri subsequently was part of the escort for the heavy cruiser
s , , and in support of "Operation L"
, the invasion of Banka
, Palembang
and the Anambas Islands in the Netherlands East Indies. At the end of February, Yūgiri covered minesweeping operations around Singapore and Johore.
In March, Yūgiri joined "Operation T"
, the invasion of northern Sumatra
, and the "Operation D"
, the invasion of the Andaman Islands
. During the Indian Ocean raids, Yugiri, together with and and aircraft carrier
is credited with sinking six merchant vessels. From 13–22 April Yūgiri returned via Singapore and Camranh Bay to Kure Naval Arsenal
, for maintenance.
On 4–5 June, Yūgiri participated in the Battle of Midway
as was part of the diversionary Aleutian Invasion force. In July 1942, Yūgiri 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 Yūgiri was ordered to Truk instead, arriving in late August.
After the Battle of the Eastern Solomons
on 24 August, Yūgiri took on troops from transport ships while at sea, and sailed on to Guadalcanal
. During this operation, she was struck by a direct hit near her bridge
by a bomb from a United States Marine Corps
SBD Dauntless
dive bomber
from Henderson Field
, killing 32 crewmen, including the commander of Destroyer Division 20, Captain Yamada Yuji. After emergency repairs at Truk, Yūgiri returned to Kure Naval Arsenal
in early October for repairs which took to the end of 1942.
From 25 January 1943, Yūgiri was reassigned to the IJN 8th Fleet
. She returned to Rabaul
at the end of April and was assigned to numerous "Tokyo Express
" transport missions to various locations in the Solomon Islands
in May. On 16 May, she was torpedoed by the American submarine northwest of Kavieng
, killing nine crewmen, and had to be towed back to Rabaul by Amagiri. She was sent back to Japan for repairs at the end of July.
Yūgiri returned to the Solomon Islands
in mid November. On 24 November, Yūgiri was one of five destroyers on a troop transport/evacuation run to Buka
. In the Battle of Cape St. George
on 26 November 1943, she was sunk by gunfire of , and approximately 50 nautical miles (92.6 km) east of Cape St. George
at position 04°44′S 154°0′E.
Japanese submarine
rescued 278 survivors and rescued 11 more; however, Yūgiri’s captain, Lieutenant Commander Shuichi Otsuji, went down with his ship.
On 15 December 1943, Yūgiri 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. Yūgiri, 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 fourth 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. Yūgiri was laid down on April 1, 1929, launched on May 12, 1930 and commissioned on December 3, 1930. Originally assigned hull designation “Destroyer No. 48”, she was named Yūgiri before her launch.
Operational history
In 1932, after the First Shanghai IncidentJanuary 28 Incident
The January 28 Incident was a short war between the armies of the Republic of China and the Empire of Japan, before official hostilities of the Second Sino-Japanese War commenced in 1937.- Naming :...
, Yūgiri was assigned to patrols of the Yangtze River
Yangtze River
The Yangtze, Yangzi or Cháng Jiāng is the longest river in Asia, and the third-longest in the world. It flows for from the glaciers on the Tibetan Plateau in Qinghai eastward across southwest, central and eastern China before emptying into the East China Sea at Shanghai. It is also one of the...
. In 1935, after the Fourth 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...
, in which a large number of ships were damaged by a typhoon and Yūgiris bow torn off, Yūgiri, along 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, were modified with stronger hulls and increased displacement. From 1937, Yūgiri 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...
in 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...
. From 1940, she was assigned to patrol and cover landings of Japanese forces in south China, and subsequently participated in the Invasion of French Indochina.
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...
, Yūgiri was assigned to Destroyer Division 20 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 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...
.
On 19 December, Yūgiri sank the Dutch
Royal Netherlands Navy
The Koninklijke Marine is the navy of the Netherlands. In the mid-17th century the Dutch Navy was the most powerful navy in the world and it played an active role in the wars of the Dutch Republic and later those of the Batavian Republic and the Kingdom of the Netherlands...
submarine
Submarine
A submarine is a watercraft capable of independent operation below the surface of the water. It differs from a submersible, which has more limited underwater capability...
O-20
Dutch submarine O-20
The O 20 was a Dutch in the Royal Netherlands Navy that saw service during World War II. O 20 along with her sister ship O 19 were the first boats in the world to be equipped with a "getrimd diesel systeem" or "snort system" that allowed the submarine to run its diesel engines while submerged.O 20...
with assistance from her sister ships and . On 27 January, Yūgiri and her convoy were attacked by the and approximately 80 nautical miles (148 km) north of 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...
in the Battle off Endau
Battle off Endau
The Battle off Endau was a Second World War naval battle. It took place off Endau on 27 January 1942. Part of the Battle of Malaya, it was the first major naval engagement since the sinking of the battleship and the battlecruiser , and the last effort by the Royal Navy to intercept Japanese convoy...
, and her torpedoes are credited with helping sink Thanet.
Yūgiri subsequently was part of the escort for the 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...
s , , and in support of "Operation L"
Invasion of Sumatra (1942)
The Invasion of Sumatra by Imperial Japanese forces took place from 14 February to 28 March 1942. The invasion was part of the Pacific War in South-East Asia during World War II and led to the capture of the island...
, the invasion of Banka
Banka
Banka may refer to:* Banka, Bihar, a town in Bihar, India* Banka district, Bihar, India* Bankə, Azerbaijan*Banka, Cameroon* the Banka Gold Mining Project operated by Mwana Africa plc, in Ghana...
, Palembang
Palembang
Palembang is the capital city of the South Sumatra province in Indonesia. Palembang is one of the oldest cities in Indonesia, and has a history of being a capital of a maritime empire. Located on the Musi River banks on the east coast of southern Sumatra island, it has an area of 400.61 square...
and the Anambas Islands in the Netherlands East Indies. At the end of February, Yūgiri covered minesweeping operations around Singapore and Johore.
In March, Yūgiri joined "Operation T"
Invasion of Sumatra (1942)
The Invasion of Sumatra by Imperial Japanese forces took place from 14 February to 28 March 1942. The invasion was part of the Pacific War in South-East Asia during World War II and led to the capture of the island...
, the invasion of northern Sumatra
Sumatra
Sumatra is an island in western Indonesia, westernmost of the Sunda Islands. It is the largest island entirely in Indonesia , and the sixth largest island in the world at 473,481 km2 with a population of 50,365,538...
, and the "Operation D"
Invasion and Occupation of the Andaman Islands during World War II
The Japanese occupation of the Andaman Islands occurred in 1942 during World War II. The Andaman and Nicobar Islands , are a group of islands situated in the Bay of Bengal at about 780 miles from Kolkata, 740 miles from Chennai and 120 miles from Cape Nargis in Burma...
, the invasion of 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...
. During the Indian Ocean raids, Yugiri, together with and and 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...
is credited with sinking six merchant vessels. From 13–22 April Yūgiri returned via Singapore 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, Yūgiri 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 was part of the diversionary Aleutian Invasion force. In July 1942, Yūgiri 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 Yūgiri was ordered to Truk instead, arriving in late August.
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 24 August, Yūgiri took on troops from transport ships while at sea, and sailed on 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...
. During this operation, she was struck by a direct hit near her bridge
Bridge (ship)
The bridge of a ship is the room or platform from which the ship can be commanded. When a ship is underway the bridge is manned by an OOW aided usually by an AB acting as lookout...
by a bomb from a United States Marine Corps
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...
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 bomber
Dive bomber
A dive bomber is a bomber aircraft that dives directly at its targets in order to provide greater accuracy for the bomb it drops. Diving towards the target reduces the distance the bomb has to fall, which is the primary factor in determining the accuracy of the drop...
from 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:...
, killing 32 crewmen, including the commander of Destroyer Division 20, Captain Yamada Yuji. After emergency repairs at Truk, Yūgiri returned 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...
in early October for repairs which took to the end of 1942.
From 25 January 1943, Yūgiri 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...
. She returned to 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...
at the end of April and 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 May. On 16 May, she was torpedoed by the American submarine northwest of Kavieng
Kavieng
Kavieng is the capital of the Papua New Guinean province of New Ireland and the largest town on the island of the same name. The town is located at Balgai Bay, on the northern tip of the island. As of 2000, it had a population of 10,600....
, killing nine crewmen, and had to be towed back to Rabaul by Amagiri. She was sent back to Japan for repairs at the end of July.
Yūgiri returned 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...
in mid November. On 24 November, Yūgiri was one of five destroyers on a troop transport/evacuation run to Buka
Buka Island
Buka Island is the second largest island in the Papua New Guinean province of Bougainville.- History :Buka was first occupied by humans in paleolithic times, some 30,000 years ago...
. In the Battle of Cape St. George
Battle of Cape St. George
The Battle of Cape St. George was a naval battle of the Pacific campaign of World War II fought on 25 November 1943, between Cape St. George, New Ireland, and Buka Island . It was the last engagement of surface ships in the Solomon Islands campaign.-Background:Americans had landed troops on...
on 26 November 1943, she was sunk by gunfire of , and approximately 50 nautical miles (92.6 km) east of Cape St. George
Cape St. George
Cape St. George is the southernmost point on the island of New Ireland, Papua New Guinea, at . It was the namesake for the Battle of Cape St. George, fought on 26 November 1943, between New Ireland and Buka....
at position 04°44′S 154°0′E.
Japanese submarine
Submarine
A submarine is a watercraft capable of independent operation below the surface of the water. It differs from a submersible, which has more limited underwater capability...
rescued 278 survivors and rescued 11 more; however, Yūgiri’s captain, Lieutenant Commander Shuichi Otsuji, went down with his ship.
On 15 December 1943, Yūgiri 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....
.