Japanese destroyer Natsugumo (1937)

Last updated • 4 min readFrom Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia
Natsugumo.jpg
Natsugumo underway on 22 November 1939
History
Naval Ensign of Japan.svg Empire of Japan
NameNatsugumo
Ordered1934 Maru-2 Program
Builder Sasebo Naval Arsenal
Laid down1 July 1936
Launched26 May 1937
Commissioned10 February 1938
Stricken15 November 1942
FateSunk in air attack, 12 October 1942
General characteristics
Class and type Asashio-class destroyer
Displacement2,370 long tons (2,408 t)
Length
  • 111 m (364 ft) pp
  • 115 m (377 ft 4 in)waterline
  • 118.3 m (388 ft 1 in) OA
Beam10.3 m (33 ft 10 in)
Draft3.7 m (12 ft 2 in)
Propulsion2-shaft geared turbine, 3 boilers, 50,000 shp (37,285 kW)
Speed35 knots (40 mph; 65 km/h)
Range
  • 5,700  nmi (10,600 km) at 10 kn (19 km/h)
  • 960  nmi (1,780 km) at 34 kn (63 km/h)
Complement200
Armament

Natsugumo (夏雲, Summer Cloud) [1] was the seventh of ten Asashio-class destroyers built for the Imperial Japanese Navy in the mid-1930s under the Circle Two Supplementary Naval Expansion Program (Maru Ni Keikaku).

Contents

History

The Asashio-class destroyers were larger and more capable that the preceding Shiratsuyu-class, as Japanese naval architects were no longer constrained by the provisions of the London Naval Treaty. These light cruiser-sized vessels were designed to take advantage of Japan's lead in torpedo technology, and to accompany the Japanese main striking force and in both day and night attacks against the United States Navy as it advanced across the Pacific Ocean, according to Japanese naval strategic projections. [2] Despite being one of the most powerful classes of destroyers in the world at the time of their completion, none survived the Pacific War. [3]

Natsugumo, built at the Sasebo Naval Arsenal was laid down on 1 July 1936, launched on 26 May 1937 and commissioned on 10 February 1938. [4]

Operational history

At the time of the attack on Pearl Harbor, Natsugumo, under the command of Lieutenant Commander Moritaro Tsukamoto, was assigned to Destroyer Division 9 (Desdiv 9), and a member of Destroyer Squadron 4 (Desron 4) of the IJN 2nd Fleet, escorting the Philippines invasion forces to Vigan and Lingayen. She then assisted in the landings of Japanese forces at Tarakan, Balikpapan, Makassar and Java in the Netherlands East Indies. During the Battle of the Java Sea of 27 February, she was on detached duty escorting the troop convoy and thus did not see combat. However, on 1 March, she damaged the submarine USS Perch with depth charges. [5]

Natsugumo participated in the Battle of Christmas Island from 31 March–10 April, escorting the damaged cruiser Naka to Singapore, and then returning to Yokosuka on April 12 for repairs.

Natsugumo joined the escort for Admiral Nobutake Kondō’s Midway Invasion Force during the Battle of Midway from 4–6 June 1942. Afterwards, she was reassigned to the Ominato Naval District and assigned to patrols of the Kurile Islands and north Pacific to mid-July. However, on 19 July, she received orders to escort the cruiser Chokai from Kure to Truk. From Truk, she made a transport run to Kwajalein and returned to Yokosuka by 8 August.

On 11 August, Natsugumo departed Yokosuka for Truk, and was part of the escort for the aircraft carrier Chitose at the Battle of the Eastern Solomons on 24 August. She was assigned to patrols out of Truk in September, and ordered to Shortland Island in October. During the month of October, she made four “Tokyo Express transport runs to Guadalcanal. On the fourth run, while escorting Nisshin and Chitose, she went to the assistance of the destroyer Murakumo which itself had become the victim of early morning air raids while attempting to assist survivors of the heavy cruiser Furutaka, sunk during the previous night's Battle of Cape Esperance. Attacked by United States Navy dive bombers, near misses ruptured Natsugumos hull, and she sank after only 39 minutes at position 08°40′S159°20′E / 8.667°S 159.333°E / -8.667; 159.333 approximately 90 nautical miles (170 km; 100 mi) west-northwest of Savo Island. The attack killed 16 crewmen, including her captain (LtCdr Moritaro Tsukamoto); the destroyer Asagumo took off her 176 survivors [6] She was removed from the navy list on 15 November 1942.

Notes

  1. ↑ Nelson. Japanese-English Character Dictionary. page 52, 942
  2. ↑ Peattie & Evans, Kaigun .
  3. ↑ Globalsecurity.org, IJN Asashio class destroyers
  4. ↑ Nishidah, Hiroshi (2002). "Asashio class 1st class destroyers". Materials of the Imperial Japanese Navy. Archived from the original on 2012-07-21. Retrieved 2010-08-14.
  5. ↑ Allyn D. Nevitt (1998). "IJN Natsugumo: Tabular Record of Movement". combinedfleet.com. Retrieved 2008-02-06.
  6. ↑ Brown, David (1990). Warship Losses of World War Two. Naval Institute Press. ISBN   1-55750-914-X.

Related Research Articles

Japanese destroyer <i>Minegumo</i> (1937) Asashio-class destroyer

Minegumo was the eighth of ten Asashio-class destroyers built for the Imperial Japanese Navy in the mid-1930s under the Circle Two Supplementary Naval Expansion Program.

Japanese destroyer <i>Samidare</i> (1935) Destroyer of the Imperial Japanese Navy

Samidare was the fifth of ten Shiratsuyu-class destroyers, built for the Imperial Japanese Navy under the Circle One Program.

Japanese destroyer <i>Asagumo</i> (1937) Asashio-class destroyer

Asagumo was the fifth of ten Asashio-class destroyers built for the Imperial Japanese Navy in the mid-1930s under the Circle Two Supplementary Naval Expansion Program.

Japanese destroyer <i>Harusame</i> (1935) Destroyer of the Imperial Japanese Navy

Harusame was the sixth of ten Shiratsuyu-class destroyers, and was built for the Imperial Japanese Navy under the "Circle One" Program. This vessel should not be confused with the earlier Russo-Japanese War-period Harusame-class torpedo boat destroyer with the same name.

Japanese destroyer <i>Hayashio</i> Kagerō-class destroyer

Hayashio was the fifth vessel to be commissioned in the 19-vessel Kagerō-class destroyers built for the Imperial Japanese Navy in the late-1930s under the Circle Three Supplementary Naval Expansion Program.

Japanese destroyer <i>Hatsukaze</i> Kagerō-class destroyer

Hatsukaze was the seventh vessel to be commissioned in the 19-vessel Kagerō-class destroyers built for the Imperial Japanese Navy in the late-1930s under the Circle Three Supplementary Naval Expansion Program. She survived four major fleet actions against the Allies, helping to sink the submarine USS Perch and the torpedo boats PT-43 and PT-112 throughout her career but, after being damaged through a collision with the Japanese heavy cruiser Myōkō. she was sunk by an American destroyer flotilla led by Captain Arleigh Burke aboard USS Charles Ausburne at the battle of the Empress August Bay, November 2 1943.

Japanese destroyer <i>Kuroshio</i> Kagerō-class destroyer

Kuroshio was the third vessel to be commissioned in the 19-vessel Kagerō-class destroyers built for the Imperial Japanese Navy in the late-1930s under the Circle Three Supplementary Naval Expansion Program.

Japanese destroyer <i>Oyashio</i> Kagerō-class destroyer

Oyashio was the fourth vessel to be commissioned in the 19-vessel Kagerō-class destroyers built for the Imperial Japanese Navy in the late 1930s under the Circle Three Supplementary Naval Expansion Program.

Japanese destroyer <i>Kagerō</i> (1938) Kagerō-class destroyer

Kagerō was the lead ship of the 19-vessel Kagerō-class destroyers built for the Imperial Japanese Navy in the late-1930s under the Circle Three Supplementary Naval Expansion Program.

Shigure was the second of ten Shiratsuyu-class destroyers, and the first to be built for the Imperial Japanese Navy under the Circle One Program. Along with the destroyer Yukikaze, she developed a reputation within the Imperial Japanese Navy for being "lucky" or "unsinkable", emerging undamaged from several battles and as the sole surviving Japanese warship from two. As the flagship of Captain Tameichi Hara's Destroyer Division 27 Shigure received a prominent place in the memoirs of the only Japanese destroyer captain to survive the entire Pacific War and write about his experiences. Shigure was torpedoed and sunk by the submarine USS Blackfin in the Gulf of Siam on 24 January 1945.

Japanese destroyer <i>Umikaze</i> (1936) Destroyer of the Imperial Japanese Navy

Umikaze was the seventh of ten Shiratsuyu-class destroyers, and the first to be built for the Imperial Japanese Navy under the Circle Two Program. A U.S. Navy submarine torpedoed and sunk her on 1 February 1944, off Truk Atoll.

Japanese destroyer <i>Suzukaze</i> Destroyer of the Imperial Japanese Navy

Suzukaze was the tenth and final vessel of ten Shiratsuyu-class destroyers, and the fourth to be built for the Imperial Japanese Navy under the Circle Two Program.

Japanese destroyer <i>Shiratsuyu</i> (1935) Destroyer of the Imperial Japanese Navy

Shiratsuyu was the lead ship of ten Shiratsuyu-class destroyers, and first of six to be built for the Imperial Japanese Navy under the Circle One Program.

Japanese destroyer <i>Yūgure</i> (1934) Hatsuharu-class destroyer

Yūgure was the sixth and last Hatsuharu-class 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.

Japanese destroyer <i>Michishio</i> Asashio-class destroyer

Michishio was the third of ten Asashio-class destroyers built for the Imperial Japanese Navy in the mid-1930s under the Circle Two Supplementary Naval Expansion Program.

Japanese destroyer <i>Arashio</i> Asashio-class destroyer

Arashio was the fourth of ten Asashio-class destroyers built for the Imperial Japanese Navy in the mid-1930s under the Circle Two Supplementary Naval Expansion Program.

Japanese destroyer <i>Kasumi</i> (1937) Asashio-class destroyer

Kasumi was the ninth of ten Asashio-class destroyers built for the Imperial Japanese Navy in the mid-1930s under the Circle Two Supplementary Naval Expansion Program.

Japanese destroyer <i>Yamagumo</i> (1937) Asashio-class destroyer

Yamagumo was the sixth of ten Asashio-class destroyers built for the Imperial Japanese Navy in the mid-1930s under the Circle Two Supplementary Naval Expansion Program.

Japanese destroyer <i>Arare</i> (1937) Asashio-class destroyer

Arare was the tenth and last of the Asashio-class destroyers built for the Imperial Japanese Navy in the mid-1930s under the Circle Two Supplementary Naval Expansion Program.

Japanese destroyer <i>Asashio</i> (1936) Asashio-class destroyer

Asashio was the lead ship of the ten Asashio-class destroyers built for the Imperial Japanese Navy in the mid-1930s under the Circle Two Program.

References

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.