JDS Wakaba (DE-261) was the former Imperial Japanese Navy ship Nashi, an escort destroyer of the Tachibana sub-class of the Matsu class built for the Imperial Japanese Navy during the final stages of World War II. Nashi was sunk in July 1945, but salvaged in 1954 and refitted to join the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force in 1956 as Wakaba, later being utilised as a radar trials ship, but stricken in 1971 and scrapped in 1972-1973.
Sakura was one of 18 Matsu-class destroyers built for the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) during the final stages of World War II. Completed in late 1944, the ship was assigned to convoy escort duties in February 1945. She was slightly damaged when she struck a mine in May. Sakura sank after striking another mine near Osaka on 11 July with heavy loss of life.
The Matsu-class destroyers were a class of destroyer built for the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) in the late stages of World War II. The class was also designated the Type-D Destroyer. Although sometimes termed Destroyer escorts, they were larger and more capable than contemporary United States Navy destroyer escorts or the Imperial Japanese Navy kaibōkan vessels.
Maizuru Naval Arsenal was one of four principal naval shipyards owned and operated by the Imperial Japanese Navy.
The Sakura-class destroyers was a class of two destroyers of the Imperial Japanese Navy.
The Kaba-class destroyers were a class of ten destroyers of the Imperial Japanese Navy. Each was named after a variety of tree.
Tachibana (橘) was the lead ship of her sub-class of the Matsu-class escort destroyers built for the Imperial Japanese Navy during the final stages of World War II. Completed in early 1945, the ship was assigned to convoy escort duties in home waters. She was sunk on 14 July with the loss of 135 crewmen by American carrier aircraft attacking targets in southern Hokkaido.
Tachibana (橘) was a Sakura-class destroyer of the Imperial Japanese Navy.
Two Japanese destroyers have been named Tachibana:
Kaki was one of 23 escort destroyers of the Tachibana sub-class of the Matsu class built for the Imperial Japanese Navy during the final stages of World War II. Completed in March 1945 the ship was lightly damaged during an American airstrike later that month. She was used to repatriate Japanese personnel after the war until 1947. Mid-year the destroyer was turned over to the United States and subsequently scrapped.
Kaba was one of 23 escort destroyers of the Tachibana sub-class of the Matsu class built for the Imperial Japanese Navy during the final stages of World War II. Completed in mid-1945, the ship was slightly damaged during the American attacks on Kure and the Inland Sea in July. She was used to repatriate Japanese personnel after the war until 1947. Mid-year the destroyer was turned over to the United States and subsequently scrapped.
Tsuta was one of 23 escort destroyers of the Tachibana sub-class of the Matsu class built for the Imperial Japanese Navy during the final stages of World War II. Completed in February 1945, she finished training in late April, but does not appear to have seen any subsequent use during the war. The ship was surrendered to the Allies at the end of the war and used to repatriate Japanese troops until 1947. Mid-year the destroyer was turned over to the Republic of China and was renamed Hua Yang. The ship ran aground in 1949 and was wrecked; she was not stricken until 1954.
Hagi was one of 23 escort destroyers of the Tachibana sub-class of the Matsu class built for the Imperial Japanese Navy during the final stages of World War II. Completed in March 1945, the ship was slightly damaged in July by American aircraft. She was used to repatriate Japanese personnel after the war until 1947. Mid-year the destroyer was turned over to Great Britain and subsequently scrapped.
Sumire was one of 23 escort destroyers of the Tachibana sub-class of the Matsu class built for the Imperial Japanese Navy during the final stages of World War II. Completed in March 1945, she saw no combat during the war and was used to repatriate Japanese personnel after the war until 1947. Mid-year the destroyer was turned over to Great Britain and subsequently sunk as a target.
Kusunoki was one of 23 escort destroyers of the Tachibana sub-class of the Matsu class built for the Imperial Japanese Navy during the final stages of World War II. She was used to repatriate Japanese personnel after the war until 1947. Mid-year the destroyer was turned over to Great Britain and subsequently scrapped.
Hatsuzakura was one of 23 escort destroyers of the Tachibana sub-class of the Matsu class built for the Imperial Japanese Navy during the final stages of World War II. The ship was used to repatriate Japanese personnel after the war until 1947. Mid-year the destroyer was turned over to the Soviet Union and was commissioned that same year. She was renamed Vyrazitelny later that year. When the ship was converted into a target ship in 1949, she was renamed TsL-26. The vessel was ordered to be scrapped a decade later.
Odake was one of 23 escort destroyers of the Tachibana sub-class of the Matsu class built for the Imperial Japanese Navy during the final stages of World War II. She was used to repatriate Japanese personnel after the war until 1947. Mid-year the destroyer was turned over to the United States and subsequently scrapped.
Shii was one of 23 escort destroyers of the Tachibana sub-class of the Matsu class built for the Imperial Japanese Navy during the final stages of World War II. Completed in March 1945, she struck a mine in June, but was only lightly damaged. The ship was used to repatriate Japanese personnel after the war until 1947. Mid-year the destroyer was turned over to the Soviet Union, renamed Volny and was commissioned that same year. She was renamed TsL-24 and converted into a target ship two years later; the ship was ordered to be scrapped in 1960.
Hatsuume was one of 23 escort destroyers of the Tachibana sub-class of the Matsu class built for the Imperial Japanese Navy during the final stages of World War II. Damaged by a naval mine shortly after her completion in June 1945, the ship was surrendered to the Allies at the end of the war and used to repatriate Japanese troops until 1947. Mid-year the destroyer was turned over to the Republic of China; renamed Xin Yang she played a minor role in the Chinese Civil War and remained in service until the 1960s when she was scrapped.
Empire of Japan 