Japanese destroyer Yūgure (1934)

Last updated • 3 min readFrom Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia
Yugure II.jpg
Yūgure photographed between 4–7 October 1935.
History
Naval Ensign of Japan.svg Empire of Japan
NameYūgure
OrderedFY 1933
Builder Maizuru Naval Arsenal
Laid down9 April 1933
Launched6 May 1934
Commissioned30 March 1935
Stricken15 October 1943
FateSunk in action, 20 July 1943
General characteristics
Class and type Hatsuharu-class destroyer
Displacement1,530 t (1,510 long tons)
Length
  • 103.5 m (340 ft) pp,
  • 105.5 m (346 ft) waterline
  • 109.5 m (359 ft) overall
Beam10 m (32 ft 10 in)
Draught3.38 m (11 ft 1 in)
Propulsion
Speed36 knots (41 mph; 67 km/h)
Range4,000 nmi (7,400 km) at 14 kn (26 km/h)
Complement212
Armament

Yūgure (夕暮, ”Twilight”) [1] was the sixth and last Hatsuharu-class destroyer, built for the Imperial Japanese Navy under the Circle One Program (Maru Ichi Keikaku). Three were laid down in JFY 1931 and the next three in JFY 1933. [2]

Contents

History

Construction of the advanced Hatsuharu-class destroyers was intended to give the Imperial Japanese Navy smaller and more economical destroyers than the previous Fubuki and Akatsuki-class destroyers, but with essentially the same weaponry. [3] These conflicting goals proved beyond contemporary destroyer design, and the initial ships of this class were top-heavy design, with severe stability problems and with inherent structural weaknesses. After the "Tomozuru Incident" of 1934 and "IJN 4th Fleet Incident" in 1935, Yūgure underwent extensive design changes and modifications prior to launch to remedy these issues.

Yūgure was laid down at Maizuru Naval Arsenal in Maizuru, Kyoto on 9 April 1933, launched on 6 May 1934 and commissioned on 30 March 1935. [4]

Operational history

At the time of the attack on Pearl Harbor, Yūgure was assigned to Destroyer Division 27 of Destroyer Squadron 1 of the IJN 1st Fleet together with her sister ships Shiratsuyu, Shigure, and Ariake, and was based at Hashirajima in Japanese home waters on anti-submarine patrol.

In January 1942, Yūgure escorted aircraft carriers Hiryū and Sōryū to Palau and to Ambon during the invasion of the Netherlands East Indies, and was a participant in the Darwin air raid of 19 February 1942. Afterwards, she was based at Staring Bay, in Sulawesi from which she conducted escort patrol missions to the end of March. She returned to Sasebo Naval Arsenal for repairs from 22 March to 15 April 1942. At the end of April, she went to Truk as part of the escort for the aircraft carriers Shōkaku and Zuikaku and was part of Admiral Takagi's force at the Battle of the Coral Sea.

In May, Yūgure was assigned escort the cruisers Myōkō and Haguro back to Kure. During the Battle of Midway, she was part of the escort for the Aleutian diversionary force under Admiral Shirō Takasu. Reassigned to the IJN 2nd Fleet on 14 July, she was then detached for temporary duty with the IJN 4th Fleet in a sortie from Truk to Jaluit on 20 August. After bombarding Ocean Island on 23 August, a landing party from Yūgure occupied that island on 26 August as part of "Operation RY" until relieved by a garrison force on 30 August. Yūgure was then assigned to the Solomon Islands, participating in numerous Tokyo Express high speed transport runs throughout the Solomon Islands through January 1943. Although she did not participate in the First Naval Battle of Guadalcanal, she assisted in rescue operations afterwards, taking on crew from the stricken battleship Hiei

After returning to Sasebo for repairs through the middle of January 1943, Yūgure escorted a convoy to Qingdao, and from there to Palau and Wewak by the end of February. She escorted another convoy from Truk to Wewak and back to Yokosuka in March and again in May. She returned to Truk at the end of the month as escort for the carrier Unyō, returning with the battleship Musashi at the end of May. In early June, she escorted the aircraft carrier Hiyō to Truk, and returned with the same damaged ship a few days later. In late June, she escorted the carrier Ryūhō from Yokosuka to Truk. In early June, she was assigned to cover troop transport runs to Kolombangara.

On 12 July 1943, Yūgure participated in the Battle of Kolombangara, assisting in sinking the American destroyer USS Gwin and damaging the cruisers USS Honolulu, USS St. Louis and New Zealand's HMNZS Leander.

However, a few days later on the night of 19 July 1943, while on a troop transport run to Kolombangara, Yūgure was bombed and sunk by U.S. Marine Grumman TBF Avengers from Guadalcanal, north-northwest of Kolombangara ( 07°25′S156°45′E / 7.417°S 156.750°E / -7.417; 156.750 ). The rescue destroyer Kiyonami picked up about twenty survivors but was sunk in turn soon thereafter, leaving no survivors from Yūgure's crew of 228 men, and only one survivor from Kiyonami herself. [5] [6]

Related Research Articles

Murasame was the third 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>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>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.

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

Kawakaze was the ninth of ten Shiratsuyu-class destroyers, and the third to be built for the Imperial Japanese Navy under the Circle Two Program.

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.

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>Hatsushimo</i> (1933) Hatsuharu-class destroyer

Hatsushimo was the fourth of six Hatsuharu-class destroyers, 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. The remaining six ships in the plan were built as the Shiratsuyu class.

Japanese destroyer <i>Hatsuharu</i> (1933) Hatsuharu-class destroyer

Hatsuharu, the second Imperial Japanese Navy destroyer of the name, was the lead ship of six Hatsuharu-class destroyers built under the Circle One Program. Three were laid down in JFY 1931 and the next three in JFY 1933. The remaining six ships in the plan were built as the Shiratsuyu class.

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

Ariake was the fifth of six Hatsuharu-class destroyers, 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>Nenohi</i> (1932) Hatsuharu-class destroyer

Nenohi was the second of six Hatsuharu-class destroyers, 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. The remaining six ships in the plan were built as the Shiratsuyu class.

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

Wakaba was the third of six Hatsuharu-class destroyers, 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. The remaining six ships in the plan were built as the Shiratsuyu class.

Japanese destroyer <i>Hatsuyuki</i> (1928) Fubuki-class destroyer

Hatsuyuki was the third of twenty-four Fubuki-class destroyers 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.

Japanese destroyer <i>Isonami</i> (1927) Fubuki-class destroyer

Isonami was the ninth of twenty-four Fubuki-class destroyers, built for the Imperial Japanese Navy following World War I. When introduced into services, 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.

Japanese destroyer <i>Sazanami</i> (1931) Fubuki-class destroyer

Sazanami was the nineteenth of twenty-four Fubuki-class destroyers, 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.

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

Akikaze was a Minekaze-class destroyer, built for the Imperial Japanese Navy immediately following the end of World War I. The Minekaze class of destroyers were considered advanced for their time; these ships served as first-line destroyers through the 1930s. The class was considered obsolete by the start of the Pacific War and served in a number of roles including minesweeper, aircraft rescue ships and Kaiten-carriers.

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

Hokaze was a Minekaze-class destroyer, built for the Imperial Japanese Navy immediately following World War I. Advanced for their time, these ships served as first-line destroyers through the 1930s, but were considered obsolescent by the start of the Pacific War.

Japanese destroyer <i>Tachikaze</i> (1921) Destroyer of the Imperial Japanese Navy

Tachikaze was a Minekaze-class destroyer, built for the Imperial Japanese Navy immediately following World War I. Advanced for their time, these ships served as first-line destroyers through the 1930s, but were considered obsolescent by the start of the Pacific War.

Japanese destroyer <i>Satsuki</i> (1925) Destroyer of the Imperial Japanese Navy

Satsuki was one of twelve Mutsuki-class destroyers, built for the Imperial Japanese Navy following World War I. Advanced for their time, these ships served as first-line destroyers through the 1930s, but were considered obsolescent by the start of the Pacific War.

References

Notes

  1. Nelson. Japanese-English Character Dictionary. page 283
  2. Lengerer, pp. 92-3
  3. GlobalSecurity.org: IJN Hatsuharu class
  4. Nishidah, Hiroshi (2002). "Hatsuharu'class 1st class destroyers". Materials of the Imperial Japanese Navy. Archived from the original on 2012-07-08. Retrieved 2009-09-27.
  5. IJN Kiyonami: Tabular record of movement
  6. IJN Yugure: Tabular record of movement

Books