Japanese destroyer Amagiri

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Career
Amagiri
Laid down:	November 28, 1928
Launched:	February 27, 1930
Commissioned:	November 10, 1930
Status:	Sunk near Borneo on April 23, 1944
General Characteristics
Displacement:	2,050 tons
Length:	378 ft 3 in (115.3 m)
Beam:	34 ft (10.4 m)
Draft:	10 ft 6 in (3.2 m)
Propulsion:	4 × Kampon type boilers, 2 × Parsons geared turbines, 2 × shafts at 50,000 shp (37 MW)
Speed:	38 knots (70 km/h)
Range:	5,000 nm at 14 knots (9,200 km at 26 km/h)
Complement:	197
Armament:	6 × 5 inch (127 mm) / 50 caliber guns (3 × 2-gun turrets), up to 22 × 25 mm AA guns, up to 10 × 13 mm AA guns, 9 × 610 mm torpedo tubes, 36 × depth charges

The Amagiri (天霧 Misty Rain), one of 20 Fubuki class destroyers, was laid down at the Ishikawajima dockyard at Tokyo, Japan on 28 November 1928, launched 27 February 1930, and commissioned 10 November 1930. She is most famous for ramming the PT-109 commanded by President John F. Kennedy.

The Amagiri took part in combat training in the early 1930's. In 1934 it was slightly damaged in a storm along with several other Imperial Japanese Navy ships in the Korea Strait. This destroyer took part in the Second Sino-Japanese War in the late 1930's and was assigned to the 20th Destroyer Division. It took part in the successful Japanese landing at Singora, Thailand in December of 1941. In January 1942, it engaged two British destroyers off the coast of Malaya and sank the HMS Thanet. In February 1942, the Amagiri supported Japanese landings in Java. In April of 1942, the Amagiri was assigned to the Southern Group of the Supporting Force in Operation C which was a major raid on allied shipping along the east coast of India. On 6 April 1942, the Amagiri, along with the cruisers Mikuma and Mogami sank three allied merchant ships along the Indian coast. Later in the spring of 1942, it was assigned to Admiral Yamamoto's main body at the Battle of Midway. In August 1942, the ship was transferred to the Solomon Islands area to oppose the American landings on Guadalcanal. It was very active during the Battle of Guadalcanal and the Central Solomons Campaign and participated in the Battle of Kula Gulf.

1 John F. Kennedy and the PT-109
2 Popular Culture
3 Late missions
4 References

[edit] John F. Kennedy and the PT-109

see main article Motor Torpedo Boat PT-109

On 2 August 1943 the ship was used as a fast transport. It was returning on a night reinforcement run as part of the Tokyo Express to Vila when it rammed and sank the future U.S. President John F. Kennedy's PT-109 torpedo boat. Many believe that the ship was not even aware of the PT-109, which was difficult to see because of its small size and lack of lights, however, the Donovan PT-109 book concludes after interviewing many of the crew that it was not an accident, and he talked to the man at the wheel who was ordered to steer for a collision course. It also engaged other PT boats in the Blackett Strait south of Kolombangara.

Lt. Kennedy with crew of PT-109

[edit] Popular Culture

This incident would be publicized in a book, movie and even a hit PT-109 (song) as "the Jap destroyer in the night, cut the 109 in two", making it probably the only Japanese ship to ever hit the top ten of the American top 40 charts.

Not an accurate recreation: The most common scale for the PT-109 is the 1/72 Revell model. Most Japanese destroyer models are 1/400

[edit] Late missions

On the night of 24-25 November 1943, the Amagiri was on a reinforcement mission to Bougainville when it became involved in the Battle of Cape St. George. The ship escaped the pursuing American destroyers led by Captain Arleigh Burke. On 23 April 1944, while cruising near Borneo, the Amagiri struck a Naval mine and sank.