Japanese destroyer Asashio

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Asashio
Career
Name: Asashio
Namesake: "Morning high tide"
Laid down: 16 February 1936
Launched: 16 December 1936
Commissioned: 31 August 1937
Struck: 1 April 1943
Fate: Sunk by air attack in Battle of the Bismarck Sea, 3 March 1943
General characteristics
Class and type: Asashio class destroyer
Displacement: 2,370 tons
Length: 118.3 m (388 ft)
Beam: 10.3 m (33 ft 11 in)
Draft: 3.7 m (12 ft 1 in)
Speed: 65 km/h (35 kt)
Complement: 200
Armament: 6 × 127 mm (5 in) / 50 cal. DP guns (3×2), (early) 3 × (later) up to 28 × 25 mm AA guns, up to 4 × 13 mm machine guns, 8 × 610 mm (24 in) torpedo tubes (2×4), 36 depth charges

Asashio (朝潮) was the lead ship of her class of destroyer in the Imperial Japanese Navy. Her name means "Morning High Tide". She was built at the Sasebo Navy Yard. During trials, Asashio experienced steering problems and her maneuverability was unacceptable. The Asashio class was fitted with a redesigned stern and rudder design to resolve the problem. Other problems, chiefly involving the new and sophisticated 50,000 hp turbines, were also resolved.[1]

As the flagship of Destroyer Division 8 (Desdiv 8), and a member of Destroyer Squadron 2 (Desron 2), Asashio's first wartime mission was escorting Admiral Kondo's Southern Force Main Body out of Mako as distant cover to the Malaya and Philippine Islands invasion forces in December 1941.[2] Asashio escorted a Malaya troop convoy from Mako towards Singora, then put into Hong Kong on 5 January 1942. She escorted another troop convoy to Davao, and then accompanied the Ambon invasion force (31 January), the Makassar invasion force (8 February) and the Bali/Lombok invasion force (18 February).[2]

Contents

[edit] Battle of Badoeng Strait

On the night of 19 February 1942, Asashio participated in the Battle of Badoeng Strait. Asashio was guarding the transport Sasago Maru off Bali when an Allied fleet attacked. Asashio has been credited with sinking the Dutch destroyer HNLMS Piet Hein with a torpedo, plus gunnery hits on the Dutch light cruiser HNLMS Tromp and the American destroyer USS Stewart (DD-224). Asashio suffered light damage: she was hit once with a 75 mm (3 in) shell from Tromp, losing a searchlight and four men killed, 11 wounded. She towed the damaged destroyer Michishio to Makassar after the battle.[2]

In March, Desdiv 8 returned to Yokosuka. In April, Desdiv 8 was reassigned to Destroyer Squadron 4 (Desron 4). Desron 4 sailed to Manila Bay to assist in the shelling of Corregidor in late April and May 1942.

[edit] Battle of Midway

At the Battle of Midway on 4-6 June 1942, Asashio and Desron 4 escorted Admiral Kurita's Support Group covering the Midway troop convoy. She suffered medium damage: in U.S. air attacks on 6 June, Asashio was hit by one 500-lb (227 kg ) bomb, with 22 dead. She assisted her sister ship Arashio in rescuing 240 survivors from the heavy cruiser Mikuma, then escorted the crippled cruiser Mogami into Truk on 14 June. After emergency repairs by the repair ship Akashi, Asashio sailed to Sasebo for more extensive repairs on 29 June. She was then reassigned to Desdiv 8.[2]

After a successful supply run to Jaluit and troop transport runs to Guadalcanal in September and October, Desdiv 8 escorted Admiral Mikawa's Support Force during several naval battles near Guadalcanal in November, but did not see combat. On 14 November, Asashio assisted the damaged light cruiser Isuzu. Desdiv 8 then made three troop transport runs to from Rabaul to Buna in late November and early December 1942. After the first, Asashio towed the damaged destroyer Umikaze back to Rabaul on 21 November. The third run was aborted due to Allied air attack on 8 December; Asashio was temporarily disabled by near-misses with bombs off of her stern. The division then made a successful troop transport run to Finschhafen on 18 December.[2]

On 7 January, Asashio and Desdiv 8 escorted Zuikaku, Mutsu and Suzuya from Truk to Kure, then returned to Truk. On 7 February, Desdiv 8 repeated the escort mission to Kure with the carrier Chuyo. The division then escorted another convoy from Truk to Rabaul, and a troop transport run from Rabaul to Madang and back. Desdiv 8 was assigned to Destroyer Squadron 3 (Desron 3) on 25 February.[2]

[edit] Battle of the Bismarck Sea

On 3 March 1943, Asashio and Desron 3 escorted a troop convoy from Rabaul towards Lae. In the Battle of the Bismarck Sea, the convoy was hit by devastating Allied air attacks. After weathering the first waves, Asashio was bombed later in the day while attempting to rescue survivors from the Arashio and Nojima. She was lost with all hands, 45 mi (85 km) southeast of Finschhafen, New Guinea (07°15′S, 148°15′E). Among the casualties was the commander of Desdiv 8, Capt. Yasuo Sato.[2]

[edit] Commanding officers

  • Chief Equipping Officer - Lt. Cmdr. Narita Moichi - 16 November 1936 - 31 August 1937
  • Lt. Cmdr. Narita Moichi - 31 August 1937 - 1 December 1937
  • Lt. Cmdr. / Cmdr. Wakida Kiichiro - 1 December 1937 - 15 December 1938 (Promoted to Commander on 15 November 1938.)
  • Lt. Cmdr. Yokoi Minoru - 15 December 1938 - 15 October 1940
  • Lt. Cmdr. Yoshii Gorou - 15 October 1940 - 3 March 1943 (KIA)

[edit] See also

[edit] References

  1. ^ Allyn D. Nevitt (1998). Asashio Class Destroyers. combinedfleet.com. Retrieved on 2008-02-06.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g Allyn D. Nevitt (1998). IJN Asashio: Tabular Record of Movement. combinedfleet.com. Retrieved on 2008-02-06.

[edit] External links

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Asashio-class destroyer

Asashio | Ōshio | Michishio | Arashio | Natsugumo | Yamagumo | Minegumo | Asagumo | Arare | Kasumi
List of ships of the Japanese Navy
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Imperial Japanese Navy