Japanese destroyer Shirayuki

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Career
Struck: 1 April 1943
Fate: Sunk in air raid, 17 July 1943
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 × 127 mm (5 in) / 50 caliber DP guns (3×2)
up to 22 × 25 mm AA guns
up to 10 × 13 mm AA guns,
9 × 610 mm (24 in) torpedo tubes
36 × depth charges

Shirayuki was a Fubuki-class destroyer of the Imperial Japanese Navy. Her name means "White Snow".

From 12 November to 15 November 1942, Hatsuyuki took part in the Naval Battles for Guadalcanal. Initially she escorted the Support Force commanded by Admiral Kurita Takeo, then joined the Emergency Bombardment Force of Admiral Kondo Nobutake. With Nagara in the assault on enemy destroyers, Hatsuyuki assisted in sinking USS Benham (DD-397), USS Walke (DD-416), and USS Preston (DD-379) and damaging USS Gwin (DD-433). Hatsuyuki then sailed to Truk on 18 November.

On 1 March 1943, Shirayuki led the escort of a troop convoy from Rabaul towards Lae, New Guinea, as flagship of Destroyer Squadron 3 (Rear Admiral Kimura Masatomi). In the Battle of the Bismarck Sea on 3 March, she was sunk by Allied air attacks, 55 miles (100 km) southeast of Finschhafen (07°15′S, 148°30′E). A skip-bomb exploded in her after magazine, severing the stern, with 32 dead. The survivors, including Admiral Kimura, ComDesDiv 11 (Captain Sugino Shuichi) and Commander Sugawara, rescued by Shikinami.

On 1 April 1943, Shirayuki was removed from the Navy List.

Commanding Officers

Chief Equipping Officer - Cmdr. Tetsuo Sano - 10 August 1928 - 10 December 1928

Cmdr. Tetsuo Sano - 10 December 1928 - 30 November 1929

Cmdr. Kozo Suzukida - 30 November 1929 - 1 December 1930

Cmdr. Tsutomu Shibata - 1 December 1930 - 15 March 1932

Cmdr. Tatsuhei Nakahara - 15 March 1932 - 1 December 1932

Cmdr. Yoshio Kanemasu - 1 December 1932 - 15 November 1934

Cmdr. Michio Sugimoto - 15 November 1934 - 21 October 1935

Lt. Cmdr. / Cmdr. Minegoro Kameyama - 21 October 1935 - 1 July 1936 (Promoted to Commander on 15 November 1935.)

Cmdr. Kakuro Mutaguchi - 1 July 1936 - 1 December 1937

Cmdr. Nobuki Ogawa - 1 December 1937 - 5 October 1938

Lt. Cmdr. Tsuneo Orita - 5 October 1938 - 15 October 1939

Lt. Cmdr. Kiyoshi Tomura - 15 October 1939 - 15 November 1940

Lt. Cmdr. / Cmdr. Rokorou Sugawara - 15 November 1940 - 3 March 1943 (Promoted to Commander on 1 November 1942.)

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