Japanese destroyer Arashio

Arashio on 21 December 1937
Career
Name:	Arashio
Ordered:	1934 Maru-2 Program
Builder:	Kawasaki Shipyards
Laid down:	October 1, 1935
Launched:	May 26, 1937
Commissioned:	December 30, 1937
Struck:	April 1, 1943
Fate:	Sunk in Battle of the Bismarck Sea, March 4, 1943
General characteristics
Class and type:	Asashio-class destroyer
Displacement:	2,370 long tons (2,408 t)
Length:	111 m (364 ft) pp 115 m (377 ft 4 in)waterline 118.3 m (388 ft 1 in) OA
Beam:	10.3 m (33 ft 10 in)
Draft:	3.7 m (12 ft 2 in)
Propulsion:	2-shaft geared turbine, 3 boilers, 50,000 shp (37,285 kW)
Speed:	35 knots (40 mph; 65 km/h)
Range:	5,700 nmi (10,600 km) at 10 kn (19 km/h) 960 nmi (1,780 km) at 34 kn (63 km/h)
Complement:	200
Armament:	• 6 × 12.7 cm/50 Type 3 DP guns • up to 28 × Type 96 AA guns • up to 4 × Type 93 AA guns • 8 × 24 in (610 mm) torpedo tubes • 36 depth charges

Arashio (荒潮, Stormy Tide) ^[1] was the fourth of ten Asashio-class destroyers built for the Imperial Japanese Navy in the mid-1930s under the Circle Two Supplementary Naval Expansion Program (Maru Ni Keikaku).

History

The Asashio class destroyers were larger and more capable that the preceding Shiratsuyu-class, as Japanese naval architects were no longer constrained by the provisions of the London Naval Treaty. These light cruiser-sized vessels were designed to take advantage of Japan’s lead in torpedo technology, and to accompany the Japanese main striking force and in both day and night attacks against the United States Navy as it advanced across the Pacific Ocean, according to Japanese naval strategic projections.^[2] Despite being one of the most powerful classes of destroyers in the world at the time of their completion, none survived the Pacific War.^[3]

Arashio, built at the Kawasaki Shipyards in Kobe was laid down on October 1, 1935, launched on May 26, 1937 and commissioned on December 30, 1937.^[4]

Operational history

At the time of the attack on Pearl Harbor, Arashio, under the command of Lieutenant Commander Hideo Kuboki, was assigned to Destroyer Division 8 (Desdiv 8), and a member of Destroyer Squadron 2 (Desron 2) of the IJN 2nd Fleet, escorting Admiral Nobutake Kondō's Southern Force Main Body out of Mako Guard District as distant cover to the Malaya and Philippines invasion forces in December 1941.^[5]

Arashio escorted a Malaya troop convoy from Mako towards Singora, then put into Hong Kong on January 5, 1942. She escorted another troop convoy to Davao, and then accompanied the Ambon invasion force (January 31), the Makassar invasion force (February 8) and the Bali/Lombok invasion force (February 18).

On the night of February 19, 1942, Arashio participated in the Battle of Badoeng Strait, entering the battle late as she was assigned to guard the transport Sagami Maru, and did not see combat. Arashio returned to Yokosuka Naval Arsenal in March, and was reassigned to the IJN 2nd Fleet on April 10. She assisted in the siege of Corregidor in the Philippines from April 24-May 18, and then returned to Kure. After escorting a convoy to Guam at the end of May, Arashio joined the escort for the Midway Invasion Force under the overall command of Admiral Takeo Kurita during the Battle of Midway. She assisted Asashio in rescuing survivors from the stricken cruiser Mikuma and, during the attacks on the cruisers, suffered severe damage from United States Navy aircraft on June 6, with one direct bomb strike killing 37 crewmen, including several survivors from the Mikuma, and wounding many more, including Destroyer Division 8 commander Commander Nobuki Ogawa. In spite of the severe damage she escorted Mogami to Truk. At Truk, she underwent emergency repairs by Akashi, which enabled her to return to Sasebo Naval Arsenal by July 23.

After completion of repairs on October 20, Arashio was assigned to Rabaul, Arashio was assigned to thirteen “Tokyo Express” transport runs to Buna, Shortland Island, Kolombangara and Guadalcanal and Wewak through mid-February, 1943. On February 20, she rescued the survivors of her torpedoed sister ship Ōshio off of Wewak. Arashio was reassigned to the IJN 8th Fleet on February 25, 1943.

During the Battle of the Bismarck Sea, she was damaged by three bombs from a USAAF B-25C Mitchell bomber named "Chatter Box" on March 3, which damaged her rudder, causing a collision with Nojima. Yukikaze took off her 176 survivors, which did not include her captain, Lieutenant Commander Hideo Kuboki. Her abandoned hulk was sunk by United States Navy aircraft at position 07°15′S 148°30′E / 7.250°S 148.500°E / -7.250; 148.500 approximately 55 nautical miles (102 km) southeast of Finschhafen, New Guinea^[6] She was removed from the navy list on April 1, 1943.

References

• D'Albas, Andrieu (1965). Death of a Navy: Japanese Naval Action in World War II. Devin-Adair Pub. ISBN 0-8159-5302-X. 
• Brown, David (1990). Warship Losses of World War Two. Naval Institute Press. ISBN 1-55750-914-X. 
• Hammel, Eric (1988). Guadalcanal: Decision at Sea : The Naval Battle of Guadalcanal, Nov. 13–15, 1942. (CA): Pacifica Press. ISBN 0-517-56952-3. 
• Howarth, Stephen (1983). The Fighting Ships of the Rising Sun: The Drama of the Imperial Japanese Navy, 1895–1945. Atheneum. ISBN 0-689-11402-8. 
• Jentsura, Hansgeorg (1976). Warships of the Imperial Japanese Navy, 1869–1945. US Naval Institute Press. ISBN 0-87021-893-X. 
• Nelson, Andrew N. (1967). Japanese–English Character Dictionary. Tuttle. ISBN 0-8048-0408-7. 
• Watts, Anthony J (1967). Japanese Warships of World War II. Doubleday. ASIN B000KEV3J8. 
• Whitley, M J (2000). Destroyers of World War Two: An International Encyclopedia. London: Arms and Armour Press. ISBN 1-85409-521-8. 

External links

• CombinedFleet.com: Asashio-class destroyers
• CombinedFleet.com: Arashio history
• GlobalSecurity.org: Asashio class destroyers

Notes

Imperial Japanese Navy Admirals Aircraft Battles Fleets Ships Weapons