Japanese destroyer Fuyutsuki

Fuyutsuki on 23 May 1944.
Career
Name: Fuyutsuki
Ordered: 1942
Cost: 17,820,400 JPY (as naval budget)[1]
Laid down: 8 May 1943
Launched: 20 January 1944
Completed: 25 May 1944
Commissioned: 25 May 1944
Reclassified: 4th Class Reserve Ship on September 1945
As repair ship/minesweper tender on 20 November 1945
Struck: 20 November 1945
Homeport: Yokosuka
Fate: Scrapped and converted breakwater in May 1948
General characteristics
Class and type:Akizuki-class destroyer
Displacement:2,700 long tons (2,743 t) standard
3,700 long tons (3,759 t) full load
Length:134.2 m (440 ft 3 in)
Beam:11.6 m (38 ft 1 in)
Draft:4.15 m (13 ft 7 in)
Propulsion:4 × Kampon type boilers
2 × Parsons geared turbines
2 × shafts, 50,000 shp (37 MW)
Speed:33 knots (38 mph; 61 km/h)
Range:8,300 nmi (15,400 km) at 18 kn (21 mph; 33 km/h)
Complement:300
Armament:• 8 × 100 mm (4 in)/65 cal Type 98 DP guns
• up to 51 × 25 mm AA guns
• 4 × 610 mm (24 in) torpedo tubes for Type 93 torpedoes
• 72 × depth charges

Fuyutsuki[2][3] (冬月) was an Akizuki-class destroyer of the Imperial Japanese Navy. Her name means "Winter Moon".

On 25 May 1944, completed at Maizuru Naval Arsenal, and she assigned 11th Destroyer Squadron, Combined Fleet.[4]

On 24 June, she sailed Yokosuka with Landing Ship No. 4 and Landing Ship No. 104.[5] On 25 June, she entry to the I-Gō Transport Squadron,[6] on 29 June, she sailed Chichi-jima with the cruiser Nagara and destroyer Matsu. They were returned to Yokosuka on 3 July.[7]

On 11 July, she sailed Tokuyama with Kiyoshimo, on 14 July, she entry to the Ro-Gō Transport Squadron,[8] and sailed Nakagusuku Bay. On 15 July, she assigned 41st Destroyer Division, 10th Division, 3rd Fleet with Shimotsuki.[9] Fuyutsuki returned to Kure on 26 July.[7]

On 12 October, while escorting the light cruiser Ōyodo from Yokosuka to the Inland Sea, she was hit on the bow by a torpedo fired from USS Trepang. She returned to Kure where she was repaired.

On 31 January 1945 she ran aground on a sandbar near Ōita during a training mission in the Inland Sea.

She participated on the last mission of the Japanese battleship Yamato (6–7 April 1945). She sank the crippled destroyer Kasumi with two torpedoes after taking aboard her crew. She was one of the few surviving ships, even though lightly damaged by 127 mm rockets and bombs. Her own losses were 12 dead and 12 injured.

On 20 August 1945, Fuyutsuki hit a mine at Moji, Kyūshū, suffering heavy damage to her stern. She surrendered unrepaired and without armament.

See also

References

  1. ↑ Senshi Sōsho (1969), p. 815.
  2. ↑ 1 October 1943, Administrative order No. 235, Named one destroyer, two submarines, one coast defence ship, two minesweepers, and one submarine chaser., Minister's Secretariat, Ministry of the Navy.
  3. ↑ National Archives of Japan, reference code: C12070120400, p. 1.
  4. ↑ The Maru Special (1978), p. 35.
  5. ↑ National Archives of Japan, reference code: C08030127400, p. 20.
  6. ↑ National Archives of Japan, reference code: C08030127400, p. 21.
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 National Archives of Japan, reference code: C08030127500, p. 5.
  8. ↑ National Archives of Japan, reference code: C08030127500, p. 32.
  9. ↑ National Archives of Japan, reference code: C08030127500, p. 31.

External links