Japanese destroyer Nagatsuki (1926)

Nagatsuki in April 1927.
Career
Name:	Nagatsuki
Owner:	Empire of Japan
Operator:	Imperial Japanese Navy
Builder:	Ishikawajima Shipyards, Japan
Yard number:	Destroyer No. 30
Laid down:	April 16, 1926
Launched:	October 6, 1926
Commissioned:	April 30, 1927
Renamed:	as Nagatsuki August 1, 1928
Struck:	November 1, 1943
Fate:	combat loss July 7, 1943
General characteristics
Type:	Destroyer
Displacement:	1,315 long tons (1,336 t) normal, 1,445 long tons (1,468 t) full load
Length:	97.54 m (320.0 ft) pp, 102.72 m (337.0 ft) overall
Beam:	9.16 m (30.1 ft)
Draught:	2.96 m (9.7 ft)
Propulsion:	4 x Ro-Gō Kampon water-tube boilers 2 x Kampon geared turbines 38,500 ihp (28,700 kW); 2 shafts
Speed:	37.25 knots (68.99 km/h)
Range:	3600 nm @ 14 knots (6,700 km at 26 km/h)
Complement:	154
Service record
Part of:	Destroyer Division 22
Operations:	Battle of the Philippines Solomon Islands campaign

The destroyed hulk of Nagatsuki on Kolombangara, photographed on May 8, 1944.

Nagatsuki (長月, ”September”^?)^[1] was one of twelve Mutsuki-class destroyers, built for the Imperial Japanese Navy following World War I. Advanced for their time, these ships served as first-line destroyers through the 1930s, but were considered obsolescent by the start of the Pacific War.^[2]

History

Construction of the Mutsuki-class destroyers was authorized as part of the Imperial Japanese Navy's build up following the abandonment of the Washington Naval Treaty from fiscal 1923. The class was a follow-on to the earlier Minekaze-class and Kamikaze class destroyers, with which they shared many common design characteristics.^[3] Nagatsuki, built at the Ishikawajima Shipyards in Tokyo was laid down on April 16, 1925, launched on October 6, 1926 and commissioned on April 30, 1927.^[4] Originally commissioned simply as “Destroyer No. 30”, it was assigned the name Nagatsuki on April 30, 1927.

In the late 1930s, Nagatsuki participated in combat actions in the Second Sino-Japanese War, covering the landings of Japanese troops in central and southern China, and the Invasion of French Indochina.

World War II history

At the time of the attack on Pearl Harbor, Nagatsuki was part of Desron 22 under Destroyer Division 5 in the IJN 4th Fleet, and deployed from Mako Guard District in the Pescadores as part of the Japanese invasion force for "Operation M" (the invasion of the Philippines), during which time it helped screen landings of Japanese forces at Aparri and at Lingayen Gulf.^[5] While at Lingayen Gulf, Nagatsuki suffered light damage due to strafing attacks by USAAF aircraft, which left one crewman dead and five injured.

In early 1942, Nagatsuki was assigned to escorting troop convoys from French Indochina for "Operation J" (the invasion of Java, Netherlands East Indies), From March 10, 1942 Nagatsuki and Destroyer Division 5 were re-assigned to the Southwest Area Fleet and escorted troop convoy from Singapore to Penang, and Rangoon. It returned to Sasebo Naval Arsenal for repairs on September 19, and rejoined the fleet on November 9, continuing escort patrol duties.

At the end of January 1943, Nagatsuki escorted the seaplane tender Kamikawa Maru from Sasebo via Truk and Rabaul to Shortlands, and remained throughout February to cover Operation KE (troop evacuations from Guadalcanal) and to escort convoys to Palau, Wewak and Rabaul. On February 25, Nagatsuki was reassigned to the IJN 8th Fleet. It participated in several “Tokyo Express” troop transport missions throughout the Solomon Islands through the end of June, especially to Kolombangara and Tuluvu. On July 4–5, while on a run to Kolombangara, Nagatsuki engaged the US destroyer USS Strong (DD-467), which it helped sink with its torpedoes.

However, the following day, during the Battle of Kula Gulf, Nagatsuki was holed by a six-inch shot in combat. Its captain, Lieutenant Commander Tameo Furukawa, grounded the vessel near Bambari Harbor 08°02′S 157°12′E / 8.033°S 157.2°E / -8.033; 157.2Coordinates: 08°02′S 157°12′E / 8.033°S 157.2°E / -8.033; 157.2 on Kolombangara to land his troops; however, later, even with the assistance of sister ship Satsuki, it proved impossible to refloat the vessel, and it was attacked and destroyed the following day, July 6, by Allied aircraft. The crew suffered eight dead and thirteen injured, but the survivors later reached the Imperial Japanese Army base at Vila on Kolombangara on foot.^[6]

Nagatsuki was struck from the navy list on October 1, 1943.^[7]

References

• Brown, David (1990). Warship Losses of World War Two. Naval Institute Press. ISBN 1-55750-914-X. 
• Howarth, Stephen (1983). The Fighting Ships of the Rising Sun: The Drama of the Imperial Japanese Navy, 1895–1945. Atheneum. ISBN 0689114028. 
• Jentsura, Hansgeorg (1976). Warships of the Imperial Japanese Navy, 1869–1945. US Naval Institute Press. ISBN 087021893X. 
• Nelson, Andrew N. (1967). Japanese–English Character Dictionary. Tuttle. isbn 0804804087. 
• 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 1854095218. 

Notes

1. ^ Nelson. Japanese-English Character Dictionary. Page 918
2. ^ Jones, Daniel H. (2003). "IJN Minekaze, Kamikaze and Mutsuki class Destroyers". Ship Modeler's Mailing List (SMML). http://smmlonline.com/articles/minekaze/minekaze.html. 
3. ^ Howarth, The Fighting Ships of the Rising Sun.
4. ^ Nishidah, Hiroshi (2002). "Mutsuki class 1st class destroyers". Materials of the Imperial Japanese Navy. http://homepage2.nifty.com/nishidah/e/stc0422.htm. 
5. ^ Morison. The Rising Sun in the Pacific 1931 - April 1942.
6. ^ Nevitt, Allyn D. (1997). "IJN Nagatsuki: Tabular Record of Movement". Long Lancers. Combinedfleet.com. http://www.combinedfleet.com/nagats_t.htm. 
7. ^ Nishidah, Hiroshi (2002). "Mutsuki class 1st class destroyers". Materials of the Imperial Japanese Navy. http://homepage2.nifty.com/nishidah/e/stc0422.htm. 

External links

• Nevitt, Allyn D. (1997). "IJN Nagatsuki: Tabular Record of Movement". Long Lancers. Combinedfleet.com. http://www.combinedfleet.com/nagats_t.htm. 
• Nishidah, Hiroshi (2002). "Mutsuki class destroyers". Materials of the Imperial Japanese Navy. http://homepage2.nifty.com/nishidah/e/stc0422.htm. 
• Jones, Daniel H. (2003). "IJN Minekaze, Kamikaze and Mutsuki class Destroyers". Ship Modeler's Mailing List (SMML). http://smmlonline.com/articles/minekaze/minekaze.html.