 Kazagumo on 28 March 1942 | |
| History | |
|---|---|
 Empire of Japan | |
| Name | Kazagumo |
| Builder | Uraga Dock Company |
| Laid down | 23 December 1940 |
| Launched | 26 September 1941 |
| Completed | 28 March 1942 |
| Stricken | 10 July 1944 |
| Fate | Torpedoed and sunk, 8 June 1944 |
| General characteristics | |
| Class & type | Yūgumo-classdestroyer |
| Displacement | 2,520 long tons (2,560 t) |
| Length | 119.15 m (390 ft 11 in) |
| Beam | 10.8 m (35 ft 5 in) |
| Draught | 3.75 m (12 ft 4 in) |
| Speed | 35knots (40 mph; 65 km/h) |
| Complement | 228 |
| Armament |
|
{{nihongo|Kazagumo|風雲|}} was aYūgumo-classdestroyer of theImperial Japanese Navy. Her name means "Wind and Clouds".
TheYūgumo class was a repeat of the precedingKagerō class with minor improvements that increased their anti-aircraft capabilities. Their crew numbered 228 officers and enlisted men. The ships measured 119.17 meters (391 ft 0 in)overall, with abeam of 10.8 meters (35 ft 5 in) and adraft of 3.76 meters (12 ft 4 in).[1] They displaced 2,110 metric tons (2,080 long tons) atstandard load and 2,560 metric tons (2,520 long tons) at deep load.[2] The ships had twoKampon gearedsteam turbines, each driving onepropeller shaft, using steam provided by three Kamponwater-tube boilers. The turbines were rated at a total of 52,000shaft horsepower (39,000 kW) for a designed speed of 35knots (65 km/h; 40 mph).[3]
The main armament of theYūgumo class consisted of sixType 3 127-millimeter (5.0 in) guns in three twin-gun turrets, onesuperfiring pair aft and one turret forward of thesuperstructure.[2] The guns were able to elevate up to 75° to increase their ability against aircraft, but their slow rate of fire, slow traversing speed, and the lack of any sort of high-anglefire-control system meant that they were virtually useless asanti-aircraft guns.[4] They were built with fourType 96 25-millimeter (1.0 in) anti-aircraft guns in two twin-gun mounts, but more of these guns were added over the course of the war. The ships were also armed with eight 610-millimeter (24.0 in)torpedo tubes in a two quadruple traversing mounts; one reload was carried for each tube. Their anti-submarine weapons comprised twodepth charge throwers for which 36 depth charges were carried.[2]
During theBattle of MidwayKazagumo was assigned to AdmiralNagumo's Strike Force. After the fleet had been attacked, the destroyer assisted in rescuing the survivors of the sinkingaircraft carriers. In theBattle of the Eastern Solomons the ship was assigned to Nagumo's Strike Force.
In theBattle of the Santa Cruz Islands the destroyer was assigned to Vanguard Force. She performed troop transport runs toGuadalcanal from 7–10 November 1942. During theNaval Battle of GuadalcanalKazagumo was assigned to the Bombardment Force, and assisted in the rescue of survivors from the cruiserKinugasa. The ship returned to doing troop transport runs; on 17 November toBuna and another run on 22 November by way of theAdmiralty Islands. She also took part in one troop transport run toWewak fromRabaul.
Kazagumo was ordered on troop evacuation runs to Guadalcanal 1 and 4 February 1943. She then took part in an evacuation run to theRussell Islands on 7 February. From 17–24 February, the ship escorted a troop convoy fromPalau to Wewak. She was then ordered to escort a troop convoy from Palau toHansa Bay on 6–12 March. The vessel took part in another troop transport run from the Shortlands toKolombangara on 1 April. Then again to Buka 2–3 April, during which she was damaged by amine in Kahili Bay on 3 April. Temporary repairs were done by the repair shipHakkai Maru at Rabaul, 17–18 April. The ship sailed for Japan and was repaired there from 29 April–9 June.
Returning to active duty,Kazagumo took part in a troop evacuation run toKiska on 29 July. The destroyer performed another troop evacuation run to Kolombangara on 28 September. She took part in theBattle of Vella Lavella, the last Japanese naval victory.Kazagumo engaged a trio of American destroyers,USS Selfridge,Chevalier, andO'Bannon, firing off several salvos of 5-inch (127 mm) guns, but during the initial action was unable to fire her torpedoes in fear of hitting her sister shipYūgumo.Yūgumo was promptly sunk by gunfire and torpedoes from the three destroyers, but not before launching a torpedo spread that hitChevalier, causingO'Bannon to collide with the wrecked destroyer. After the destroyerSamidare tookSelfridge out of action with a torpedo that blew off her bow,Kazagumo regrouped with the destroyersAkigumo andIsokaze, and together they spotted the damagedChevalier andO'Bannon and fired a torpedo spread at the pair. However, none of them hit.Kazagumo retreated to the Japanese troop convoy, which was untouched, and escorted them to safety. The damagedO'Bannon andSelfridge retreated from the battlefield and left the batteredChevalier to sink. After the battle, a banquet was held for the Japanese ships, during which one ofKazagumo's crew members, drunk after several rounds ofsake, ranted about the war effort, how the Japanese battleships were sitting in port doing nothing while destroyers were forced to take up the brunt of the American warship, particularly raving aboutYūgumo's sinking. At the time, she was thought to be lost with all hands (a third of her crew was rescued by AmericanPT boats). The drunk sailor was promptly pulled away by his crewmates.[5][6]
Kazagumo returned to transport duties, performing an aircrew transport run fromTruk toKavieng on 31 October-1 November and then a troop transport run toBougainville on 6 November 1943. In December, she received a refit which updated her with mounted Type 13 and 22 radar sets. At the start of 1944 and the following months, she operated alongside the aircraft carriersShōkaku andZuikaku, escorting them on several operations, before doing the same with the battleshipFusō throughout May.[5]
On 8 June 1944,Kazagumo was escorting the cruisersMyōkō andHaguro fromDavao to supportBiak troop transport operations. She was torpedoed and sunk by the submarineUSS Hake at the mouth ofDavao Gulf (06°03′N125°57′E / 6.050°N 125.950°E /6.050; 125.950). The destroyerAsagumo rescued 133 survivors.
