 Akebono underway on 29 July 1936. | |
| History | |
|---|---|
 Empire of Japan | |
| Name | Akebono |
| Namesake | Japanese destroyer Akebono (1899) |
| Ordered | 1923 Fiscal Year |
| Builder | Fujinagata Shipyards |
| Yard number | Destroyer No. 52 |
| Laid down | 25 November 1929 |
| Launched | 7 November 1930 |
| Commissioned | 31 July 1931 |
| Stricken | 10 January 1945 |
| Fate | Sunk in air raid nearManila, thePhilippines, 14 November 1944 |
| General characteristics | |
| Class & type | Fubuki-classdestroyer |
| Displacement | |
| Length |
|
| Beam | 10.4 m (34 ft 1 in) |
| Draft | 3.2 m (10 ft 6 in) |
| Propulsion | |
| Speed | 38 knots (44 mph; 70 km/h) |
| Range | 5,000 nmi (9,300 km) at 14 knots (26 km/h) |
| Complement | 219 |
| Armament |
|
| Service record | |
| Operations: | |
Akebono (曙,"Daybreak")[1] was the eighteenth of twenty-fourFubuki-classdestroyers, built for theImperial Japanese Navy followingWorld War I.
Construction of the advancedFubuki-class destroyers was authorized as part of the Imperial Japanese Navy's expansion program from fiscal 1923, intended to give Japan a qualitative edge with the world's most modern ships.[2] TheFubuki class had performance that was a quantum leap over previous destroyer designs, so much so that they were designatedSpecial Type destroyers (特型,Tokugata). The large size, powerful engines, high speed, large radius of action and unprecedented armament gave these destroyers the firepower similar to manylight cruisers in other navies.[3]Akebono, built at theFujinagata Shipyards inOsaka was the seventh in an improved series, which incorporated a modifiedgun turret which could elevate her main battery ofType 3 127 mm 50 caliber naval guns to 75° as opposed to the original 40°, thus permitting the guns to be used asdual-purpose guns against aircraft.[4]Akebono waslaid down on 25 October 1929,launched on 7 November 1930 and commissioned on 31 July 1931.[5] Originally assigned hull designation "Destroyer No. 52", she was namedAkebono before her launch.
On completion,Akebono was assigned to Destroyer Division 7 under theIJN 2nd Fleet. During theSecond Sino-Japanese War, from 1937,Ayanami covered landing of Japanese forces in Shanghai andHangzhou. From 1940, she was assigned to patrol and cover landings of Japanese forces in south China and participated in theInvasion of French Indochina.
At the time of theattack on Pearl Harbor,Akebono was assigned to Destroyer Division 7 of theIJN 1st Air Fleet, but was unable to participate in the attack due to a damaged propeller, and was held in reserve in Japanese home waters as a guard vessel. Repairs completed by mid-January 1942,Akebono was part of the escort for theaircraft carriersHiryū andSōryū during air strikes againstAmbon. She was later part of the escort for the cruisersNachi andHaguro during"Operation J" (the Japanese invasion of the easternNetherlands East Indies). On 1 March, at theBattle of the Java Sea,Akebono assisted in sinking theBritish cruiserHMS Exeter and destroyerHMS Encounter, and theAmerican destroyerUSS Pope.[6] She returned toYokosuka Naval Arsenal for repairs at the end of March.
At the end of April,Akebono escortedMyōkō andHaguro toTruk, and subsequently joined AdmiralTakeo Takagi's force at theBattle of the Coral Sea.[7] At the end of May, she escortedZuikaku from Truk back toKure Naval Arsenal.
During theBattle of Midway in early June,Akebono was part the diversionary force in"Operation AL" that attackedDutch Harbor, Alaska in theAleutians campaign, and returned to Yokosuka in early July.
On 14 July,Akebono was reassigned to theCombined Fleet, and escorted the battleshipYamato and aircraft carrierTaiyō at theBattle of the Eastern Solomons on 24 August.Akebono remained assigned toTaiyō through September, and to the aircraft carrierUnyō from October to February 1943. Through the rest of 1943,Akebono continued to serve as an escort forUnyō,Taiyō,Ryūhō,Zuihō orJun'yō in various missions throughout the Pacific, except for a period in December when she was assigned to "Tokyo Express" transport missions in theSolomon Islands.[8]
On 1 January 1944,Akebono was reassigned to theIJN 5th Fleet. On 14 January, she rescued 89 survivors of torpedoed destroyerSazanami en route to Truk. Returning to Yokosuka for repairs and refit on 25 January, she was reassigned toŌminato Guard District for patrols of northern waters through October. However, as the situation continued to deteriorate for Japan in the Philippines, she was reassigned to AdmiralKiyohide Shima's Diversionary Force at theBattle of Surigao Strait on 24 October. The following day,Akebono rescued about 700 survivors of theheavy cruiserMogami and then scuttled her with atorpedo.[9]
On 13 November 1944,Akebono, while alongside destroyerAkishimo atCavite pier nearManila, was attacked in aUSAAF air raid. A direct bomb hit set both ships ablaze, and the following day a large explosion onAkishimo blew a hole inAkebono, which sank upright in shallow water at position14°35′N120°55′E / 14.583°N 120.917°E /14.583; 120.917, with 48 crewmen killed and 43 wounded.[10]
On 10 January 1945,Akebono was removed from thenavy list.[11]
