 Naganami in June 1942 at time of completion. | |
| History | |
|---|---|
 Empire of Japan | |
| Name | Naganami |
| Builder | Fujinagata Shipyards,Osaka |
| Laid down | 5 April 1941 |
| Launched | 5 March 1942 |
| Completed | 30 June 1942 |
| Stricken | 10 January 1945 |
| Fate | Sunk in action, 11 November 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 |
|
Naganami (長波; "Long Waves") was aYūgumo-classdestroyer of theImperial Japanese Navy.
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]
Naganami was laid down on 5 April 1941, launched on 5 March 1942, and finally commissioned on 30 June 1942 atOsaka, where Commander Kumabe Tsutae was appointed control of the destroyer.Naganami spent the first 3 weeks of her career as a guardship in local waters, before departing Japan for the first time on 20 July as an escort to the transport shipHakusan Maru from Yokosuka to Kiska where she delivered supplies to the crippled destroyerShiranui, returning on 4 August. At the end of the month,Naganami was assigned to destroyer division 31 along with her sistershipMakinami, and immediately embarked training duties alongside the battleshipsKongō andHaruna, before patrolling offTruk naval base from 6-10 September, and spending the rest of the month anchored in Truk.[5][6]
The start of October saw the destroyerTakanami appointed as flagship of destroyer division 31, and the 13th-14th sawNaganami escortKongō andHaruna during the bombardment ofHenderson Field;Naganami took no part in the bombardment but successfully chased off attacking torpedo boats withMakinami andTakanami. The three destroyers would however join the heavy cruisersMyōkō andMaya and the light cruiserIsuzu in another attack on Henderson Field and contributed 253 5-inch (127 mm) shells to the bombardment. On the 26th,Naganami escorted the Japanese fleet at thebattle of Santa Cruz, operating with the support ships, and watched the battle turn into a Japanese victory which sank the aircraft carrierUSSHornet and the destroyerUSSPorter. From 3-5 November,Naganami escorted the heavy cruisersMaya andSuzuya from Truk to the Shortlands before departing for a supply run toGuadalcanal. This was interrupted by air attacks from Henderson Field which mildly damagedNaganami andTakanami with bomb near misses and killed 4 sailors ofNaganami and 13 ofTakanami, but they continued the mission and dropped off their load safely.[5][6]
During the 30 November 1942Battle of Tassafaronga,Naganami led a supply-drum transport run toGuadalcanal (cover), and engaged a U.S. cruiser-destroyer group. During this action, she possibly torpedoed the cruisersUSS Pensacola, and/orUSS Northampton.
On 23 October 1944, during theBattle of Leyte Gulf,Naganami escorted Admiral Kurita's 1st Diversion Attack Force. During this time period she assisted in the rescue of the survivors of the cruiserMaya, later transferring them to the battleshipMusashi. She escorted the damaged cruiserTakao back toBrunei. During the escort, she tried to destroyDarter but she was rather unsuccessful at it, and just left afterwards.
On 10 November 1944Naganami joined the escort of troop convoy TA No. 3 as it approachedOrmoc, of what was then known as theBattle of Ormoc Bay. She was sunk by aircraft ofTask Force 38 on 11 November inOrmoc Bay, west ofLeyte (10°50′N124°35′E / 10.833°N 124.583°E /10.833; 124.583). An explosion amidships broke the ship in two. HersisterHamanami, destroyersWakatsuki andShimakaze were all sunk along withNaganami, as were three transports.
Naganami's wreck was found in November 2017 by Microsoft co-founderPaul Allen's research ship,RV Petrel 827 ft (252 m) below the surface of Ormoc Bay.[7]
