Color Pics of the Shiratsuyu and Asashio-class, and Shimakaze. (Image heavy)

[Doomlock]

Hi guys! Here's part two of the Japanese destroyers I promised. Poll above for the next picture set. Source as usual: http://blog.livedoor.jp/irootoko_jr/

Let's get this show on the seas!

 

 

 

We start off with the Poi-boat herself, Yūdachi, the Evening Squall, on sea trails at Sasebo in December, 1936. Now that all the poi is out of the way, she participated in the Battle of the Java Sea; on one of her Tokyo Express missions she assisted in the sinking of USS Gregory (APD-3) and USS Little (APD-4); in the First Naval Battle of Guadalcanal she was escorting the bombardment force and first ship in line. As lead in formation she had to swerve to avoid the US ships and torpedoed USS Portland (CA-33); she then mistook USS Sterett (DD-407) as a friendly and flashed recognition signals, Sterett fired back hitting Yūdachi's number 1 boiler room leaving her dead in the water. After she was disabled, 207 of her crew were taken on by her sister Samidare which then failed to scuttle her with tree torpedoes. The abandoned hulk was sunk the next morning by Portland.

 

Harusame, the Spring Rain, at Uraga, November 30, 1943. She participated in the First Naval Battle of Guadalcanal where she claimed heavy damage on an Allied cruiser by gunfire; on January 24, 1943, she was torpedoed by USS Wahoo (SS-238) and beached to keep from sinking. She was recovered and was back in action the following January. While evacuating troops from Biak on June 8, 1944, she was attacked by USAAF B-25s and was sunk with 74 of her crew including the squadron commander.

 

Umikaze, the Sea Breeze, on sea trials at Miyazu Bay, April 9, 1937. Umikaze's career was mostly escort duty and sustained damage and sunk doing so. On February 1, 1944, while on convoy duty from Saipan to Truk, she was torpedoed by USS Guardfish (SS-217) off the southern entrance to the atoll, she sunk slowly allowing 215 survivors to be rescued. She took 50 of her crew with her.

 

Another picture of Umikaze on her sea trials a month later. She is seen training her guns to port while running at high speed.

 

Yamakaze, the Mountain Wind, on sea trials at Uraga in May, 1937. Her career was short and violent. From January 1942 she was a part of the Dutch East Indies operations including the invasion of Tarakan Island, where she assisted in sinking the minelayer, HNLMS Prins van Oranje. She later covered the landings at Balikpapan and Makassar, sinking the USS Shark (SS-174) in the Makassar strait with gunfire. She was a part of the Battle of the Java Sea assisting in the sinking of USS Pope (DD-225), HMS Exeter, and HMS Encounter. On June 25, 1942, while steaming alone from Ōminato to the Inland Sea, she was torpedoed and sunk with all hands by USS Nautilus (SS-168).

 

The first of the Asashio-class, Asashio, the Morning Tide, on sea trials at Sasebo, July 1937. She had a successful war career starting at the Battle of Badung Strait, Asashio was guarding a transport when an Allied fleet attacked. Asashio sunk HNLMS Piet Hein with a torpedo and damaged HNLMS Tromp and USS Stewart (DD-224) with gunfire. After the battle she towed her damaged sister Michishio for repairs. During the Battle of Midway she rescued survivors from Mikuma and escorted Mogami to Truk for repairs. Asashio was sunk during the Battle of the Bismarck Sea, while attempting to rescue survivors from her sister Arashio and troopship Nojima Maru with all hands.

 

Ōshio, the High Tide, off Kure, 1937. Ōshio's career mimics her sister Asashio's for the Battle of Badung Strait, assisting in torpedoing Piet Hein, and damaging Tromp and Stewart by gunfire, though she suffered some damage and lost 7 men. On February 20, 1943, she and her sister Arashio were attacked by USS Albacore (SS-218) off Wewak New Guinea. She was hit by a torpedo which caused flooding in her engine room and killing 8 of her crew. Arashio attempted to tow her but her keel was fatally damaged, and she sank.

 

Arashio, the Stormy Tide, at Kobe Port, December 21, 1937. She participated in the Battle of Badung Strait but entered late and did not see combat. During the Battle of Midway, she assisted her sister Asashio in rescuing survivors from Mikuma and suffering severe damage afterwards including one direct bomb hit killing 37 crewmen and several survivors from Mikuma and wounding many more including the division commander; in spite of the damage she escorted Mogami to Truk and while there received emergency repairs from Akashi. She rescued survivors from her sister Ōshio after she was torpedoed. Her end came during the Battle of the Bismarck Sea where she was hit by three bombs from a B-25 named Chatterbox which damaged her rudder causing her to collide with troopship Nojima Maru. Yukikaze took off 176 survivors not including her captain; her abandoned hulk was sunk the next day by aircraft.

Asagumo, the Morning Cloud, on sea trials at Tateyama, September 14,1939. She participated in the Battle of Badung Strait assisting in the sinking of HMS Electra but suffering medium damage in return. During the First Naval Battle of Guadalcanal she assisted in sinking USS Monssen (DD-436) and damaging USS Helena (CL-50) and afterward assisted the stricken Yūdachi. During the Second Naval Battle of Guadalcanal she took on survivors of Kirishima. In the Battle of the Bismarck Sea she dodged numerous air attacks while rescuing survivors from other sunken vessels. In October, 1944 at the Battle of the Surigao Strait she was torpedoed by USS McDermut (DD-677) and finished off by other US cruisers and destroyers with the loss of 191 of her crew.

 

Yamagumo, the Mountain Cloud, on sea trials, September, 1939. On November 19, 1943 she sank USS Sculpin (SS-191) with depth charges and picked up 42 survivors. They were split in half between the escort carriers Chūyō and Un'yō, until Chūyō was sunk by USS Sailfish (SS-192) taking 20 of the survivors with her; the remaining one was put aboard Un'yō and were POWs until the end of the war. She took part in the Battle of Surigao Strait where she was hit by torpedoes fired by McDermut and exploded with all hands lost.

 

Natsugumo, the Summer Cloud, November 22, 1939. She was escorting troop transports during the Battle of the Java Sea and did not see combat however on March 1, she damaged USS Perch (SS-176) with depth charges. She participated in the Battle of Christmas Island escorting the damaged Naka out of the battle. During October 1942 she made four Tokyo Express runs; on the fourth while escorting Nisshin and Chitose, she went to assist Murakumo which had been damaged during the Battle of Cape Esperance. On the night of October 11, she was attacked by US aircraft; suffering near misses, her hull was ruptured and she sank in only 39 minutes with 16 of her crew including her captain; Asagumo took on her 176 survivors.

 

 

 

That's all guys I hope you enjoyed! I did the Fubuki-class destroyers earlier today, link here: http://forum.worldofwarships.com/index.php?/ Poll up for the next colorized pic you'd like to see next.

And as always: Fair winds and following seas captains! 

[Doomlock]

Shimakaze, the Island Wind, on sea trials at Miyazu Bay, May 5, 1943. Shimakaze, the one off super destroyer of the IJN; she was one of the most heavily armed destroyers ever built. Armed with 15 x 61 cm torpedo tubes housing the legendary Type 93 torpedo, along with 6 x 12.7 cm/50 Type 3 naval guns, she was a force to be feared on the seas. In June 1943, Shimakaze participated in the evacuation of Japanese troops from Kiska Island towards the end of the Aleutian Islands campaign. She was present in June 1944 at the Battle of the Philippine Sea. In October 1944, the destroyer was present at the Battle of Leyte Gulf, although she played no role in the battle except for picking up survivors from Musashi. While serving as the flagship of Destroyer Squadron 2, she was attacked and sunk by American aircraft from TF38 on November 11, 1944 during the Battle of Ormoc Bay.

[Colonel_ace]

Some of the best threads on the forums these days.