Japanese destroyer Fujinami

For the Japanese motorcycle rider, see Takahisa Fujinami. For the Japanese professional wrestler, see Tatsumi Fujinami.

Career
Name:	Fujinami
Completed:	31 July 1943
Struck:	10 January 1945
Fate:	Sunk in action, 27 October 1944
General characteristics
Class and type:	Yūgumo-class destroyer
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:	35 knots (40 mph; 65 km/h)
Complement:	228
Armament:	• 6 × 127 mm (5.0 in)/50 caliber DP guns • up to 28 × 25 mm (0.98 in) AA guns • up to 4 × 13 mm (0.51 in) AA guns • 8 × 610 mm (24 in) torpedo tubes for Type 93 torpedoes • 36 depth charges

Fujinami (藤波) was a Yūgumo-class destroyer of the Imperial Japanese Navy. Her name means "Purple Wave" or "Waves of Wisterias".

Fate

In the Battle of Leyte Gulf, Fujinami escorted the 1st Diversion Attack Force, commanded by Admiral Kurita Takeo. She sustained minor damage from the air attacks on 24–25 October due to near-misses and strafing. In the Battle off Samar on 25 October Fujinami was detached to assist Chokai, then she removed survivors and scuttled the cruiser with a torpedo. On 27 October, while steaming to assist Hayashimo, Fujinami was sunk by aircraft from USS Essex, 80 miles (130 km) north of Iloilo (12°0′N 122°30′E). She was lost with all hands, including the Chokai survivors. The Commanding officer was Cmdr. Tatsuji Matsuzaki from 31 July 1943 - 27 October 1944 (KIA). Some US survivors of the escort carrier Gambier Bay have stated that Captain Matsuzaki restrained his men from firing on them as they floated by the Fujinami and was allegedly seen to salute the American sailors. Some of the Gambier Bay survivors searched for a photo of Captain Matsuzaki so that they could honor him on their website.

See also

• List of World War II ships
• List of ships of the Japanese Navy
• [1]

External links

• CombinedFleet.com: Yugumo-class destroyers
• CombinedFleet.com: Fujinami history