Japanese destroyer Minekaze
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 Japanese destroyer Minekaze at Yokosuka, 1918 |
|
| Career (Japan) |  |
|---|---|
| Name: | Minekaze |
| Ordered: | fiscal 1917 |
| Builder: | Maizuru Naval Arsenal |
| Laid down: | April 20, 1918 |
| Launched: | February 8, 1919 |
| Commissioned: | May 29, 1920 |
| Struck: | March 31, 1944 |
| Fate: | Sunk in action, February 10, 1944 |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type: | Minekaze |
| Displacement: | 1,345 long tons (1,367 t) normal, 1,650 long tons (1,680 t) full load |
| Length: | 97.5 m (320 ft) pp, 102.6 m (337 ft) overall |
| Beam: | 9 m (30 ft) |
| Draught: | 2.8 m (9.2 ft) |
| Propulsion: | 2-shaft Mitsubishi-Parsons geared turbines, 4 boilers 38,500 ihp (28,700 kW) |
| Speed: | 39 knots (72 km/h) |
| Range: | 3600 nm @ 14 knots (6,700 km at 26 km/h) |
| Complement: | 148 |
| Armament: | 4 × Type 3 120 mm 45 caliber naval gun 6 × 21 in (533 mm) torpedo tubes 2 × 7.7 mm machine guns |
Minekaze (峯風 Summit Wind)[1]was the lead ship of the Minekaze-class destroyers, built for the Imperial Japanese Navy immediately following World War I. Advanced for their time, these ships served as first-line destroyers through the 1930s, but were considered obsolescent by the start of the Pacific War.
Contents |
[edit] History
Construction of the large-sized Minekaze-class destroyers was authorized as part of the Imperial Japanese Navy's 8-4 Fleet Program from fiscal 1917-1920, as an accompaniment to the medium-sized Momi-class with which they shared many common design characteristics. [2] Equipped with powerful engines, these vessels were capable of high speeds and were intended as escorts for the projected Amagi class battlecruisers, which were ultimately never built. [3]
Minekaze, built at the Maizuru Naval Arsenal, was the lead ship of this class. It was laid down on April 20, 1918, launched on February 8, 1919 and commissioned on May 29, 1920. [4]
On completion, Minekaze was teamed with sister ships Sawakaze, Okikaze, and Yakaze at the Sasebo Naval District to form Destroyer Division 2 under the IJN 2nd Fleet.
From 1930-1932, Destroyer Division 2 was reassigned to the IJN 1st Air Fleet as part of the escort of the aircraft carrier Akagi, to assist in search and rescue operations for downed aircraft.
At the time of the Shanghai incident of 1932, Minekaze was engaged in river patrol duties along the Yangzi River in China. In 1937-1938, Minekaze was assigned to patrols of the northern and central China coastlines in support of Japanese efforts in the Second Sino-Japanese War
[edit] World War II history
At the time of the attack on Pearl Harbor, Minekaze was based at the Chinkai Guard District in Korea, and was assigned to patrols of the Tsushima Straits and Chishima Islands coastlines.
From April 1942, Minekaze was reassigned to the Sasebo Naval District for patrol/convoy escort duties. At the end of September, it escorted convoys to Saipan, Truk and Rabaul, and from the end of November 1942 to February 1944 was assigned to patrol/escort duties in the East China Sea. On February 1, 1944, Minekaze was reassigned to the 1st Surface Escort Division, of the General Escort Command. Four days later, it departed Moji escorting a convoy bound for Takao. The convoy was spotted by the submarine USS Pogy off Taiwan and Minekaze was torpedoed and sunk on February 10, 1944 approximately seven miles SE of Wu-shih Pi, Taiwan (23°12′N 121°30′E / 23.2°N 121.5°E). [5].
On March 31, 1944 Minekaze was removed from navy list.[6]
[edit] Commanding Officers
- Chief Equipping Officer - Lt. Cmdr. Shinpei Kida - 1 April 1919 - 29 May 1920
- Lt. Cmdr. / Cmdr. Shinpei Kida - 29 May 1920 - 1 December 1922
(Promoted to Commander on 1 December 1920.)
- Lt. Cmdr. / Cmdr. Sadae Chiya - 1 December 1922 - 1 December 1924
- (Promoted to Commander on 1 December 1923.)
- Lt. Cmdr. Shoji Homoto - 1 December 1924 - 1 December 1925
- Cmdr. Isao Todo - 1 December 1925 - 1 December 1926
- Lt. Cmdr. Tetsuri Kobayashi - 1 December 1926 - 1 December 1927
- Lt. Cmdr. Keikichi Chigusa - 1 December 1927 - 10 December 1928
- Lt. Cmdr. Tsutomu Shibata - 10 December 1928 - 30 November 1929
- Lt. Cmdr. Masami Ban - 30 November 1929 - 20 November 1930
- Lt. Cmdr. Torazo Kozai - 20 November 1930 - 1 December 1932
- Lt. Cmdr. Moichi Narita - 1 December 1932 - 15 November 1934
- Lt. Cmdr. Keisaku Mori - 15 November 1934 - 1 April 1935
- In Reserve - 1 April 1935 - 15 June 1936
- Cmdr. Minegoro Kameyama - 15 June 1936 - 1 March 1937
- Lt. Cmdr. Koushichi Sugioka - 1 March 1937 - 25 August 1938
- Lt. Cmdr. Yasuatsu Suzuki - 25 August 1938 - 10 November 1938
- In Reserve - 10 November 1938 - 15 November 1940
- Lt. Cmdr. Takuji Mori - 15 November 1940 - 10 April 1941
- Lt. Cmdr. Masaaki Kimotsuki - 10 April 1941 - 10 September 1941
- Lt. Cmdr. Tomokazu Wakasugi - 10 September 1941 - 1 August 1942
- Lt. Cmdr. Ietaka Otsuka - 1 August 1942 - 18 May 1943
- Lt. / Lt. Cmdr. Morio Goga - 18 May 1943 - 1 December 1943
- (Promoted to Lieutenant Commander on 1 November 1943.)
- Lt. Cmdr. Masajiro Imaizumi - 1 December 1943 - 10 February 1944 (KIA)
[edit] References
[edit] Books
- Howarth, Stephen (1983). The Fighting Ships of the Rising Sun: The Drama of the Imperial Japanese Navy, 1895-1945. Atheneum. ISBN 0689114028.
- Jentsura, Hansgeorg (1976). Warships of the Imperial Japanese Navy, 1869-1945. US Naval Institute Press. ISBN 087021893X.
- Nelson, Andrew N. (1967). Japanese-English Character Dictionary. Tuttle. isbn 0804804087.
- Watts, Anthony J (1967). Japanese Warships of World War II. Doubleday. ASIN B000KEV3J8.
- Whitley, M J (2000). Destroyers of World War Two: An International Encyclopedia. London: Arms and Armour Press. ISBN 1854095218.
[edit] External links
- Nevitt, Allyn D. (1997). "IJN Minekaze: Tabular Record of Movement". Long Lancers. Combinedfleet.com. http://www.combinedfleet.com/mineka_t.htm.
- Nishidah, Hiroshi (2002). "Minekaze class 1st class destroyers". Materials of the Imperial Japanese Navy. http://homepage2.nifty.com/nishidah/e/stc0418.htm.
[edit] Notes
- ^ Nelson. Japanese-English Character Dictionary. pages 349, 960
- ^ Howarth, The Fighting Ships of the Rising Sun
- ^ Globalsecurity.org, IJN Minekaze class destroyers
- ^ Nishidah, Hiroshi (2002). "Minekaze class 1st class destroyers". Materials of the Imperial Japanese Navy. http://homepage2.nifty.com/nishidah/e/stc0418.htm.
- ^ Nevitt, Allyn D. (1997). "IJN Minekaze: Tabular Record of Movement". Long Lancers. Combinedfleet.com. http://www.combinedfleet.com/mineka_t.htm.
- ^ Nishidah, Hiroshi (2002). "Minekaze class 1st class destroyers". Materials of the Imperial Japanese Navy. http://homepage2.nifty.com/nishidah/e/stc0418.htm.
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