Japanese destroyer Kisaragi (1925)
Kisaragi (如月) was a Mutsuki-class destroyer of the Imperial Japanese Navy. She served during World War II in the Pacific and had the dubious distinction of being the second major Japanese warship sunk in the Pacific on December 11, 1941 during the Japanese attempted invasion of Wake Island (the first being Hayate).
Kisaragi was one of twelve Mutsuki-class destroyers built between 1924 and 1927. They were modified versions of the earlier Minekaze class built between 1918 and 1922. The Mutsuki-class destroyers displaced 1,314 tons, and were armed with four 4.7 inch guns and six 24 inch torpedo tubes. Late war modifications usually replaced two of the 4.7 inch guns with ten 25 mm anti-aircraft guns. They had a crew of about 150 officers and men.
Commanded by Lieutenant Commander Ogawa Yoichiro, Kisaragi was damaged during the invasion fleet's battle with the U.S. Marine coastal defense guns on Wake Island. She was sailing away from the battle with the battered invasion fleet when the damaged ships came under air attack by four F4F Wildcat fighter planes from Wake armed with 100-pound bombs. One Wildcat dropped its payload of bombs on the Kisaragi's stern, which was packed with depth charges. This caused the ship to blow up and sink with all hands about 30 miles southwest of Wake Island. This was the finishing blow of the unsuccessful Japanese invasion of Wake Island.