View source for Japanese destroyer Kazagumo

{{Short description|Yūgumo-class destroyer}}
{|{{Infobox ship begin}}
{{Infobox ship image
|Ship image= [[File:Japanese destroyer Kazagumo on 28 March 1942.jpg|300px|Kazagumo]]
|Ship caption= ''Kazagumo'' on 28 March 1942
}}
{{Infobox ship career
|Hide header=
|Ship country=[[Empire of Japan]]
|Ship flag={{shipboxflag|Japan|naval}}
|Ship name=''Kazagumo''
|Ship namesake=
|Ship ordered=
|Ship builder=[[Uraga Dock Company]] 
|Ship laid down=  23 December 1940
|Ship launched=   26 September 1941
|Ship completed= 28 March 1942
|Ship acquired=  
|Ship commissioned=  
|Ship decommissioned= 
|Ship struck= 10 July 1944
|Ship honours=
|Ship fate= Torpedoed and sunk by [[USS Hake (SS-256)|USS ''Hake'']], 8 June 1944
|Ship notes=
}}
{{Infobox ship characteristics
|Hide header=
|Header caption= 
|Ship class= {{sclass|Yūgumo|destroyer}}
|Ship displacement= {{convert|2520|LT|t|0|abbr=on}}
|Ship length= {{convert|119.15|m|ftin|abbr=on}} 
|Ship beam={{convert|10.8|m|ftin|abbr=on}}
|Ship draught={{convert|3.75|m|ftin|abbr=on}}
|Ship propulsion=
|Ship speed= {{convert|35|kn|mph km/h|lk=in}} 
|Ship range= 
|Ship complement=228
|Ship armament=*6 × [[12.7 cm/50 Type 3 naval gun|{{convert|127|mm|abbr=on}}/50]] [[Caliber#Caliber as measurement of length|caliber]] [[dual purpose gun|DP]] guns
*up to 28 × [[Type 96 25 mm AT/AA Gun|Type 96 {{convert|25|mm|in|abbr=on}}]] AA guns
*up to 4 × [[Hotchkiss M1929 machine gun|{{convert|13.2|mm|in|abbr=on}}]] AA guns
*8 × {{convert|610|mm|in|abbr=on}} [[torpedo tube]]s for [[Type 93 torpedo]]es
*36 [[depth charge]]s
|Ship notes=
}}
|}

{{nihongo|'''''Kazagumo'''''|風雲||}} was a {{sclass|Yūgumo|destroyer}} of the [[Imperial Japanese Navy]]. Her name means "Wind and Clouds".

==Design and description==
The ''Yūgumo'' class was a repeat of the preceding {{sclass|Kagerō|destroyer|4}} with minor improvements that increased their anti-aircraft capabilities. Their crew numbered 228 officers and enlisted men. The ships measured {{convert|119.17|m|ftin|sp=us}} [[Length overall|overall]], with a [[beam (nautical)|beam]] of {{convert|10.8|m|ftin|sp=us}} and a [[draft (ship)|draft]] of {{convert|3.76|m|ftin|sp=us}}.<ref>Sturton, p. 195</ref> They displaced {{convert|2110|t|LT|sp=us}} at [[Displacement (ship)#Standard displacement|standard]] load and {{convert|2560|t|LT|sp=us}} at deep load.<ref name=w3>Whitley, p. 203</ref> The ships had two [[Kampon]] geared [[steam turbine]]s, each driving one [[propeller shaft]], using steam provided by three Kampon [[water-tube boiler]]s. The turbines were rated at a total of {{convert|52000|shp|lk=in}} for a designed speed of {{convert|35|kn|lk=in}}.<ref>Jentschura, Jung & Mickel, p. 150</ref>

The main armament of the ''Yūgumo'' class consisted of six [[12.7 cm/50 Type 3 naval gun|Type 3 {{convert|127|mm|adj=on|1|sp=us}} guns]] in three twin-[[gun turret]]s, one [[superfiring]] pair aft and one turret forward of the [[superstructure]].<ref name=w3/> 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-angle [[Ship gun fire-control system|fire-control system]] meant that they were virtually useless as [[anti-aircraft gun]]s.<ref>Campbell, p. 192</ref> They were built with four [[Type 96 25 mm AT/AA Gun|Type 96 {{convert|25|mm|adj=on|1|sp=us}}]] 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 {{convert|610|mm|in|adj=on|1|sp=us}} [[torpedo tube]]s in a two quadruple traversing mounts; one reload was carried for each tube. Their anti-submarine weapons comprised two [[depth charge]] throwers for which 36 depth charges were carried.<ref name=w3/>

==Construction and career==
During the [[Battle of Midway]] ''Kazagumo'' was assigned to Admiral [[Chūichi Nagumo|Nagumo]]'s Strike Force. After the fleet had been attacked, the destroyer assisted in rescuing the survivors of the sinking aircraft carriers. In the [[Battle of the Eastern Solomons]] the ship was assigned to Nagumo's Strike Force.

In the [[Battle of the Santa Cruz Islands]] the destroyer was assigned to Vanguard Force. She performed troop transport runs to [[Guadalcanal]] from 7–10 November 1942. During the [[Naval Battle of Guadalcanal]] ''Kazagumo'' was assigned to the Bombardment Force, and assisted in the rescue of survivors from the cruiser {{ship|Japanese cruiser|Kinugasa||2}}. The ship returned to doing troop transport runs; on 17 November to [[Buna, Papua New Guinea|Buna]] and another run on 22 November by way of the [[Admiralty Islands]]. She also took part in one troop transport run to [[Wewak]] from [[Rabaul]].

''Kazagumo'' was ordered on troop evacuation runs to Guadalcanal 1 and 4 February 1943. She then took part in an evacuation run to the [[Russell Islands]] on 7 February. From 17–24 February, the ship escorted a troop convoy from [[Palau]] to Wewak. She was then ordered to escort a troop convoy from Palau to [[Hansa Bay]] on 6–12 March. The vessel took part in another troop transport run from the Shortlands to [[Kolombangara]] on 1 April. Then again to Buka 2–3 April, during which she was damaged by a [[naval mine|mine]] in Kahili Bay on 3 April. Temporary repairs were done by the repair ship ''Hakkai Maru'' at Rabaul, 17–18 April. The ship sailed for Japan and was repaired there from 29 April–9 June.

Returning to active duty, ''Kazagumo'' took part in a troop evacuation run to [[Kiska]] 29 July. The destroyer performed another troop evacuation run to Kolombangara on 28 September. She took part in the [[Naval Battle of Vella Lavella|Battle of Vella Lavella]]. ''Kazagumo'' returned to transport duties, performing an aircrew transport run from [[Chuuk State|Truk]] to [[Kavieng]] on 31 October-1 November and then a troop transport run to [[Bougainville Island|Bougainville]] on 6 November 1943.

On 8 June 1944, ''Kazagumo'' was escorting the cruisers {{ship|Japanese cruiser|Myōkō||2}} and {{ship|Japanese cruiser|Haguro||2}} from [[Davao City|Davao]] to support [[Biak]] troop transport operations. She was [[torpedo]]ed and sunk by the submarine {{USS|Hake|SS-256|6}} at the mouth of [[Davao Gulf]] ({{Coord|06|03|N|125|57|E |type:event_region:PH |display=inline,title}}<!-- http://www.combinedfleet.com/kazagu_t.htm says "06-03 N, 124-57 E", but that's inland. I'm guessing there's a typo in the longitude. -->). The destroyer {{ship|Japanese destroyer|Asagumo|1938|2}} rescued 133&nbsp;survivors.

==Notes==
{{Reflist|30em}}

==References==
*{{cite book|last=Campbell|first=John|title=Naval Weapons of World War II|year=1985|publisher=Naval Institute Press|location=Annapolis, Maryland|isbn=0-87021-459-4}}
*{{cite book| last = Jentschura| first = Hansgeorg| first2 = Dieter |last2=Jung|first3=Peter |last3=Mickel| year = 1977| title = Warships of the Imperial Japanese Navy, 1869–1945| publisher = United States Naval Institute| location = Annapolis, Maryland| isbn = 0-87021-893-X|name-list-style=amp}}
* {{cite book|title=Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1922–1946|editor1-last=Chesneau|editor1-first=Roger |publisher=Conway Maritime Press|location=Greenwich, UK|year=1980|isbn=0-85177-146-7|chapter=Japan|first=Ian |last=Sturton|pages=167–217}}
*{{cite book|last=Whitley|first=M. J.|title=Destroyers of World War Two: An International Encyclopedia |year=2000| publisher=Cassell & Co.|location=London|isbn=1-85409-521-8|author-link=Michael J. Whitley}}

==External links==
*[http://www.combinedfleet.com/yugumo_c.htm  CombinedFleet.com: ''Yūgumo''-class destroyers]
*[http://www.combinedfleet.com/kazagu_t.htm  CombinedFleet.com: ''Kazagumo'' history]

{{Yūgumo class destroyer}}
{{June 1944 shipwrecks}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kazagumo}}
[[Category:Yūgumo-class destroyers]]
[[Category:World War II destroyers of Japan]]
[[Category:Ships sunk by American submarines]]
[[Category:World War II shipwrecks in the Philippine Sea]]
[[Category:1941 ships]]
[[Category:Maritime incidents in June 1944]]
[[Category:Ships built by Uraga Dock Company]]