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| IJN Kamikaze-class Destroyer 1,422 Tons (standard) 1,747 (full load) 319' 11" x 29' 10" x 9' 6" 4 x 12cm Type 3 guns 3 x Twin 21" torpedo tubes |
Ship History Built by Mitsubishi in Nagasaki. Laid down December 15, 1921 as the lead ship of the Kamikaze-class destroyer. Launched September 25, 1922 as Destroyer No. 1. Commissioned December 19, 1922 in the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) and assigned to Destroyer Division 1 (Desdiv 1) with NAMIKAZE, NUMAKAZE and NOKAZE in the Ominato Guard District. On 1 August 1928 renamed Kamikaze meaning "Divine Wind". During 1941, under the command of Commander Hashimoto Kanematsu. Wartime History On December 4, 1941 departs Ominato bound for the Kurile Islands. On December 7, 1941 arrives Matsuwa and departs that evening assigned to the 5th Fleet. On December 8, 1941 at midnight arrives Otomae Bay off Paramushiro. On December 12, 1942 departs Otomae Bay on her first war patrol with Namikaze and Nokaze and Nokaze to patrol between Otomae Bay and Musashi Bay on Paramushiro. On January 13, 1942 returns Ominato and begins maintenance work. PARTIAL HISTORY On May 7, 1945 plans are finalized for "Operation Shoo" for a dash to deliver supplies and evacuate personnel in the Andaman Islands. The No. 1 Force of Haguro and Kamikaze will transport 650 tons supplies and evacuate two Army battalions and are scheduled to depart Keppel Harbor on May 10 and arrive the evening of May 12. The No. 2 Force includes Kuroshio Maru and CH-57 that are scheduled to depart Singapore on May 11 with 150 tons of supplies bound for Nancowry and arrive May 14 and evacuate 450 Army personnel. On May 10, 1945 before dawn Haguro and Kamikaze departs Keppel Harbor on Singapore via the Malacca Strait bound for Port Blair in the Andaman Islands to evacuate personnel. For the first leg of the voyage covered by No. 17 Hitoo Maru and SC 45 and SC 55. At 7:30pm evasive action is taking avoid enemy submarines HMS Subtle and HMS Statesman. On May 11, 1945 receives a report from Japanese land based planes of an enemy carrier force and is ordered to reverse course and hold at One Fathom Bank at the western end of the Malacca Strait. Meanwhile, No. 2 Force departs Singapore. Before midnight, Haguro is advised the British Fleet is retiring and the decision is made to refuel from Ashigara and contine the mission. On May 12, 1945 returns to Malacca Strait headed southeast. At 8:40am HMS Subtle fires four torpedoes aimed at Harguo that are spotted and maneuvers to avoid. Afterwards, Kamikaze and covering aircraft conduct anti-submarine attacks without result. At 11:00am arrives at the southern end of One Fathom Bank of the light bouy 16.5 miles west of Pulo Burnet and plans to speed to Port Blair two days later. On May 13, 1945 at One Fathom Bank, Ashigara arrives and refuels Haguro and Kamikaze then departs bound for Lingga Roads. Afterwards, No. 1 Force continues to hold off Pulo Burnett. On May 14, 1945 at 6:00am departs Singapore with Vice Admiral Hashimoto and Rear Admiral Sugiura aboard and two E13A1 Jakes embarked escorted by Kamikaze via the Malacca Strait bound for Port Blair in the Andaman Islands to evacuate personnel. On May 15, 1945 in the Indian Ocean northeast of Sabang when spotted by planes from HMS Shah (D21) from Force 61. Haguro spots a Liberator overhead at roughly Lat 7° 02N, Long 97° 02E and engages with her main guns firing Type 3 Sanshikidan anti-aircraft shells and claims it as shot down. At 1:30pm informed that Japanese planes have spotted an enemy heavy cruiser and two destroyers south of Sabang Island headed southeast and a reversal of course is ordered. Around 3:00pm spots Kuroshio Maru and CH-57 with evacuated personnel returning from Nancowry Island in the Nicobar Islands. At 3:30pm the Haguro group is diverted to Penang. At 3:41pm engaged by three Avengers from No. 851 Squadron launched from HMS Emperor (D98), one that drops two 500 bombs and claims a hit, but Haguro was not damaged but her position reported. After 5:00pm, Haguro is informed enemy cruisers and destroyers are heading towards Malacca Strait and proceed towards One Fathom Bank at 28 knots but later speed is reduced to 24 knots with an estimated arrival time of 5:30am the next morning. Kamikaze believes the reduction in speed meant reduced danger and her crew partially stands down from battle stations. Meanwhile, 26th Destroyer Flotilla under Captain Manley Power were ordered to intercept including HMS Saumarez (G12), HMS Verulam (R28), HMS Vigilant (R93), HMS Venus (R50) and HMS Virago (R75). At 11:40pm during a heavy storms the destroyers make radar contact with the Japanese warships at a distance of 39 miles and begin to close the distance. On May 16, 1945 after midnight in the Strait of Malacca (Malacca Strait) with Kamikaze close behind as the British destroyers approach undetected and close to 28,000 yards and array themselves in a semi-circle spanning from northwest to the east. At 1:00am, Haguro spots the enemy only 12,000 yards away and begins zigzagging and turns to the northwest as the destroyers increase speed in pursuit. At 1:05am reverses course to the southeast with the destroyers only 6,000 yards away at the start of the Battle of the Malacca Strait (Battle off Penang, Sinking of Haguro). At the start of the battle, the battle, while her crew race to man battle stations, engaged by HMS Saumarez (G12) that passes close to stern and was hit by a shell in the starboard quarter just above the waterline that explodes in no. 3 crew space killing and wounding many of her crew. The destroyer was only able returns fire from machine guns. Meanwhile, Haguro was hit by a torpedo and caught fire. Immediately, Kamikaze moved alongside her starboard side to render support. Without radar or torpedoes, Kamikaze was ordered to withdraw to Penang. Meanwhile, Haguro was hit by a second torpedo, Haguro sank at 2:32am. Kamikaze escapes by looping around to the north then steams northeast and arrives Penang in the afternoon and unloads her casualties and immediately departs with SC-57 to the sinking location and rescues 8 officers and 230 sailors with 10 sererely injured and returns them to Penang. On May 17, 1945 departs Penang bound for Singapore arriving the next day. On June 2, 1945 Kamikaze with Ashigara departs Singapore via Lingga to conduct drills as targets for Japanese torpedo planes practicing torpedo runs. On June 4, 1945 anchors overnight at Banka Strait. then onward to Batavia on Java to withdraw Japanese personnel but was hampered by a damged port shaft due to previous grounding and is unable to operate at high speed. On June 5, 1945 arrives Batavia and embarks roughly 400 Army personnel. On June 7, 1945 at dawn departs with Ashigara via Banka Strait bound for Singapore. On June 8, 1945 in Banka Strait targeted by a enemy submarine and evades the attack while another HMS Trenchant torpedoes and sinks Ashigara and rescues 53 officers including Captain Miura, 812 sailors and roughly 1,200 Army personnel and returns to Singapore. On June 12, 1945 departs Singapore with Minesweeper No. 4 (MS-4) escorting Toho Maru bound for Fukwok Island (Phu'oc Quoc' Island) off Vietnam. The next day spots a B-24 that does not attack. On June 14, 1945 spots and shoots down a PBY Catalina. On June 15, 1945 eight B-24 strike and sink Toho Maru and score a near miss on Kamikaze with holes in a water tank and her speed reduced to 18 knots. MS-4 was also damaged and could make only 8 knots. Afterwards, rescues 203 survivors. On June 16, 1945 arrives Patani Anchorage were MS-4 made temporary repairs and departs two days later departs for Singapore patrolling along the way. On June 26, 1945 docked for repairs. On July 17, 1945 departs Singapore as part of a convoy bound via Ta-Tien in southwest of Indo-China (Vietnam) to refuel and meets Japanese ships and transfers to them equipment. Kamikaze transports anti-submarine warfare equipment and weapsons for Japanese aircraft. PARTIAL HISTORY On September 2, 1945 after the surrender of Japan, departs Singapore to rendezvous with HMS Petard and HMS Cleopatra in Malacca Strait to provide pilots and navigation data regarding minefields and navigation hazards. then returns to Singapore moored at Seletar Naval Base with surviving Japanese warships Myoko and Takao. On October 5, 1945 struck from the Navy and demilitarized with the armament removed including the main gun mounts and temporary shelter space built inside and aft to transport Japanese military personnel back to Japan. Postwar On November 27, 1945 departs Singapore escorted by HMS Caesar bound for Hong Kong arriving five days later and refuels. On December 3, 1945 embarks Vice Admiral Shigeru Fukudome then departs escorted by HMS Terma bound for Japan.While en-route joined by minelayer Wakataka and torpedo boat Kiji. On December 8, 1945 arrives Uraga and disembarks her passengers then departs for repatriation voyages to Bangkok and Saigon to transport Japanese personnel back to Japan. Fate On June 7, 1946 departs Yokosuka to aid Kunashiri that two days earlier during a storm ran arground off Cape Omaezaki. While attempting to render aid, Kamikaze also ran aground nearby at roughly Lat 34°38′N Long 138°8′E. Atempts to reverse off failed and over the next few days the destroyer was driven further ashore and began to list to port and salvage efforts commenced for several weeks. On June 27, 1946 both Kamikaze and Kunashiri were abandoned and scrapping began. By October 1947 Kamikaze was fully scrapped and removed. References IJN Kamikaze: Tabular Record of Movement The Last Sunset by Ross Watton depicts HMIJS Haguro and HMIJS Kamikaze Contribute
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