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| IJN Shiratsuyu-class destroyer 1,685 Tons (standard) 340' x 32' 6" x 11' 6" 5 x 12cm Type 3 guns 2 x 13mm AA guns 8 x 24" torpedo tubes 16 x depth charges   USN June 25, 1942 |
Ship History Built by Uraga Dock Company in Uraga. Laid down May 25, 1935 as the eighth Shiratsuyu-class destroyer. Launched February 21, 1936 as Yamakaze 山風 meaning mountain wind in Japanese. Commissioned June 30, 1937 in the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) under the command of Lieutenant Commander Hamanaka Shuichi. Assigned to the Second Fleet, Desron 4, Desdiv 24 with Umikaze, Kawakaze, Suzukaze. Wartime History On November 26, 1941 departs Terashima Strait with Desdiv 24 bound for Palau. On December 6, 1941 departs Palau with the southern Philippines invasion force bound for Legaspi. On December 11, 1941 enters Albay Bay and patrols in support of the invasion force for two days then departs. On December 15, 1941 arrives Amami-O-Shima. On December 17, 1941 departs Amami-O-Shima escorting the Japanese invasion force bound for Luzon. On December 23, 1941 arrives Lamon Bay and supports the landings for the next three days then departs bound for Palau. On December 29, 1941 arrives Palau and remains until the end of the year. On January 1, 1942 departs Palau. On January 4, 1942 arrives Malalag Bay. On January 7, 1942 departs with Desdiv 24 escorting the invasion force bound for Tarakan on Borneo. On January 10, 1942 engaged enemy aircraft attacking the convoy and before midnight spots a surfaced submarine but lost contact when it submerged. PARTIAL HISTORY On February 10, 1942 departs Makassar on a patrol. On February 11, 1942 at 1:37am while on escort duty roughly 230 east of Menado spots a surfaced submarine presumed to be USS Shark (SS-174) and closed, turned to port and trained her guns on the target. The submarine did not spot the approaching destroyer. At 1:44am Yamakaze illuminated the submarine with her searchlights and a minute later opens fire with he main guns and machine guns and ceases fire two minutes later. At 1:59am the submarine was observed to sink at roughly Lat 01°45'N, Long 127°15'E. the destroyer searches for survivors with her searchlights. Ten minutes later, the destroyer crew claims to hear voices but fails to find anyone then returns to escort duty. USS Shark (SS-174) was the first U.S. submarine sunk by Japanese anti-submarine efforts. On February 13, 1942 departs Davao escorting Ashigara bound for Jolo. PARTIAL HISTORY Sinking History On June 25, 1942 in the morning, searching for an enemy submarine when targeted by USS Nautilus (SS-168) and hit by two torpedoes in the starboard side, one abaft the bridge the the second between the stacks and began to settle by the bow listing to starboard and broke into three pieces between the bridge and no. 1 funnel and further to the stern. The bow section heeled over to port and sank backwards.The larger aft section was initially upright and then quickly settled with underwater explosions likely the depth charges and boilers at roughly Lat 34° 34 N, Long 140° 26 E approximately 60 miles southeast of Yokosuka. The sinking was photographed through the periscope of the USS Nautilus (SS-168). Due to the rapid sinking, no distress signal was sent and all 227 crew were lost. On August 20, 1942 officially removed from the Navy list. Search Days later, Hakaze searched the area but failed to locate any survivors. Fate of the Crew On July 25, 1942 and July 26, 1942 the Japanese heard radio broadcast from Reuters in Washington D.C. and San Francisco claiming a destroyer was sunk and photographed through the submarine's periscope. Japanese intelligence and the Navy conclude this was a factual report about the sinking of Yamakaze. References Combined Fleet IJN Yamakaze: Tabular Record of Movement Contribute
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