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| IJN Shiratsuyu-class destroyer 1,685 Tons 340' x 32' 6" x 11' 6" 5 x 127mm guns 2 x 13mm AA guns 8 x 24" torpedoe tubes 16 x depth charges  IJN November 30, 1936 |
Ship History Built by Sasebo Naval Arsenal at Sasebo. Ordered during fiscal year 1931. Laid down October 16, 1934 as a Shiratsuyu-class destroyer. Launched June 21, 1936 as Yūdachi meaning "evening squall" or "evening showers" in Japanese. Also spelled Yudachi in English sources. Commissioned January 7, 1937 in the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN). By late 1941, under the command of Lieutenant Commander Hisashi Ishii. Assigned to Destroyer Division 2 (DesDiv 2) with Murasame, Harusame and Samidare, Desron 4, 2nd Fleet. On November 26, 1941 departs Terashima Strait with DesDiv 2 and Desron 4 to Mako (Pescadores). Wartime History On December 7, 1941 departs Mako with DesDiv 2 to escort the invasion force bound for Vigan on northern Luzon in the Philippines for four days. On December 22, 1941 with DesDiv 2 to escort the invasion force bound for Lingayen Gulf. On January 12, 1942 with DesDiv 2 escorting the Tarakan invasion force. On January 23, 1942 with DesDiv 2 escorting the Balikpapan invasion force. On February 27, 1942 with DesDiv 2 escorting the eastern Java invasion force and participates in the Battle of the Java Sea and engages the Allied cruiser-destroyer group. On March 16, 1942 arrives Tarakan then proceeded to Subic Bay and operates in the Philippines as part of the blockade of Manila Bay. On April 5, 1942 departs Lingayen Gulf as part of the invasion force convoy bound for Cebu along with Borneo Maru, India Maru, Tairyu Maru, Mexico Maru, Tottori Maru and Risshun Maru escorted by light cruiser Kuma and destroyers Yudachi and Murasame and gun boat Busho Maru and subchasers Kiyo Maru No. 12 and Kiyo Maru No. 13. On May 3, 1942 departs Mako bound for Yokosuka for repairs. On May 25, 1942 Commander Kiyoshi Kikkawa takes command. On May 27, 1942 with DesDiv 2 departs Hashirajima as part of Operation MI escorting the Occupation Force Main Body under the command of Admiral Kondo bound for Midway Atoll. On June 4, 1942 participates in the Battle of Midway until the Japanese force withdraws. On July 16, 1942 with DesDiv 2 and DesDiv 3 departs Kure via Singapore to Mergui (Burma) for Indian Ocean raiding operations that are aborted due to the U.S. landings in the Solomon Islands. On August 8, 1942 with DesDiv 2 departs Mergui via Balikpapan bound for Truk. On August 21, 1942 departs Truk bound for Shortland to support Japanese troop transport missions for the Japanese Army on Guadalcanal. On August 30, 1942 departs Shortland on a troop transport "Tokyo Express" overnight run to Guadalcanal and returns. On September 1, 1942 departs Shortland with Murakumo escorting Sado Maru and Asaka Maru to Gizo then returns the next day. On September 4, 1942 departs Shortland with Hatsuyuki and Murakumo on an overnight troop transport "Tokyo Express" run to Guadalcanal to land Japanese Army reinforcements at Taivu. On September 5, 1942 after midnight, the destroyers were preparing to bombard Henderson Field when PBY Catalina dropped flares that illuminate a pair of high-speed transports USS Gregory (APD-3) and USS Little (APD-4). The three destroyers open fire with gunfire from Yūdachi assisting in the sinking of both high-speed transports. On September 6, 1942 departs Shortland with Uranami, Shikinami and Ariake on an attack mission bound for Guadalcanal to attack an American convoy but was unable to find it and instead shells Henderson Field. On September 8, 1942 departs Shortland with Sendai as one of seven other destroyers on an attack mission to Guadalcanal and returns. On September 11, 1942 departs Shortland with Umikaze and Kawakaze on a troop transport "Tokyo Express" overnight run to Guadalcanal and returns. On September 13 1942 departs Shortland with Uranami and Murakumo on a gunfire support mission to Guadalcanal and returns. On September 16, 1942 departs Shortland with Hatsuyuki and Hamakaze on an attack mission to Guadalcanal but is unable to locate reported enemy transports and returns. On September 20, 1942 departs Shortland with Ushio, Sazanami and Shikinami each towing a barge on a "Tokyo Express" overnight run transports to Guadalcanal transporting munitions transferred from Nisshin and sucessfully unloads at Kamimbo Bay then returns. On October 2, 1942 departs Shortland on a troop transport "Tokyo Express" overnight run to Guadalcanal then returns. On October 5, 1942 departs Shortland as one of six destroyers on a troop transport "Tokyo Express" overnight run to Guadalcanal then returns. On October 8, 1942 one of four destroyers escorting Nisshin on troop transport run to Guadalcanal. After successfully unloading, the group is attacked on the return trip but suffers no damage and returns to Shortland. On October 9, 1942 departs Shortland bound for Rabaul arriving the next day then returns to Shortland. On October 12, 1942 departs Shortland on a troop transport "Tokyo Express" overnight run to Guadalcanal then returns four days later. On October 17, 1942 with DesDiv 2 departs Shortland on a troop transport "Tokyo Express" overnight run to Guadalcanal then returns. On October 24, 1942 departs Shortland as part of No. 2 Attack Unit with Rear Admiral Tamotsu Takama's flagship Akizuki, Harusame, Murasame, Yura and Yudachi. on a mission to bombard Guadalcanal in support of the Japanese Army offensive. When Yura is damaged by SBD Dauntless dive bombers, rescues the surviving crew then scuttles the damaged cruiser. Afterwards, the bombardment mission was cancelled. On October 25, 1942 at the northern end of Indispensable Strait attacked by U.S. Navy SBD Dauntless dive bombers damaged Yura. Afterwards, Yudachi and Harusame rescued survivors then scuttled her. Afterwards, the mission was cancelled and the surviving ships withdrew to the northwest to Shortland. On October 26, 1942 joins the Support Force under the command of Admiral Kurita during the Battle of Santa Cruz Islands and the same day arrives Shortland. On November 2, 1942 departs Shortland with DesDiv 2 on a troop transport "Tokyo Express" overnight run to Guadalcanal then returns. On November 5, 1942 departs Shortland one of nine destroyers on a troop transport "Tokyo Express" overnight run to Guadalcanal then returns. On November 8, 1942 departs Shortland one of eight destroyers on a troop transport "Tokyo Express" overnight run to Guadalcanal then returns. On November 11, 1942 departs Shortland as part of the Bombardment Force under the command of Rear Admiral Hiroaki Abe that plan to conduct a shore bombardment of Henderson Field on Guadalcanal in support of a convoy landing reinforcements. On November 12, 1942 the Japanese force assembled 81 miles north of Indispensable Strait to arrive early the next morning off Guadalcanal. Sinking History On November 13, 1942 at 1:25am the Japanese warships entered the western end of Savo Strait between Savo Island to the north and Guadalcanal. At the start of the Naval Battle of Guadalcanal, Yūdachi was the lead ship in the Japanese formation. During the engagement swerved to avoid U.S. warships and fired her torpedoes at USS Portland (CA-33) then mistook USS Sterett (DD-407) for a Japanese warship and flashed her recognition signals and the destroyer open fire with a shell hitting the no. 1 boiler room and was disabled. After her survivors were rescued Samidare fired three torpedoes that failed to scuttle the damaged destroyer and departed. At 6:30am abandoned Yūdachi spotted by USS Portland (CA-33) six miles away and fired six salvos from 12,500 yards. The first salvo was over, second short, third and fourth straddled. While firing, Commander Shanklin reported seeing a "white flag" aboard the target and USS Portland (CA-33) commander Captain Laurance T. DuBose instructed his gunnery officer to "Sink the S-O-B". The fifth and sixth salvos hit, caused an explosion and the destroyer rolled over and sunk southeast of Savo Island into Iron Bottom Sound at roughly Lat 9° 10' S, Long 149° 45' E. Officially stricken on December 15, 1942. Fates of the Crew Her 207 surviving crew were rescued by Samidare. References Naval History and Heritage Command (NHHC) Japanese Naval and Merchant Shipping Losses During World War II by All Causes pages 4 (Yudachi), 1243 (index Yudachi) Combined Fleet - IJN Yudachi: Tabular Record of Movement Neptune's Inferno: The U.S. Navy at Guadalcanal (2011) pages 322, 323 (map) Contribute
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 Map November 13, 1942 Map Iron Bottom Sound |
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