Japanese destroyer Naganami

Naganami (長波, "Long Waves") was a Yūgumo-class destroyer of the Imperial Japanese Navy.

Naganami in June 1942 at time of completion.
History
Empire of Japan
Name: Naganami
Laid down: 5 April 1941
Launched: 5 March 1942
Completed: 30 June 1942
Stricken: 10 January 1945
Fate: Sunk in action, 11 November 1944
General characteristics
Class and type: Yūgumo-class destroyer
Displacement: 2,520 long tons (2,560 t)
Length: 119.15 m (390 ft 11 in)
Beam: 10.8 m (35 ft 5 in)
Draught: 3.75 m (12 ft 4 in)
Speed: 35 knots (40 mph; 65 km/h)
Complement: 228
Armament:

Design and description

The Yūgumo class was a repeat of the preceding Kagerō class with minor improvements that increased their anti-aircraft capabilities. Their crew numbered 228 officers and enlisted men. The ships measured 119.17 meters (391 ft 0 in) overall, with a beam of 10.8 meters (35 ft 5 in) and a draft of 3.76 meters (12 ft 4 in).[1] They displaced 2,110 metric tons (2,080 long tons) at standard load and 2,560 metric tons (2,520 long tons) at deep load.[2] The ships had two Kampon geared steam turbines, each driving one propeller shaft, using steam provided by three Kampon water-tube boilers. The turbines were rated at a total of 52,000 shaft horsepower (39,000 kW) for a designed speed of 35 knots (65 km/h; 40 mph).[3]

The main armament of the Yūgumo class consisted of six Type 3 127-millimeter (5.0 in) guns in three twin-gun turrets, one superfiring pair aft and one turret forward of the superstructure.[2] 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 fire-control system meant that they were virtually useless as anti-aircraft guns.[4] They were built with four Type 96 25-millimeter (1.0 in) 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 610-millimeter (24.0 in) torpedo tubes 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.[2]

Construction and career

During the 30 November 1942 Battle of Tassafaronga, Naganami led a supply-drum transport run to Guadalcanal (cover), and engaged a U.S. cruiser-destroyer group. During this action, she possibly torpedoed the cruisers USS Pensacola, and/or USS Northampton.

On 23 October 1944, during the Battle of Leyte Gulf, Naganami escorted Admiral Kurita's 1st Diversion Attack Force. During this time period she assisted in the rescue of the survivors of the cruiser Maya, later transferring them to the battleship Musashi. She escorted the damaged cruiser Takao back to Brunei.

On 10 November 1944 Naganami joined the escort of troop convoy TA No. 3 as it approached Ormoc, of what was then known as the Battle of Ormoc Bay. She was sunk by aircraft of Task Force 38 on 11 November in Ormoc Bay, west of Leyte (10°50′N 124°35′E). An explosion amidships broke the ship in two. Her sister Hamanami, destroyers Wakatsuki and Shimakaze were all sunk along with Naganami, as were three transports.

Rediscovery

Naganami's wreck was found in November 2017 by Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen's research ship, RV Petrel 827 ft (252 m) below the surface of Ormoc Bay.[5]

Notes
  1. Chesneau, p. 195
  2. Whitley, p. 203
  3. Jentschura, Jung & Mickel, p. 150
  4. Campbell, p. 192
  5. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2018-08-15. Retrieved 2018-10-15.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
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References
  • Campbell, John (1985). Naval Weapons of World War II. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 0-87021-459-4.
  • Chesneau, Roger, ed. (1980). Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1922–1946. Greenwich, UK: Conway Maritime Press. ISBN 0-85177-146-7.
  • Jentschura, Hansgeorg; Jung, Dieter & Mickel, Peter (1977). Warships of the Imperial Japanese Navy, 1869–1945. Annapolis, Maryland: United States Naval Institute. ISBN 0-87021-893-X.
  • Whitley, M. J. (1988). Destroyers of World War 2. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 0-87021-326-1.
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