Japanese destroyer Okinami

Okinami (沖波, "High Seas Waves") was a Yūgumo-class destroyer of the Imperial Japanese Navy.

History
Empire of Japan
Name: Okinami
Laid down: 15 August 1942
Launched: 18 July 1943
Completed: 10 December 1943
Stricken: 10 January 1945
Fate: Sunk in action, 13 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

On 29 February 1944 while escorting a troop convoy, Okinami assisted with sinking the submarine USS Trout, and assisted in the rescue of 1,720 survivors of the Sakito Maru sinking. On 5 November 1944 she was damaged by near misses and strafing during an air attack. There were 28 casualties.

On 13 November 1944, Okinami was sunk in a U.S. air raid on Manila. Suffering one direct bomb hit and several near-misses; she sank upright in shallow water 8 miles (13 km) west of Manila (14°35′N 120°50′E). There were 14 crewmen killed and 19 wounded.

Notes
  1. Chesneau, p. 195
  2. Whitley, p. 203
  3. Jentschura, Jung & Mickel, p. 150
  4. Campbell, p. 192
gollark: As I said, it must be based on DR fullness - TJ09's are just an exception.
gollark: Can you actually get ethereal celestial hatchlings?
gollark: I bet it's just day-based.
gollark: I have a nonincubated one which will hatch in 1d6h.
gollark: Is it viewbombing or just an accident?

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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