Japanese destroyer Ikazuchi

:"See also: Japanese destroyer Ikazuchi (1898).""Ikazuchi" (Japanese: 雷 meaning "thunder") was an "Akatsuki"-class destroyer of the Imperial Japanese Navy. She was built at Uraga, Japan and was completed in August 1932.

She took part in operations during the Sino-Japanese War that began in mid-1937 and was active through the first two and a half years of the Pacific War, initially under the command of Lieutenant Commander Shunsaku Kudō.

On December 8, 1941 she was one of the Japanese warships that attacked Hong Kong, sinking the British gunboats "Cicada" and "Robin" with the assistance of "Isuzu". During the first months of 1942, "Ikazuchi" participated in the East Indies campaign, including the invasion of Ambon, Makassar and Timor [ [http://www.combinedfleet.com/ikazuc_t.htm IJN Ikazuchi: Tabular Record of Movement] ] .

On March 2, 1942, "Ikazuchi" rescued 442 survivors from the Royal Navy destroyer HMS Encounter (H10) and United States Navy destroyer USS Pope (DD-225). These ships had been sunk the previous day, along with HMS Exeter (68), in the Java Sea between Java and Borneo, off the Indonesian port of Soerabaja. The survivors had been adrift for some 20 hours, in rafts and lifejackets or clinging to floats, many coated in oil and unable to see. Among the rescued was Sir Sam Falle, later a British diplomat.Citation
author = BBC News
author-link = British Broadcasting Corporation
title = Reunion for sailor saved by enemy
date = 2003-06-13
url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/somerset/2986762.stm |accessdate = 2008-06-29 ] This humanitarian decision by Lieutenant Commander Shunsaku Kudō placed the Ikazuchi at risk of submarine attack, and interfered with her fighting ability due to the sheer numbers of rescued sailors. The action was later the subject of a bookCitation
last = Megumi
first = Ryuunosuke
author-link = :ja:惠隆之介
title = 敵兵を救助せよ!—英国兵422名を救助した駆逐艦「雷」工藤艦長
place = Tokyo, Japan
publisher = Soshisha Publishing Company
date = 2006-07-05
url = http://www.soshisha.com/book_search/detail/1_1499.html
isbn = 978-4-7942-1499-7] Citation
last = hisashi
title = Kudo Shunsaku and the Destroyer Ikazuchi
date = 2007-05-21
url = http://forum.axishistory.com/viewtopic.php?f=65&t=120892&start=0&st=0&sk=t&sd=a
accessdate = 2008-06-29 . This forum discussion contains a brief summary of the 2006 Megumi book's account of the HMS Encounter and USS Pope rescues.] and a 2007 TV programme.Citation
first = James
title = The Untold story of Captain Kudo Shunsaku and the Destroyer Ikazuchi
date = 2007-05-19
url = http://www.japanprobe.com/?p=1772
accessdate = 2008-06-29 ] cite video
people = gyokai
title = 日本の武士道１　Japanese BUSIDO saved lives
medium = video
publisher = YouTube
url = http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wRcOmYgdp4E | accessdate = 2008-06-29
year2 = 2007 In Japanese. See also [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QByCyliKXcI&feature=related part 2] and [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q_SbowJUWV4&feature=related part 3] .] Citation
last = 伊勢
first = 雅臣
title = 駆逐艦「雷」艦長・工藤俊作
language = Japanese
date = 2006-08-13
year = 2006
url = http://www2s.biglobe.ne.jp/~nippon/jogdb_h18/jog458.html
accessdate = 2008-06-29 . In Japanese. A summary of the 2007 television program.]

In early June 1942 "Ikazuchi" took part in operations in the north Pacific that resulted in invasion of the Aleutian Islands. On 13 August 1942 Lieutenant Commander Ishii Hagumu assumed command. Later in the year, she went south to join the protracted campaign to retake Guadalcanal.

On October 25 1942 "Ikazuchi", "Akatsuki", and "Shiratsuyu" conducted a daylight raid into the waters off Guadalcanal. In the resulting action, the fast minesweeper USS "Zane" was damaged and fleet tug "Seminole" and patrol craft "YP-284" were sunk before the Japanese ships were driven off by US Marine coastal artillery.

"Ikazuchi" participated in the first night action of the Naval Battle of Guadalcanal on November 13, 1942. Stationed on the right flank of the battleships "Hiei" and "Kirishima" with two other destroyers, she engaged several U.S. warships, among them the cruiser USS "Atlanta", and received hits to her forward gun mount. 21 men were killed and 20 injured in the battle.

"Ikazuchi" returned to the north Pacific in 1943, and was present at the Battle of the Komandorski Islands on March 26 but saw no action. Later, she operated in the central Pacific. Under the command of Lieutenant Commander Ikunaga Kunio, on April 13, 1944, while escorting the transport "Sanyo Maru" to Woleai, "Ikazuchi" was torpedoed and sunk by the submarine USS "Harder". There were no survivors.

Commanding Officers

* Chief Equipping Officer - Lt. Cmdr. Goro Tezuka - 22 October 1931 - 15 August 1932
* Lt. Cmdr. / Cmdr. Goro Tezuka - 15 August 1932 - 1 November 1934 (Promoted to Commander while in command of vessel.)
* Lt. Cmdr. / Cmdr. Baron Matsuji Ijuin - 1 November 1934 - 21 November 1935 (Promoted to Commander on 15 November 1935.)
* Cmdr. Saiji Norimitsu - 21 November 1935 - 1 December 1936
* Lt. Cmdr. Toshiro Takeuchi - 1 December 1936 - 1 December 1937
* Lt. Cmdr. Masao Yanagawa - 1 December 1937 - 1 August 1938
* Lt. Cmdr. Kiyoshi Tomura - 1 August 1938 - 15 October 1939
* Lt. Cmdr. / Cmdr. Tsuneo Orita - 15 October 1939 - 1 November 1940 (Promoted to Commander on 15 November 1939.)
* Lt. Cmdr. Shunsaku Kudō - 1 November 1940 - 13 August 1942
* Lt. Cmdr. Hagumu Ishii - 13 August 1942 - 27 August 1942
* Lt. Cmdr. Saneho Maeda - 27 August 1942 - 25 October 1943
* Lt. Cmdr. Kunio Ikunaga - 25 October 1943 - 13 April 1944 (KIA)

References