Editorial Notes by Anthony Tully - Managing Editor, CombinedFleet.com


[1] Repeated 8-inch shell hits completely demolish the bridge and foremast and probably Lt.Commander Yamashita and most officers killed at this moment. Miraculously Fubuki's No.1 turret remains in action. No.1 torpedo tube is blasted half off its mount after it fired only one torpedo. But No.2 torpedo mount fires all three torpedoes to starboard. Since it is difficult to determine what target could have born on that side, it is possible Fubuki fired to avoid fires amidships from setting them off. Or, the destroyer simply circled to bring them to bear. Apparently Fubuki was caught by surprise as reported by USS Boise. No.2 and No.3 turrets were still trained aft when she sank.No. 1 turret apparently remained in action, training aft to starboard probably as attempted to retreat. However, No.3 TT was trained to port; No.2 TT trained 90 degrees to starboard and had fired all three torpedoes; and No.1 is trained to port and forward, and fired one torpedo, but two are still in the tubes.

[2] The wreck of Fubuki was located and filmed in 2015 and filmed by an ROV dive from Vulcan, Inc. of Microsoft co-founder Paul G. Allen. Fubuki's entire after deck from No.2 turret aft to a point just in front of the depth charge racks (where the normal height resumes) has "subsided" between the sides of the hull -- USSArizona-like -- and presents a strange appearance. The bridge is totally demolished--definitely by repeated shellfire for the damage is too severe to be a process of the descent to the bottom. It resembles a pile of scrap metal loaded onto the hull between the intact forward turret and the twisted No.1 torpedo tube. She rests more or less upright, with a little bit of starboard list. All three Torpedo Tube mounts are still in place, but exhibit shell hits, with No.1 the worst damaged, half-bent up from its base. Turrets No.2 and No.3 are trained aft and either did not get into the action or were firing over the stern. The No.1 gun trained aft to starboard, clearly in action.


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