© 2009-2016 Bob Hackett and Sander Kingsepp
Revision 2
24 January 1918:
Nagasaki. Laid down at Mitsubishi as a MINEKAZE-class destroyer and named YAKAZE.
10 April 1920:
Launched.
19 June 1920:
Lt (later Admiral, posthumously) Yamagata Seigo (39) is appointed Equipping Officer.
9 July 1920:
Lt (later Rear Admiral, posthumously) Nakamura Masao (40) is appointed Equipping Officer.
19 July 1920:
Completed and registered in the Kure Naval District. Assigned to the Second Fleet. LtCdr (later Cdr) Yamada Matsujiro (32) is the Commanding Officer.
1 December 1920:
Lt Cdr (later Rear Admiral) Uematsu Toma (33) is appointed Acting CO. LtCdr Yamada is later appointed CEO of YUKAZE.
1 December 1921:
LtCdr Uematsu is promoted Cdr and appointed full-time CO.
1 November 1922:
Cdr Uematsu is appointed CO of OKIKAZE as an additional duty.
1 December 1922:
LtCdr (later Rear Admiral, posthumously) Ishikawa Tetsushiro (33) (former Chief Torpedo Officer, KUMA) is appointed Acting CO. Cdr Uematsu is appointed CO of KOMAHASHI.
1 December 1923:
LtCdr Ishikawa is promoted Commander and appointed full-time CO.
5 February 1924:
LtCdr Yasumura Teiichi (36) is appointed CO. Cdr Ishikawa is later appointed ComDesDiv 9.
1 December 1925:
Cdr (later Rear Admiral, posthumously) Suzuki Kiyoshi (35) (current ComDesDiv 4) is appointed CO as an additional duty.
15 October 1926:
LtCdr Namba Tadashi (37) is appointed CO. Cdr Suzuki is appointed XO of TATSUTA.
1 December 1926:
LtCdr Namba is appointed CO of YUKAZE as an additional duty.
1 December 1927:
LtCdr Furuse Kurazo (38) is appointed CO, with additional duty as CO of YUKAZE.
10 April 1929:
Placed in reserve.
30 November 1929:
LtCdr (later Rear Admiral) Tawara Yoshioki (43) (former Chief Communications Officer, YAMASHIRO) is appointed CO, with additional duty as CO of OKIKAZE.
30 November 1930:
LtCdr Tawara assumes full-time command of YAKAZE.
31 October 1931:
LtCdr (later Rear Admiral, posthumously) Mutaguchi Kakuro (44) (former CEO of TSUBAME) is appointed CO. LtCdr (Tawara is appointed CO of TACHIKAZE.
1931:
Assigned to the First Air Fleet in newly formed Destroyer Division 2 with sister ships SAWAKAZE, OKIKAZE and MINEKAZE at Sasebo Naval District. Escorts aircraft carriers AKAGI and HOSHO in search and rescue operations for downed aircraft.
January 1932:
YAKAZE is engaged in river patrol duties along the Yangtze River.
28 January 1932: The "First Shanghai Incident":
The Shanghai Special Naval Landing Force (SNLF) of about 2,500 troops is dispatched to evict two divisions of the Chinese 19th Route Army from Shanghai.
29 January 1932:
Large-scale fighting breaks out as the Imperial Japanese Army (IJA) relieves the surrounded small SNLF contingent. The IJN brings its heavy naval guns to bear on the Chinese. The fighting results in a heavy loss of civilian lives and property and causes the Chinese to unify against the Japanese who are unable to capture Shanghai.
1 November 1934:
LtCdr Yoshida Yoshiyuki (46) (current CO of YUKAZE) is appointed CO as an additional duty. LtCdr Mutaguchi is appointed CO of TOBA.
18 July 1935:
Placed in reserve.
15 June 1936:
Cdr (later Rear Admiral, posthumously) Kameyama Minegoro (44) (former CO of SHIRAYUKI) is appointed CO, with additional duties as CO of MINEKAZE and OKIKAZE.
1 March 1937:
Cdr (later Captain) Takao Yoshimi (46) is appointed CO, with additional duty as CO of YUKAZE. Cdr Kameyama is later appointed XO of NATORI.
1 June 1937:
Cdr Takao assumes full-time command of YAKAZE.
1 December 1937:
Cdr (later Rear Admiral, posthumously) Kubota Toshi (46) (former CO of TOBA) assumes command. Cdr Takao is later promoted Captain and appointed CO of AKITSUSHIMA.
15 April 1938:
LtCdr (later Captain) Shiraishi Nagayoshi (49) (current CO of AYANAMI) is appointed CO as an additional duty. Cdr Kubota is appointed XO of SETTSU.
25 November 1938:
LtCdr (later Captain, posthumously) Fujita Isamu (50) (former CO of YUZUKI) is appointed CO. LtCdr Shiraishi resumes full-time command of AYANAMI.
11 March 1939:
Mitajiri Bight, Inland Sea. Collides with submarine I-61. Both vessels receive minor damage.
1 December 1939:
LtCdr (later Rear Admiral, posthumously) Iwagami Juichi (50) (former CO of ASANAGI) is appointed CO. LtCdr Fujita is later appointed CO of YUGURE.
25 January 1940:
LtCdr (later Cdr) Sugawara Rokuro (51) is appointed CO. LtCdr Iwagami is appointed CO of SHIKINAMI.
20 April 1940:
YAKAZE is directly attached to Combined Fleet.
15 November 1940:
LtCdr (Cdr, posthumously) Takatsuka Minoru (49) is appointed CO. LtCdr Sugawara is appointed CO of SHIRAYUKI.
25 July 1941:
LtCdr Takahashi Masao (56) is appointed CO. LtCdr Takatsuka is appointed CO of HAYATE.
8 December 1941:
Assigned to the Kure Naval District. Engages in training in the Inland Sea.
25 July 1941:
LtCdr Takahashi Masao is appointed CO.
2 March 1942:
Aki Nada. During training, Lt (j.g.) Kanda Akira's midget submarine HA-13 sinks. YAKAZE and tender NISSHIN attempt unsuccessfully to locate and rescue Kanda and his two crewmen. The next night, divers locate HA-13, but there is no response from her.
4 April 1942:
Kure. Undergoes conversion to a target ship.
5 May 1942:
The conversion is completed.
20 May 1942:
Arrives at Yokosuka. Serves as target ship for bomb and torpedo attacks in Tokyo Bay.
27 June 1942:
Cdr (later Captain) Dobashi Tsuchihashi (50) is appointed CO.
10 July 1942:
LtCdr Aono Shigeo(59)(former CO of MANAZURU) is appointed CO.
28 June 1942:
Arrives at Ominato, northern Honshu. Serves as target ship for air attacks.
20 July 1942:
Removed as a destroyer from the Navy List. Reclassified an auxiliary wireless target ship.
16 August 1942:
Departs Yokosuka.
7 December 1942:
Departs Saipan.
11 December 1942:
Arrives at Kure.
16 January 1943:
Departs Kure.
17 January 1943:
Arrives at Kisarazu.
18 January 1943:
Departs Kisarazu.
27 January 1943:
Arrives at Rabaul.
6 March 1943:
Departs Rabaul (towards Kavieng).
9 March 1943:
Arrives at Rabaul.
21 March 1943:
Departs Rabaul.
24 March 1943:
Arrives at Truk.
6 March 1943:
Kavieng, New Ireland. YAKAZE is in a nighttime collision with patrol boat PB-34. YAKAZE's port side is damaged and her boiler and engine rooms flood.
That same day, YAKAZE is re-registered and reclassified as a patrol boat.
7 June 1943:
LtCdr Sakuraba Kyuemon (60) is appointed CO.
10 June 1943:
Departs Kure for Kwajalein, stopping at Saipan. Serves as a target for Mitsubishi G3M "Nell" and G4M "Betty" bombers of the 22nd Naval Air Group (NAG).
16 July 1943:
Arrives at Jaluit.
18 July 1943:
Departs Jaluit for Truk.
21 July 1943:
Arrives at Truk, departs on the following day for Saipan.
23 July 1943:
Arrives at Saipan. Serves as target for Mitsubishi G4M "Betty" bombers of the 751st NAG.
31 August 1943:
Departs Saipan to join convoy 8283 consisting of fast oilers FUJISAN and TOA MARUs escorted by destroyer TAMANAMI.
2 September 1943:
Arrives at Truk. Serves as target for carrier-based aircraft.
12 September 1943:
During training YAKAZE is accidentally rammed by an A6M "Zeke" fighter from fleet carrier SHOKAKU, clipping her foremast. The pilot is killed.
18 September 1943:
Departs Truk for Eniwetok escorting oiler TOA MARU.
21 September 1943:
Arrives at Eniwetok.
5 November 1943:
YAKAZE departs Truk for Singapore with food stores ship HAYAZAKI and auxiliary minelayer KINJO MARU escorting a convoy consisting of tankers GENYO and HOYO MARUs.
6 November 1943:
150 miles NW of Truk. At 0200, the convoy is attacked by LtCdr (later Rear Admiral) Roy M. Davenport’s USS HADDOCK (SS-231) in a surface radar attack at 07-54N, 150-06E. Davenport fires six torpedoes at GENYO and HOYO MARUs from 3,000 yards. He then swings around and fires all four stern torpedoes at YAKAZE from about 4,000 yards. The convoy switches on searchlights and opens fire.
At 0205, YAKAZE steaming at 12 knots rams GENYO MARU’s starboard aft section. YAKAZE’s bow is bent badly and her speed is reduced to six knots. Davenport pulls off, reloads and about an hour later makes a second attack. He fires his last four torpedoes from 3,000 yards, two at each oiler. HOYO MARU is hit, set afire and later abandoned. Despite her damage, YAKAZE counterattacks HADDOCK.
At 0010, USN codebreakers intercept and decrypt a message from Yakaze that reads: “We received bombardment from surfaced submarine in position 08-04 N., 150-04 E. While engaging it, we rammed the stern of Genyo maru and split our bow. The bow is flooding. We can probably make six knots. At present, we are continuing to press the attack. Please send escort ship to escort convoy.”
7 November 1943:
YAKAZE and GENYO MARU return to Truk. Subchaser CH-33 assists GENYO MARU. Later, light cruiser NAGARA departs Truk and tows HOYO MARU back to port.
15 December 1943:
Lt Cdr Jimi Jinichi (57) is appointed CO.
20 October 1944:
Departs Otaru.
22 October 1944:
Arrives off the coast of Hesaki.
23 October 1944:
Departs the coast of Hesaki. Scheduled to arrive at Kure later that day.
1 May 1945:
Arrives at Yokosuka.
9 May 1945:
Receives two 25 millimeter machine gun mounts. Installation of these lasts until 16 May 1945.
29 May 1945:
Receives 1 ton of heavy oil. Later that day departs Yokusuka.
30 May 1945:
Arrives off the coast of Kisarazu. Undergoes an air atack and air torpedo attack excercise.
31 May 1945:
Undergoes another air attack and air topedo attack excercise.
15 June 1945:
Lt Niwa Masayuki (68) is appointed CO.
18 July 1945:
Between 1530 and 1610, over a hundred SB2C-4 "Helldiver” dive-bombers and F6F-5 "Hellcat” fighter-bombers of Task Force 38’s USS ESSEX (CV-9), RANDOLPH (CV-15) YORKTOWN (CV-12), SHANGRI-LA (CV-38), and BELLEAU WOOD (CVL-24) attack Yokosuka.
YAKAZE is moored at a pier off Koumi. At 1552, she receives a near hit to starboard beam and a small leak appears in the engine room. Next she is damaged by debris thrown up from a nearby ship, which took a direct hit. Her hull is damaged and develops multiple leaks. At 1620. the third troop compartment floods. At 1621, Draining starts and stops at 1630. At 1750, 2 Port services department boats start draining at the starboard rear side. At 1940, transfers heavy oil to a heavy oil barge.
19 July 1945:
YAKAZE is towed to No. 2 drydock in Nagaura. At 720, docks in No. 2 drydock to prevent foundering The lack of manpower prevents any repairs and eventually the perforated hull settles to the bottom.
15 August 1945:
Yokosuka. At war’s end, YAKAZE is on the bottom.
15 September 1945:
Removed from the Navy List.
1947:
Scrapped.
Author's Notes:
Thanks go to Matthew Jones for help in identifying COs and to the late John Whitman for info on intercepts of Japanese messages. Thanks also go to reader Berend of the Netherlands and Gengoro S. Toda of Japan and
reader Logan Smith of the USA.
-Bob Hackett and Sander Kingsepp
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