© 1998 Allyn D. Nevitt
February 20, 2012
Name Translation: "Mountain Wind"
Initial Command Structure:
Ship's captain: Lieutenant Commander Hamanaka Shuichi [51] (prev. C.O. HATSUSHIMO). Assigned to Desdiv 24 (UMIKAZE, YAMAKAZE, KAWAKAZE, SUZUKAZE), Desron 4, Second Fleet. [1]
26 November-1 December 1941:
Desdiv 24 steamed with Desron 2 from Terashima Strait to Palau.
6-12 December:
Desdiv 24 departed Palau with Southern Philippine attack forces, then with Legaspi invasion force.
11 December:
Arrived at Albay Bay, working with Legaspi invasion force.
13 December:
Discontinued Albay Bay patrol duty and departed area.
15 December:
Arrived at Amami-O-Shima reporting for escort duty.
17 December:
Departed Amami-O-Shima with Luzon invasion convoy.
23 December:
Desdiv 24 arrived off Lamon Bay with invasion force. Successful landings took place the next day.
26 December:
Departed Lamon Bay.
29 December:
Arrived at Palau.
4 January:
Arrived at Malalag Bay, Davao Gulf.
7 January:
Departed with Desdiv 24 in support of landings at Tarakan, northeast Borneo.
10 January:
Arrived off Tarakan.
Action
- 1730-1750 Engaged enemy aircraft attacking the convoy. No damage received.
- 2325 Sighted surfaced enemy submarine, but lost contact when it dived immediately.
12 January:
Action:
- 2157 Spotted suspicous vessel passing northward on an easterly course. Commenced a stealth pursuit. Patrol Boat No.38 joined the chase.
- 2250 YAMAKAZE readied searchlights and guns.
- 2318 Since the target appeared to be escaping in the darkness at the eastern exit of the channel, increased speed to 18 knots.
- 2322 Target illuminated YAMAKAZE and Patrol Boat No.38 at nearly the same time both snapped on searchlights and commenced rapid gunfire to port. Initial range was about 2 kilometers. To YAMAKAZE it seemed that every main battery shell was hitting the enemy while its return fire passed overhead.
- 2332 With the range down to 1,800 meters - riddled by shell hits - the enemy vessel sank. YAMAKAZE lowered two cutters and found five survivors to rescue: an engineer lieutenant (jg) and four ratings. They identified the target as Dutch minelayer PRINS VAN ORANJE (2,291 tons). (But the Dutchman had already laid 110 mines all about the Tarakan waters before attempting to escape.)
21 January:
Departed Tarakan area to support landings at Balikpapan.
23 January:
With Balikpapan invasion force.
24 January:
Action:
- 0820 A single enemy aircraft attacked. Repulsed by ship's gunfire.
- 0948 A single four engine enemy plane ttacked, again repelled by gunfire.
- 1715 Second attack by four engine aircraft. No damage received.
25 January:
Off Balikpapan. Between 1000-1306 enemy aircraft attacked, but none attacked YAMAKAZE.
27 January:
YAMAKAZE attacked by aircraft. No damage received.
30 January:
YAMAKAZE departed Balikpapan for Tarakan.
31 January:
Departed Tarakan and returned to Balikpapan. Subsequently patrolled the area.
2 February:
Balikpapan attacked by 9 enemy aircraft. No damage.
4 February:
At Staring Bay (Celebes), assisted division-mate SUZUKAZE. That destroyer had been torpedoed in the starboard bow at 1830 hours. Though there was flooding in the fore-most boiler room, SUZUKAZE was able to navigate. Both returned to Kendari.
8 February:
Desdiv 24 (less crippled SUZUKAZE) with Desdiv 9 (less YAMAGUMO), 30th and 11th Minesweeper Divisions and Patrol Boat No.36 departed Staring Bay on assignment to support the Makassar Invasion Force.
10 February:
Departed Makassar. Carried out patrol duty.
11 February:
Action:
- 0037 When 230 miles east of Menado YAMAKAZE's lookouts sighted a surfaced submarine bearing 3,000 meters ahead to starboard. It was crossing from right-to-left on a northwest heading. YAMAKAZE at once turned 26 degrees to port, and training her guns on it, closed at 18 knots. The submarine did not seem to detect the destroyer.
- 0044 At 1,100 meters YAMAKAZE illuminated with her searchlight and one minute later opened fire on the surprised submarine with main battery and machine guns. Fire was checked two minutes later.
- 0059 The enemy submarine was observed to sink. YAMAKAZE searched for survivors. Ten minutes after the sub sank voices were heard, but sweeps with the searchlight failed to find anyone. Shortly after, search was broken off and the destroyer resumed its escort duty. [This submarine was almost certainly USS SHARK (SS-174) which was lost in this vicinity about this time.]
13 February:
1700: Departed Davao escorting Third Fleet flagship ASHIGARA to Jolo.
14 February:
1530: Having rendevoused with MURASAME and SAMIDARE outside the harbor; arrived with ASHIGARA at Jolo. Here the Eastern Java invasion convoy was assembling.
17 February:
0615: With KAWAKAZE departed Jolo and escorted ASHIGARA to Balikpapan.
18 February:
1400: YAMAKAZE and KAWAKAZE arrived at Balikpapan with ASHIGARA.
20 February:
ASHIGARA, YAMAKAZE, and KAWAKAZE departed Balikpapan to rush to the assistance of the Bali landings under attack by an enemy surface fleet.
21 February:
At sea. Learning that the crisis at Bali landings is past; Main Force headed for Kendari instead.
22 February:
At Staring Bay with KAWAKAZE and ASHIGARA.
1600: The Support Unit Crudiv 5 (NACHI, HAGURO) with IKAZUCHI and AKEBONO arrived at Staring Bay. At this time, the pairs of destroyers traded places: YAMAKAZE and KAWAKAZE joined Crudiv 5 and IKAZUCHI and AKEBONO joined ASHIGARA.
24 February:
Noon: With KAWAKAZE departed Staring Bay escorting Crudiv 5 NACHI, HAGURO to advance into the Java Sea as the Eastern Support Unit for the Eastern Java Invasion Force led by Desron 4.[2]
25 February:
Action:
- 1450 NACHI attacked by submarine [USS SPEARFISH SS-) which fired four torpedoes at her starboard side in position 06-00'S,119-00'E en-route to Makassar. At the time YAMAKAZE was on the cruiser's starboard bow, and KAWAKAZE to port. NACHI evaded while YAMAKAZE counter-attacked. Results unknown.
26 February:
With Eastern Java invasion force. First Section of Desdiv 7 [USHIO, SAZANAMI] caught up with and joined Support Unit.
Action:
- In position 04-51'S, 114-19'E enemy aircraft attacked. Repelled by gunfire. No damage received by YAMAKAZE.
27 February: Battle of the Java Sea
In surface action against Allied cruiser-destroyer force.[3]
Action:
- 1230 Recon aircraft of 11th Air Fleet reported: "five enemy cruisers, six destroyers at 310 degrees, 63 miles, course 80-degrees, speed 12 knots." Speed is increased and course set to intercept them.
- 1700 Comcrudiv 5 detached YAMAKAZE and KAWAKAZE to "sprint ahead" and to combine with Desron 2 in the attack on the enemy fleet sighted.
- 1954 YAMAKAZE launched torpedoes at 7,500 meters range.
28 February:
0730: NACHI and HAGURO combined with ASHIGARA, MYOKO, IKAZUCHI, INAZUMA, and AKEBONO.
0935: YAMAKAZE and KAWAKAZE detached from Desron 2 and returned to Crudiv 5 at ComCrudiv 5's request. All the above patrolled the waters north of the selected invasion site at Kragan all day.
1 March:
At standing anchor with KAWAKAZE and other warships north of Kragan guarding landing site. Later that morning assisted in sinking of HMS EXETER, HMS ENCOUNTER and USS POPE (DD-225).
0820: Crudiv 5 (NACHI, HAGURO) with YAMAKAZE and KAWAKAZE ordered to proceed to Kendari for replenishment.
Action (Excerpts):
- 1121 Fired four torpedoes to port at a range of 7,000 yards. No results.
- 1259 NACHI shifted gunfire from EXETER to British destroyer. Ordered YAMAKAZE and KAWAKAZE to join the gunfire battle.
- 1309 Comcrudiv 5 ordered YAMAKAZE and KAWAKAZE to "attack the destroyer. By that time the destroyer was blazing and had a heavy list."
- 1315 Avoided and warned NACHI of enemy torpedoes approaching from port and passing below YAMAKAZE. [Believed now to be from ASHIGARA fired at 1300, but possibly from USS POPE which also fired in this time frame and from closer range.][4]
- 1323 YAMAKAZE to NACHI: Proceeding to the enemy light cruiser [HMS ENCOUNTER].
- 1342 HMS ENCOUNTER (H-10) sank. YAMAKAZE was ordered by ComCrudiv 5 to attempt to capture the commanding officer. YAMAKAZE closed and rescued 6 officers and 62 ratings but Captain Falle was found not to be among them.
2 March:
0320: Arrived at Bandjarmasin. Refueled. By order of Comcrudiv 5 all PoWs in the force's custody were consolidated aboard YAMAKAZE to be taken to Makassar. Each of the ships provided 12 men with rifles to serve as armed guards.
0900: YAMAKAZE departed Bandjarmasin with 109 PoWs aboard to be delivered to the SNLF garrison at Makassar.
2145: Comcrudiv 5 cancelled orders for YAMAKAZE to rejoin him. Instead, YAMAKAZE was ordered to proceed from Makassar to Bandjarmasin, refuel from AKEBONO MARU and replenish ammo from KAMIKAZE MARU, and then return to her original home unit.
3 March:
c0930: YAMAKAZE arrived at Makassar and disembarked PoWs. They were turned over to the Sasebo SNLF at Makassar.
5 March:
Arrived at Staring Bay, Celebes.
8-14 March:
Escorted convoy from Staring Bay to Singapore.
28 March:
Departed Singapore on convoy assignment.
5 April:
Arrived in Lingayen Gulf from Singapore and anchored. Remained on standby and carried out maintenance work. Thereafter tasked to assist in operations to secure the Philippines, including the occupation of Panay and Negros.
10 April:
Desdiv 24 reassigned to Desron 1, First Fleet.
13 April:
1430: Departed Subic Bay to escort invasion convoy.
16 April:
Escorted auxiliary transport SANKO MARU (5,461 tons). Supported landings on Panay Island, firing 30 5-inch shells.
17 April:
YAMAKAZE departed for Iloilo area.
18 April:
Supported landings on Guimaras Island.
22 April:
24 April:
Returned to Iloilo Harbour.
27 April:
1140: Arrived at Takao, Formosa.
28 April:
1000: Departed Takao for Sasebo.
3 May:
0915: Arrived at Sasebo. Shortly thereafter drydocked for repairs and maintenance. Later in the month proceeded to Hashirajima and operated in West Inland Sea zone.
27 May:
Departed Hashirajima for Midway as part of the escort for Admiral Takasu's Aleutian Screening Guard Force.
17 June:
Arrived at Yokosuka. Assigned to escort duty in the Kuriles.
24 June:
Departed Ominato having escorted auxiliary tankers NIPPON MARU (9,974 tons) and SHINKOKU MARU (10,020 tons) there from Yokosuka. They remained at Ominato naval base and YAMAKAZE headed back toward Honshu; bound for Hashirajima.
25 June:
Action
- 0854 While pinging for enemy submarine attacked by USS NAUTILUS (SS-168).[3] Hit by two torpedoes in starboard side; one abaft the bridge the other between the stacks. Began to immediately settle by the bow with a list to starboard. Ship broke completely between bridge and No.1 funnel and again between the stacks into three pieces.[6] The bow section heeled over to port and sank backwards; largest aft section was photographed to remain initially upright but settling fast. [Because of the lack of survivors what happened must be re-constructed from the submarine's report and photographs. See Note 6 for full discussion of the evidence.]
Sunk:
- 0905 The remaining section was heard to sink and several explosions were felt. (Probably primed depth charges and boilers exploding) Though a portion of the crew is known to have abandoned ship, unfortunately the YAMAKAZE was not missed soon enough for rescue ships to be sent. No distress signal had been transmitted after struck; apparently the electrical system disabled immediately. Destroyer HAKAZE searched the area in the days after when Yamakaze failed to report, but it was too late. As a result, not a single officer or rating is known to have survived. The position was approximately 60 miles southeast of Yokosuka (34-34 N, 140-26 E). Commanding Officer Shuichi and all aboard - about 227 - were lost.
10 August:
Tokyo Personnel notified Comdesdiv 1 the following: "According to a Reuters-Washington dispatch and a San Francisco broadcast on July 25th, and 26th, an enemy submarine sank a new type destroyer off ? Yusham? photographing the sinking through a periscope. It is believed [by this office] this destroyer was the YAMAKAZE.(NGS concurs in this belief) It is requested you inform me the casualties as nearly as possible of this ship's crew. It is expected that the enemy sub took aboard some of them."[7]
20 August 1942:
Removed from Navy List.
