Japanese destroyer Makinami (1941)

	Right elevation and plan of a Yūgumo-class destroyer
History
Empire of Japan
Name	Makinami
Builder	Maizuru Naval Arsenal
Laid down	11 April 1941
Launched	17 December 1941
Completed	18 August 1942
Stricken	10 February 1944
Fate	Sunk in Battle of Cape St. George, 25 November 1943
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	6 × 127 mm (5.0 in)/50 caliber DP guns; up to 28 × Type 96 25 mm (0.98 in) AA guns; up to 4 × 13.2 mm (0.52 in) AA guns; 8 × 610 mm (24 in) torpedo tubes for Type 93 torpedoes; 36 depth charges;

Makinami (巻波) was a Yūgumo-class destroyer of the Imperial Japanese Navy. Her name means "Overflowing Waves" (Rolling Wave).

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 the night of 24–25 November 1943, Makinami was on a troop evacuation run to Buka Island when she was sunk in the Battle of Cape St. George. After being crippled by a torpedo from either USS Charles Ausburne, Claxton or Dyson, she was finished off by gunfire from the destroyers USS Converse and Spence, 55 nautical miles (102 km; 63 mi) east-southeast of Cape St. George (05°14′S 153°50′E / 5.233°S 153.833°E / -5.233; 153.833).

Notes

^ Sturton, p. 195
^ ^a ^b ^c Whitley, p. 203
^ Jentschura, Jung & Mickel, p. 150
^ Campbell, p. 192

References

Campbell, John (1985). Naval Weapons of World War II. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 0-87021-459-4.
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.
Sturton, Ian (1980). "Japan". In Chesneau, Roger (ed.). Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1922–1946. Greenwich, UK: Conway Maritime Press. pp. 167–217. ISBN 0-85177-146-7.
Whitley, M. J. (2000). Destroyers of World War Two: An International Encyclopedia. London: Cassell & Co. ISBN 1-85409-521-8.