View source for Japanese destroyer Hamakaze (1940)

{{Short description|Kagerō-class destroyer}}
{{other ships|Japanese destroyer Hamakaze}}
{|{{Infobox ship begin}}
{{Infobox ship image
| Ship image = HamakazeII.jpg
| Ship caption = ''Hamakaze'' underway on 30 June 1941
}}
{{Infobox ship career
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| Ship country = [[Empire of Japan]]
| Ship flag = {{shipboxflag|Japan|naval}}
| Ship name = ''Hamakaze''
| Ship namesake = 
| Ship ordered = 1937
| Ship builder = [[Uraga Dock Company]]
| Ship laid down = 20 November 1939
| Ship launched = 25 November 1940
| Ship completed = 
| Ship commissioned = 30 June 1941
| Ship decommissioned = 
| Ship in service = 
| Ship out of service = 
| Ship struck = 10 June 1945
| Ship reinstated = 
| Ship homeport = 
| Ship motto = 
| Ship nickname = 
| Ship honours = 
| Ship fate = Sunk in action, 7 April 1945
| Ship notes = 
}}
{{Infobox ship characteristics
| Hide header = 
| Header caption = 
| Ship class = {{sclass|Kagerō|destroyer}}
| Ship displacement = {{convert|2490|LT|t|0|abbr=on}}
| Ship length = {{convert|118.5|m|ftin|abbr=on}}
| Ship beam = {{convert|10.8|m|ftin|abbr=on}}
| Ship draft = {{convert|3.8|m|ftin|abbr=on}}
| Ship propulsion = Two-shaft geared turbines
| Ship speed = {{convert|35.5|kn|mph km/h|lk=in}}
| Ship range = 8338km (4500nm)
| Ship complement = 240
| Ship sensors = 
| Ship EW = 
| Ship armament = *6 × [[12.7 cm/50 Type 3 naval gun|{{convert|127|mm|abbr=on}}/50]] [[Caliber#Caliber as measurement of length|caliber]] [[dual purpose gun|DP]] guns
*up to 28 × [[Type 96 25&nbsp;mm AT/AA Gun|Type 96 {{convert|25|mm|in|abbr=on}}]] AA guns
*up to 4 × [[Hotchkiss M1929 machine gun|{{convert|13.2|mm|in|abbr=on}}]] AA guns
*8 × {{convert|610|mm|0|abbr=on}} [[torpedo tube]]s
*36 [[depth charge]]s
| Ship armor = 
| Ship notes = 
}}
|}
{{nihongo|'''''Hamakaze'''''|浜風||"Beach Wind"}} was one of 19 {{sclass|Kagerō|destroyer}}s built for the [[Imperial Japanese Navy]] during the 1930s.

==Design and description==
The ''Kagerō'' class was an enlarged and improved version of the preceding [[Asashio-class destroyer|''Asashio'' class]] of [[destroyers]]. Their crew numbered 240 officers and enlisted men. The ships measured 118.5 meters (388 ft 9 in) [[Length overall|overall]], with a [[Beam (nautical)|beam]] of 10.8 meters (35 ft 5 in) and a [[Draft (ship)|draft]] of 3.76 meters (12 ft 4 in). They [[Displacement (ship)|displaced]] 2,065 metric tons (2,032 long tons) at [[Displacement (ship)#Standard displacement|standard]] load and 2,529 metric tons (2,489 long tons) at deep load. The ships had two [[Kampon]] geared [[Steam turbine|steam turbines]], each driving one [[propeller shaft]], using steam provided by three Kampon [[Water-tube boiler|water-tube boilers]]. The turbines were rated at a total of 52,000 [[Horsepower#Shaft horsepower|shaft horsepower]] (39,000 kW) for a designed speed of 35 [[Knot (unit)|knots]] (65 km/h; 40 mph). However, the class proved capable of exceeding 35.5 knots on sea trials. The ships were designed with a range of 5,000 [[Nautical mile|nautical miles]] (9,300 km; 5,800 mi) at a speed of 18 knots (33 km/h; 21 mph). However, the class more accurately proved to have a range of 6,053 [[Nautical mile|nautical miles]] (11,210 km; 6,966 mi) on trials.

The main armament of the ''Kagerō'' class consisted of six [[12.7 cm/50 Type 3 naval gun|Type 3 127-millimeter (5.0 in) guns]] in three twin-[[Gun turret|gun turrets]], one [[superfiring]] pair aft and one turret forward of the [[superstructure]]. They were built with four [[Type 96 25 mm AT/AA Gun|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 tube|torpedo tubes]] for the oxygen-fueled [[Type 93 torpedo|Type 93 "Long Lance" torpedo]] in two quadruple traversing mounts; one reload was carried for each tube. Their anti-submarine weapons consisted of 16 [[Depth charge|depth charges]].

==Career==
At the time of ''Hamakaze's'' completion, 30 June 1941, she was appointed to join her already completed sisterships ''[[Japanese destroyer Urakaze (1940)|Urakaze]]'', [[Japanese destroyer Isokaze (1939)|''Isokaze'']], and [[Japanese destroyer Tanikaze (1940)|''Tanikaze'']] in destroyer division 17, where together they saw a short peacetime career consisting of training duties and revisions to her command structure. However, things changed when from November 18-22, ''Hamakaze'' departed [[Saeki District, Hiroshima|Saeki]] with the rest of destroyer division 17 for [[Hitokappu Bay]] to escort the [[Kido Butai]] aircraft carrier force on a secret mission, a mission which eventually became the surprise [[attack on Pearl Harbor]], which occurred on December 7. As the force did not come under American counterattack, ''Hamakaze'' saw no combat, and returned to Japan on the 24th.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":1">{{Cite web |last=主要兵器 |first=大日本帝国軍 |date=2018-02-04 |title=浜風【陽炎型駆逐艦 十三番艦】その1Hamakaze【Kagero-class destroyer】 |url=https://japanese-warship.com/destroyer/hamakaze/ |access-date=2024-11-25 |website=大日本帝国軍 主要兵器 |language=ja}}</ref>
[[File:17th destroyer division.png|thumb|''Hamakaze'', ''[[Japanese destroyer Tanikaze (1940)|Tanikaze]]'', and ''[[Japanese destroyer Isokaze (1939)|Isokaze]]'' (R to L) anchored in [[Saeki District, Hiroshima|Saeki]] in preparation for the [[attack on Pearl Harbor]], November 1941]]
Throughout January of 1942, ''Hamakaze'' escorted the aircraft carriers ''[[Japanese aircraft carrier Akagi|Akagi]]'' and ''[[Japanese aircraft carrier Kaga|Kaga]]'' throughout strikes on [[Rabaul]], and throughout February escorted the carrier fleet during the [[Bombing of Darwin|attack on Port Darwin]] and failed attempts to track down allied aircraft carriers, then during the following months ''Hamakaze'' escorted the carriers during Operations in the [[Java Sea]] and the [[Indian Ocean raid]], and escorted the battleships ''[[Japanese battleship Kongō|Kongō]]'' and ''[[Japanese battleship Haruna|Haruna]]'' when they, joined by ''Urakaze'' and ''Tanikaze'', [[Battle of Christmas Island|bombardment Christmas Island]] and led to a successful capture of the territory. ''Hamakaze'' finally arrived back in Kure on April 27 and was docked for repairs. Despite her active service, she had not managed to fire a single shot in combat. <ref name=":0" /><ref name=":1" />
[[File:Hamakaze II film.jpg|thumb|June 1941: ''Hamakaze'' (background) in a still from a Japanese propaganda film ''Eighty-eight Years of the Sun''.]]
At the [[battle of Midway]], ''Hamakaze'' again escorted the Japanese aircraft carriers. The plan was for their aircraft to attack and destroy the defenses on [[Midway Island]] to lure out American carriers, where hopefully [[Chūichi Nagumo|Admiral Nagumo's]] carriers and [[Isoroku Yamamoto|Admiral Yamamoto's]] battleships would catch the aircraft carriers and sink them, simultaneously leading to a successful capture of Midway Island. However, American intelligence had intercepted the plan around a month before it commenced and quickly responded with their own aircraft carriers. For the first time, ''Hamakaze'' saw direct combat, firing her guns to fend off American aircraft attacks, although she did not manage to down any aircraft, and in turn the US carriers slammed down a devastating defeat, fatally wounding all four Japanese aircraft carriers and a heavy cruiser. ''Hamakaze'' near the end of the battle approached the crippled aircraft carrier ''[[Japanese aircraft carrier Sōryū|Sōryū]]'', fatally damaged by dive bombers from [[USS Yorktown (CV-5)|USS ''Yorktown'']], and assisted in evacuating her crew before alongside ''Isokaze'' scuttling ''Sōryū'' with torpedo hits. On the 8th, ''Hamakaze'' transferred the ''Sōryū'' survivors to the battleship ''[[Japanese battleship Kirishima|Kirishima]]'', and finally returned to [[Hashirajima]] on the 14th.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":1" />

After a series of transits between ports, ''Hamakaze'' took part on her first troop transport run to [[Guadalcanal]] from August 8-14, a duty which overfilled her career for the following months. The only break from these uneventful tasks was her role as a carrier escort during the [[Battle of the Santa Cruz Islands|battle of Santa Cruz]] on October 26, during which her task force came under heavy air attacks, damaging several Japanese ships (but failing to sink any), prompting ''Hamakaze'' to fire away against the attacking aircraft. In turn, Japanese forces sank the aircraft carrier [[USS Hornet (CV-8)|USS ''Hornet'']] and the destroyer [[USS Porter (DD-356)|USS ''Porter'']] and damaged several other American warships, ending the battle in a Japanese victory. Escorting duties rounded out ''Hamakaze's'' career for the rest of 1942. At the start of 1943, Hamakaze escorted a large troop convoy from Rabaul to lae and back. Underway, US aircraft destroyed the troop transports ''Nichiryu Maru'' and ''Myōkō Maru'', and in turn ''Hamakaze'' was present during the sinking of the submarine [[USS Argonaut (SM-1)|USS ''Argonaut'']], but did not engage. ''Hamakaze'' then survived another air raid on January 15 without damage<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":1" />

At the start of February, ''Hamakaze'' took part in the [[Operation Ke|evacuation of Guadalcanal]], where she was damaged by a bomb hit from US aircraft that destroyed her forward turret. From March 6-16, to kill two birds with one stone, the damaged ''Hamakaze'' impressively towed the crippled and disabled destroyer ''[[Japanese destroyer Michishio|Michishio]]'' all the way from Truk to mainland Japan without being attacked by enemy forces, and was for her part docked in Kure for repairs afterwards, repairs that lasted until June.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":1" />

=== Soloman Islands Campaign ===
Main Article: ''[[Solomon Islands campaign|Solomon Islands Campaign]]''
[[File:Hamakaze-19450407-tengo.jpg|thumb|''Hamakaze'' under air attacks during [[Operation Ten-Go|Operation Ten Go]], April 7 1945]]
''Hamakaze'' was heavily involved in the fighting in 1943 in the [[Solomon Islands]] chain. On July 6, ''Hamakaze'' landed troops during the [[battle of Kula Gulf]], but saw no direct combat. On July 13, ''Hamakaze'' served in the [[battle of Kolombangara]], where alongside the destroyers ''[[Japanese destroyer Yukikaze (1939)|Yukikaze]]'', ''[[Japanese destroyer Kiyonami|Kiyonami]]'', and ''[[Japanese destroyer Yūgure (1934)|Yūgure]]'', she took part in a mass torpedo attack that sank the destroyer [[USS Gwin (DD-433)|USS ''Gwin'']] and crippled the light cruisers [[USS Honolulu (CL-48)|USS ''Honolulu'']] and [[USS St. Louis (CL-49)|USS ''Saint Louis'']]. On August 18, ''Hamakaze'' was involved in the [[battle off Horaniu]], helping to defend Japanese troop transports against an American destroyer flotilla, where she was damaged by a single 5-inch (127 mm) shell hit.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=IJN Hamakaze: Tabular Record of Movement |url=http://www.combinedfleet.com/hamaka_t.htm |access-date=2024-07-17 |website=www.combinedfleet.com}}</ref>

On 7 April 1945, ''Hamakaze'' escorted the [[battleship]] {{ship|Japanese battleship|Yamato||2}} from the [[Seto Inland Sea|Inland Sea]] on her [[Operation Ten-Go]] attack on the [[Allies of World War II|Allied]] forces on [[Okinawa Island|Okinawa]]. She was sunk by aircraft of [[Task Force 58]] primarily from [[USS San Jacinto (CVL-30)|USS ''San Jacinto'']] and sank {{convert|150|mi|km}} southwest of [[Nagasaki, Nagasaki|Nagasaki]] ({{coord|30|47|N|128|08|E}}).<ref name="Spurr">{{cite book|last1=Spurr|first1=Russell|title=A Glorious Way To Die - The Kamikaze Mission of the Battleship Yamato|url=https://archive.org/details/gloriouswaytodie00spur|url-access=registration|date=1981|publisher=Newmarket Press|location=New York|isbn=9781557049131|pages=[https://archive.org/details/gloriouswaytodie00spur/page/257 257]}}</ref>

==Notes==
{{Reflist|30em}}

==References==
* {{cite book|title=Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1922–1946|editor1-last=Chesneau|editor1-first=Roger|publisher=Conway Maritime Press|location=Greenwich, UK|year=1980|isbn=0-85177-146-7}}
*{{cite book| last = Jentschura| first = Hansgeorg| first2 = Dieter |last2=Jung|first3=Peter |last3=Mickel| year = 1977| title = Warships of the Imperial Japanese Navy, 1869–1945| publisher = United States Naval Institute| location = Annapolis, Maryland| isbn = 0-87021-893-X|name-list-style=amp}}
* {{cite book|last=Whitley|first=M. J.|title=Destroyers of World War 2|publisher=Naval Institute Press|date=1988|isbn=0-87021-326-1|location=Annapolis, Maryland}}

==External links==
*[http://www.combinedfleet.com/kagero_c.htm CombinedFleet.com: ''Kagero''-class destroyers]
*[http://www.combinedfleet.com/hamaka_t.htm CombinedFleet.com: ''Hamakaze'' history]
*[https://japanese-warship.com/destroyer/hamakaze/ Destroyer Hamakaze | Imperial Japanese Navy Major Weapons]

{{Kagerō-class destroyer}}
{{April 1945 shipwrecks}}

{{coord|30|47|N|128|08|E|display=title}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hamakaze}}
[[Category:Kagerō-class destroyers]]
[[Category:World War II destroyers of Japan]]
[[Category:Destroyers sunk by aircraft]]
[[Category:1940 ships]]
[[Category:World War II shipwrecks in the East China Sea]]
[[Category:Maritime incidents in April 1945]]
[[Category:Ships sunk by US aircraft]]
[[Category:Ships built by Uraga Dock Company]]