Japanese destroyer Oyashio

Oyashio in 1943
History
Name	Oyashio
Ordered	Maizuru Naval Arsenal
Laid down	29 March 1938
Launched	29 November 1938
Completed	20 August 1940
Stricken	20 June 1943
Fate	Sunk in action, 8 May 1943
General characteristics
Class and type	Kagerō-class destroyer
Displacement	2,033 long tons (2,066 t) standard
Length	118.5 m (388 ft 9 in)
Beam	10.8 m (35 ft 5 in)
Draft	3.8 m (12 ft 6 in)
Propulsion	3 × Kampon water tube boilers 2 × Kanpon impulse turbines 2 × shafts, 52,000 shp (39 MW)
Speed	35.5 knots (40.9 mph; 65.7 km/h)
Range	5,000 NM at 18 knots (21 mph; 33 km/h)
Complement	239
Armament	(1939) • 6 × 12.7 cm/50 Type 3 DP guns • 2 × Type 96 25 mm AA guns • 8 × 24 in (610 mm) torpedo tubes • 18 depth charges • 2 x paravanes (1943) • 6 × 12.7 cm/50 Type 3 DP guns • 8 × Type 96 25 mm AA guns • 8 × 24 in (610 mm) torpedo tubes • 18 depth charges

Oyashio (親潮, lit. Father Current, from Oyashio Current)was the fourth vessel to be commissioned in the 19-vessel Kagerō-class destroyers built for the Imperial Japanese Navy in the late-1930s under the Circle Three Supplementary Naval Expansion Program (Maru San Keikaku).

Background

The Kagerō-class destroyers were outwardly almost identical to the preceding light cruiser-sized Asashio-class, with improvements made by Japanese naval architects to improve stability and to take advantage of Japan’s lead in torpedo technology. They were designed to accompany the Japanese main striking force and in both day and night attacks against the United States Navy as it advanced across the Pacific Ocean, according to Japanese naval strategic projections. Despite being one of the most powerful classes of destroyers in the world at the time of their completion, only one survived the Pacific War.

Oyashio, built at the Maizuru Naval Arsenal, was laid down on 29 March 1938, launched on 29 November 1938 and commissioned on 20 August 1940.

Operational history

At the time of the attack on Pearl Harbor, Oyashio, was assigned to Destroyer Division 15 (Desdiv 15), and a member of Destroyer Squadron 2 (Desron 2) of the IJN 2nd Fleet, and had deployed from Palau, as part of the escort for the aircraft carrier Ryūjō in the invasion of the southern Philippines and minelayer Itsukushima.

In early 1942, Oyashio participated in the invasion of the Netherlands East Indies, escorting the invasion forces for Menado, Kendari and Ambon in January, and the invasion forces for Makassar, Timor and Java in February. On 8 February, she rescued survivors from Natsushio and on 5 March assisted Kuroshio in sinking a Royal Navy minelayer. At the end of March, she returned with Kaga from Staring-baai in Sulawesi to Sasebo.

At the end of April, Oyashio deployed from Kure to assist in the occupation of the Cagayan Islands near Palawan in early May, and then returned with the damaged Shōkaku from Manila to Kure on 17 May. In early June, Oyashio deployed from Saipan as part of the troopship escort for the Battle of Midway.

In mid-June, Oyashio was assigned as escort for cruisers in projected further Indian Ocean raids, but the operation was cancelled by the time she reached Mergui in Burma, and she was re-assigned as escort for the cruisers Kumano and Suzuya to Balikpapan and the Solomon Islands. During the Battle of the Eastern Solomons of 24 August she was part of Admiral Kondō’s Advance Force, but was not in combat. During September, Oyashio was used for patrols between Truk and Guadalcanal, and in October began operations as a “Tokyo Express” high speed troop transport to Guadalcanal. These operations continued to early-February 1943. During the Battle of Santa Cruz on 26 October, she was assigned to Admiral Kurita’s Support Force, returning after the battle with Maya and Suzuya to Shortland Island. During the Naval Battle of Guadalcanal on 13-15 November, Oyashio, launched a torpedo attack against the American battleship USS Washington (BB-56). After the battle, she returned with Chōkai to Rabaul. On 21 November, she sortied from Rabaul to assist Umikaze. During the Battle of Tassafaronga on 30 November, Oyashio torpedoed the American cruiser USS Northampton (CA-26).

On 9 February, Oyashio returned to Kure for repairs, together with the troopship Hakozaki Maru. She returned on 10 April to Truk together with Chūyō and Taiyō. At the end of April, she was at Shortland Island, and reassigned to troop transport runs.

On the night of 7–8 May 1943, while on a troop transport run to Kolombangara, Oyashio struck mines when leaving Vila (Kolombangara). While dead in the water, she was hit by an air attack, during which strafing and a direct bomb hit took 91 lives. She sank at coordinates (08°08′S 156°55′E). She was removed from the navy list on 20 June 1943.

See also

• List of World War II ships
• List of ships of the Japanese Navy

Books

• Brown, David (1990). Warship Losses of World War Two. Naval Institute Press. ISBN 1-55750-914-X.
• D'Albas, Andrieu (1965). Death of a Navy: Japanese Naval Action in World War II. Devin-Adair Pub. ISBN 0-8159-5302-X.
• Evans, David (1979). Kaigun: Strategy, Tactics, and Technology in the Imperial Japanese Navy, 1887-1941. US Naval Institute Press. ISBN 0-87021-192-7.
• Roger Chesneau, ed. (1980). Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1922-1946. Grenwitch: Conway Maritime Press. ISBN 0-85177-146-7.
• Howarth, Stephen (1983). The Fighting Ships of the Rising Sun: The Drama of the Imperial Japanese Navy, 1895–1945. Atheneum. ISBN 0-689-11402-8.
• Jentsura, Hansgeorg (1976). Warships of the Imperial Japanese Navy, 1869–1945. US Naval Institute Press. ISBN 0-87021-893-X.
• Watts, A. J. Japanese Warships of World War II, Ian Allen, London, 1967.
• Whitley, M. J. (1988). Destroyers of World War 2. Cassell Publishing. ISBN 1-85409-521-8.

External links

• CombinedFleet.com: Kagero-class destroyers
• Oyashio history
• Nishida, Hiroshi. "Materials of IJN: Kagero class destroyer". Imperial Japanese Navy.
• Globalsecurity.org. "IJN Kagero class destroyers".