Japanese destroyer Suzutsuki (1942)


Suzutsuki was an destroyer of the Imperial Japanese Navy. Her name means "Clear Moon ".

Design and description

The Akizuki-class ships were originally designed as anti-aircraft escorts for carrier battle groups, but were modified with torpedo tubes and depth charges to meet the need for more general-purpose destroyer. Her crew numbered 300 officers and enlisted men. The ships measured overall, with a beam of and a draft of. They displaced at standard load and at deep load.
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 for a designed speed of. The ships carried up to of fuel oil which gave them a range of at a speed of.
The main armament of the Akizuki class consisted of eight Type 98 dual purpose guns in four twin-gun turrets, two superfiring pairs fore and aft of the superstructure. They carried four Type 96 anti-aircraft guns in two twin-gun mounts. The ships were also armed with four torpedo tubes in a single quadruple traversing mount; one reload was carried for each tube. Their anti-submarine weapons comprised six depth charge throwers for which 72 depth charges were carried.

Construction and career

On 6–7 April 1945, Suzutsuki escorted the battleship from the Inland Sea on her attack mission against the Allied forces fighting on Okinawa. Her bow was torn off by a torpedo from aircraft of Task Force 58, but survived and returned to Sasebo, by steaming in reverse the whole way. She, her sister ships,, and , survived the ordeal, despite suffering heavy damage, but Yamato, and five escorts,,,, and were all sunk with heavy losses of life. Some of the survivors were picked up by Suzutsuki.
Following the end of the war, Suzutsuki was initially used as a breakwater at Takamatsu in November 1945, then was sold for scrap that same month after her name was delisted from the Navy List on 20 November.