Wreck of HIJMS Kasumi (霞)

 Second World War 1939-1945, navy, shipwreck, destroyer (ship)

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Laid down in December 1936 as the final member of the Asashio Class of Destroyers built foot the Imperial Japanese Navy, HIJMS Kasumi commissioned into service with Destroyer Division 18, Squadron 2, IJN Second Fleet in June 1939. As one of the most modern members of her class, the Kasumi was assigned the role of escorting and screening Japan's Aircraft Carrier forces which brought her to the waters off Hawaii on December 7th, 1941 as the Carriers she escorted attacked the American Pacific Fleet at Pearl Harbor.

Following Pearl Harbor, the Kasumi spent 1942 ranging across the Japanese Empire as strikes were carried out on Rabaul/Kavieng, Port Darwin, Java, Colombo and finally Trincomalee in Ceylon in April before she returned to Japan for repairs and upgrades in April. Emerging from the yard in May, the Kasumi escorted the amphibious force bound for Midway but after the defeat of the Japanese Navy she returned to Japan and instead sailed for the Aleutian Islands in July. While operating off Kiska Island, she was torpedoed by the USS Growler (SS-215), losing most of her bow and 10 crewmen in the attack, and was forced into lengthy repairs before proceeding back to Japan where she remained in the shipyard until June 1943 out of formal commission.

When she emerged from the yard the Kasumi was assigned to the IJN Fifth Fleet and spent much of 1943 and the first half of 1944 engaged in Northern Area patrol/escort duties based at Ominato, but heavy attrition against Japan's Destroyer force once again brought her back to the front lines. After escorting a pair of Cruisers from Kure to the Philippines, the Kasumi took part in the Battle of Leyte Gulf as a member of the diversionary force in the disastrous Battle of Suirgao Strait, but saw no direct action aside from anti-aircraft engagements. Following the battle the Kasumi remained in the Philippines until mid-November when she steamed for Singapore and became the Flagship of Destroyer Division 7, Squadron 2, IJN Second Fleet and made her final return to the Islands in December on a shore bombardment mission before returning to Japan in February 1945 escorting the Battleships Ise and Hyuga. After her arrival in Japan the Kasumi received very minor repairs and upkeep as raw materials and repair facilities in Japan were hard to come by. Like much of the Japanese Fleet, the Kasumi only left the dock as the fuel supply to the Naval base at Kure permitted until April 1st, 1945, when word was received that the Island of Okinawa was being invaded by American forces.

The invasion prompted the Japanese Navy to order almost all of her operational ships to sail at once on a one-way mission codenamed 'Operation Ten-Ichi-Go', which called for several ships, including the SuperBattleship Yamato, to fight their way to Okinawa and beach themselves, serving as shore and anti-aircraft batteries to contest the American landings. Assigned to escort the mighty Yamato to Okinawa and return to Japan, the Kasumi was given almost a full load of fuel while the balance of the force was given only enough fuel to reach Okinawa. Departing Tokuyama in convoy at 15:20hrs on April 6th, 1945 under strict radio silence, the Japanese ships made for open waters under the cover of darkness hoping to elude detection. However, American codebreakers had already deciphered the scope of the Japanese Fleet's mission by the time of their departure, and picket submarines sighted the force in the Bungo Strait heading for Okinawa on the night of the 6th.

The following morning, while the crew of the Kasumi readied themselves and their ship for battle the US Navy mustered Six Battleships, seven Cruisers and twenty-one Destroyers to prepare for immediate surface action against the Japanese fleet after the aircraft aboard the Carriers USS Essex (CV-9), USS Intrepid (CV-11), USS Hornet (CV-12), USS Bunker Hill (CV-17), USS Hancock (CV-19), USS Bennington (CV-20), USS Belleau Wood (CVL-24), USS Cabot (CVL-28), USS Bataan (CVL-29) and USS San Jacinto (CVL-30) had a chance to attack the convoy in the open ocean.

At 0823hrs lookouts sighted American recon seaplanes ominously shadowing the force and at roughly 1107hrs long-range radar aboard the Yamato began picking up several large groups of inbound aircraft. The order was passed for all ships to increase speed to 25 knots and begin evasive maneuvers, and all vessels complied and prepared for the coming fight. When the first wave of what would eventually be 280 aircraft (132 fighters, 50 bombers, 98 torpedo planes) were within visual range at 1232hrs, the Kasumi and her crew followed the Yamato when she opened fire at 1234hrs and lent their anti-aircraft and main battery fire to the action, but within minutes the Japanese ships were overwhelmed by the amount of simultaneous attacks from multiple angles. Dive bombers were able to weave through the AA fire put up by the Kasumi's crew and planted a pair of 500lb armor-piercing bombs in her Stern, with another two 1000lb bombs near-missing the ship but exploding with enough concussive force to disable both her props and rudders. Now dead in the water, the Kasumi and her crew kept up their fire for as long as possible, but after the second wave of American planes withdrew the ship was ordered abandoned. Her fellow Destroyer Fuyuzuki came alongside and began removing her crew and within 30 minutes the Kasumi was left to her fate. As the Fuyuzuki withdrew and with more US aircraft approaching, she sent two 'long lance' torpedoes into the Kasumi, sinking her at this location on April 7th, 1945. 17 of her crew were killed in her final battle, along with 47 injured.

www.combinedfleet.com/kasumi_t.htm