Wreck of HIJMS Yudachi (夕立)

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

HIJMS Yudachi was a Shiratsuyu Class Destroyer in service with the Imperial Japanese Navy during the Second World War, taking part in numerous invasion operations and in the Battle of the Java Sea before being assigned to assist Japanese forces in the Guadalcanal campaign in August 1942.

After months of convoy escorts and troop transport missions, the Yudachi was selected by Japanese Rear Admiral Abe Hiroaki to serve with his powerful Battleship and Cruiser force which had massed in preparation for shore bombardment missions on the new American airfield on Guadalcanal and also to neutralize the American Naval presence in the area. On November 12th, 1942 the Yudachi joined forces with Admiral Abe's force and a resupply convoy in New Georgia Sound, known as "The Slot", and proceeded South towards Guadalcanal. Steaming in the lead position of the convoy, the Yudachi and her crew were unaware their presence had been spotted by several American recon planes who had relayed their course, speed and ETA to a powerful American Naval force at Guadalcanal. Shortly after sundown the warships separated from the transports and assumed battle formation, with the Yudachi again leading the formation consisting of two Battleships, one light Cruiser and eleven other Destroyers into the body of water between Savo Island and Guadalcanal, which would earn the name 'Ironbottom Sound'.

The American Navy had assembled a force of five Cruisers and eight Destroyers to meet the Japanese force anticipated to arrive around midnight on November 12th, and was deployed in a single-file formation just North of the US Airbase to meet them. Some of the US Destroyers and Cruisers were radar-equipped and began to pick up signals of the Japanese ships at about 0030hrs, however a heavy rain squall between the two fleets prevented positive identification for almost an hour while the two forces sailed directly at each other in the dark.

Aboard the Yudachi, the crew had assumed battle stations and had switched their armament from anti-ship armor penetrating shells to ground bombardment artillery shells in preparation for their upcoming mission. As they steamed through a heavy rain squall the entire Japanese formation began to scatter into three groups, each unaware of the other's location as they could not see through the heavy rain and had no radar systems to assist them. The Yudachi and her sistership Harusame, steaming in the #1 & #2 positions of the Japanese force and now far ahead of the rest of their fleet, emerged from the rain squall at approximately 01:38hrs (1:38am) and found themselves steaming directly past the entire US Naval force, only some 3,000 yards to their south. As the rest of the Japanese fleet emerged from the rain squall both sides seemed frozen by the sudden turn of events as the US fleet sailed directly into the middle of the Japanese formation. Vice Admiral Abe broke radio silence and ordered his ships to change ammunition back to armor penetrating shells, costing his fleet precious time and losing much of the surprise they had gained on the Americans, which had now targeted the Japanese ships and were awaiting the order to fire.

The First Naval Battle of Guadalcanal, or 'a bar room brawl with the lights shot out' as it was later called, began at 0148hrs after the Japanese Destroyer Akatsuki flipped on her searchlights to illuminate the Cruiser USS Atlanta, causing both sides to open fire. Still at the lead of her formation, but heading away from the fray, HIJMS Yudachi quickly launched a spread of eight 'Long Lance' torpedoes at the US formation, and began to turn South towards the US ships, firing her deck guns. One of her torpedoes struck the USS Juneau directly amidships, breaking the Cruisers back and forcing her to limp away from the battle. A second torpedo struck the USS Portland in her stern, forcing the US Cruiser to steer in uncontrolled circles away from the action. As the Yudachi continued to close on the rear of the US formation she steamed in between the Destroyers USS Sterett & USS Aaron Ward, which almost simultaneously opened fire on the Yudachi as it passed between them. Taking four full salvoes of 5-inch round from the Aaron Ward and at least the same from the Sterett, the Yudachi quickly caught fire and began to slow down as her engine room began to flood and her boiler fires went out. The fires onboard grew worse and the Yudachi was raked by several more rounds from US ships before her Captain passed the order to abandon ship at approximately 0220hrs. 207 survivors of the battle abandoned the Yudachi onto the Destroyer Samidare, which then torpedoed the Yudachi and left the area with the withdrawing Japanese force.

At 0226hrs, after 40 minutes of intense and brutal close quarters combat, both fleets broke contact and withdrew from the area. Mornings light found Ironbottom Sound littered with burning ships, including the Yudachi which had stayed afloat during the night and was drifting aimlessly in the sound. Sighted by USS Portland, still steaming in wide circles from Yudachi's torpedo, the Yudachi was taken under fire and sunk shortly after dawn on November 13th, 1942 at this location.

www.combinedfleet.com/yudach_t.htm