Japanese destroyer Nagatsuki (1926)

Nagatsuki (長月) was one of twelve Mutsuki-class destroyer destroyers, built for the Imperial Japanese Navy following World War I. Advanced for their time, these ships served as first-line destroyers through the 1930s, but were considered obsolescent by the start of the Pacific War.

History
Construction of the Mutsuki-class destroyers was authorized as part of the Imperial Japanese Navy's build up following the abandonment of the Washington Naval Treaty from fiscal 1923. The class was a follow-on to the earlier Minekaze-class destroyer and Kamikaze class destroyers, with which they shared many common design characteristics. Nagatsuki, built at the Ishikawajima Shipyards in Tokyo was laid down on April 16, 1925, launched on October 6, 1926 and commissioned on April 30, 1927. Originally commissioned simply as “Destroyer No. 30”, it was assigned the name Nagatsuki on April 30, 1927.

In the late 1930s, Nagatsuki participated in combat actions in the Second Sino-Japanese War, covering the landings of Japanese troops in central and southern China, and the Invasion of French Indochina.

World War II history
At the time of the attack on Pearl Harbor, Nagatsuki was part of Desron 22 under Destroyer Division 5 in the IJN 4th Fleet, and deployed from Mako Guard District in the Pescadores as part of the Japanese invasion force for "Operation M" (the invasion of the Philippines), during which time it helped screen landings of Japanese forces at Aparri and at Lingayen Gulf. While at Lingayen Gulf, Nagatsuki suffered light damage due to strafing attacks by USAAF aircraft, which left one crewman dead and five injured.

In early 1942, Nagatsuki was assigned to escorting troop convoys from French Indochina for "Operation J" (the invasion of Java, Netherlands East Indies), From March 10, 1942 Nagatsuki and Destroyer Division 5 were re-assigned to the Southwest Area Fleet and escorted troop convoy from Singapore to Penang, and Rangoon. It returned to Sasebo Naval Arsenal for repairs on September 19, and rejoined the fleet on November 9, continuing escort patrol duties.

At the end of January 1943, Nagatsuki escorted the seaplane tender JAPANESE SEAPLANE TENDER Kamikawa Maru from Sasebo via Truk and Rabaul to Shortlands, and remained throughout February to cover Operation KE (troop evacuations from Guadalcanal) and to escort convoys to Palau, Wewak and Rabaul. On February 25, Nagatsuki was reassigned to the IJN 8th Fleet. It participated in several “Tokyo Express” troop transport missions throughout the Solomon Islands through the end of June, especially to Kolombangara and Tuluvu. On July 4–5, while on a run to Kolombangara, Nagatsuki engaged the US destroyer USS Strong (DD-467), which it helped sink with its torpedoes.

However, the following day, during the Battle of Kula Gulf, Nagatsuki was holed by a six-inch shot in combat. Its captain, Lieutenant Commander Tameo Furukawa, grounded the vessel near Bambari Harbor -8.03333°N, 157.2°W on Kolombangara to land his troops; however, later, even with the assistance of sister ship JAPANESE DESTROYER Satsuki, it proved impossible to refloat the vessel, and it was attacked and destroyed the following day, July 6, by Allied aircraft. The crew suffered eight dead and thirteen injured, but the survivors later reached the Imperial Japanese Army base at Vila on Kolombangara on foot.

Nagatsuki was struck from the navy list on October 1, 1943.