Japanese destroyer Suzutsuki (1942)

Suzutsuki (涼月) was an destroyer of the Imperial Japanese Navy. Her name means "Clear Moon (in Autumn)".

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 134.2 m overall, with a beam of 11.6 m and a draft of 4.15 m. They displaced 2744 t at standard load and 3759 t 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 52000 shp for a designed speed of 33 kn. The ships carried up to 1097 LT of fuel oil which gave them a range of 8300 nmi at a speed of 18 kn.

The main armament of the Akizuki class consisted of eight Type 98 100 mm dual purpose guns in four twin-gun turrets, two superfiring pairs fore and aft of the superstructure. They carried four Type 96 25 mm anti-aircraft guns in two twin-gun mounts. The ships were also armed with four 610 mm 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 JAPANESE BATTLESHIP Yamato 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 JAPANESE DESTROYER Fuyutsuki, JAPANESE DESTROYER Yukikaze, and JAPANESE DESTROYER Hatsushimo (sunk in late July by a mine off the Inland Sea), survived the ordeal, despite suffering heavy damage, but Yamato, and five escorts, JAPANESE CRUISER Yahagi, JAPANESE DESTROYER Asashimo, JAPANESE DESTROYER Kasumi, JAPANESE DESTROYER Hamakaze and JAPANESE DESTROYER Isokaze 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.