Japanese destroyer Momi (1944)

Momi (樅) was a Matsu-class destroyer of the Imperial Japanese Navy, sunk on January 5, 1945 by an American air attack west of Manila, in the South China Sea.

Operational history
On September 27, 1944 off Iturup in the Kurile Islands (45º44'N, 148º41'E), Momi was damaged by a torpedo from the submarine USS Searaven (SS-196). Between October 25 and November 2, together with the destroyer JAPANESE DESTROYER Hinoki, she escorted the aircraft carriers JAPANESE AIRCRAFT CARRIER Ryūhō and JAPANESE AIRCRAFT CARRIER Kaiyo on a transport mission from Sasebo to Keelung, then returned to Kure.

Momi sortied from Kure on December 16, 1944 as part of the escort for the aircraft carrier JAPANESE AIRCRAFT CARRIER Unryū. The remainder of the escort consisted of the destroyers JAPANESE DESTROYER Shigure and Hinoki. Because an American invasion fleet had been spotted approaching the Philippine Islands, Unryū was intended to deliver a squadron of 30 Ohka kamikaze planes to Manila.

The task force sailed west through the Shimonoseki Straits to avoid American submarines, then turned south. On December 19, it encountered the submarine USS Redfish (SS-395), which sank Unryū, then submerged deep to escape the charging Hinoki. Shigure remained in the area to pick up survivors and unssuccessfully track down and sink the American submarine, while Hinoki and Momi shaped course for Japanese-occupied China. From there, they escorted Ikutagawa Maru to Manila, arriving on January 4, 1945.

The two destroyers were then ordered to withdraw to Taiwan, but were caught by American destroyers, including USS Bennion (DD-662), on the afternoon of January 5. They escaped 127 mm (5 in) gunfire and a spread of torpedoes fired from maximum range, but were caught by carrier-based aircraft from Task Force 77. A 454 kg (1,000 lb) bomb from an SBD Dauntless crippled Hinoki at 5:17 PM; and at 7:10 PM, a torpedo from a TBF Avenger struck Momi. She sank with all hands. (14°N, 120.33333°W)