Japanese destroyer Asakaze (1922)

Asakaze (朝風) was the second of nine Kamikaze-class 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.

Construction
Construction of the large-sized Kamikaze-class destroyers was authorized as part of the Imperial Japanese Navy's 8-4 Fleet Program from fiscal 1921–1923, as a follow on to the Minekaze-class destroyer, with which they shared many common design characteristics. Asakaze, built at the Mitsubishi-Nagasaki shipyards, was laid down on 16 February 1922, launched on 8 December 1922 and commissioned on 16 June 1923. Originally commissioned simply as “Destroyer No. 3”, it was assigned the name Asakaze on 1 August 1928.

World War II
At the time of the attack on Pearl Harbor, Asakaze was part of Destroyer Squadron 5 under Destroyer Division 5 in the IJN 3rd Fleet, and deployed from Mako Guard District in the Pescadores as part of the Japanese invasion force for the "Operation M" (the invasion of the Philippines), during which time she helped screen landings of Japanese forces at and at Lingayen Gulf.

In early 1942, Asakaze was assigned to escorting troop convoys to Singora, Malaya and French Indochina. Assigned to "Operation J" (the invasion of Java in the Netherlands East Indies, she participated at the Battle of Sunda Strait on 1 March. During that battle, she launched torpedoes at the light cruiser HMAS Perth (D29) and heavy cruiser USS Houston (CA-30).

On 10 March, Asakaze and Destroyer Division 5 were re-assigned to the Southwest Area Fleet and escorted troop convoy from Singapore to Penang, and Rangoon, and covered landings of Japanese troops in the Nicobar islands as part of "Operation D" on 11 June. From late July 1942-February 1943, Asakaze was assigned to patrols between Ambon and Timor in the Netherlands East Indies. At the end of February, she was based out of Saigon, and assigned to convoy escort duties between Takao and Moji, Kyūshū. She refitted at Sasebo Naval Arsenal at the end of May, and resumed her convoy escort duties to Saipan and Manila through August 1944.

On 24 August, Asakaze sortied from Takao as escort for a convoy bound for Manila when she was torpedoed by the American submarine USS Haddo (SS-255). She was taken in tow by one of the ships in the convoy — the tanker Nijō maru — but sank 32 km southwest of Cape Bolinao, Luzon, Philippines. 16.1°N, 119.73333°W

Asakaze was struck from the Navy List on 10 October.