Japanese destroyer Kikuzuki (1926)

Kikuzuki (菊月) 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.

The ship's name, Kikuzuki, is also a reference to the ninth month of the lunar calendar.

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. Kikuzuki, built at the Maizuru Naval Arsenal, was laid down on June 15, 1925, launched on May 15, 1926 and commissioned on November 20, 1926. Originally commissioned simply as "Destroyer No. 31”, it was assigned the name Kikuzuki on August 1, 1928.

In the late 1930s, Kikuzuki 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, Kikuzuki was part of Desron 23 under Carrier Division 2 in the IJN 1st Air Fleet, and deployed from Hahajima in the Ogasawara Islands as part of the Japanese invasion force for the invasion of Guam. She returned to Truk in early January 1942 to join the invasion force for "Operation R" in Kavieng, New Ireland on January 23, returning to Truk one month later. In March, Kikuzuki assisted in covering landings of Japanese forces during "Operation SR" in the northern Solomon Islands, Lae and Admiralty Islands. She was reassigned to the IJN 4th Fleet on April 10.

Participating in "Operation Mo", during the invasion of Tulagi from May 3–4, 1942, Kikuzuki was torpedoed by United States Navy aircraft from the aircraft carrier USS Yorktown (CV-5) in Tulagi harbor, killing 12 crewmen and injuring 22 others. The submarine chaser Toshi maru No.3 towed her to the beach at Gatuvu Island and took off the survivors. Kikuzuki then slid back into the water during the next high tide cycle and sank -9.11667°N, 160.2°W

Kikuzuki was struck from the navy list on May 25, 1942.

After the capture of Tulagi by American forces, the USS Prometheus (AR-3) salvaged the wreck, hoping to obtain military intelligence.