Pacific ships

Photos and the story

Akatsuki

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ClassAkatsuki class
TypeDestroyer (DD)
FateSunk. with all hands, 13 November 1942, by the American gunfire. Not credited to one ship.
Armament (class)Special Type, group III. Three twin mounts and two funnels.
Command
  • Aoki, Kyuji Captain from 15 November 1940; Relieved on 13 April 1942
  • Takasuka, Osamu Captain from 13 April 1942; In command when she was lost, 13 November 1942

Laid down, displacement, length, beam, draft, speed, and complement are not stored for each hull, so this table leaves them out.

The armament line is the class drawing, not a measurement of this hull.

Akatsuki
Shizuo Fukui. Akatsuki II.jpg. Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Akatsuki was an Akatsuki-class destroyer of the Imperial Japanese Navy, the ship for whom the class was named. Kyuji Aoki was her captain from 15 November 1940. He was relieved on 13 April 1942.

Osamu Takasuka took command that same day. He was still captain on the night the destroyer was lost.

On 13 November 1942 Akatsuki was in the night action of the Naval Battle of Guadalcanal, off Guadalcanal. During the action she switched on a searchlight. American gunfire sank her after she used that light. The fire is left uncredited to any one ship. She went down with all hands. Captain Takasuka was lost with the crew.

The pictures on this page are the originals.