View source for Japanese destroyer Amagiri (1930)

{{Short description|Fubuki-class destroyer}}
{{other ships|Japanese destroyer Amagiri}}

{|{{Infobox ship begin}}
{{Infobox ship image
|Ship image=Amagiri 1930.jpg
|Ship caption=''Amagiri'' in November 1930
}}
{{Infobox ship career
|Hide header=
|Ship country=[[Empire of Japan]]
|Ship flag={{shipboxflag|Empire of Japan|naval}}
|Ship name=''Amagiri''
|Ship namesake=
|Ship ordered=1923 Fiscal Year
|Ship awarded=
|Ship builder=[[IHI Corporation|Ishikawajima Shipyards]]
|Ship yard number=''Destroyer No. 49''
|Ship laid down=28 November 1928
|Ship launched=27 February 1930
|Ship sponsor=
|Ship christened=
|Ship completed=
|Ship acquired=
|Ship commissioned=10 November 1930
|Ship recommissioned=
|Ship decommissioned=
|Ship maiden voyage=
|Ship in service=
|Ship out of service=
|Ship renamed=
|Ship refit=
|Ship struck=
|Ship homeport=
|Ship motto=
|Ship nickname=
|Ship honors=
|Ship fate=Sunk near [[Borneo]], 23 April 1944
}}
{{Infobox ship characteristics
|Hide header=
|Header caption=
|Ship class={{sclass|Fubuki|destroyer}}
|Ship displacement=
*{{convert|1750|LT|t|lk=in}} standard
*{{convert|2050|LT|t|lk=in}} re-built
|Ship length=
*{{convert|111.96|m|ft|abbr=on}} [[Length between perpendiculars|pp]]
*{{convert|115.3|m|ft|abbr=on}} waterline
*{{convert|118.41|m|ft|abbr=on}} overall
|Ship beam={{convert|10.4|m|ftin|abbr=on}}

|Ship draft={{convert|3.2|m|ftin|abbr=on}}

|Ship propulsion=
*4 × [[Imperial Japanese Navy Technical Department|Kampon]] type boilers
*2 × [[Imperial Japanese Navy Technical Department|Kampon]] Type ''Ro'' geared turbines
*2 × shafts at {{convert|50000|ihp|kW|lk=in|abbr=on}}
|Ship speed={{convert|38|kn|mph km/h}} 
|Ship range={{convert|5000|nmi|km|abbr=on}} at {{convert|14|kn|km/h}}

|Ship complement=219

|Ship armament=
*6 × [[Type 3 127 mm 50 caliber naval gun]]s (3×2)
*up to 22 × [[Type 96 25 mm AT/AA Gun]]s
*up to 10 × 13&nbsp;mm AA guns
*9 × [[Type 93 torpedo|610&nbsp;mm (24&nbsp;in) torpedo]] tubes
*36 × [[depth charge]]s
}}
{{Infobox service record
|is_ship=yes
|label= 
|partof=
|codes=
|commanders=
|operations=*[[Second Sino-Japanese War]]
*[[Battle of Malaya]]
*[[Battle of Midway]]
*[[Indian Ocean raid]]
*[[Solomon Islands campaign]]
|victories=
|awards=
}}
|}

{{nihongo|'''''Amagiri'''''|天霧|"Fogged or Clouded Sky"}} was the 15th of 24 {{sclass|Fubuki|destroyer}}s, built for the [[Imperial Japanese Navy]] following [[World War I]]. <ref>{{cite web| last = Globalsecurity.org| url = http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/japan/fubuki-dd.htm| title = IJN Fubuki class destroyers}}</ref> She is most famous for ramming the [[Motor Torpedo Boat PT-109|''PT-109'']] commanded by [[Lieutenant (junior grade)|Lieutenant]] [[John F. Kennedy]], who would later become the 35th [[President of the United States]].

==History==
Construction of the advanced ''Fubuki''-class destroyers was authorized as part of the Imperial Japanese Navy's expansion program from fiscal 1923, intended to give Japan a qualitative edge with the world's most modern ships.<ref>Fitzsimons, ''Illustrated Encyclopedia of 20th Century Weapons and Warfare'' p.1040</ref> The ''Fubuki'' class had performance that was a quantum leap over previous destroyer designs, so much so that they were designated {{nihongo|''Special Type destroyers''|特型|Tokugata}}. The large size, powerful engines, high speed, large radius of action and unprecedented armament gave these destroyers the firepower similar to many [[light cruiser]]s in other navies.<ref>Peattie & Evans, ''Kaigun'' page 221-222.</ref> ''Amagiri'', built at the [[IHI Corporation|Ishikawajima Shipyards]] in [[Tokyo]] was the fifth in an improved series, which incorporated a modified [[gun turret]] which could elevate her main battery of [[Type 3 127 mm 50 caliber naval gun|{{convert|127|mm|in|abbr=on}}/50 cal Type 3 naval gun]]s to 75° as opposed to the original 40°, thus permitting the guns to be used as [[dual purpose gun]]s against aircraft.<ref>F Fitzsimons, ''Illustrated Encyclopedia of 20th Century Weapons and Warfare'' (London: Phoebus, 1977), Volume 10, p.1040.</ref> ''Amagiri'' was [[Keel laying|laid down]] on 28 November 1928, [[Ship launching|launched]] on 27 February 1930 and commissioned on 10 November 1930.<ref>{{cite web | url= http://homepage2.nifty.com/nishidah/e/stc0423.htm | title= Fubuki class 1st class destroyers | last= Nishidah | first= Hiroshi | year= 2002 | work= Materials of the Imperial Japanese Navy | access-date= 2009-03-08 | archive-url= https://archive.today/20120711190830/http://homepage2.nifty.com/nishidah/e/stc0423.htm | archive-date= 2012-07-11 | url-status= dead }}</ref> Originally assigned hull designation “Destroyer No. 49”, she was designated ''Amagiri'' before her launch.

==Inter-war period==
In 1935, after the [[IJN 4th Fleet|Fourth Fleet Incident]], in which a large number of ships were damaged by a [[typhoon]], ''Amagiri'', along with her [[sister ship]]s, were modified with stronger hulls and increased displacement. In 1937, ''Amagiri'' covered landing of Japanese forces in [[Shanghai]] and [[Hangzhou]] during the [[Second Sino-Japanese War]]. In 1940, she was assigned to patrol and cover landings of Japanese forces in south China, and subsequently participated in the [[Invasion of French Indochina]].

==World War II==

===Early operations===
[[File:20th division.jpg|thumb|Destroyers ''Sagiri'', ''Amagiri'' and ''Asagiri'' of the Type II of the "Fubuki"-class in exercises. The picture was taken from the ''Yugiri'' on October 16, 1941.]]
At the time of the [[attack on Pearl Harbor]], ''Amagiri'' was assigned to Destroyer Division 20 of Desron 3 of the [[IJN 1st Fleet]], and had deployed from [[Kure Naval District]] to the port of Samah on [[Hainan]] Island. From 4 December 1941, to the end of the year, ''Amagiri'' covered the landings of Japanese troops in [[Battle of Malaya|Malaya]], and was part of the escort in support of [[Invasion of Sumatra (1942)|"Operation L"]] (the invasion of [[Bangka Island|Banka]] and [[Palembang]] in the [[Netherlands East Indies]]. At the end of February, ''Amagiri'' covered minesweeping operations around Singapore and [[Johore]]. In March, ''Amagiri'' was assigned to [[Invasion of Sumatra (1942)|"Operation T"]] (the invasion of northern [[Sumatra]]) and [[Invasion and occupation of the Andaman Islands during World War II|"Operation D"]] (the invasion of the [[Andaman Islands]]). During the [[Indian Ocean raids]], ''Amagiri'' — together with the [[heavy cruiser]]s {{Ship|Japanese cruiser|Mogami|1934|2}} and {{Ship|Japanese cruiser|Mikuma||2}} sank the British passenger ship ''Dardanus'', Steamship ''Gandara'' and Merchant ship ''Indora''.<ref>{{cite web |first=Klemen |last=L |url=https://warfare.gq/dutcheastindies/allied_losses.html |title=Allied Merchant Ship Losses in the Pacific and Southeast Asia |date=1999–2000 |work=Forgotten Campaign: The Dutch East Indies Campaign 1941-1942 |access-date=2021-03-30 |archive-date=2021-04-12 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210412131541/https://warfare.gq/dutcheastindies/allied_losses.html |url-status=dead }}</ref> From 13–22 April, ''Amagiri'' returned via Singapore and [[Camranh Bay]] to [[Kure Naval Arsenal]], for maintenance.<ref>{{cite web| url= http://www.combinedfleet.com/amagir_t.htm | title=  IJN ''Amagiri'': Tabular Record of Movement| last= Nevitt | first=  Allyn D.  | year= 1997 | work= Long Lancers | publisher= Combinedfleet.com |access-date=2016-07-24}}</ref>

On 4–5 June, ''Amagiri'' participated in the [[Battle of Midway]] as part of the [[Aleutian campaign|Aleutian Invasion force]] and was subsequently based at [[Amami-Ōshima]] for patrols of southern waters until mid-July. In July 1942, ''Amagiri'' sailed from Amami-Ōshima to [[Mako Guard District]], Singapore, [[Sabang, Indonesia|Sabang]] and [[Mergui]] for a projected second Indian Ocean raid. The operation was cancelled due to the [[Guadalcanal campaign]], and ''Amagiri'' was ordered to [[Chuuk Lagoon|Truk]] instead, arriving in late August.<ref>Morison. ''Coral Sea, Midway and Submarine Actions, May 1942-August 1942''.</ref>

After the [[Battle of the Eastern Solomons]] on 24 August, ''Amagiri'' took on troops from transport ships while at sea, and sailed on to [[Guadalcanal]]. During this operation, she was attacked {{convert|60|nmi|km mi|abbr=on}} north-northeast of [[Savo Island]] by [[United States Marine Corps]] [[SBD Dauntless]] [[dive bomber]]s from [[Henderson Field (Guadalcanal)|Henderson Field]], which sank her sister ship {{Ship|Japanese destroyer|Asagiri|1929|2}} and severely damaged {{Ship|Japanese destroyer|Shirakumo|1927|2}}. After rescuing the ''Asagiri'' survivors, she towed ''Shirakumo'' to [[Shortland Island]].<ref>D’Albas. ''Death of a Navy: Japanese Naval Action in World War II''.</ref> ''Amagiri'' continued to be used on numerous "[[Tokyo Express]]" transport missions to various locations in the [[Solomon Islands]] in September.<ref>Hammel. ''Guadalcanal: Decision at Sea''.</ref>

Although reassigned to the [[IJN 8th Fleet]] in October, ''Amagiri'' continued to be used for "Tokyo Express" missions through the end of the year. After the [[Naval Battle of Guadalcanal]] from 13–15 November, she assisted destroyer {{Ship|Japanese destroyer|Mochizuki|1927|2}} in the rescue of 1,500 survivors of the merchant vessels ''Canberra Maru'' and ''Nagara Maru'', and escorted the damaged ''Sado Maru'' to the Shortlands. She returned to Kure Naval Arsenal for repairs by mid-January 1943.

''Amagiri'' returned to Rabaul by March 1943, and resumed its missions as a high speed transport. On 7 April, she was strafed by a [[United States Army Air Forces|USAAF]] [[B-17 Flying Fortress]] bomber, killing 10 crewmen. On 5–6 July, during the [[Battle of Kula Gulf]] ''Amagiri'' was engaged by United States Navy destroyers and cruisers while attempting a troop transport mission to [[Kolombangara]]. She took five shell hits, which killed 10 crewmen. After the battle she attempted to rescue the survivors of the destroyer {{Ship|Japanese destroyer|Niizuki||2}}, but was driven off by the American destroyers {{USS|Nicholas|DD-449|6}} and {{USS|Radford|DD-446|2}} and returned to Rabaul for repairs.

===John F. Kennedy and ''PT-109''===
{{main|Patrol torpedo boat PT-109}}

On 2 August, while returning from another "Tokyo Express" night reinforcement fast transport mission to [[Vila, Solomon Islands|Vila]], ''Amagiri'' rammed and sank the US torpedo boat ''PT-109'', commanded by [[Lieutenant, junior grade]] (and future US president) [[John F. Kennedy]]. It is widely believed that those aboard ''Amagiri'' were not even aware of ''PT-109'', which was difficult to see because of its small size and lack of lights. However, [[Robert J. Donovan]] in his book ''PT 109: John F. Kennedy in WWII'', after interviewing many of the crew, concludes that it was not an accident, and he talked to the man at the wheel who was ordered to steer for a collision course. ''Amagiri'' also engaged other [[PT boat]]s in the [[Blackett Strait]] south of [[Kolombangara]]. [[Lieutenant Commander]] {{Interlanguage link|Kohei Hanami|ja|花見弘平|label=}} – who commanded ''Amagiri'' at that time – attended President Kennedy's inauguration in 1961.

The incident would be publicized in several books, a [[PT 109 (film)|movie]], and a [[PT-109 (song)|hit song]] by [[Jimmy Dean]], as "the Jap destroyer in the night, cut the 109 in two", making it probably the only Japanese ship to ever be mentioned in the top ten of the [[Billboard Hot 100]] singles charts.<ref>{{cite book |title=Top Adult Contemporary: 1961-2001 |last=Whitburn |first=Joel |author-link=Joel Whitburn |year=2002 |publisher=Record Research |page=74}}</ref>
[[File:Japanese Destroyer Amagiri.jpg|thumb|right|300px|Pre-World War II USN file photo of ''Amagiri'']]

===Subsequent career===
''Amagiri'' continued to be used on "Tokyo Express" missions through the end of 1943. She engaged [[United States Navy]] destroyers in combat at the [[Battle of Cape St. George]] in late November, and escaped pursuing American destroyers led by [[Captain (naval)|Captain]] [[Arleigh Burke]]. On 7 December, she collided near [[Kavieng]] with the destroyer {{Ship|Japanese destroyer|Akikaze||2}}, which sheared off her [[Bow (ship)|bow]]. Sent back to [[Kure Naval Arsenal]] for repairs in January 1944, she was reassigned to the [[Southwest Area Fleet]] in March and was based in [[Singapore]] to provide escort for transport missions in the western Netherlands East Indies. On 23 April, after departing [[Singapore]] with heavy cruiser {{Ship|Japanese cruiser|Aoba||2}} and [[light cruiser]] {{Ship|Japanese cruiser|Ōi||2}} bound for [[Davao City|Davao]], ''Amagiri'' struck a [[naval mine]] in [[Makassar Strait]] {{convert|55|nmi|km mi|abbr=on}} south of [[Balikpapan]] at position ({{coord|02|10|S|116|45|E|display=inline,title}}). As she took over two hours to sink, there were few casualties.

''Amagiri'' was struck from the [[Navy List]] on 10 June 1944.<ref>{{cite web | url= http://homepage2.nifty.com/nishidah/e/stc0423.htm | title= Fubuki class destroyers | last= Nishidah | first= Hiroshi | year= 2002 | work= Materials of the Imperial Japanese Navy | access-date= 2009-03-08 | archive-url= https://archive.today/20120711190830/http://homepage2.nifty.com/nishidah/e/stc0423.htm | archive-date= 2012-07-11 | url-status= dead }}</ref>

===Wreck===
''Amagiri'' was located in October 2003 by Vidar Skoglie and the MV ''Empress''. She lies in 28m/98 feet of water on her starboard side and was heavily collapsing and split open due to apparent illegal [[dynamite fishing]] near the wreck. One dynamite fisher apparently detonated the forward magazine, as no detonation was noted during her sinking.  This resulted in much of the forward part of the ship being heavily damaged. The bow of the ship was relatively intact and still sat vertically. Live torpedoes were scattered around the wreck as well as depth charges, making it a hazardous dive.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Denlay |first=Kevin |date=2006 |title=HIJMS Amagiri: The Japanese destroyer that almost altered the course of history |url=http://www.combinedfleet.com/Tully/ARTAMAGIRI.pdf |journal=Sportdiving Magazine}}</ref> Since then the ''Amagiri'' was illegally broken up and salvaged, and little if anything remains of the wreck.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ww2wrecks.com/portfolio/the-ww2-shipwrecks-that-disappeared-underwater-explorer-kevin-denlay-interview-on-the-lost-fleet-of-the-pacific-part-2/|title=The WW2 shipwrecks that disappeared: Underwater explorer Kevin Denlay's interview on the lost fleet of the Pacific – PART 2|author=Pierre Kosmidis|year=2017}}</ref>

==References==
{{reflist|30em}}

==Bibliography==
*{{cite book | last = Hammel | first = Eric | author-link = Eric M. Hammel | year = 1988 | title = Guadalcanal: Decision at Sea : The Naval Battle of Guadalcanal, Nov. 13–15, 1942 | publisher = Pacifica Press | location = (CA) | isbn = 0-517-56952-3 | url = https://archive.org/details/guadalcanaldecis00hamm }}
* {{cite web |first= Klemen |last= L |date= 2000 |title= Forgotten Campaign: The Dutch East Indies Campaign 1941–1942 |url= https://warfare.gq/dutcheastindies/index.html |access-date= 2021-03-30 |archive-date= 2011-07-26 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20110726053035/http://www.dutcheastindies.webs.com/index.html |url-status= dead }}
*{{cite web | url= http://www.combinedfleet.com/amagir_t.htm | title=  IJN ''Amagiri'': Tabular Record of Movement | last= Nevitt | first=  Allyn D. | year= 1997 | work= Long Lancers | publisher= Combinedfleet.com}}

==Further reading==
*{{cite journal|last1=Ahlberg |first1=Lars|last2=Nevitt|first2=Allyn D.|year=1986|title= Question 10/84|journal=Warship International|volume=XXIII|issue=3|pages=317–318|issn=0043-0374 |name-list-style=amp}}
*{{cite book | last = Brown | first = David | year = 1990 | title = Warship Losses of World War Two | publisher = Naval Institute Press | isbn = 1-55750-914-X }}
*{{cite book | last = Howarth | first = Stephen | year = 1983 | title = The Fighting Ships of the Rising Sun: The Drama of the Imperial Japanese Navy, 1895–1945 | publisher = Atheneum | isbn = 0-689-11402-8 }}
*{{cite book | last = Jentsura | first = Hansgeorg | year = 1976 | title = Warships of the Imperial Japanese Navy, 1869–1945 | publisher = US Naval Institute Press | isbn = 0-87021-893-X }}
*{{cite book | last = Nelson | first = Andrew N. | year = 1967 | title = Japanese–English Character Dictionary | publisher = Tuttle | isbn = 0-8048-0408-7 | url = https://archive.org/details/modernreadersjap00nels }}
*{{cite book | last = Watts | first = Anthony J | year = 1967 | title = Japanese Warships of World War II | publisher = Doubleday | isbn =  978-0-3850-9189-3 }}
*{{cite book | last = Whitley | first = M J | title = Destroyers of World War Two: An International Encyclopedia | publisher = Arms and Armour Press | year = 2000 | location = London | isbn = 1-85409-521-8 }}
*Duane T. Hove, ''American Warriors: Five Presidents in the Pacific Theater of World War II'' (2003) {{ISBN|1-57249-307-0}}
*[[Robert J. Donovan]], ''PT 109: John F. Kennedy in WWII'' (1961) {{ISBN|0-07-137643-7}} Donovan interviewed much of the original crew in Japan.

==External links==

{{Fubuki class destroyer}}
{{PT-109}}
{{April 1944 shipwrecks}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Amagiri}}
[[Category:Fubuki-class destroyers]]
[[Category:Ships built by IHI Corporation]]
[[Category:1930 ships]]
[[Category:Second Sino-Japanese War naval ships of Japan]]
[[Category:World War II destroyers of Japan]]
[[Category:Maritime incidents in April 1944]]
[[Category:Ships sunk by mines]]
[[Category:Shipwrecks in the Makassar Strait]]
[[Category:World War II shipwrecks in the Pacific Ocean]]