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  Hayashio 早潮
IJN
Kagerō-class destroyer

2,490 Tons (standard)
388' 9" x 35 5" x 12' 6"
6 x 5" guns
28 x 25mm AA
4 x 13mm AA
8 x 24" torpedos
36 depth charges

Ship History
Built at the Uraga Dock Company in Uraga. Laid down June 30, 1938 as a Kagerō-class destroyer. Launched April 19, 1939 as Hayashio 早潮 meaning "swift moving tide" or "fast-running tide" in Japanese. Completed and commissioned August 31, 1940 in the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) under the command of Captain Hironosuke Ueda and assigned to the newly activated Destroyer Division 15 (DesDiv 15).

Wartime History
On November 26, 1941 departs Terashima with Desron 2 bound for Palau. On December 6, 1941 departs Palau escorting Ryūjō bound for the Philippines. On December 8, 1941 at the start of the Pacific War provides cover during on the strike against Davao. Next, escorts Yaeyama while laying mines in Surigao Strait.

On December 12, 1941 covers the invasion force bound for Legaspi. On December 20, 1942 covers the invasion force bound for Davao. On December 25, 1941 joins the invasion force bound for Jolo. On January 11 with the invasion force bound for Menado. On January 14, 1942 escorts the invasion force bound for Kendari. On February 8, 1942 with the invasion force bound for Makassar.

On February 20, 1942 escorts the invasion force bound for Timor. On February 26, 1942 departs Koepang for the invasion of Java. On March 2, 1942 captures Dutch ship with Allied military personnel and escorted it back to Makassar arriving six days later. On March 11, 1942 arrives Staring Bay on Celebes (Sulawesi). On March 15, 1942 escorts Kaga from Staring Bay north to Sasebo arriving a week later.

On April 17, 1942 departed Kure and unsucessfully searches for the U.S. Navy (USN) tasks force that launched the "Doolittle Raid". On May 9, 1942 departs for Formosa and Subic Bay to blockade Manila. Next, escorted Shōkaku to Kure from May 10-17. Then to Saipan from May 21-15 and escorted troop convoy bound for Midway on June 3-6, but was thwarted during the Battle of Midway.

Escorted Kumano and Suzuya from Mergui via Balikpapan to perform raids in the India Ocean, but was aborted when the ships instead steamed for Guadalcanal. On August 24, 1942 participated in the Battle of the Eastern Solomons. During September 1942 escorts patrols from Truk to the northern Solomons. Escorted Nisshin from Kavieng to Shortland.

During October, the destroyer made three "Tokyo Express" transport runs to Guadalcanal on October 3, 6 and 9. On October 10-14 departed Shortland to escort Kongo and Haruna bombarding Henderson Field on Guadalcanal.

On October 26, 1942 escorts Junyō during the Battle of Santa Cruz.

On November 3-5 escorts Suzuya and Maya from Truk to Shortland. Next, made another transport run to Guadalcanal on November 7. On November 13-15 led the escort of Guadalcanal troop convoy as the flagship of Admiral Tanaka. On November 17-18 escorted Suzuya, Maya and Tenryu from Shortland to Kavieng.

Sinking History
On November 23, 1942 departs Rabaul bound for Lae. On November 24, 1942 during the night in Huon Gulf targeted by B-17 Flying Fortresses including B-17F "Black Jack / The Joker's Wild" 41-24521 that perform low level "skip bombing" attacks on the destroyer. Although the destroyers manage to damage the attacking bomber, a bomb bomb hit its forward area and caught fire and killed 50 and wounded six. Anchored in Guna Bay off Huon Gulf to fight the fires, the destroyer was abandoned when the blaze reached munitions and was abandoned. Shiratsuyu removed surviving crew members including Commander Kaneda. Afterwards, the burning destroyer was scuttled by torpedo.

References
Combined Fleet - IJN Hayashio: Tabular Record of Movement

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Last Updated
November 7, 2023

 

Map
7 S
147.30 E
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