Yuudachi was the fourth of the ten Shiratsuyu class destroyers, she was built in Sasebo Naval Arsenal, she was launched on June 11, 1936 and was commissioned on January 7, 1937. She is equipped with 2 shaft Kampon geared turbines and 3 boilers capable of generating 42,000 horsepower. Her speed is 34 knots and armed with two twin and one single 5 inch 50 cal. Type 3 naval guns, two 13-mm Type 93 anti-aircraft gun, and two quadruple 24 inch torpedo tubes, she also carries 16 depth charges.
She was assigned under the DesDiv 2 which is part of the DesRon 4 of the IJN 2nd Fleet, together with her sisters, Murasame, Harusame, and Samidare. The DesDiv 2 departed to Mako Guard District (Makung, Pescadores Islands) from Terashima Strait, and from Mako they proceed to Vigan to support the invasion of the Philippine Islands. She provided cover for Lingayen, Tarakan, and Balikpapan invasion forces. She participated in the Battle of Java Sea together with the DesDiv 2. They engaged 2 heavy cruisers, 3 light cruisers and 9 destroyers from the Allies, they managed to sink 1 heavy cruiser, 1 light cruiser, and 3 destroyers with 1 destroyer from the IJN was heavily damaged. The DesDiv 2 proceed to Subic Bay and conduct naval blockade from Manila and assisted for the occupation of Cebu. She proceed to Yokosuka from Mako for repairs afterwards.
During the Battle of Midway, she escorted Admiral Kondo's Occupation Force Main Body. From Kure she was assigned to Singapore to conduct further raids within the Indian Ocean, this was cancel due to the Allied invasion of Guadalcanal.
On August 30, 1942, she arrived Shortlands from Truk to support troop transports in Guadalcanal. She escorted a barge-carrying convoy from Shortland to Gizo along with Murakumo. She was assign to escort the Tokyo Express with Hatsuyuki and Murakumo, the convoy landed 1,000 troops on Taivu, then she sunk USN high-speed transport ex-destroyers, USS Gregory APD-3 and USS Little APD-4. On the next day, she was assigned to attack a USN convoy off Guadalcanal, unable to locate the convoy, she shelled Henderson Field along with Uranami, Shikinami and Ariake. She supported further landings in Guadalcanal, she was assigned to provide gunfire support for the Battle of Edson's Ridge along with Uranami and Murakumo. She was assigned to look for enemy convoys going to Guadalcanal then she resumed escorting the Tokyo Express. She was present during the Battle for Henderson Field and assisted the bombed light cruiser Yura, she rescued Yura's crew along with Harusame and scuttled the light cruiser afterwards. She escorted three more convoys from the Tokyo Express until she assigned to Admiral Abe's force to bombard Henderson Field.
During the First Naval Battle of Guadalcanal, Yuudachi together with Amatsukaze charged a USN ship formation composed of 5 destroyers. Amatsukaze sunk USS Barton DD-599 and damaged USS Juneau CL-52 with torpedoes, Yuudachi fires eight torpedoes at the formation, during the chaos she encountered two USN destroyers, USS Sterett DD-407 and USS Aaron Ward DD-483, she's quite unaware about two destroyers, the two destroyers disabled her with gunfire, her captain commanded to 'raise the sail' using a white bed sheet, the USN believed that her 'sail' was a 'white flag' and ignores her, but Yuudachi opened fires at passing Allied ships (one of them was USS Portland CA-33), Samidare immediately rescued Yuudachi's crew but failed to scuttle her, the already damaged Portland was enraged, returned fire and smothered the abandoned destroyer with profanities until Yuudachi sunk. Samidare managed to rescue 207 survivors including Commander Kikkawa, 26 killed of her crew were killed.
Yuudachi sunk on November 13, 1942, she rests within the Ironbottom Sound.
"...her captain commanded to 'raise the sail' using a white bed sheet, the USN believed that her 'sail' was a 'white flag' and ignores her, but Yuudachi opened fires at passing Allied ships (one of them was USS Portland CA-33), Samidare immediately rescued Yuudachi's crew but failed to scuttle her, the already damaged Portland was enraged, returned fire and smothered the abandoned destroyer with profanities until Yuudachi sunk."
Poi was a bad girl. This action caused a lot of Japanese to die due to the Americans responding to what they viewed as a completely dishonorable act with "no quarter give". No surrender by the Japanese would be believed or accepted for a year until orders were given to accept surrenders again. Firing while under a white flag was considered one of the most dishonorable things possible against the conventions of warfare. It made the Americans hate the Japanese even more.
Innocently Cute ppoi?Although at a glance Yuudachi looks like a refined lady, inside she's a simple and innocent girl. How she sincerely yearns for Admiral is really cute.
I want to have a little sister like her.
Her "ppoi" sounds like modern day girl isn't it ? Because of the peculiarness, I came to use it everyday…!
After second remodel, she became really cool. The black uniform, red eyes and torpedoes seems to depict her Guadalcanal self.
But inside she's still that innocent girl, and the times when she spaced out are also nice.I'll show you the Nightmare of Solomon4th Ship of Shiratsuyu ClassIn 1937, Yuudachi is built as 4th ship of Shiratsuyu class in Sasebo naval shipyard. She's completed on the same day as Murasame.
As part of the Destroyer Division 2 of Destroyer Squadron 1 (later Squadron 4), she faced action in invasion of Phillipines, Battle of Java Sea, Battle of Midway and the Naval Battle of Guadalcanal.In November of 1942, Yuudachi took part in the Naval Battle of Guadalcanal as part of volunteer fleet. There she had her spectacular exit performance.
In the first night, she detected the enemy fleet faster than the others and after informing her allies, strikes into the heart of the enemy fleet together with Harusame. The enemy fleet is thrown into chaos from trying to avoid her.
Then without being aimed by the enemy, she released 8 torpedoes and more than 150 shots. Although the exact record is not definitive because of the ensuing chaos, she surely dealed damage to the enemy.
Including friendly fires, Yuudachi is heavily damaged by heavy fires. Unable to cruise, the crew raised bedsheet to the mast and continued to fight.
After her survivors are rescued by Samidare, she's sunk by enemy fire.
First night of Guadalcanal resulted as victory for Japanese side and Yuudachi rest in Ironbottom Sound.Destroyer Yuudachi