Japanese destroyer Samidare (1935)

The Shiratsuyu-class destroyers were modified versions of the Hatsuharu class, and were designed to accompany the Japanese main striking force and to conduct both day and night torpedo attacks against the United States Navy as it advanced across the Pacific Ocean; according to Japanese naval strategic projections.^[3] Despite being one of the most powerful classes of destroyers in the world at the time of their completion, none survived the Pacific War.^[4] Samidare, built at the Uraga Dock Company was laid down on 19 December 1934, launched on 6 July 1935 and commissioned on 19 January 1937.^[5]

By 1941, Samidare was assigned to the 2nd destroyer division (Murasame, Yūdachi, Harusame, Samidare), part of the overall destroyer squadron 4, under the leadership of commander Matsubara Takisaburo, In late November of 1942, Samidare steamed with destroyer squadron 4 to Mako in preparation for Operation M (the invasion of the Philippines). With the start of WW2 for Japan on 7 December 1941, Samidare escorted Philippine invasion convoys to Vigan, then escorted the Lingayen invasion force. With the start of January 1942 Samidare escorted the Tarakan invasion force. However, Samidare tasted her first lick of action while escorting the Balikpapan invasion force to support the landings on the Dutch East Indies from the 23rd to 25th, only for allied air attacks to desperately attempt to halt the convoy. Three troop ships were sunk, but the invasion fleet otherwise continued on and landed their troops. A follow up attack by American destroyers sank two more troop ships but similarly failed to halt the overall convoy.^[6][7]

Samidare spent a break from service throughout most of February, only leaving port again on the 26th with the Java Sea invasion fleet. However, while underway a floatplane from the heavy cruiser Nachi located an ABDA fleet force of two heavy cruisers, three light cruisers and nine destroyers, prompting the troop convoy's escorts to sail for an interception. In the afternoon of the 27th, the opening stages of the battle of the Java Sea commenced as the two fleet engaged at long range; Samidare served in a flotilla of six destroyers led by the light cruiser Naka, which early into the battle fired a spread of 43 torpedoes at the allied fleet at a distance of 15,000 yards. Understandably, none hit their mark. Instead, the heavy cruisers Haguro and Nachi primally carried the battle to a crushing Japanese victory as Samidare retreated to continue escorting the troop convoys.^[6][7][8]

Returning to Subic Bay in the Philippines on 16 March, Samidare assisted in the blockade of Manila Bay and the invasion of Cebu, returning to Yokosuka for repairs in early May. During the Battle of Midway on 4–6 June, Samidare was part of the Midway Occupation Force under Admiral Nobutake Kondō.^[6]

From mid-June, Samidare deployed from Kure via Singapore and Mergui for raiding operations in the Indian Ocean, but the operation was cancelled due to reverses suffered by the Imperial Japanese Navy in the Solomon Islands. Samidare was escort for the battleship Mutsu at the Battle of the Eastern Solomons on 24 August. For most of the month of September Samidare was escort for the seaplane tender Kunikawa Maru, scouting the Solomon Islands and Santa Cruz Islands for potential seaplane bases, returning to Palau as the end of the month. In October, Samidare escorted troop convoys to Guadalcanal, and was slightly damaged in an air strike on 14 October by a near-miss. However, she was still combat-capable and conducted a "Tokyo Express" high speed transport run to Guadalcanal and a gunfire support mission as well as participating briefly in the Battle of the Santa Cruz Islands on 26 October under Admiral Takeo Kurita.

Main Article: Naval battle of Guadalcanal

In November of 1942, the Japanese believed another major bombardment of Henderson Field, a former Japanese airbase being used by the Americans against their shipping to great effect, was necessary to recapture the field. Accordingly, the Japanese battleships Hiei and Kirishima were ordered to bombard Henderson Field, with an escort of the light cruiser Nagara and eleven destroyers, including Samidare and the rest of destroyer division 2. On the 9th, the force departed Truk for the bombardment. However, while underway rain squalls broke up the formation and left the destroyers grouped together in small clusters; in turn leaving Samidare as the last ship of a group, following Murasame and Asagumo.^[7][9]

In the early morning of the 13th, signs of enemy ships began to appear; as it turned out a US cruiser-destroyer group was tasked with intercepting the Japanese task force, and by 1:48 the searchlights of Hiei and the destroyer Akatsuki illuminated the light cruiser USS Atlanta, starting off the first naval battle of Guadalcanal in a point blank range skirmish which resulted in both Atlanta's and Akatsuki's sinking. As Asagumo, Murasame, and Samidare were far off to the back of the formation, they missed out on the initial action of the battle, racing towards the engagement at full speed.^[9]

At 2:05, the trio of Japanese destroyers finally joined the action, and noticed the destroyer Amatsukaze in danger; during the action she sank the destroyer USS Barton and helped to sink the light cruiser USS Juneau with torpedo hits then shelled the crippled heavy cruiser USS San Francisco, but had attracted the light cruiser USS Helena and took five 6-inch (152 mm) shell hits. In response, Asagumo, Murasame, and Samidare closed the range and covered Amatsukaze with a smokescreen, before Murasame fired a spread of 7 torpedoes at Helena, claiming a sinking (though Helena survived without damage). In turn, Samidare was hit by a 6-inch (152 mm) shell that exploded in her bow, while Murasame took a hit which disabled her forward boiler. Afterwards, Samidare's group scored a legitimate success when they lit an American destroyer with star shells at 2:10. As it turned out, this destroyer was the USS Monssen, which mistook the star shells for blinker lights from friendly vessels, and signaled back. In response, the "friendly vessels" blasted Monssen, together striking her with 5-inch (127 mm) shells which set her on fire and destroyed her forward gun turrets. Hiei joined into the pounding and hit the destroyer with three 14-inch (356 mm) shells, while Samidare, Murasame, and Asagumo gouged Monssen with thirty-six 5-inch (127 mm) shells within two minutes, leaving the destroyer dead in the water without a single functioning weapon and increasingly listing to intense flooding. Monssen sank 20 minutes later with the loss of 130 sailors.^{[6][7][9][10]}

However, during the action Hiei was sunk and Yūdachi was crippled by gunfire from the destroyer USS Sterett, prompting the group to assist her. Samidare took on 207 survivors before attempting to scuttle her with torpedoes; this failed as later that morning Yūdachi was finished off by gunfire from the heavy cruiser USS Portland. Murasame was also forced to retire from the battle due to the Helena shell hit to her boiler, and after dropping off Yūdachi's survivors, Samidare continued to escort Kirishima to continue the bombardment mission.^[6][7][10]

Right at the start of the 15th, the modified task force consisting of Kirishima, two heavy cruisers, two light cruisers, and nine destroyers, were encountered by another American task force, with the four screening US destroyers engaging the Japanese fleet. In response, the Nagara, leading the destroyers Samidare, Inazuma, Shirayuki, and Hatsuyuki, engaged the force, unloading a spread of 39 torpedoes before responding with gunfire; one of Samidare's torpedoes hit the destroyer USS Walke, blasting off everything forward of her funnel, destroying her engine and boilers, detonating her 20 mm AA gun magazines, and killing 84 men. Simultaneously, the destroyer USS Preston was hit by nine 5.5-inch (14 cm) shells from Nagara which detonated her aft magazines and a torpedo from the destroyer Ayanami - both destroyers sank within 10 minutes - before the destroyer USS Benham was hit by a torpedo possibly from Shirayuki, and was scuttled after the battle.^{[11][12][13][Note 1][Note 2]}

Kirishima and the heavy cruisers Takao and Atago attacked the battleship USS South Dakota as she was recovering from a power outage, which they hit with some 27 shells, including three 14-inch (356 mm) shells from Kirishima's main battery. However, what the Japanese did not know was that there was not one US battleship, but two as USS Washington closed to point blank range and mauled Kirishima with twenty 16-inch (406 mm) shell hits and seventeen 5-inch (127 mm) shell hits, fatally wounding the vessel. Samidare, Asagumo, and the destroyer Teruzuki moored alongside Kirishima and evacuated her survivors, before leaving the battleship to sink over 3 hours. The Ayanami was also sunk and Atago damaged by Washington's gunfire, ending the naval battle of Guadalcanal in a crushing American victory.^[6][7][11]

In mid-January 1943, Samidare escorted the aircraft carrier Jun'yō from Truk to Palau and Wewak, and after covering troop evacuation runs out of Guadalcanal in February, was assigned to covering troop transport operations to New Guinea, Kolombangara and Tuluvu through March, during which she helped to sink the submarine USS Triton. In May she returned to Yokosuka as part of the escort for the battleship Yamato, and was then assigned to northern waters with the cruisers Myōkō and Haguro to cover the evacuation of Japanese forces from Kiska. She returned to Yokosuka on 6 August with the cruiser Maya for repairs. In September, Samidare escorted the aircraft carriers Taihō and Chūyō to Truk, and subsequently covered troop evacuations from Kolombangara, escaping an attack by American destroyers on 2 October with minor damage. During the Battle of Vella Lavella on 6–7 October, Samidare torpedoed the destroyer USS Selfridge. After continuing with troop evacuation missions throughout October, Samidare was in the Battle of Empress Augusta Bay on 2 November. During the battle, Samidare torpedoed the destroyer USS Foote but suffered medium damage from two shell hits and a collision with her sister ship Shiratsuyu which damaged her bow. She returned to Yokosuka Naval Arsenal for repairs by mid-December.

In April 1944, Samidare escorted troop convoys from Japan to Saipan and on the Truk and Palau. On 27 April, she assisted in the rescue of survivors from the torpedoed cruiser Yūbari. In May and early June, Samidare covered troop evacuations from Biak and other locations in the Netherlands East Indies. She participated in the Battle of the Philippine Sea on 19–20 June as part of Admiral Takatsugu Jōjima's task force. In July, she escorted a troop convoy to Okinawa and to Lingga, returning with Kinu to Palau in August. However, on 18 August, Samidare ran aground on the Velasco Reef near Palau Island at position 08°10′N 134°38′E / 8.167°N 134.633°E / 8.167; 134.633. On 25 August, she was torpedoed by the submarine USS Batfish. The destroyer broke in two with her stern-section sinking, and the bow-section later destroyed by the Japanese.^{[citation needed]}

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