HIBIKI DESTROYER

Hibiki was a Japanese destroyer whose keel was laid in 1930, launched in June 1932, and commissioned in the Imperial Japanese Navy in March 1933. The length of the ship at the time of launching was 118.4 m, width 10.4 m, and the actual full displacement - 2,050 tons. Destroyer Hibiki's top speed was up to 38 knots! The main armament at the time of the launch was 6 127 mm guns in three twin turrets, and the secondary armament were 25 mm cannons, depth charges, and nine 610 mm torpedo tubes with nine spare torpedoes. Hibiki was the twenty-second Fubuki-class destroyer. When designing destroyers of this type, the focus was on the most powerful armament - especially torpedo ones - and high maximum speed, at the expense of e.g. armor and, in particular, the living conditions of the crew. As a result, a series of ships was created that aroused the admiration of Western experts and the concern of US and British naval intelligence services! In the course of the service, however, some design shortcomings were revealed: first of all, the wrong center of gravity, which resulted in poor stability of these destroyers, as well as insufficient overall strength of the structure. However, all Fubuki-class ships underwent repairs and modernizations in the period 1935-1938, which eliminated the above-mentioned disadvantages. Undoubtedly, destroyers of this type were among the best destroyers in the world at the turn of the 1930s and 1940s, maintaining their combat value throughout the entire war in the Pacific. At the time of the outbreak of World War II in the Pacific, the destroyer Hibiki supported Japanese landings in Malaya, and later - at the beginning of 1942 - also operations in the Philippines. From May-June 1942, he served in the North Pacific, taking part in operations against the Aleutians shortly thereafter. In the course of these fights, it was damaged and had to be handed over to a repair yard. He returned to the line in November 1942. From May 1943, he served again in the northern waters, where he patrolled the Hokkaido area, as well as transporting Japanese soldiers from the Aleutians. At the turn of 1943/1944, it was directed south again as an escort of the aircraft carriers Hiyo, Ryuho and Chiyoda. During the Battle of the Philippine Sea (June 1944), it was slightly damaged, but was fit for further operations. From January 1945 until the end of the war, it served in its home waters. As part of war reparations, he was transferred to the USSR in April 1947, where he served until 1953, when he was removed from the fleet.