JAPANESE DESTROYER HARUSAME

Harusame (Japanese: Spring Rain) was a Japanese destroyer whose keel was laid in February 1935, launched in September 1935, and commissioned in the Imperial Japanese Navy in August 1937. The length of the ship at the time of launching was 107.5 m, width 9.9 m, and the actual full displacement - 1,700 tons. Destroyer Harusame's top speed was up to 34 knots. The main armament at the time of the launch was 5 127 mm guns in two twin and one single turret, and the secondary armament was two 13 mm machine guns, depth charge launchers and eight 610 mm torpedo tubes. with eight spare torpedoes. Harusame was the sixth Shiratsuyu-class destroyer. Units of this type were created respecting the displacement limits imposed on the government in Tokyo by international disarmament treaties, especially the London Treaty of 1930. This type of ships was in fact a modification of the Hatsuharu-class ships - at the same time, it meant the temporary withdrawal of the Japanese fleet from building large destroyers like the Fubuki class. Compared to the Hatsuharu type, the Shiratsuyu type units differed in significantly improved stability, narrower hull and lower displacement. The same artillery armament was retained, but the torpedo armament was reinforced. The Achilles heel turned out to be very weak anti-aircraft weapons, which were constantly modernized and strengthened during the war in the Pacific. Destroyer Harusame began its long combat route during World War II by supporting Japanese landings in the Philippines in December 1941, then operated in the waters surrounding today's Indonesia, and in February 1942 successfully took part in the Battle of the Java Sea. That same year - in June - he also took part in the Battle of Midway. From August to November 1942, he served in the area of the Solomon Islands archipelago, fighting in the Gudalcanal region, constituting an important element of the so-called Tokyo Express. During the first weeks of 1943, he performed escort and convoy tasks, during which he was severely damaged on January 24 this year. The overhaul of the ship lasted until January 1944. Destroyer Harusame was sunk on June 8, 1944 by B-25 Mitchell bombers.