KA-SET-5-6-2014 JAPOŃSKI NISZCZYCIEL AMATSUKAZE

The Amatsukaze was a Japanese destroyer whose keel was laid in 1939, launched in October 1939, and commissioned in the Imperial Japanese Navy in October 1940. The length of the ship at the time of launching was 118.5 m, width 10.8 m, and the actual full displacement - 2,490 tons. Destroyer Amatsukaze had a maximum speed of 35 knots. The main armament at the time of the launch was 6 127 mm guns in three twin turrets, and the secondary armament was 4 25 mm cannons, depth charge launchers and eight 610 mm torpedo tubes with eight spare torpedoes. The Amatsukaze was the ninth Kagero-class destroyer. Units of this type were created as part of the Japanese fleet expansion program of 1937 and 1939. They returned to the use of strong artillery (6 127 mm guns), which had already appeared on the Fubuki-class destroyers in the 1920s. The provisions of the disarmament treaties were also not respected, thanks to the czum the Japanese designers had complete freedom in designing. As a result, ships with strong artillery and torpedo armaments, good sea performance, and especially - unlike the previous Japanese destroyers - had no problems with stability and overall durability of the structure. The only drawback was the weak anti-aircraft armament, which, however, was systematically strengthened during the war in the Pacific. The combat career of destroyer Amatsukaze began in World War II with operations in the area of today's Indonesia and Malaysia at the turn of 1941/1942. In February 1942, the ship took part in the Battle of the Java Sea. From the second half of 1942, Amatsukaze served in the area of the islands of the Solomon Islands archipelago, fighting in the struggle for Guadalcanal, taking part there, among others, in the battle near the Santa Cruz Islands (October 1942). On January 11, 1944, Amatsukaze was torpedoed by an American submarine, but despite serious damage and the death of approximately 25% of the crew, the ship did not sink! The destroyer Amatsukaze was not sunk until April 6, 1945, as a result of an attack by B-25 Mitchell bombers.