Destroyer Akizuki

Akizuki was laid down at Maizuru Naval Arsenal on 30 July 1940, launched 2 July 1941, and commissioned 11 June 1942. She was the lead ship of a revolutionary class of anti-aircraft destroyers, displacing 2,744 tons standard. Her primary armament was eight Type 98 100mm/65 caliber dual-purpose guns in four twin turrets — true dual-purpose weapons reloadable at any elevation, with a high rate of fire and excellent range against aircraft. This made the Akizuki class far more capable anti-aircraft platforms than standard destroyers. Akizuki carried only a single quadruple torpedo mount, reflecting her primary AA mission. She participated in the Battle of the Eastern Solomons and the Guadalcanal campaign in 1942 (she was damaged by bombs in October 1942 and by a torpedo from the submarine USS Nautilus in January 1943), the Battle of the Philippine Sea (June 1944), and finally the Battle of Leyte Gulf in October 1944. On 25 October 1944, during the Battle off Cape Engaño, Akizuki was sunk during the first U.S. air attack, probably by a torpedo — most sources credit carrier aircraft of Task Force 38, though a few credit the submarine USS Halibut — at position 20°29′N 126°30′E, northeast of Cape Engaño in the Philippine Sea.