Destroyer Fubuki

Fubuki (吹雪, "Blizzard") was laid down at Maizuru Naval Arsenal on 19 June 1926, launched on 15 November 1927, and commissioned on 10 August 1928. She was the lead ship of the Fubuki class, which introduced enclosed twin 127mm gun turrets and triple torpedo tube mounts to destroyer design for the first time — features that would not appear on Western destroyers for years.

Displacing approximately 1,750 tons standard, Fubuki carried six 127mm guns in three twin turrets and nine 610mm torpedo tubes in three triple mounts. Her design was so advanced that she set the standard for all subsequent Japanese destroyer construction and alarmed Western navies.

During the Pacific War, Fubuki participated in the invasion of Malaya, the Battle of Sunda Strait, the Indian Ocean Raid, the Battle of Midway, and the Guadalcanal campaign. On the night of 11 October 1942, during the Battle of Cape Esperance off Guadalcanal, Fubuki was caught by the concentrated gunfire of the American cruiser-destroyer force. She was hit by multiple salvoes, caught fire, and sank off Cape Esperance with heavy loss of life, including her captain, Lieutenant Commander Shizuo Yamashita; more than a hundred survivors were later rescued by American ships.

In popular culture, Fubuki is the protagonist of the 2015 KanColle anime adaptation, making her one of the most recognizable warships in Japanese media.