Destroyer Murakumo

Murakumo was a Fubuki-class destroyer laid down at Fujinagata Shipyard in Osaka on 25 April 1927, launched 27 September 1928, and commissioned 10 May 1929. She was the fifth ship of the class and participated in operations throughout the opening stages of the Pacific War, including operations in the South China Sea and Netherlands East Indies. By late 1942, Murakumo was heavily involved in the Guadalcanal campaign, running the "Tokyo Express" supply and reinforcement route down the Slot to Guadalcanal. On the night of 11–12 October 1942, the Battle of Cape Esperance saw U.S. cruisers and destroyers ambush a Japanese reinforcement force. On 12 October 1942, Murakumo was caught by U.S. aircraft while going to the aid of the heavy cruiser Furutaka, sunk the previous night. Near misses, a torpedo hit and a bomb hit left her unmaneuverable and ablaze, with 22 dead; the destroyer Shirayuki took off the survivors and scuttled her with a torpedo about 90 miles west-northwest of Savo Island, at approximately 8°40′S 159°20′E. She thus became one of the early destroyer losses in the attritional Guadalcanal campaign.