View source for Japanese destroyer Mutsuki

{{short description|Destroyer of the Imperial Japanese Navy}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2018}}
{|{{Infobox ship begin}}
{{Infobox ship image
|Ship image=Mutsuki.jpg
|Ship caption=''Mutsuki'' at sea
}}
{{Infobox ship career
|Hide header=
|Ship country= [[Empire of Japan]]
|Ship flag={{shipboxflag|Empire of Japan|naval}}
|Ship name=''Mutsuki''
|Ship namesake=January
|Ship ordered=
|Ship awarded=
|Ship builder=[[Sasebo Naval Arsenal]]
|Ship original cost=
|Ship yard number=
|Ship way number=
|Ship laid down=21 May 1924 as ''Destroyer No. 19''
|Ship launched=23 July 1925
|Ship sponsor=
|Ship christened=
|Ship completed= 25 March 1926
|Ship commissioned=
|Ship renamed= As ''Mutsuki'', 1 August 1928
|Ship refit=
|Ship struck= 1 October 1942
|Ship fate=Sunk by American bombers, 25 August 1942
|Ship notes=
}}
{{Infobox ship characteristics
|Hide header=
|Header caption=
|Ship class= {{sclass|Mutsuki|destroyer}}
|Ship displacement=*{{convert|1336|t|LT|abbr=on}} (normal)
*{{convert|1800|t|LT|abbr=on|0}} ([[deep load]])
|Ship length=*{{convert|97.54|m|ftin|abbr=on}} ([[Length between perpendiculars|pp]])
*{{convert|102.4|m|ftin|abbr=on}} ([[o/a]])
|Ship beam={{convert|9.16|m|ftin|abbr=on}}
|Ship draft={{convert|2.96|m|ftin|abbr=on}}
|Ship power=*{{convert|38500|shp|kW|lk=in|abbr=on}}
*4 × Kampon [[water-tube boiler]]s
|Ship propulsion=2 shafts; 2 × Kampon geared [[steam turbine]]s
|Ship speed= {{convert|37.25|kn|lk=in}} 
|Ship range={{convert|4000|nmi|abbr=on|lk=in}} at {{convert|15|kn}}
|Ship complement=150
| Ship armament=*4 × [[Type 3 120 mm 45 caliber naval gun|{{convert|12|cm|abbr=on|1}} Type 3 guns]]
*2 × triple {{convert|61|cm|abbr=on}} [[torpedo tube]]s
*18 × [[depth charge]]s
*16 × [[naval mine|mine]]s
}}
{{Infobox service record
|is_ship=yes
|label= 
|partof=Destroyer Division 30
|codes=
|commanders=
|operations=*[[Battle of Wake Island]]
*[[Solomon Islands campaign]]
|victories=
|awards=
}}
|}

The '''Japanese destroyer {{nihongo|''Mutsuki'''''|睦月|"January"}} was the [[name ship]] of [[Mutsuki-class destroyer|her class]] of twelve [[destroyer]]s built for the [[Imperial Japanese Navy]] (IJN) during the 1920s. During the [[Pacific War]], she participated in the [[Battle of Wake Island]] in December 1941 and the occupations of [[New Guinea]] and the [[Solomon Islands]] in early 1942. ''Mutsuki'' was one of the escorts for the invasion force during the [[Battle of the Coral Sea]] in May and then participated in the [[Guadalcanal Campaign]] later that year. The ship was sunk by American bombers during the [[Battle of the Eastern Solomons]] in August.

==Design and description==
The ''Mutsuki'' class was an improved version of the {{sclass|Kamikaze|destroyer|||1922}}s and was the first with triple {{convert|61|cm|adj=on|sp=us}} [[torpedo tube]]s. The ships had an [[length overall|overall length]] of {{convert|102.4|m|ftin|sp=us}}<ref>Watts & Gordon, pp. 265–66</ref> and were {{convert|94.54|m|ftin|sp=us}} [[between perpendiculars]]. They had a [[beam (nautical)|beam]] of {{convert|9.16|m|ftin|sp=us}}, and a mean [[draft (hull)|draft]] of {{convert|2.96|m|ftin|sp=us}}. The ''Mutsuki''-class ships displaced {{convert|1336|t|LT|sp=us|0}} at [[Displacement (ship)#Standard displacement|standard load]] and {{convert|1800|t|LT|sp=us|0}} at [[deep load]].<ref name=w1>Whitley, p. 191</ref> They were powered by two [[Parsons Marine Steam Turbine Company|Parsons]] geared [[steam turbine]]s, each driving one [[propeller shaft]], using steam provided by four [[Kampon]] [[water-tube boiler]]s. The turbines were designed to produce {{convert|38500|shp|kW|lk=in}}, which would propel the ships at {{convert|37.25|kn|lk=in}}. The ships carried {{convert|420|t|LT|0|sp=us}} of [[fuel oil]] which gave them a range of {{convert|4000|nmi|lk=in}} at {{convert|15|kn}}. Their crew consisted of 150 officers and crewmen.<ref name=j5>Jentschura, Jung & Mickel, p. 143</ref>

The main armament of the ''Mutsuki''-class ships consisted of four [[Type 3 120 mm 45 caliber naval gun|{{convert|12|cm|sp=us|adj=on|1}} Type 3 guns]] in single mounts; one gun forward of the [[superstructure]], one between the two [[funnel (ship)|funnel]]s and the last pair back to back atop the aft superstructure. The guns were numbered '1' to '4' from front to rear. The ships carried two above-water triple sets of 61-centimeter [[torpedo tube]]s; one mount was between the forward superstructure and the forward gun and the other was between the aft funnel and aft superstructure. Four reload torpedoes were provided for the tubes.<ref name=j5/> They carried 18 [[depth charge]]s and could also carry 16 [[naval mine|mines]]. They could also fitted with [[minesweeper (ship)|minesweeping gear]].<ref name=c2/>

==Construction and career==
''Mutsuki'', built at the [[Sasebo Naval Arsenal]], was [[laid down]] on 21 May 1924,<ref name=w1/> [[Ship launching|launched]] on 23 July 1925<ref name=c2>Chesneau, p. 192</ref> and completed on 26 March 1926. Originally commissioned simply as ''Destroyer No. 19'', she was assigned the name ''Mutsuki'' on 1 August 1928.<ref name=j5/> In the late 1930s, ''Mutsuki'' participated in combat in China, including the [[January 28 Incident|First Shanghai Incident]] of 1932 and other actions in the [[Second Sino-Japanese War]].

===Pacific War===
{{Page numbers needed|section|date=October 2024}}
At the time of the [[attack on Pearl Harbor]] on 7 December 1941, ''Mutsuki'' was the flagship of Destroyer [[Division (naval)|Division]] 30 under Destroyer [[Squadron (naval)|Squadron]] 6 of the [[4th Fleet (Imperial Japanese Navy)|4th Fleet]]. She [[sortie]]d from [[Kwajalein]] on 8 December as part of the [[Wake Island]] invasion force, carrying an advance landing party of the [[Japanese Special Naval Landing Forces]] (SNLF). Early on the morning of 11 December, the American garrison repulsed the first landing attempts by the SNLF, which was supported by the [[light cruiser]]s {{ship|Japanese cruiser|Yūbari||2}}, {{ship|Japanese cruiser|Tenryū||2}}, and {{ship|Japanese cruiser|Tatsuta|1918|2}} and the destroyers {{ship|Japanese destroyer|Yayoi|1925|2}}, {{ship|Japanese destroyer|Hayate|1925|2}}, {{ship|Japanese destroyer|Kisaragi|1925|2}}, ''Mutsuki'', {{ship|Japanese destroyer|Oite|1924|2}}, and {{ship|Japanese destroyer|Mochizuki|1927|2}}, two old {{sclass|Momi|destroyer|0}} vessels converted to [[No.31 class patrol boat|patrol boat]]s (''Patrol Boat No. 32'' and ''Patrol Boat No. 33''), and two troop transports containing 450 SNLF troops. After taking heavy losses (including ''Kisaragi'' and ''Hayate''), the Japanese force withdrew before landing.  This was the first Japanese defeat of the war, and also the only occasion in World War II when an [[amphibious assault]] was repulsed by shore-based guns.<ref>Devereaux</ref> ''Mutsuki'' returned on 23 December with the second Wake Island invasion force, and again carried a SNLF advance landing party before returning to Kwajalein.<ref name=ne>Nevitt</ref>

The ship escorted a convoy from Kwajalein to the naval base at [[Chuuk Lagoon|Truk]] in January 1942, where a [[sponson]] was installed for a pair of license-built [[Hotchkiss M1929 machine gun|{{convert|13.2|mm|abbr=on|1}} Type 93]] [[anti-aircraft machinegun]]s on the forward side of the [[bridge (nautical)|bridge]]. ''Mutsuki'' then escorted a troop convoy from Truk to [[Guam]] later that month, and then joined the invasion of the [[Solomon Islands]], covering the landings of Japanese forces during [[Battle of Rabaul (1942)|Operation R]] (the invasion of [[Rabaul]], [[New Ireland (island)|New Ireland]] and [[New Britain]]), and during [[Invasion of Lae-Salamaua|Operation SR]] (the invasion of [[Lae]] and [[Salamaua]] on New Guinea) in January–March. From 28 March to 1 April, she served as the flagship for [[Rear Admiral]] [[Masao Kanazawa]], commander of the 8th Special Base Force during the initial occupation of the [[Shortland Islands]] and [[Bougainville Island|Bougainville]] in the Solomon Islands. Later that month, the ship supported the occupation of the [[Admiralty Islands]].<ref name=ne/>

During the [[Battle of the Coral Sea]] from 7–8 May 1942, ''Mutsuki'' was assigned to the [[Operation Mo]] invasion force for [[Port Moresby]]. After that operation was cancelled, ''Mutsuki'' remained based out of Rabaul, escorting shipping between Truk, Rabaul and [[Palau]] until recalled to Japan in July for a brief refit.<ref name=ne/>

After repairs were completed at [[Sasebo Naval Arsenal]] on 12 July 1942, ''Mutsuki'' was reassigned to the [[IJN 8th Fleet]] and participated in the bombardment of [[Henderson Field (Guadalcanal)|Henderson Field]] on 24 August 1942.<ref>Morison. ''The Struggle for Guadalcanal''</ref> During the [[Battle of the Eastern Solomons]] on 25 August 1942, ''Mutsuki'' was sunk in an attack by [[United States Army Air Forces|USAAF]] [[B-17 Flying Fortress]] bombers while assisting the damaged transport ''Kinryu Maru'', {{convert|40|mi|km}} northeast of [[Santa Isabel island]]. {{coord|7|47|S|160|13|E|display=inline,title}}<ref>{{cite web | url= http://homepage2.nifty.com/nishidah/e/stc0422.htm | title= Mutsuki class 1st class destroyers | last= Nishidah | first= Hiroshi | year= 2002 | work= Materials of the Imperial Japanese Navy | access-date= 28 January 2009 | archive-url= https://archive.today/20120721201838/http://homepage2.nifty.com/nishidah/e/stc0422.htm | archive-date= 21 July 2012 | url-status= dead }}</ref> ''Mutsuki'' took a direct bomb hit in her engineering section, killing 41 crewmen and injuring 11 more. ''Yayoi'' took on the survivors, which included her captain, Lt. Cdr. Kenji Hatano.<ref name=ne/>

''Mutsuki'' was struck from the [[Navy List]] on 1 October 1942.

==Notes==
{{reflist}}

==References==
* {{cite book|title=Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1922–1946|editor1-last=Chesneau|editor1-first=Roger|publisher=Conway Maritime Press|location=Greenwich|year=1980|isbn=0-85177-146-7}}
*{{cite book|title= The Story of Wake Island
  |last=Devereaux|first=James P.S., Colonel, USMC
  |publisher=The Battery Press
  |year=1947
  |isbn= 0-89839-264-0}}
*{{cite book
 | last = Howarth  
 | first = Stephen
 | year = 1983
 | title = The Fighting Ships of the Rising Sun: The Drama of the Imperial Japanese Navy, 1895–1945
 | publisher = Atheneum 
 | isbn = 0-689-11402-8
}}
*{{cite book| last = Jentschura| first = Hansgeorg| first2 = Dieter |last2=Jung|first3=Peter |last3=Mickel| year = 1977| title = Warships of the Imperial Japanese Navy, 1869–1945| publisher = United States Naval Institute| location = Annapolis, Maryland| isbn = 0-87021-893-X|name-list-style=amp}}
*{{cite book
 | last = Morison
 | first = Samuel Eliot
 | authorlink = Samuel Eliot Morison
 | year = 1958
 | title = The Struggle for Guadalcanal, August 1942 – February 1943'', vol. 5 of ''[[History of United States Naval Operations in World War II]]
 | publisher = [[Little, Brown and Company]]
 | location = Boston
 | isbn = 0-316-58305-7
}}
*{{cite web
 | url= http://www.combinedfleet.com/mutsuk_t.htm 
 | title=  IJN ''Mutsuki'': Tabular Record of Movement
 | last= Nevitt | first=  Allyn D.  
 | year= 2009|access-date=10 November 2015| work= Long Lancers | publisher= Combinedfleet.com}}
*{{cite book|last1=Watts|first1=Anthony J.|title=The Imperial Japanese Navy|date=1971|publisher=Doubleday|location=Garden City, New York|isbn= 0385012683|last2=Gordon|first2=Brian G.|name-list-style=amp}}
* {{cite book|last=Whitley|first=M. J.|title=Destroyers of World War Two|publisher=Naval Institute Press|year=1988|isbn=0-87021-326-1|location=Annapolis, Maryland}}

==External links==
*[https://archive.today/20120721201838/http://homepage2.nifty.com/nishidah/e/stc0422.htm Mutsuki-class destroyers on Materials of the Imperial Japanese Navy]

{{Mutsuki class destroyer}}
{{August 1942 shipwrecks}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Mutsuki}}
[[Category:Mutsuki-class destroyers]]
[[Category:Ships built by Sasebo Naval Arsenal]]
[[Category:1925 ships]]
[[Category:Second Sino-Japanese War naval ships of Japan]]
[[Category:World War II destroyers of Japan]]
[[Category:Destroyers sunk by aircraft]]
[[Category:Ships sunk by US aircraft]]
[[Category:World War II shipwrecks in the Pacific Ocean]]
[[Category:Battle of Wake Island]]
[[Category:Maritime incidents in August 1942]]