Japanese Destroyer Captain by Tameichi Hara

Author:Tameichi Hara [Hara, Tameichi]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781612513744
Publisher: Naval Institute Press
Published: 2013-06-13T21:00:00+00:00

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Before Admiral Tanaka’s transfer to Singapore, there was time for him to lead several more transport missions to Guadalcanal. On December 3, he commanded a force of 4 cruisers and 11 destroyers which succeeded in delivering 1,500 drums of supplies to the shores of Guadalcanal. Tanaka was ready for a repetition of the Tassafaronga action, but the Americans apparently were not. Tanaka’s phenomenal win had staggered the U.S. Navy.

There was no surface opposition, but some planes harassed the force and dropped a few bombs which slightly damaged one destroyer. It was a sour note in the operations that only 500 of the drums were picked up by the island forces.

Four nights later Tanaka was back again, this time with just 11 destroyers. Excessive repetition of a single formula in warfare is almost bound to fail, and this time planes from Henderson Field damaged two of his destroyers. On this night, too, Tanaka was confronted for the first time by a new kind of opponent—motor torpedo boats. Eight of these swift little PTs so harried his force that the reinforcement effort was called off and the destroyers returned to base.

Tanaka tried again on the night of December 11, using nine destroyers, and succeeded in dropping 1,200 drums of supplies. Air attacks on this convoy were ineffective, but the PTs struck again and hit flagship Teruzuki with two torpedoes which set her aflame. Her crew tried valiantly to save her but all efforts proved futile when the fires exploded her depth-charge stowage. Tanaka was injured when the torpedoes hit Teruzuki, but he transferred his flag and got home. In addition to the loss of his flagship, Tanaka was grieved by news that of the 1,200 drums transported and dropped on this run, only 220 reached Japanese hands.

Admiral Tanaka was hospitalized at Rabaul and there he dictated a memorandum to the high command recommending the withdrawal of forces from Guadalcanal. In reply he received orders assigning him to Singapore. This flat rejection of Tanaka’s recommendation was unfortunate since it was becoming apparent that the island was no longer tenable. Submarines as well as destroyers were being used to bring in supplies, yet their combined best efforts brought only a trickle of what was needed to support the 20,000 troops.

Through these exciting days I remained at Truk. I felt sorry for Tanaka but could do nothing to help him. There was no new destroyer available for me so I could only watch as the skilled hands from repair ship Akashi worked over the scores of holes which cruiser Helena’s armor-piercing shells had put in my destroyer. Amatsukaze was patched enough that I was able to leave Truk on December 15 for the homeland where precision repairs could be made. The five-day voyage was uneventful. As we passed the island of Saipan I saw a dozen Japanese planes and was curious about how they would react to our appearance. I was disappointed when not one of them even bothered to determine our identity. This nonchalance,

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