© 1998 Allyn D. Nevitt

IJN Fubuki: Tabular Record of Movement


Name Translation: "Blizzard"

Initial Command Structure:
Ship's captain: Lieutenant Commander Yamashita Shizuo [50] (prev. C.O. HATAKAZE). Assigned to Desdiv 11 (HATSUYUKI, SHIRAYUKI, FUBUKI), Desron 3, First Fleet.

20-26 November 1941:

Desdiv 11 steamed with Desron 3 from Kure to Samah (Hainan).

4 December 1941-30 January 1942:

Desdiv 11 escorted KUMANO, SUZUYA, MOGAMI and MIKUMA out of Samah and Camranh Bay in support of Malaya, British Borneo and Anambas Islands invasion operations; also briefly escorted troop convoys during this period.

10 January:

Assisted ASAKAZE and HATAKAZE in rescuing survivors of torpedoed transport AKITA MARU.

27 January: Battle off Endau

Assisted SENDAI, ASAGIRI, YUGIRI, and SHIRAYUKI in sinking of HMS THANET.

13-18 February:

Desdiv 11 with Bangka-Palembang invasion forces; took part in attacks on Allied shipping fleeing from Singapore: assisted YURA and ASAGIRI in sinking or capture of at least seven vessels, including British auxiliary patrol boat LI WO on the 14th.

27 February:

Desdiv 11 with Western Java invasion force.

28 February-1 March: Battle of Sunda Strait

Desdiv 11 assisted in sinking of HMAS PERTH and USS HOUSTON (CA-30). Has been accused of launching torpedo spread that accidentally sank four Japanese transports and a minesweeper, but recent research indicates MOGAMI the more likely agent.

12 March:

Escorted Admiral Ozawa's cover force for Northern Sumatra invasions.

23 March:

Desdiv 11 escorted Admiral Ozawa's cover force for Andaman Islands invasion; then patrol/escort duties out of Port Blair during Japanese raids into Indian Ocean.

13-22 April:

Desdiv 11 steamed from Singapore via Camranh Bay to Kure, then docked for maintenance.

4-5 June: Battle of Midway

Desdiv 11 escorted Admiral Yamamoto's Main Body.

30 June-2 July:

Desdiv 11 escorted troop convoy from Kure to Amami-O-Shima, then antisubmarine patrolling there.

17-31 July:

Desdiv 11 steamed from Amami-O-Shima via Mako, Singapore and Sabang to Mergui (Burma) for Indian Ocean raiding operations, aborted due to Guadalcanal.

8-17 August:

Desdiv 11 steamed from Mergui via Makassar to Davao.

19-23 August:

Desdiv 11 escorted troop convoy from Davao to Truk.

25-27 August:

Desdiv 11 steamed from Truk to Rabaul.

27-29 August:

Desdiv 11 escorted transport SADO MARU from Rabaul to Shortlands, then troop transport run to Guadalcanal.

31 August:

Troop transport run to Guadalcanal.

2 September:

Attack mission to Guadalcanal (cover for TSUGARU troop transport run).

5 September:

Troop transport run to Guadalcanal.

8 September:

Attack mission to Guadalcanal.

12 September:

Gunfire support mission to Guadalcanal (Kawaguchi offensive).

13-14 September:

Gunfire support mission to Guadalcanal (Kawaguchi offensive): with USHIO, SAZANAMI and SUZUKAZE, one of four destroyer units rotating on interdiction patrols off Guadalcanal to lend support and “cut off enemy retreat.”

16 September:

Troop transport run to Guadalcanal.

1 October:

Troop transport run to Guadalcanal.

4 October:

Troop transport run to Guadalcanal.

7 October:

Troop transport run to Guadalcanal.

11 October: Battle of Cape Esperance
Blasted by concentrated gunfire of U.S. cruiser-destroyer group, off Cape Esperance [1]

Sunk:
At 2212 FUBUKI - ablaze and considerably damaged amidships - foundered from the shellfire.(09-06 S, 159-38 E) (However, she did not suffer an induced explosion of magazines or torpedos) Afterward 109 survivors later rescued by USS McCALLA (DD-488), USS HOVEY (DMS-11) and USS TREVER (DMS-16). Lieutenant Commander Yamashita killed in action. [The Japanese Reinforcement Group rescued 8 survivors and the Americans 111 for a total of 119 out of an ostensible pre-war complement of 197. This slightly surprising figure becomes less so when it is realized the impression that FUBUKI "exploded and sank" was simply false. Neither the torpedo tubes or 5-inch magazines detonated.[2]

15 November 1942:

Removed from Navy List.


Notes and Sources:


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