Japanese destroyer Matsukaze (1923)

Matsukaze, built at the Maizuru Naval Arsenal, was laid down on 2 December 1922, launched on 30 October 1923 and commissioned on 5 April 1924. Originally commissioned simply as Destroyer No. 7, the ship was assigned the name Matsukaze on 1 August 1928.^[6]

At the time of the attack on Pearl Harbor on 7 December 1941, Matsukaze was assigned to Destroyer Division 5 of Desron 5 in the IJN 3rd Fleet, and deployed from Mako Guard District in the Pescadores as part of the Japanese invasion force for the Operation M (the invasion of the Philippines), during which time it helped screen landings of Japanese forces at Lingayen Gulf.^[7]

In early 1942, Harukaze was assigned to escorting troop convoys from Taiwan to Malaya and French Indochina. Assigned to Operation J (the invasion of Java in the Netherlands East Indies), she participated at the Battle of Sunda Strait on 1 March 1942. During that battle, the ship assisted the destroyer Shiokaze in sinking the Dutch auxiliary minesweeper Endeh^[8]

From 10 March 1942 through the end of March 1943, Matsukaze and Destroyer Division 5 were assigned to the Southwest Area Fleet and escorted troop convoy from Singapore to Penang, Rangoon, French Indochina, and Makassar. On 31 March Matsukaze returned to Yokosuka Naval Arsenal for refit.^[9]

From June 1943, Matsukaze was reassigned to the IJN 8th Fleet and sent to Rabaul at the end of June. From June through September, she made several "Tokyo Express" troop transport runs to Kolombangara and participated in the evacuation of Japanese forces from Vella Lavella in October. At the end of October, Matsukaze returned to Yokosuka for repairs.

On 9 December 1943, Matsukaze returned to Rabaul and continued to make numerous "Tokyo Express" runs throughout the Solomon Islands, especially to New Britain through the end of January. Matsukaze had the misfortune to be at Truk on 17–18 February 1944 during Operation Hailstorm, when the United States Navy launched a massive and crippling air raid on the Japanese fleet. Matsukaze escaped with medium damage caused by near misses and strafing attacks, and returned to Yokosuka via Saipan and Hahajima by 1 March for repairs.^[10]

After repairs were completed by May 1944 Matsukaze was reassigned to Destroyer Division 30 of Desron 3 in the Central Pacific Area Fleet for convoy escort between the Japanese home islands and Saipan. On 9 June 1944, after departing with a convoy from Tateyama, Chiba bound for Saipan, she was torpedoed and sunk on 9 June 70 miles (110 km) northeast of Chichijima, Ogasawara Islands at coordinates 26°59′N 143°13′E / 26.983°N 143.217°E / 26.983; 143.217 by the submarine USS Swordfish. The ship was struck from the Navy List on 10 August 1944.^[9]

• Dull, Paul S. (2013). A Battle History of The Imperial Japanese Navy (reprint 1978 ed.). Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN -1-612-51290-9.
• Gardiner, Robert & Gray, Randal, eds. (1985). Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1906–1921. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 0-85177-245-5.
• Howarth, Stephen (1983). The Fighting Ships of the Rising Sun: The Drama of the Imperial Japanese Navy, 1895–1945. Atheneum. ISBN 0-689-11402-8.
• Jentschura, Hansgeorg; Jung, Dieter & Mickel, Peter (1977). Warships of the Imperial Japanese Navy, 1869–1945. Annapolis, Maryland: United States Naval Institute. ISBN 0-87021-893-X.
• Lindemann, Klaus (2005). Hailstorm Over Truk Lagoon: Operations Against Truk by Carrier Task Force 58, and the Shipwrecks of World War II. Orego: Resource Publications. ISBN 1-59752-347-X.
• Nevitt, Allyn D. (1997). "IJN Matsukaze: Tabular Record of Movement". Long Lancers. Combinedfleet.com. Retrieved 10 November 2015.
• Watts, Anthony J. & Gordon, Brian G. (1971). The Imperial Japanese Navy. Garden City, New York: Doubleday. ISBN 0385012683.
• Whitley, M. J. (1988). Destroyers of World War Two. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 0-87021-326-1.